- Contributed by听
- Andy C
- People in story:听
- Leslie Chippett
- Location of story:听
- The Arakan Penninsula
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A4040506
- Contributed on:听
- 09 May 2005
I was an armourer with 67 squadron and we had just returned from Chittagong, we were at Alipore, not on "readiness" but preparing to become operational. On I believe the saturday, less than 24 hours after our return the japanese bombed Calcutta in daylight. Although far from prepared we struggled to get some Hurricanes into the air. I recall re-arming the brownings of a couple of aircraft and several got airborn.
Imagine the anger of the squadron from CO to the lowest erk when on the following monday the Calcutta newspaper was very scathing, "Where was the RAF, do they have the weekend off?
It was decided to show these critics sat at home with their gins that the RAF did exist.
On the following weekend a particularly important race meeting was to be held at Calcutta racecourse, imagine the members chagrin when as the race commenced Hurricanes appeared at nought feet "beating up" the racecourse. Horses went everywhere and I believe the race was concluded in the slowest time on record.
I saw no further criticisms of 67 or any other squadrons. Further to this there is a story about a camera gun, film or lack of it and discrepancies regarding a "kill" made in that raid, but I'll leave that for another time.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.