大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Henryka McDuff and has been added to the website on behalf of Mr Dennis Brown with his permission and he fully understood the site's terms and conditions".

I joined ADCC(Air Defence Cadet Corps)in 1938 aged 14 years, (ADCC became ATC in 1941/42)I was promoted to Corporal, and I left in February 1943 to join the Royal Air Force.
I joined the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) when it was formed in 1941, it was shortly to become known as the Home Guard (Dads Army). I served in the local Platoon attached to the Royal West Kent Regiment, and I was promoted to Lance Corporal and then I left to join the RAF in February 1943.
I attended the Air Crew Selection Board in London in February 1942. I was accepted for Pilot training and I waited for a year for the Number/Rank, because I had told a lie - I put my age up a year.
Finally I went into RAF uniform (London) in February 1943, Ground School at St.Andrews University, where I took flying assessment at Scone airfield Perth, and then I went to Canada to complete my flying training. I was awarded my flying badge (Wings) in May 1944. When I returned from Canada I had my own crew before the age of 20 years, flying Dakota aircraft.
I was posted to the Far East, India and Burma, joining No 31 Squadron,(who are still active to this day flying Tornados out of RAF Marham), flying in support of the 14th Army, troop transport, supply dropping and evacuating wounded etc.
When the Japs surrendered in (August 1945) we moved down to Singapore to evacuate RAPWI people and to assist the Dutch with their 'problems' that arose about this time in Java and Summatra.
We remained there until September 1946,
returning to the UK in November 1946 and I was released from the RAF in April 1947.

Just before the war ended on the 5th of August 1945, we, 31 Squadron were withdrawn from the action in Burma to train with Gliders and Paratoopers at an airfield in India (Tilda), so needless to say when the bombs were dropped on Japan, we knew that this action had probably saved our lives, as the chances of surviving the assault on Singapore and Malaysia would have been very slim.

THREE STORIES OF WARRANT OFFICER DENNIS BROWN PILOT WITH 31 SQUADRON 1945-46.

Having left Chaklala (Rawalpindi) by train to proceed to a Squadron in North Burma (turned out to be 31 Squadron) my crew and I and others found ourselves holed-up in Calcutta. We were informed repeatedly that no air transport would would be available for some time to take us to the Squadron, so we set off under our own steam to find the Squadron. What a journey it was. We went partly by train, and partly by boat on the river running in floods in certain stretches. I was convinced that we had arrived at Commillia (Burma) more by luck than by judgement.

I will always remember a short time after joining the Squadron arriving at Akyab (during the rainy season) and having made ourselves known, being shown a lot of sodden canvas (tents) and invited to make up our own accommodation. During this time the rain came down. We stripped off and proceeded to stake out the canvas in the 'noddy'. We had a shower at the same time. This story had a sad ending. Little did we know, when we staked the tent out ( no one told us), that we were immediately behind an area where the 'Daks' ran-up the engines just prior to take off at the crack of dawn. We and the tent almost blew away. We did the same thing ourselves many times during the following weeks.

Another event ,different from others,(NKK174) whilst flying out RAPWI personnel from Medan in Summatra to Singapore, it often happened, we ran out of daylight. We arrived at Kuala Lumpar just before dusk, only to find that we had no accommodation or food available for our passengers and ourselves. We often had to sleep in the aircraft. There was not sufficient accommodation for passengers and crew. On a lovely moonlight night, we made the decision to fly to Singapore (Kalang). I had to explain my action to the Flight Commander the next day. He ordered me not to do it again. There were no night flying facilities at this time. We received a distinction for being the only crew who had done the 'night flying' during this period with the Squadron.

My 21st birthday was unusual (24/10/1945). We flown to Medan with some medical supplies and, we were told that we will be flying out more Dutch Internnes. However our passengers were still in the South of the Island. We proceeded to fly to Palembang with the weather worsening and the cloud base lowering as we approached Palembang. By the time we had arrived, visibility was down to almost zero. We flew over a 'landing strip' which had a number of obstructions on it. This had to be our landing site before we ran out of daylight. Somehow we managed to send a radio message to the local station in the town, so our landing was made known. We waited around the aircraft ('5'KN545) and eventually much to our surprise two lorry loads of fully armed Japs turned up who were sent out from the HQ in the town where a single RAF Office had taken the surrender of the Jap Garrison in this area. The Japs wanted to take us back to the town and leave the 'Dak' unguarded. With their greater numbers and more hardware (we had four 38's) it seems suprising that we should have had our own way. In the end the Japs stayed overnight with the aicraft.
We were taken into the town passing several check points en route. The Japs senties were fully armed. We were taken to the main hotel where we met the RAF Officer. That evening we had a good meal in the first class surroundings and we slept in a proper bed for the first time in several months.
Next morning we returned to the 'Dak' and having carried out a very close inspection of the aicraft. We returned to Singapore in very good weather conditions. I should mention that whilst waiting, having landed the previous day, for someone to come along, we had made a 'recce' of the landing strip. We discovered some graves of British prisoners, members of the crews of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, who had been employed by the Japs to build the strip. These graves were unknown at this time ,so it was of real interest to the authorities when we returned to Singapore.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.