大象传媒

This story was submitted to the 大象传媒 People's War website by Eleanor Fell, on behalf of Leslie Sumption, who has given his permission for his story to go on the website and understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I joined 31 Squadron R.A.F, as an engine fitter about the middle of 1941 at Lahore, in the Punjab. My introduction was very precise, and to the point. The C.O. Wing Commander Bill Burberry said, "Come with me Sumption", so Sumption duly went along, and the "Boss" took me to a DC2 Dakota standing on the tarmac.

He said, "This is your aircraft Sumption, and where this goes, you go. You will have to act as a dispatcher, get yourself a logbook, and you will be paid an extra one-and-four-pence a day flying pay. You will not get a parachute, as we have none on the Squadron. Good Luck Sumption!鈥�

After a six-month detachment in the Middle East with Pilot Flt. Lt. Tiny Howell, the Squadron returned to Lahore for a refit. The Japanese had just invaded Burma from Thailand, and we, including my faithful DC2, ended up in Chittagong under Pilot Officer Williams, where we were in constant action supply dropping supplies to civilian refugees, and British troops fleeing the advancing Japanese. One of the pilots Flt Lt.David Lord was later awarded the Victoria Cross in Arnham.

When the retreat was stabilized in the region of Imphal, Maj. Gen. Wingate sent the Chindits in to operate behind the enemy lines, and they were to be supplied by air, with 31 Squadron doing the necessary. The normal procedure for a supply drop was as follows; each Chindit column would have attached to it an RAF wireless operator, when the column Commander had decided on a venue for a "drop", usually nothing more than a clearing in the jungle, the wireless operator would radio our base with the Column's requirements (Food, Medical Supplies, Arms and Ammunition etc)

The loads were normally of a mixed variety. The free fall items, such as sacks of rice etc. would be pushed out flying at tree top height, Medical Supplies, Arms, etc needed a parachute drop, so we would go in at 600 feet. The time over the dropping zone was usually about 20 minutes, or so, taking about seven runs over the target area. On several occasions, the operation had to be aborted due to enemy interference!

On one occasion returning from a supply drop, my aircraft was chased by two Japanese Zero's, and we only got away by diving into cloud, and then dropping down to ground level to rid ourselves of the enemy. About this time, I was engaged in a night operation to rescue eleven British soldiers stranded on the Island of Akyab, in the Indian Ocean. The Japs were expected to take the island in a matter days!!

Unfortunately, my pilot got the runway mixed up in the dark, and put us down in the middle of a bomb crater!! The aircraft was a write off, and we, the rescuers, were now in need of rescuing!! During the following day the Japanese bombers came over and gave us a real pasting, and as I was heading for the dug out alongside the runway, I was very much aware of the fact that a Zero was chasing me at almost ground level, and bullets were kicking up the dust a foot or so to my right, I made the dug out in double quick time!!

Eventually, two days, and more air raids later, another 31 Squadron Dakota flew in at night, did a quick about turn, and got us all safely back to Chittagong.

I have a log book recording rather more than 300 hours operational flying during the Burma campaign, including many hair raising episodes. Not bad for an engine fitter. I never did get that extra one and four pence though!

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