[Nicholas]

681 converted to Spitfires in Sep '43.

684 was formed on 29 Sep 43 from the twin-engine elements of 681 and equipped with Mitchells and various marks of Mosquito, including FII, FBVI & PRIX to begin with. At the time of the shootdown they were based at Dum Dum. DZ697 'J' was on a photo-recce of the Rangoon area when reported missing. It was a Mk II (FII). The crew were probably officially detached to 684 and still on 681 strength at the time of their loss.

More details about the equipment, fortunes and moves of these two squadrons may be found in Osprey Combat Aircraft 13 'Mosquito PR Units of WW2'. A brief account of the shootdown may be found in Air War For Burma by Christopher Shores.

DZ696 'S' was also a Mk II (FII) . Although 64th Sentai had a number of Shoki (Ki-44 'Tojo') on strength for intercept missions over Rangoon, Kuroe was actually flying a Hayabusa (Ki-43 'Oscar') when he "captured" it. On this occasion 684 were operating from Comilla in East Bengal as part of 171 PR Wing. Kuroe's own account of this encounter is most interesting - let me know if more details are needed. Shores claims that DZ696 was being flown by a FO E Cotton.