[Nicholas]

Just to stick with the Mosquito side of things for the time being I did a bit more digging and discovered that the 3 Mk IIs and 3 Mk VIs (HJ730, HJ759 & HJ760) were first allocated to 27 Sqn (Beaufighters) for trials. One of the Mk IIs was lost in a crash before the 5 remaining Mossies were "modified for PR work and handed over to 681 Sqn at Dum Dum, Calcutta in August 1943". ('Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units 1942-45' by Martin Bowman, Osprey Combat Aircraft 4)

The trials were weathering trials under the supervision of F G Myers, the De Havilland tech rep in India. The Mk IIs were standard production aircraft for 'operational trials and familiarisation' only whilst the Mk VIs had been given special protective treatment before being despatched.

"Much to the surprise of those at the aerodrome on the morning of 11 April (1943), a strange aircraft approached and was quickly identified as a De Havilland Mosquito. Mosquito Mk II DZ695 was to be attached to us for weather trials and operational familiarisation, being the first Mosquito sent to the tropics for this purpose. The crew, F/Lts McCullock DFC and Young had flown the aircraft from the UK. One week later a second Mosquito, crewed by FO Fielding and F/Sgt Steer, and on 2 May a third, crewed by FOs Dupee DFM and McDonnell, were attached for the same purpose. Their arrival was to coincide with the approaching monsoon season and, no doubt, had been deliberately chosen to expose the Mosquitos to the tropical elements." ('Beaufighters Over Burma' by David J Innes)

The first Mosquito operation was flown on 19 May by FO Dupee DFM and McDonnell along the central Burma railway where a train was attacked and stopped. The second operation, on 29 May, was an armed recce of Japanese aerodromes at Kangaung, Meiktila, Thedaw (a Meiktila satellite) and He-Ho during which an Oscar attempted to intercept the Mossie but was outrun at ground level.

During the same month one of the Mosquito IIs was lost when FOs Fielding & Steer overan the Agartala runway when making an emergency landing. Steer sustained a fractured spine.

During the return from an operation in June, to attack Kangaung, DZ696 piloted by FO Dupee DFM developed a glycol leak in the starboard engine and had to make a single-engine flight to Cox's Bazaar where on landing one of the tyres burst and the resultant loss of control caused the port undercarriage to collapse.

A photograph of Mk VI HJ759 at Agartala shows it be in the overall PRU blue scheme with SEAC style roundels.

To be continued . . .