No.3 Coastal Defence Flight Blenheims.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Seeking serial numbers of the 15-20 or so Blenheim Mk. I's used by No. 3 Coastal Defence flight, India in WW2.
Alex

[udf_00]

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Hi...ar/Bhatia.html
Bloody Shambles, Vol. 1
p267 Sunday, 25 January : 5 Blenheims from Calcutta to Bassein, L8448 ditching 100 miles off Chittagong.
P273 Friday-Saturday, 30-31 January : Moulmein 30 Jan, L4912 damaged by bomb blast, destroyed when the unit withdrew later.
Bloody Shambles, Vol. 2
p276 Saturday, 21 February : Bassein, L4915 hit by a bomb, caught fire and the depth charges exploded.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Thanks for the link and Bloody Shambles refs, Why didn't I look in their ??
I think that with that info and scaned through AB's L1000 -N9999 that I have the five.
The three you gave:L8448(DBR 4.3.42); L4912(Lost Burma 2.42) and L4915(60 Sqdn - Destroyed in Air Raid Bassein, 1.42 - may have been repaired and passed to 3 CDF).
AB gives up L8459 (SoC 21.3.42) and L4832 that went on to 82 Sqdn.

I'm sure that in the IAF link somewhere it did give 15 a/c. Maybe that number included the 9 from 1 AGS ?

Thanks
Alex

[JaganP]

Alex,

I doubt 3CDF operated 15-20 Blenheims.. it was after all only a "Flight" and i would expect it to have no more than half a dozen. These are what I have, all taken from the logbook of an Indian Pilot, K L Bhatia

Blenheim
L8401 Inducted Dec 41
L4832 Inducted Dec 41
L8459 Noted Jan 42
L8448 Ditched in Sea - Hem Chaudhary 1942-01-25
L6650 Feb 42 - > To 353 Sqdn in April 42 Cr Bamrauli K R Das Night take off 1942-05-10
L4918 Feb 42 -> To 353 Sqdn in April 42
L4915 Feb 42

3CDF was absorbed into 353 Squadron in April 42. The 353 ORB is unfortunately rather sparse and strange with very little recorded for the period.

And a roster of aircrew at this link

And there is a small picture of the strafed Blenheim from Moulmein in Norman Frank's "First in the Indian Skies"..