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Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East.

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Old 18th June 2019, 22:25
Felix C Felix C is offline
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Aircraft of either side down in the jungle Burma, etc.

Were the crews written off? Any rescue teams parachuted in? I do not see the use of the later as well.
You see what I refer to.
BTW, were losses high operationally?
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Old 18th June 2019, 22:40
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Aircraft of either side down in the jungle Burma, etc.

You may have already found these:

https://www.historynet.com/salvation-hump-wwii.htm


https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/...copter-rescue/
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Old 19th June 2019, 08:02
Col Bruggy Col Bruggy is offline
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Re: Aircraft of either side down in the jungle Burma, etc.

Hello,

The second CGM for a Far East recipient was an unusual award, as the man recommended was a parachute instructor in the RAF, 638217 Flight Sergeant Thomas Emanuel "Chalky" WHITE was attached to 357 Squadron, based at Dum Dum, flying Special Duties ops, dropping men and supplies to insurgent groups behind the Japanese lines, with Hudsons, Liberators and Catalinas.
On 14/15th March 1944, a Hudson (AM949 'A') took off at 11.30 pm to fly such a mission. At 3 am a signal was received that the Hudson had crashed. Four of the crew had been killed, and two seriously injured. The assistance of a doctor was urgently required.
At Dum Dum, the medical officer, 61855 George Desmond GRAHAM MBE, who had just joined the squadron, immediately volunteered to parachute into the area where the injured men were. A drop was organised, piloted by 45734 Flight Lieutenant James Albert KING DFC, having flown an operation to the area only the previous night. Flight Sergeant White also volunteered to accompany the doctor, and to assist in identifying and burying the dead airman.
On the 17th, a message was received that Graham and White had landed safely, but that one of the injured men had died two days earlier. The drop had gone well, and the two men had been met on the ground by Kokang guerillas dressed in blue uniforms under the control of Colonel Yang Wan Sang. Mule transport had been provided and after an hour's journey to the crash site, he found the wreckage half a mile west of Po Ko village.
In a mountain hut, directly opposite the the crash, the sole survivor, Flying Officer Wally E. Prosser RCAF, the navigator, was found. He had been given first aid by Major Leitch and Lieutenant of the American forces in the area. Prosser was found to have a fractured skull, cuts on his face and a fractured right ankle, plus a fever due to infection that had set in. Treatment was given, and he was attended by Leitch, Parsons and Flight Sergeant White.
After three days he began to improve, the men having kept watch on Prosser in relays round the clock, but then he had a relapse. Captain Hockman, an American medical officer then arrived, having journeyed from T Etang by mule, which had taken him five days. He and Graham tended Prosser constantly and he began to improve again. Meanwhile, the dead crewmen were all buried and given full military honours.
Then on 24th March, a message was received that a force of 200 Japanese soldiers was making its way towards their position, being even then only four hours' march away. Prosser was better but not well enough to be moved, so they decided to wait further confirmation of the enemy's movements. This came on the 30th - the force was just thirty miles away and numbered 400!
On 1st April, they departed into China, Prosser being carried on a litter by twelve coolies. On the 13th the coolies vanished in the night and some hours were spent trying to engage new ones. In the meantime, White was sent ahead to see to see if he could recruit others. He returned on the 9th and they set off again.
Two days later they climbed a pass of 7,000 feet, then on the 12th they got a message to 357 Squadron. The next day they were transported in a weapons' carrier to Yunshin staying there at the 22nd Field Hospital. They then contacted the American Air Transport Command who promised to fly the party to India. They took off but then the aeroplane's undercarriage failed to retract, so had to land immediately. Prosser collapsed again and was air sick. They returned to Kunming where he was refreshed. They finally flew out on the 17th, arriving at Dum Dum at 6.30 pm.
Flight Lieutenant Graham praised the work of Flight Sergeant White, for the way in which he looked after Prosser, his help with the coolies and general all round assistance. They had covered over 100 miles, travelling for five days, and in all they had been away for a total of thirty-three days. White was recommended for the CGM on 17th May, and Graham the DSO. 45734 Flight Lieutenant James Albert King DFC, who had flown them in, received a bar to his DFC.

See:
In Action With The Enemy The Holders of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying).
Cooper,Alan W.
London:Kimber,1986
pp.172-4

see also:

The Legend of Llandwrog The Story of an airfield and the birth of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service.
Doylerush,Edward
Earl Shilton:Midland Counties Publications,1994.
pp.84-6

and... http://www.rquirk.com/357oper/357Sqdn1944.pdf - pp.11-12, 18-24 of 136

The crew of No.357 (S.D.) Sqn, Hudson III AM949 'A':

J10015 F/O (Capt./Pilot) Richard Blake PALMER RCAF +
80801 F/L (2nd Pilot) James Cecil Spencer PONSFORD RAFVR +
J16354 F/O (Nav.) Wally PROSSER RCAF - Survived
J8624 F/L (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Lorne PATTERSON RCAF +
J89408 P/O (2nd. W/Op.) Bruce Adam OGILVIE RCAF +
537086 F/Sgt (Despatcher) Joseph WILKINSON RAF +

Re: 'Chalky' White - https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/....thomas-white/

George Desmond Graham passed away on 19th October, 1980.

Col.

Last edited by Col Bruggy; 19th June 2019 at 10:25.
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