|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
| Navigation Menus |
|
Military Art Index |
Aviation Art Index |
Naval Art Index |
Artists Index |
Aviation History Archive |
Naval History Archive |
|
| HALF PRICE AND FREE PRINT SPECIAL OFFERS | ||||||
|
| Aviation Art Collecton - Ken Moon |
Flew Dakota 214 of No.96 Squadron on December 8th 1945. Here are Ken's own recollections of his time with the Dakota : I volunteered for aircrew towards the end of 1942 and was called up in January 1943. I trained in Canada and qualified as a Navigator early in 1944 and was posted to the Far East early in 1945 and to 96 Squadron in August 1945. We flew Dakota aircraft operating in Burma on many sorties in support of the 14th Army who were fighting against the Japanese. Supplies and personnel were flown in and the return trip often included casualties. At the end of the month we were recalled to Bilaspur in India and were told that we were to take part in an airborne operation on Penang halfway down the coast of Malaya. I had done all the flight planning for this operation and two days later we were called to attend what we thought was the final briefing. Imagine our surprise when it was announced that it had been called off because the Americans had dropped atom bombs on the Japanese mainland resulting in a complete surrender. We were told that the following day we would go back into Burma and be based at Hmawbi some thirty miles north of Rangoon and take part in flying out the ex prisoners of war who had been in captivity for some three and a half years and had suffered extreme hardships and brutality. We lived under canvas for the next few months and when this job was completed our crew were fortunate to be posted to Kaitak, Hong Kong, mainly to fly for the British Embassy, which was being moved from Chunking, which was the wartime capital of China, to Nanking, which was to be the future peacetime capital. (Of course this did not take place because the communists took over and Peking, now known as Beijing, became the new capital) During this time we flew a wide variety of cargoes including passengers such as Kings Messengers and the occassional VIP as well as troops, military personnel, casualties and ex pows. We carried diplomatic mail, jeeps, aero engines and tyres, ammunition, aviation fuel, food and rations, medical personnel, and a great deal of mixed freight. The Dakota was a truly wonderful aircraft and was wel liked by all its crews. It was said that General Eisenhower when listing the foru weapons which did most to win the war included the jeep and the Douglas Dakota. To quote an unnamed pilot - You might wreck a Dakota, but you will never wear it out. After nearly a quarter of a century of faithful service it was retired from the RAF in April 1970. The crew I usually flew with consisted of the following : Pilot - Flt Sgt Ridley, Navigator - (myself) Flt Sgt Moon, Radio Operator - Flt Sgt Robson. All were later promoted to Warrant Officer. Also 2nd Pilot Sgt Bamber or Sgt Gough. At the end of 1946 I was demobbed and returned home realising how fortunate I was having had such experiences - sometimes dangerous, sometimes exciting but always interesting. |
| Based on many years of experience in dealing with thousands of aviation signatures, we have estimated the value this signature adds to a print as £35 |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Contact Details |
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com |
