British Military Aviation in 1945 - Part 4

Part 3

11 September
Following an agreement at the Potsdam Conference that the United Kingdom would accept the Japanese surrender in French Indo-China south of the 16th parallel, prior to the resumption of French colonial control, Douglas Dakotas of No.62 Squadron began to airlift the leading elements of the 80th Brigade, 20th Indian Division, into Saigon.

On the following day, the first French troops flew into Saigon. In practice, British troops concentrated on disarming Japanese forces in the country, allowing French troops to deal with local nationalist movements affiliated to the Viet Minh.

12 September
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder is promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

15 September
Headquarters, RAF Hong Kong was formed to administer all units based in Hong Kong or operating along the Chinese coast.

19 September
No.273 Squadron RAF (Supermarine Spitfire IXs) is deployed to Tan Son Nhut airfield in French Indo-China. Following its arrival, the squadron flew armed reconnaissance sorties in support of British troops in the French colony. Subsequently, No.273 Squadron was joined at Tan Son Nhut by No.267 Squadron (Douglas Dakotas) and a flight of Mosquito PR34s belonging to No.684 Squadron engaged on photo-mapping duties. The airfield was also occupied by the Gremlin Task Force - a unit consisting of Japanese aircrew under British command, formed to operate Japanese transport aircraft in support of British and French forces.

13 October
Following rioting around Saigon, the airfield at Tan Son Nhut comes under attack. British forces were now obliged to use Japanese personnel to assist in containing the Viet Minh.

17 October
The air component of Air Headquarters, Netherlands East Indies, No.904 Wing, land at Batavia. This includes No.60 and No.81 Squadrons, equipped with Republic P47 Thunderbolts and No.2739 and No.2962 Squadrons of the RAF Regiment. Both flying squadrons were operational from Kemajoran by 19 October and immediately began to fly sorties in support of SEAC forces.

30 October -15 November
Following the outbreak of widespread and fierce conflicts between British troops attempting to occupy the Netherlands East Indies and Indonesian nationalists, Air Headquarters, Netherlands East Indies is heavily reinforced. Additional combat assets included elements of Nos. 47, 81 and 110 Squadrons (de Havilland Mosquito FBVI) search and rescue support was provided by No.27 Squadron (Bristol Beaufighter X) and photo-reconnaissance by No.681 Squadron (Spitfire PR XIX). Additionally, No.31 Squadron (Douglas Dakota) provided transport support to British troops in the colony. Royal Air Force aircraft were regularly called upon to fly armed reconnaissance and close air support sorties.

7 November
A new World speed record is established by Group Captain H.J. Wilson of the RAF High Speed Flight. Flying a Gloster Meteor MkIV over a course above Herne Bay in Kent, Group Captain Wilson achieved a speed of 606mph. This was the first officially recognised record to be established by a jet aircraft.

23 November
RAF Mediterranean and Middle East is renamed RAF Mediterranean/Middle East (MED/ME). The command encompassed RAF stations and units in the Central Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East, the Levant, Iraq, the Sudan, Aden and East Africa. The first Air Officer Commanding was Air Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst.

30 November
As part of the restructuring of Air Command South East Asia (ACSEA), RAF Air Command Far East is formed to control AHQs in existence or being established throughout the Far East, including those in Burma, Malaya, Hong Kong and Ceylon.

30 November
The Air Transport Auxiliary is disbanded. During the war its pilots have ferried 307,378 aircraft.

December
Attempts by the British Government to limit Jewish immigration and the desire to create an independent Israeli state lead to an upsurge of terrorism within Palestine. In response, during the course of 1945 a number of Royal Air Force squadrons were despatched to Palestine to carry out anti-terrorist, anti-immigration and transport operations in support of British Army units within the country.

By December, these included: No.6 Squadron (Hawker Hurricane IV), No.32 and No.208 Squadrons (Supermarine Spitfire LF9), No.213 Squadron (North American Mustang III/IV), Nos. 37, 178 and 214 Squadrons (Consolidated Liberator VI), No.644 Squadron (Handley Page Halifax VII/IX) and detachments from No.78 and No.512 Squadrons (Douglas Dakota C4), No.651 Squadron (Auster AOP5) and No.680 Squadron (Mosquito PR16).

December
No.230 Squadron (Short Sunderland GRV) commence repatriation flights from Batavia in the Netherlands East Indies to Malaya.

1 December
Lord Mountbatten visits Saigon in order to officially receive the sword surrendered by the Japanese Supreme Commander in French Indo-China, Count Terauchi. During his visit, Lord Mountbatten praised the Royal Air Force for its work in the area under difficult circumstances.

11 December
Supermarine Spitfire IXs of No.273 Squadron carried out strafing attacks on Viet Minh guerrillas surrounding a French force at Banme Thuet, French Indo-China. Leaflets were dropped in advance to warn the Viet Minh of this action.

13 December
The first Armee de l'Air fighter unit in French Indo-China, GCII/7, is formed at Tan Son Nhut using ex-RAF Supermarine Spitfire VIII fighters. The unit was subsequently re-equipped with Spitfire XIs in January 1946. As more French units returned to Indo-China, British troops gradually handed over control of Saigon.

Part 3