Description
Object description
Photograph album mainly covering the service of an Aircraftman with the Royal Air Force in the Far East, 1945-1946. Only a single page of the album contains photographs taken in the UK. These show members of 861 Servicing Echelon on a visit to Ilfracombe in 1943. The remainder of the album covers time in India, Burma and Siam. For India there are typical tourist style photographs of such sites as the Gateway to India and Taj Mahal, plus street scenes in Calcutta, local people and everyday life in Feni and temples, railway station and street scenes in Darjeeling. From Bishnapur in Bengal there is a group photograph of members of the Instrument Section of 143 Repair and Salvage Unit (RAF), views of a village near the RAF camp and general scenes in Bishnapur town. For Madras there are photographs relating to No.211 Squadron (RAF) and 7211 Servicing Echelon at St Thomas Mount airfield, including Mosquito and Halifax aircraft. Also included are photographs of 7211 Servicing Echelon personnel off duty and general views of St George's Cathedral, St Thomas's Church, Marine Esplanade, a convent and a local festival. The next group of images cover the journey of personnel from 7211 Servicing Echelon from Madras to Rangoon aboard LST 311 and then an onward journey to Bangkok aboard LST 3021 and HMT CIRCASSIA. Between October 1945 - April 1946, 7211 Sevicing Echelon served at Don Muang airport in Siam, again supporting No.211 Squadron. Photographs for this period show some of the work and off duty activity of the Servicing Echelon personnel as well as aircraft including 211 Squadron Mosquitoes (serial numbers RF711, RF751, RF791, RF819, RF950 and HR568, the latter after crash landing), MK.XIV Spitfires of No.20 Squadron (including SN894), a USAAF Flying Fortress and Skymaster and captured Japanese types including a Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter. There are also photographs taken during a period of leave at Sahn Sook Rest Camp (17-27 December 1945) including a general view of the camp, the dining tent, a typical chalet, the river ferry, local girls employed as waitresses and British service personnel sailing and on a fishing expedition. Other photographs taken in Bangkok cover a football match: 211 Squadron vs AHQ Siam, the British military envoy arriving to accept the Japanese surrender of swords (16 January 1946) and a visit by Lord Mountbatten (18-21 February 1946) showing an inspection of the guard of honour by Mountbatten and the King of Siam and a march-past by British Army, Royal Navy and RAF personnel. There are also a couple of photographs documenting the final parade of 7211 Servicing Echelon on the disbandment of 211 Squadron (15 March 1946). These images show personnel of the Servicing Echelon grouped round one of the Squadron's Mosquito aircraft and the Commanding Officer's final inspection of the unit. The album concludes with a number of general photographs taken in and around Bangkok showing the railway station, garrison theatre, the Monument to Democracy, the Temple of the Dawn and riverboats at Paknum. The collection also includes an AHQ Siam Christmas Card for 1945 and two hand-drawn sketch maps showing the route taken out to India and the Far East (14 February - 27 October 1945) and the return journey to the UK (24 March - 28 April 1946).