Williams, Douglas Owain (Oral history)

British NCO served as wireless operator with 194 Sqdn, RAF in India, 1942-1943; served with 31 Sqdn, RAF during First Chindit Expedition in Burma, 2/1943-4/1943; served with 194 Sqdn, No 177 Wing, RAF in India and Burma, 1942-1944 including Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 2/1944-6/1944

REEL 1 Background in Port Talbot and London, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; employment; move to London. Aspects of enlistment and training with RAF in GB, 1940-1942: volunteering for RAF Volunteer Reserve, 1940; training as wireless operator/air gunner, 1940-1941; flight from GB to India, summer 1942. Aspects of period as wireless operator with 194 Sqdn in India, 1942-1943: recruitment to squadron; operating Lockheed Hudson. Recollections of operations as wireless operator with 31 Sqdn, RAF during First Chindit Expedition in Burma, 2/1943-4/1943: detachment to 31 Sqdn, RAF for First Chindit Expedition: composition of crew; method of locating Chindit groups; method of dropping supplies; navigation procedure; lack of Japanese air opposition. Recollections of period as wireless operator with 194 Sqdn, No 177 Wing, RAF in India and Burma, 1943-1944: conversion to Douglas Dakota; training for air invasion of Burma; formation of No 177 Wing, RAF; support for 14th Army, 2/1944 including air supply duties in Arakan; story of crash landing after aircraft hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire over Arakan. REEL 2 Continues: flying conditions over Burma; incident of flying Lockheed Hudson through storm over Chin Hills. Recollections of operations as wireless operator with 194 Sqdn, No 177 Wing, RAF during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 2/1944-6/1944: decision to transfer from Broadway to Piccadilly landing zones; aircraft load; landing at Broadway landing zone ; amount of supplies and troops flown in four days; disposal of mule corpse in aircraft; opinion of Chindits; conditions at RAF Tezpur and RAF Agartala in India; fighter defence for operations; supplying Imphal during siege, 3/1944; meeting with Major General Orde Wingate at Broadway landing zone, 3/1944; supplying Aberdeen landing zone, 3/1944-4/1944. REEL 3 Continues: problems of landing and take off at Aberdeen landing zone, 4/1944; evacuation of Hawker Hurricane squadron from Imphal area, 4/1944; loss of his Douglas Dakota; air drop sortie to Imphal, 6/1944. Aspects of service in India, 1942-1944: anti-British feeling, 1942; manifestations of Quit India movement; witnessing conditions during Bengal famine, 1943.