Wings of Duty

Wings of Duty — Page 12

Syed Muhammad Ahmad 12 Rangoon was to be made by sea, we had to leave our fighter planes behind. The ship that carried us from Calcutta was called the MV Devonshire. On board were numerous officers from different units of the armed forces along with their staff. As there was a danger of ambush by Japanese submarines, we travelled as part of a convoy which included other passenger ships and several navy destroyers for our protection. This was my first experience travelling by sea. Because our cabins were comfortable, I very much enjoyed the week-long journey. However, when we arrived at Rangoon, there was such chaos and confusion at the port that it took us two days to locate our baggage and find our living quarters. Our accommodation was ghastly, but during the war, things were often that way. The runway of the Air Force base was also in a terrible state, similar to how the Rabwah to Chiniot road used to be many years ago. The RAF Fighter Squadron 607 had left behind 15 Spitfire Mark VIII airplanes for us at Mingaladon, while they went to our previous base at Baigachi. It was customary that after a six-month stint on the front line, a weary squadron was sent back and a fresh one took its place.