Wings of Duty — Page 18

Syed Muhammad Ahmad 18 area around the River Irrawaddy to the southwest of Rangoon does not have a single tree. There are only rice fields for miles and beyond which grow some of the best rice in the world. If it had been a tree-covered area, I might not have survived. Despite living in Rangoon for eight months, I was unable to visit the grave of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, because this was strictly forbidden to servicemen. On the way to the grave there were a number of signs which read out of bounds to troops. Perhaps the government was afraid that Indian servicemen would be inspired by a zeal for independence by going there. Some months after the peace declaration, our squadron was sent to Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli) air base in southern India. Our ground party with baggage in tow departed for Madras (Chennai) by sea. The others who were taken by air travelled slowly, calling in at Akyab (Sittwe), Calcutta, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Hyderabad Deccan, and Rachnapul. After taking a few days to acclimatise, we settled into our routine of peacetime flying. There are two things worth mentioning about our stay here. First, as a keen sightseer since I was a child, I would make the most of my Sundays and other time