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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1073.PDF
MAY 31ST, 1945 FLIC COMBAT CARGO TASK FORCE went its improved air supply companies, its Rear Airfield Maintenance Organisation and its R.A.F. Liaison Officers As part of the essential equipment of every Division were the machines and the men to build air strips. From now on the '' Dakota strip'' was to become an important part of the 14th Army, and almost the first thing any land unit did on consolidating a new position was to construct its air strip. Flying over central Burma not long ago I started to count these air strips, but soon gave up. I am told, however, that something like 200 Dakota landing places have been built during the hi^advances from Imphal to Rangoon. Unfortunately, as we now reach the latter phases of this gigantic air undertaking—a veil of secrecy begins to shroud the facts. Rightly so, too, because the strength of Combat Cargo and the details of the existing and successful organi- sation are something which the Japanese are probably employing a lot of Staff officers to compute. f We do know, however, that, trusting in its Dakotas, the Army settled to a routine of—"advance—consolidate—- build air strip—receive supplies—advance again." From the Arakan ports Dakota followed Dakota over the moun- tains to Central Burma^each with its mixed load, neatly tagged for its proper *»ttit of destination and properly routed to the correct air strip—not all as easy as it sounds when the signals were humming 24 hours a day with multi-varied Army demands coming in from the Shweli river to the Chindwin and from the Northern Irrawaddy to the Pakkoku bridgehead. In addition, Combat Cargo had many scattered Army units to look after by parachute drop, with all its attendant worries of packing, folding and order of "load-release." The West Africans in Kaladan Valley—small patrols of fighting men marching many miles behind enemy lines— these, too, had to be supplied. Clearing1 Casualties A word here about the little brother of the Dakota—the L.5—which ha^^done such great work in going into and coming out from units whose cramped position did not afford them the luxury of a Dakota strip. To the L.5—buzzing its way forward off the bigger strips—many wounded or sick men owe their lives. All over the battle front L.5 flights of R.A.F. and American pilots have been established—and many are the tales of deeds they have done and of '' impossible'' landings and takings off. Some of the stories are apocryphal—others are true—and theL_§i&,,_effect on morale has been great. The i4tJKfought in lhany isolated places, but, in most of A turbanned Sikh busy in one of the parachute packing yards. There are no spotless linoleum-covered tables ^ available out there. them, its soldiers knew that, if they were hit, thej'would almost certainly be picked up by an L.5 within hours, and be back at a base hospital—via L.5 and Dakota—in a day. One of the incalculable luxuries of unchallenged air power. As the Army advanced down Burma the demands on Combat Cargo Task Force increased. The tenuous land link stretching back to the Bengal /Assam railhead at Manipur became less and less economical. In time, in cost, in speed and in bulk, air supply came out on top. (A pointer this to goods air-line operation in re- mote parts.) incredible things were delivered by air—steam cranes, loco- motives, artillery—all re- duced tp components, flown Jftx and then reas- sembled in the field. But, as more and more of Burma was freed, yet another care was com- mitted to the Dakotas— that of the needs of the civil population. There have been some com- An L s with a casualty on board flying back to Base. Such an excellent job has been done by these Stin- sons that they are known as Jungle Angels.
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