While reading "The Massacre of ABDACOM: The Destruction of the United States, British, Dutch and Australian Forces by the Japanese In World War II", I have come upon several references of the Handley Page Heyford being pressed into frontline duty, both in the tactical role bombing the invading Japanese armies over Southern Burma, and even in the strategic one during at least one night raid against Bangkok: "On 7 January air reinforcements arrived, sixteen Blenheims of RAF 113 Squadron, commanded by a Rhodesian, Wing Commander R. N. Stidolph. Half the personnel were Australians. Within hours Stevenson organized a night raid on Bangkok in Thailand by eleven Blenheims and three Heyfords. The Heyford was an obsolete biplane twin-engine bomber. Naturally this small formation couldn’t do much damage, but for morale value the raid was invaluable. The Japanese in Bangkok had thought themselves safe." "A hodge-podge of Allied planes was already attacking the oncoming Japanese - six Heyfords, two Overstrands, eight Blenheims, eight Audax, four Furys and three Hurricanes. The Audax was a light single-engine biplane. The Overstrand was a twin engine biplane, as was the Heyford. With so many biplanes, to the younger soldiers on the ground it looked like a flying museum. The Japanese called in air support and seven Ki-27s responded. In the air battle two Ki-27s fell from the skies as did one Heyford and one Audax. Later some Ki-30 single-engine light bombers raided Smyth’s defenders, but two were shot down, one of them by Mohan Singh in his Fury. He thus became the first Indian fighter ace in the war against Japan." Does anyone have more information about its deployment? Sir Google has not showed anything substantial as of yet, and it is utterly interesting to find such a contraption involved in the real war, much like the Bombay or the Wellesley. Seems like the RAF was really scrapping the bottom of the barrel in those hectic days.
This sounds like complete nonsense. What sources were used by the author of 'The Massacre of ABDACOM'? The title alone would put me off the book. Never heard of Heyfords, Overstrands or Furies being used in Burma. The first Hurricanes only arrived later in the month. Not sure who this 'Mohan Singh in his Fury' is supposed to be, but it seems pretty unlikely that he became the first Indian fighter ace after shooting down one plane.
htt:/p/francefightson.yuku.com/topic/1202/Burma-Campaign-January-1942-Battle-Moulmein-Strong-Britis The "research" for this book appears to rely on information drawn from the above website, which is an alternative history website called "France fights on" Given that the author of "Massacre" seems unable to distinguish fact from fantasy, I might suggest the book's contents be viewed with some scepticism. The alternate history does use real people but changes their actions obviously. Here's a biography of the real Wing Commander Stidolph: http://peek-01.livejournal.com/85777.html and Mohan Singh existed too. With a slightly different career. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohan_Singh_%28general%29 As a final check I looked at the dates in Shore's Bloody Shambles. The events are covered on page 254 and bare a very slight resemblance to the details outlined in the 'Massacre" title. Blenheims did raid Bangkok on Jan 8th but only Blenheims (113 and one from 60 squadron)
When I first encountered references to the Burma Auxiliary Air Force, some 100 pages before the ones I quote, I also smelled something strange, but a little research (which didn't mention the Heyfords, by the way), put me right: http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/burma/burma-bvaf-home.htm Seems like the said contraptions were completely an RAF affair.
The HP Heyford owes its design to the Great War era, being designed to the AM specification B19/27 having open cockpits.It was then ordered to the AM specification 23/32,having first flown in June 1930.It was destined for squadron service before the RAF Expansion Scheme in 1935 and went on to equip 11 squadrons when clearly obsolescence. As soon as the Whitley and Wellesley became available from 1937,the Heyford was withdrawn from service gradually but the last three squadrons did not have their Heyfords replaced until January 1939,when they received the Wellington.By the start of the war the RAF still had 40 Heyfords on charge but I cannot trace to which units these aircraft were disposed to.....no overseas units are shown so equipped at any time and in July 1941 the RAF declared the aircraft was obsolete...apart from an inferior design,its range was so restricted that it would had been difficult to bomb Germany from British bases....its bomb payload was 1600 lbs...metal frame....fabric covered. Hard to visualise that the Heyford with its open cockpit design would have flown the long distance to India.Of course staging would be required other than crating
Just seen a photograph of a Heyford parked in front of a Scampton C Type hanger with another in the background turning to land from the East over the A15. These would be aircraft of No 9 Squadron,the first squadron to be based on the new airfield under the 1935 RAF Expansion Scheme when Scampton opened on 27 August 1936. The photograph was taken in 1936 and the Scampton hanger roofing was unfinished,looking gaunt in the background and windowless.The takeover of the airfield was such that the earlier squadrons in residence where accommodated in tents and messes were situated in huts. As it was,Britain, had the Second World War broke out at the time of Munich,the RAF would have gone to war with an obsolescent biplane bomber with a design which had its origin in the Great War.
