"Gert and Daisy" - the Sunderlands in Burma

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Hebridean Chindit, Apr 10, 2011.

  1. Bob Turner

    Bob Turner Senior Member

    I mentioned this to a mate of mine who works at Kew, he said that the beeb did do re voicing, pointing out that a lot of Churchill's speeches were re voiced. It was mostly down to the equipment they had in the day but there was also the Lord Reith factor at work.
     
  2. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Understood... ;)
     
  3. zeezee

    zeezee Member

    the beeb! no wonder there's subtitles. I pictured Justin Bieber reading Churchill speeches..
    :P
    Sorry - couldn't resist.
     
  4. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Shakespeare walks into a bar... the Landlord points at him and shouts... "Your Bard..."

    (go wash your mouth out with soap, Myf..!) :biggrin:
     
  5. zahonado

    zahonado Well-Known Member

    Just finished ploughing through 77Bgde diary for 44 and there was a mention of Daisy being used to evacuate at one point. Riverbanks were cleared etc but then there was a note about her sinking at Digburugh so never happened. A mention of float boat too...was it not the same plane then?
     
  6. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    If you go back to the start of the thread you'll get a starter on the details and the amount of flights - Daisy was lost after only three successful sorties - double-DUKW'd and a typhoon did for her - she was fated from the start, which is why Gert came back for a couple of flights to finish off, then the L1-float rescued a further forty odd people...
     
  7. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Tom Docherty, author of "Hunt Like A Tiger" the history of 230 Squadron '39-'45 and ex "Tiger", was kind enough to supply me with an original of the image associated with his article in Britain At War, Aug '12 edition; the origins of the image are from archive material he had access to at the time of writing his book...
    I've slightly amended my basic timeline notes accordingly...
    Of interest is the note re flying in a newsreel cameraman (IWM films) ...
     

    Attached Files:

  8. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Mate,

    I'm just reading Scott Leathart's book, 'With the Gurkhas'. He was wounded between Blackpool and Indawgyi whilst servivng with 3/9 GR. He just missed a lift with one of the Sunderlands by about a day, but was lucky enough to be flown out by one of he American piloted light aircraft.
     
  9. zahonado

    zahonado Well-Known Member

    These flying boats did a great job and the number of hours is huge for the pilots concerned over a week. Generally the evacuations when done seemed to be the only good thing about this part of the campaign as far as I have read. Otherwise it seems to have been a bloodbath with conditions so appalling that it is amazing anyone was left to evacuate. Th LFs and SStaffs did not have much option and they had to carry their wounded and sick a long way after White City towards Mogaung as the weather made flying pretty impossible. How is your research/book website coming along HC? The stuff you sent me has been invaluable. Thank you again.
     
  10. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    I've ground to a halt, Za, and during those times I go tangential so just finished the 230 Squadron Association winter newsletter (presently their editor) and now assembling the late Lord Gainford's memoirs; planning hopefully for printing by the Squadron Assoc for funds for the RAFBF - my next objective is to work on the Gert/Daisy story and try for that first, as it's the 70th this year...

    70 years since Chindit 2, too...

    Steve... long since scanned that one and the section goes well with Major Bill's work... one of the most intriguing aspects are his flora/fauna/nature notes...
     
  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Ken,

    Yes, it is the main theme of the book really, I'm enjoying it very much. You sound as though you are busy there. :)
     
  12. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    You know us...! ;)

    Have things eased up in your world...?
     
  13. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Had a good break over Christmas, but straight back in now, quite a lot of Chindit 2 involvement at present, helping (if that is the right word) families trace their soldier's service. Got a nice SOE on the go today. As always I need to write more of my stuff up. Need to get up to Kew again soon, when is you're next visit likely to be?
     
  14. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    (to coin an expression from I Robot) Now that, is the question...

    I've still got yards of images to go through from my last visit and (believe it or not) I'm uncertain what to look for next... :biggrin:

    A coffee would be nice though... ;)
     
  15. zahonado

    zahonado Well-Known Member

    Steve, if you come across anything from 45 about the IFBU I am still looking! Your family member did get in touch, thank you.
     
  16. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Always on the look out zahonado. :)
     
  17. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Next for me is 15th (King's) Paras in 1945. Trying to trace as many Chindit 1 survivors as they progress towards the end of the war. It's what you call a little off-shoot research area. I Robot!!!!.......no time to watch films mate. :lol:
     
  18. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Everyone deserves some R&R (research and robots?) sooner or later... :biggrin:
     
  19. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Right... about time I got back in the saddle...

    These are screen captures from all the films held at the IWM concerning this subject... They are all copyright IWM... they are all being posted at low resolution purely for identification purposes only... these are test images and a random selection from all of them... the identification is their film reference and the time within that film...

    First is of both the Sunderlands on the Brahmaputra...
    Second is a selection of rescued Chindits being taken to shore...
    Third is Daisy's float being replaced whilst on the Brahmaputra...
    Fourth is of a member of the flight crew whilst on Indawgyi, with a "Dreadnaught" inbound...
    Fifth is of a selection of rescued Chindits being delivered to a hospital...
    Sixth is all that was visible of the ill-fated Daisy at the bottom of the Brahmaputra - pretty much the only image of relevance from this film...
    Seventh and final image for today is of an officer (MacDonald?) taken at Indawgyi...

    My idea is to post a single person image (where possible) of each and every person within these films to allow future reviewers or family members the chance of identifying the people involved or rescued for historical purposes... hopefully the IWM will approve my idea...
     

    Attached Files:

    bamboo43 and CL1 like this.
  20. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Good idea Ken and great pics. You will be surprised how many families will find these from their general searches on line, when looking for their relative and his exploits in WW2.
     

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