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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 26, 2012 22:51:16 GMT 12
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 27, 2012 8:14:51 GMT 12
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 27, 2012 8:16:05 GMT 12
Key Dates: June 1940 Burma Volunteer Air Unit (BVAU) officially established 16 Nov 1940 Ab initio pilot training commences Feb 1941 BVAU renamed Burma Volunteer Air Force (BVAF) 24 Nov 1941 BVAF begins coastal patrols 8 Dec 1941 Japan invades neighbouring Thailand 24 Dec 1941 Some pilots begin advanced training in New Zealand Mar 1942 BVAF evacuation from Burma to India completed 31 Mar 1942 Pilots in New Zealand complete training and later serve operationally in Europe April 1942 Communications Flight formed at Dum Dum, India, with ex-BVAF aircraft and personnel 1945 BVAF reformed for a short while in preparation for creation of UBAF. www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/burma/burma-bvaf-home.htm |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 27, 2012 9:01:26 GMT 12
Interesting. So was the BVAF group who trained in New Zealand the first group of foreign pilots trained by the RNZAF I wonder?
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Post by errolmartyn on Jan 27, 2012 11:36:27 GMT 12
Stephen Teasdale Glover was born at Dun Loaghaire, Dublin on 4 May 13. (Father was Rev J. M. Glover) Burmah Oil Co BFAF 11 Nov 1940 arrived/attached RNZAF 24 Dec 41 commissioned into RNZAF 16 Apr 42 married Barbara Dillon Blundell in NZ 26 Apr 42 embarked NZ/attached RAF 20/21 Apr 45 relinquished commission in RNZAF on transfer to BVAF 1 Jul 45 (had served in RNZAF variously as staff pilot and as a flying instructor - flying Tiger Moth and Oxford aircraft) released from RAF (and BVAF?) Nov 45 Burmah Oil Co died 23 Sep 86 funeral, at Haslemere, Surrey, England, not until 2 Oct 86 (so may have died elsewhere/overseas?) Errol |
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Post by errolmartyn on Jan 27, 2012 11:53:46 GMT 12
Another BVAF man to come here along with Glover and share a similar career path was Patrick Sinclair Hunter, who was born in Singapore on 7 Jun 15. (Father was Dr P. S. Hunter) Burmah Oil Co BFAF 11 Nov 1940 arrived/attached RNZAF 24 Dec 41 commissioned into RNZAF 16 Apr 42 married Eileen Dorothea Ann Ward in NZ 27 Feb 43 embarked NZ/attached RAF 20/21 Apr 45 relinquished commission in RNZAF on transfer to BVAF 1 Jul 45 (had served in RNZAF variously as staff pilot and as a flying instructor - flying Tiger Moth, Hart, Audax and Oxford aircraft) released from RAF and BVAF 9 Feb 46 died c. Jun-Sep 1981 Death registered in Surrey, England Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 27, 2012 12:15:15 GMT 12
I guess they were sort of a free forces type deal like the Free French, Free Dutch, Free Polish and Free belgian flyers in the RAF as they'd lost their own nation and Air Force, Very interesting.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 28, 2012 19:45:06 GMT 12
Dave...I think the common denominator here is Burmah Oil and the fact that these guys were born in the UK. This company employed many expats prior to WWII.
Many colonies had a Volunteer Defence Force comprised mostly of expats and they would not have been Free Burma types in the sense of Free French etc, in fact relationships with the majority of Burmese were tense. These Volunteer Defence types were there to preserve Empire.
Fascinating reading - keep them coming.
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