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OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 4:18:29 AM

Mike Dubost

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From: Sacramento, CA
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During one of my recent visits to my favorite used book store, I found a copy of a 1943 book called Last Flight from Singapore.
It is a memoir of the fighting for Singapore and the NEI as seen by a young fighter pilot. The book starts with his transfer to a squadron going to the Pacific. It is clear that he had fought in the Battle of Britain, but it does not describe those experiences, only compares some of his feelings to those in the Battle of Britain.
His squadron was at sea in transit when Pearl Harbor happened, and their destination was changed to Singapore.
It has lots of interesting asides. For example, he mentions his plane in the UK was named Message from Minnesota after his home state! Yep, one of the Yanks in the RAF. He copies some official communications that said all British fighters got back to base, right after telling the story about a couple of pilots that cracked up on landing. Yeah, technically, they did get back to base, but they were not in a flyable condition thereafter.
I am still reading it, so I have not gotten to the part where his unit moves to the NEI.
I thought the members of this group might have some interest in this work. I am fascinated by it.

Post #: 1

RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 6:17:08 AM

warspite1

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Do you know where the guy was going before being diverted to Singapore? You say the Pacific, and I am curious to know where an RAF squadron was travelling to in the Pacific in December 1941. Thanks.

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 6:51:17 AM

JeffroK

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Flt Lt Arthur Gerald Donahue
Born St Charles, Minnesota 1913
Learned to fly in 1932
June 1940 went to Canada to join RAF
Posted to 64 Sqn 3 August 1940, shot down 12 August.
Wounded, he returned mid Sept and on 29 Sept was posted to 71 Eagle Sqn.
As they had no aircraft he got posted back to 64 Sqn and in Feb 1941 was posted to 91 Sqn
Went home on leave and wrote TALLY HO! YANKEE IN A SPITFIRE
Returned rejoined 91 Sqn but in Oct 41 was posted to 258 Sqn.
Saw action over Singapore in Jan 42.
Wounded wend defending Palembang he was evacuated to Ceylon
Awarded DFC in March 42, rejoined 258 Sqn and in mid 42 returned to England after writing LAST FLIGHT FROM SINGAPORE
In August 42 he rejoined 91 Sqn and on 11 Sept intercepted a JU88 but his aircraft was hit by return fire and he ditched in the channel and his body was never found
He claimed 2 victories, 2 probable and 1 damaged, all in the west and with 91 Sqn

Taken from ACES HIGH by Christopher Shores.

< Message edited by JeffK -- 7/31/2017 11:07:19 AM >

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 9:37:06 AM

Leandros

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I have that book. It's a little different - more like human. I liked it. Good description of the chaos in that Theatre at the time.

Fred

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 1:38:05 PM

Jorge_Stanbury

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Did he has pleasure to fly Buffaloes? or did he arrive with Hurricanes?

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 3:36:21 PM

Leandros

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Did he has pleasure to fly Buffaloes? or did he arrive with Hurricanes?

The two squadrons (258 and 175) arrived with their own, brand new, Hurricane II's

Regds

Fred

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 4:04:11 PM

warspite1

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

I have that book. It's a little different - more like human. I liked it. Good description of the chaos in that Theatre at the time.

Fred

warspite1

So are you able to tell me where he was on his way too when he was diverted to Singapore please?

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England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 5:05:46 PM

Lecivius

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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

I have that book. It's a little different - more like human. I liked it. Good description of the chaos in that Theatre at the time.

Fred

warspite1

So are you able to tell me where he was on his way too when he was diverted to Singapore please?

Might be hard to be specific. From WIKI ( that reliable source of information)

World War II[edit]
The squadron was reformed on 20 November 1940 at RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire as a fighter squadron equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. First based at RAF Acklington they relocated to RAF Jurby, Isle of Man. By April 1941, No. 258 Squadron's time at Jurby had come to an end, and they transferred to RAF Valley[2] and thence to RAF Kenley[2] in preparation to take the offensive to the enemy.[3] In October they were stood down to prepare for a move to the Far East. After a few days in Singapore they were withdrawn to Sumatra and then Java, where they suffered many losses either killed or captured by the Japanese. The survivors transferred their aircraft to No. 605 squadron and most attempted to escape by ship to Australia, but all the ships were sunk en route with no survivors.[4]

The squadron was again reformed 1 Mar 1942 from G Squadron at Ratmalana Airport, near Colombo, Ceylon but suffered severe losses during the Japanese carrier strike on 5 April 1942. After a spell in Burma (under Neil Cameron) the squadron was withdrawn to be re-equipped with American Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. In June 1945 it then began training for the invasion of Malaya but on the Japanese surrender the squadron was finally disbanded on 31 December 1945.

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 5:23:00 PM

geofflambert

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The technical definition of the Pacific includes all of the DEI and Singapore is on the line between it and the Indian Ocean. Everything south of the DEI including the west coast of Australia is the Indian Ocean.

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 6:02:00 PM

warspite1

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Well my money is on the fact he was never going to 'the Pacific' - he was being sent to Singapore.

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 7:48:55 PM

Leandros

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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

I have that book. It's a little different - more like human. I liked it. Good description of the chaos in that Theatre at the time.

Fred

warspite1

So are you able to tell me where he was on his way too when he was diverted to Singapore please?

According to the author their destination was the Middle East. They were informed of the re-routing when on shore leave in Africa,
after the first Japanese attacks.

Fred

< Message edited by Leandros -- 7/31/2017 7:55:01 PM >

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 7:59:34 PM

warspite1

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From: England
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

I have that book. It's a little different - more like human. I liked it. Good description of the chaos in that Theatre at the time.

Fred

warspite1

So are you able to tell me where he was on his way too when he was diverted to Singapore please?

According to the author their destination was the Middle East. They were informed of the re-routing when on shore leave in Africa,
after the first Japanese attacks.

Fred

warspite1

Thank-you. That makes sense.

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England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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Post #: 12

RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 7/31/2017 8:32:10 PM

JeffroK

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Joined: 1/26/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Well my money is on the fact he was never going to 'the Pacific' - he was being sent to Singapore.

Yeah Mid East make more sense

< Message edited by JeffK -- 7/31/2017 8:38:15 PM >

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 8/1/2017 1:28:12 AM

Mike Dubost

Posts: 273
Joined: 8/24/2008
From: Sacramento, CA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

I have that book. It's a little different - more like human. I liked it. Good description of the chaos in that Theatre at the time.

Fred

warspite1

So are you able to tell me where he was on his way too when he was diverted to Singapore please?

According to the author their destination was the Middle East. They were informed of the re-routing when on shore leave in Africa,
after the first Japanese attacks.

Fred

warspite1

Thank-you. That makes sense.

Sorry about the delay in response. I did not see your original post before I logged off last night, and today I was struck down by the curse of the drinking classes. :)

I had thought the book said the Pacific. Upon review, I find that this is a case of 2 people's minds (mine and Fred) both "filling in the blanks", and getting a different answer. The book specifically says that he did not know the destination. Fred apparently picked up on his mention of Libya as a place where there was soon to be action, and assumed he was going to the Middle East. I appear to have picked up on his mention of buying a "tropical" (insect-proof) trunk and assumed he was headed to a tropical climate, in an easterly direction. I also note that his unit picked up their Hurricanes in the NEI, so it sounded as though the machines were waiting in that area.

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 14

RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 8/1/2017 9:13:57 AM

Leandros

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Dubost

Sorry about the delay in response. I did not see your original post before I logged off last night, and today I was struck down by the curse of the drinking classes. :)

I had thought the book said the Pacific. Upon review, I find that this is a case of 2 people's minds (mine and Fred) both "filling in the blanks", and getting a different answer. The book specifically says that he did not know the destination. Fred apparently picked up on his mention of Libya as a place where there was soon to be action, and assumed he was going to the Middle East. I appear to have picked up on his mention of buying a "tropical" (insect-proof) trunk and assumed he was headed to a tropical climate, in an easterly direction. I also note that his unit picked up their Hurricanes in the NEI, so it sounded as though the machines were waiting in that area.

The official 258 RAF squadron history says:

"In October it became non-operational in preparation for a move to the Middle East, the aircrew departing
at the end of the month. The outbreak of war in the Far East resulted in No.258 being diverted
to Singapore, but after only ten days of operations it was withdrawn to less exposed airfields
in Sumatra".

The book states that they did not arrive directly in Singapore but was landed in a Dutch East Indies
port where their Hurricanes were assembled for the transfer to Singapore. Would have been
interesting to know which port this was. The author also states that the "175" squadron was a
ficticious number. The book was published during the war.

As their Hurricanes were "brand new" I think it is fair to assume that they travelled in the
same ship or convoy and that it was their own mechanics that assembled them, it being done on a
Dutch base. On this I can only speculate.

Fred

P.S.: This eBay item give some more information on the 258 squadron and its destiny and also
refers to another book on the same subject:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-RAF-258-Squadron-Hurricane-pilot-Terence-Kelly-signed-photo-UACC-Dealer-/122089639148

Can be bought on Kindle for 8 bucks. This book is much more elaborate:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hurricane-Over-Jungle-Fighting-Onslaught/dp/1844151980

< Message edited by Leandros -- 8/1/2017 10:02:19 AM >

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RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 8/1/2017 10:31:33 AM

Leandros

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I bought the book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hurricane-Over-Jungle-Fighting-Onslaught/dp/1844151980

It showed that the story was much more intricate than expected. I won't say more other than the
first author flew into the cooking pot from a carrier, the Indomitable. They were originally
meant to fly into the ME from Ark Royal in the Med. She was, however, torpedoed before they made
it.

Fred

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Post #: 16

RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 8/2/2017 3:29:08 AM

Mike Dubost

Posts: 273
Joined: 8/24/2008
From: Sacramento, CA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Leandros

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Dubost

Sorry about the delay in response. I did not see your original post before I logged off last night, and today I was struck down by the curse of the drinking classes. :)

I had thought the book said the Pacific. Upon review, I find that this is a case of 2 people's minds (mine and Fred) both "filling in the blanks", and getting a different answer. The book specifically says that he did not know the destination. Fred apparently picked up on his mention of Libya as a place where there was soon to be action, and assumed he was going to the Middle East. I appear to have picked up on his mention of buying a "tropical" (insect-proof) trunk and assumed he was headed to a tropical climate, in an easterly direction. I also note that his unit picked up their Hurricanes in the NEI, so it sounded as though the machines were waiting in that area.

The official 258 RAF squadron history says:

"In October it became non-operational in preparation for a move to the Middle East, the aircrew departing
at the end of the month. The outbreak of war in the Far East resulted in No.258 being diverted
to Singapore, but after only ten days of operations it was withdrawn to less exposed airfields
in Sumatra".

The book states that they did not arrive directly in Singapore but was landed in a Dutch East Indies
port where their Hurricanes were assembled for the transfer to Singapore. Would have been
interesting to know which port this was. The author also states that the "175" squadron was a
ficticious number. The book was published during the war.

As their Hurricanes were "brand new" I think it is fair to assume that they travelled in the
same ship or convoy and that it was their own mechanics that assembled them, it being done on a
Dutch base. On this I can only speculate.

Fred

P.S.: This eBay item give some more information on the 258 squadron and its destiny and also
refers to another book on the same subject:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-RAF-258-Squadron-Hurricane-pilot-Terence-Kelly-signed-photo-UACC-Dealer-/122089639148

Can be bought on Kindle for 8 bucks. This book is much more elaborate:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hurricane-Over-Jungle-Fighting-Onslaught/dp/1844151980

Thanks for the info from the other book. I stand corrected.

Also, thanks for the recommendation on this book. I will have to see if it is available in the States.

(in reply to Leandros)

Post #: 17

RE: OT: Last Filght From Singapore - 8/2/2017 8:34:42 AM

Leandros

Posts: 1740
Joined: 3/5/2015
Status: offline

No need, Mike. If you are interested in the subject I really recommend this book. The author of
the first book is also mentioned on several occasions. He seemingly arrived with a second group
of personnel. I have only leafed through it, there are many interesting details there. Good luck!

Fred

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Post #: 18