Historical Summary of 177 Squadron
by Atholl Sutherland Brown

Excerpted from the article "Burma Revisited"
© Canadian Military History, Volume 6, Number 2, Autumn 1997, pp.117-122.
Click here for the full article


177 Squadron, Royal Air Force, whose motto was "Silently into the Midst of Things," was formed in India early in 1943, started operations at Feni in September, and was disbanded at Hathazari, an airfield near Chittagong, in May 19451 All the aircrew flew aircraft to India as part of a program of re-equipping RAF squadrons in India; the groundcrew left the UK late in 1942 by troopship. Neither knew their eventual destination. The Squadron had a difficult and disorganised beginning but after it started operations it was highly effective in its assigned role of ground attack against the Japanese transportation systems and airfields. The strategic situation in Southeast Asia was perilous in 1942-43 but fortunately the Air Force was in fairly good shape by the end of the monsoon in 1943.

The Squadron aircraft ranged all over Burma and northern Siam at low level, singly or in pairs, on sorties that lasted up to seven hours and carried us the equivalent of a flight from the UK to the Adriatic Sea and return. The aircraft were armed with four 20 mm cannons, rockets and a rear-firing Vickers gun in the navigator's dorsal cupola. The Beaus also carried large format cameras in their nose cone that recorded day time attacks as well as being used for intelligence. Navigating at tree-top height over sparselyfeatured jungles and plain was difficult. As the Beaufighter attacks started to bite the Japanese were forced to transport men, equipment and supplies mainly at night so the Beaufighter squadrons started intense ground attacks during the two weeks bracketing the full moon.

The enemy defended their transportation corridors by positioning light flak along the railways, on airfields, oil installations and on vehicles travelling in convoys. Their passive defence also made extensive use of camouflage, earth-filled locomotive shelters, short spur lines into jungle cover, and rail car dispersal.

Life for the aircrew and groundcrew at the remote forward airstrips was fairly relaxed but without many diversions. The humid tropical weather, monsoon rains and tropical diseases made life difficult for all which severe losses of aircrew compounded; nevertheless morale was consistently high.

The Squadron started by successfully destroying the large rivercraft which were the main initial means of enemy supply. It then turned to airfield attacks to drive the Japanese out of their forward and central airstrips, at the same time starting intense attacks upon railways in central Burma. As the enemy built up their reserves for two offensives to claim India, attention was focussed on the few jungle roads supplying the Arakan.

The command and many of the Squadron aircrew were colourful and courageous characters, made more so by their circumstances. The senior personnel led by example and invariable good humour in the face of severe casualties. Losses mounted as the Squadron turned to long range targets early in 1944: the new Bangkok railway built by enslaved PoWs, the airfields and roads of northern Siam, and shipping of all sorts in the Gulf of Martaban south of Rangoon. These attacks impacted severely upon the reinforcement of the Japanese forces for their offensives of early 1944 when the 14th Army stood firm against the enemies encircling attacks, before devastating its three Armies in Burma.

177 Squadron withdrew from the line for two months at the start of the 1944 monsoon to rearm and train with rocket-firing Beaufighters. However half of the Squadron was sent at the beginning of August to reinforce the airborne firepower in the besieged enclave of Imphal in the northern Chin Hills. There they flew in appalling weather night and day to attack trains 119and motor transport between the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers. Meanwhile the rest of the Squadron returned to the front to be based at a new forward airstrip of Chiringa. At the end of August the Squadron was reunited and started a regimen of intensive attacks in southern Burma and Siam. About the same time many of the surviving aircrew were tour expired and were replaced by new aircrew who quickly became adept at operations provided they survived. In spite of the change the squadron continued much the same, showing its customary dash and courage.

During all this time there were many instances of superb flying skills and courageous actions such as returns on one engine over the mountains from targets 500 miles distant, ditching and survival in stormy monsoon seas for a week, crash landings far in enemy held terrain, and successful evasion and escape by moving through the jungles for three weeks to reach Allied advanced forces.

Early in 1945 the 14th Army broke out onto the plains of Burma and after major battles at Meiktila advanced toward Rangoon. Targets for the Beaufighter crews became restricted to the Irrawaddy delta, the Gulf of Martaban and Siam. A combined operation was planned to land just before the onset of the monsoon and there was a race between it and the 14th Army to capture Rangoon. Actually the monsoon was early and won the race but then the Burmese war ended in an unexpected and unbelievable manner.

Throughout all this period there were 160 aircrew on the Squadron, 56 of which were missing or killed; in addition seven were incarcerated in the frightful Rangoon Jail. Fourteen of the 77 pilots were Canadians and five of the Canadians went missing. Members of the Squadron were awarded four DSOs, 14 DFCs, two DFMs and an MBE. Two Canadians were awarded DFCs. Praise was heaped on the Squadron but nevertheless it was quickly disbanded when the Burma campaign ended.



Notes

1. Atholl Sutherland Brown, Silently into the Midst of Things. 177 Squadron Royal Air Force in Burma. 1943- 1945, History and Personal Narratives ISussex, UK: The Book Guild Ltd., 1971.












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