Anson In SEAC Markings, Has Anyone Got Some Background?

[Old Man]

 

This picture appears in the 'Warpaint' number on the type.

 

It is captioned as EG645 of 1331 Communications Flight at Digri.

 

All I can find about this unit is that it received a Harvard trainer in 1943 while based at Risalpur in the Northwest Frontier.

 

I would like to know more about the unit and if possible the machine. Digri in Bengal seems to have been a base for RAF Liberator bombers, some of which did 'special duties' rather than bombing missions.

 

EG645 was built as a Mk. I, and to my eye in this picture seems to have the tear-drop bulges on the cowlings.

[Graham Boak]

The only reference I can find in the Air Britain Flying Training and Support Units is to 1331 Conversion Unit, which was indeed at Risalpur.  Among the aircraft listed are Harvard Mk.IIB FE668.  There is no Anson listed, however it is at least possible that it operated a Communications Flight (or perhaps aircraft) and this could well have had an Anson which might have visited Digri at some time.

 

Air Britain's The Anson File confirms EG645's only user being 1331 CU, and it was struck off charge 23..4.46.  It also includes the photo above, and Ansons in this range (including EG317, EG689 and EG399) had the later smooth cowlings.  However photos of the follow-on batch at Yeadon in the LT serial range are shown with the earlier cowling (three examples), and the next batch MG serials appear to have a mix.  One of those little mysteries.  Presumably these were interchangeable.

 

Another small mystery is that in the Anson File 1331 CU does not appear in the list of units operating Ansons, but there is an Air Command South East Asia Communications Squadron which did. Again, not operating at Digri but likely to have visited.

[tonyot]

The Anson was quite common in SEAC,...... Here is another carrying Sir Robert Thomas, Governor of India on a tour of RAF and USAAF bases.

 

 

Your silver one certainly has the early cowlings with bulges, just like this one.

Cheers

         Tony

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

I have not looked beyond the EG6xx Serial Register page but a number of Anson were sent to India in May and June 1943, EG645 Taken on Charge 22 December 1942, India 7 May 1943, Struck Off Charge 25 April 1946.

 

Backing up what Graham has said there does not seem to have been a 1331 Communications Flight, or a 1331 flight at all, from a look at Flying Units of the RAF by Alan Lake.

 

The Check and Communication Flight formed in October 1943 at Mauripur India and used an eclectic mix of aircraft, it became 1331 Conversion unit on 1 September 1944 (still at Mauripur), later 1331 Heavy Transport Conversion unit, again a mix of aircraft, an Oxford is listed for example.  Disbanded 15 January 1946 at Risalpur.

[Old Man]

4 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

The only reference I can find in the Air Britain Flying Training and Support Units is to 1331 Conversion Unit, which was indeed at Risalpur.  Among the aircraft listed are Harvard Mk.IIB FE668.  There is no Anson listed, however it is at least possible that it operated a Communications Flight (or perhaps aircraft) and this could well have had an Anson which might have visited Digri at some time.

 

Air Britain's The Anson File confirms EG645's only user being 1331 CU, and it was struck off charge 23..4.46.  It also includes the photo above, and Ansons in this range (including EG317, EG689 and EG399) had the later smooth cowlings.  However photos of the follow-on batch at Yeadon in the LT serial range are shown with the earlier cowling (three examples), and the next batch MG serials appear to have a mix.  One of those little mysteries.  Presumably these were interchangeable.

 

Another small mystery is that in the Anson File 1331 CU does not appear in the list of units operating Ansons, but there is an Air Command South East Asia Communications Squadron which did. Again, not operating at Digri but likely to have visited.

 

 

Thank you, Graham.

 

Seems to be the usual can o' worms.

 

Glad of the help sorting it out.

 

[Old Man]

3 hours ago, tonyot said:

The Anson was quite common in SEAC,...... Here is another carrying Sir Robert Thomas, Governor of India on a tour of RAF and USAAF bases.

 

 

Your silver one certainly has the early cowlings with bulges, just like this one.

Cheers

         Tony

 

Thanks, Tony.

 

The picture is a bit fuzzy, and I'm glad to see confirmation the old style cowlings were still in use. Your picture gives a good look at the oil coolers added later to the type.

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Geoffrey Sinclair said:

I have not looked beyond the EG6xx Serial Register page but a number of Anson were sent to India in May and June 1943, EG645 Taken on Charge 22 December 1942, India 7 May 1943, Struck Off Charge 25 April 1946.

 

Backing up what Graham has said there does not seem to have been a 1331 Communications Flight, or a 1331 flight at all, from a look at Flying Units of the RAF by Alan Lake.

 

The Check and Communication Flight formed in October 1943 at Mauripur India and used an eclectic mix of aircraft, it became 1331 Conversion unit on 1 September 1944 (still at Mauripur), later 1331 Heavy Transport Conversion unit, again a mix of aircraft, an Oxford is listed for example.  Disbanded 15 January 1946 at Risalpur.

 

Thank you, Geoffrey.

 

Glad to have the service dates, and further details.

[Old Man]

Again, gentleman, thank you all very much.

 

As you may guess, this is a modeling project, and the subject in the photo is just too weird to pass up. Late service, odd finish, and still with the turret, operating in an out of the way patch. I'm not trying anything too detailed, just a pretty much OOB pass at an old Airfix Anson.

 

So, there was no such unit as 1331 Communications Flight, but there was a conversion unit of that number.

 

There was an umbrella Communications Squadron, whose machines could be anywhere in theater .... and possibly operated detached flights?

 

Would a facility like Digri operating multi-engine machine have use locally for transitioning pilots to multi-engine operations? Though I can't see a lot of similarity between an Anson and a B24....

[Phoenix44]

I would be surprised if conversion to heavy bombers was done locally and using an Anson! It doesn't appear camouflaged so perhaps silver, but why not camouflaged? An interesting conundrum.

[Graham Boak]

Could be a postwar photo, hence the lack of camouflage.

[tonyot]

There were quite a few Anson`s in India,...... they were just not very photogenic, being mostly used in the comms role. This one is presumably newly arrived and is being re assembled at No. 1 (India) Maintenance Unit, Drigh Road, India

[Dave Swindell]

2 hours ago, Phoenix44 said:

It doesn't appear camouflaged so perhaps silver, but why not camouflaged

2nd line role well away from combat area and need to cut down temps from tropical conditions?

[Sgifford]

Ansons and Vickers Warwicks received silver type paint due to severe problems with their fabric coverings failing due to the conditions in India and the Middle East. Photos of both types suggest the transition began sometime in 1945 - probably coincident with aircraft such as the Mosquito also being accepted without camouflage. The Anson was effectively replaced in India by Beech C45 aircraft which were considered by aircrews as far superior. With end of lend lease Anson I aircraft were returned to use in various comms units in India as the C45s and Argus aircraft were returned to the Americans. 2 (Indian) Group Comms Flight had Anson Is into early 1947 although at least one was soc at the end of one flight due to its poor condition (noted in its wireless operator). A number of Later model Anson were despatched as replacements.

 

Simon

 

 

[Old Man]

Again, Gentlemen, thank you very much for your assistance.

 

So it would seem this picture was taken no earlier than some months into 1945.

 

Someone misread a CU abbreviation as Communications rather than Conversion.

 

There's no particular reason to connect the aeroplane to the Digri base.

 

How long did the SEAC roundels linger post-war?

 

The thing which puzzles me even more now is why the does the machine retain the turret? Hard to see any use for it in such a rear echelon unit.

 

[Graham Boak]

I suspect it had the turret because it was built that way, and no-one could be bothered to remove it.  It would after all provide a nice view.  It is also possible that the modification kits to replace the roof structure weren't present in India.  No doubt the MU had the skills to create some wooden and fabric concoction, but they had better things to do.

[Old Man]

21 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

I suspect it had the turret because it was built that way, and no-one could be bothered to remove it.  It would after all provide a nice view.  It is also possible that the modification kits to replace the roof structure weren't present in India.  No doubt the MU had the skills to create some wooden and fabric concoction, but they had better things to do.

 

Sounds reasonable, Graham. It does make for an odd look, though, which of course we modelers do love....

[Old Man]

My thanks again for your assistance, Gentlemen!

 

I will be getting some better pictures and post up in RFI, but here's how she looks...