267 Pegasus Squadron

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Cogg79, Jun 22, 2011.

  1. Cogg79

    Cogg79 Junior Member

    My wife's grandfather served with the 267 'Pegasus' squadron in Singapore initially and then Burma. Does anyone have any knowledge of what the 267 squadron did, and what involvement they had in Singapore and Burma? He was a navigator and flew on a number of aircraft, including a Douglas Dakota C-47.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    The following extract is taken from 'The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988' - J J. Halley


    No.267 Squadron was formed at Calafrana, Malta, on 27 September 1918, from Nos.360, 361, 362 and 363 Flights based at the seaplane station there. It flew anti— submarine patrols until the Armistice and remained in being as an operational squadron and aircraft holding unit until renumbered 481 Flight on 1 August 1923.
    On 19 August 1940, No.267 reformed from the Communications Unit, Heliopolis. for local transport duties in Egypt. It used a variety of types for transporting passengers. mail and freight between Egypt and outlying bases. Larger aircraft were acquired by the end of 1941 and by August 1942, it had standardised on twin— engined transports. Its area of operations extended throughout the Mediterranean area and its role included the movement of personnel and equipment. casualty evacuation and occasional supply— dropping missions to guerrilla bands in Italy and the Balkans. In November 1943, No.267 moved to Italy and in February 1945 was transferred to India, where it carried supplies during the 14th Army's final offensive that cleared Burma of the Japanese. After a period of general transport duties, the squadron disbanded on 30 June 1946, though it continued operations until 21 July.
    On 15 February 1954, No.267 reformed at Kuala Lumpur as a transport support and communications squadron in Malaya. It flew Pioneers, Pembrokes and Dakotas equipped with loudspeakers until renumbered 209 Squadron on 1 November 1958. On 1 November 1962, it reformed at Benson with Argosies for transport duties in No.38 Group, disbanding on 30 June 1970.
     
  3. Cogg79

    Cogg79 Junior Member

    The following extract is taken from 'The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988' - J J. Halley


    No.267 Squadron was formed at Calafrana, Malta, on 27 September 1918, from Nos.360, 361, 362 and 363 Flights based at the seaplane station there. It flew anti— submarine patrols until the Armistice and remained in being as an operational squadron and aircraft holding unit until renumbered 481 Flight on 1 August 1923.
    On 19 August 1940, No.267 reformed from the Communications Unit, Heliopolis. for local transport duties in Egypt. It used a variety of types for transporting passengers. mail and freight between Egypt and outlying bases. Larger aircraft were acquired by the end of 1941 and by August 1942, it had standardised on twin— engined transports. Its area of operations extended throughout the Mediterranean area and its role included the movement of personnel and equipment. casualty evacuation and occasional supply— dropping missions to guerrilla bands in Italy and the Balkans. In November 1943, No.267 moved to Italy and in February 1945 was transferred to India, where it carried supplies during the 14th Army's final offensive that cleared Burma of the Japanese. After a period of general transport duties, the squadron disbanded on 30 June 1946, though it continued operations until 21 July.
    On 15 February 1954, No.267 reformed at Kuala Lumpur as a transport support and communications squadron in Malaya. It flew Pioneers, Pembrokes and Dakotas equipped with loudspeakers until renumbered 209 Squadron on 1 November 1958. On 1 November 1962, it reformed at Benson with Argosies for transport duties in No.38 Group, disbanding on 30 June 1970.

    Thanks
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  5. Peter Horah

    Peter Horah New Member

    Hello - I have only just joined this group on search for comments on the 267 Pegasus squadron.

    My 92 year old father flew as a navigator flying behind enemy lines in the Balkans and Burma; sometimes at night.

    Flight Sergeant David Horah flew numerous missions and hasn't shared much except the following interesting bits:

    • His call sign was "Moskeen" when in the Balkans
    • He recalls the guerrillas being flown in and out (injured)
    • He tells of flying over dark fields that would suddenly light up with fires to guide in the DC3s
    • Whilst on the ground in Burma, one of his colleagues was killed by a sniper
    So - routine missions; but you have to admire his navigation skills and he had (until recently) a good knowledge of the stars.
     
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  6. Npteggchaser

    Npteggchaser Member

    Just saw this thread, so will let you know what I just found out about a great uncle that I just become known of too, his name was John Appleby, from Cwmbran, South Wales, who a Flight Sergeant Wireless Operator flying C47 Dakota’s with 267 Squadron. Still researching his time serving in WW2 via a family tree, but came up with this, that he was part of a special op mission on 25th July’44 that took off from Brindisi in Italy to pick some very important V2 rocket parts from the Polish resistance near Tarnow in southern Poland, but after landing and loading up with the items and some some Polish gentlemen, they got bogged down in the mud of the field withe Germans not too far away. They were lucky to get off the ground, but did in the end make it back to base safely. For their efforts in this brave mission, he was awarded a DFM and the Polish Cross of Valour at their Embassy in London.
    Operation Most III - Wikipedia
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Greg Farrant

    Greg Farrant Member

    Just joined the site - my father Roy Farrant was a navigator with 267 Pegasus Squdron in India and Burma - would appreciate info about any Squdron pictures from that time.
     
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  8. M Harwood

    M Harwood New Member

    Hi Greg, I should have some pictures soon to upload.
    My grandfather Alec Davis was with 267, I’m currently scanning a lot of his old pictures to put with an audio recording he left us of his time in North Africa, Italy and then Burma. Hope to have this done soon.
     
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  9. Greg Farrant

    Greg Farrant Member

    To M. Hardwood: Thank you for the response - delighted to hear of your project and would be delighted to see any pictures when available - if I can I will try to upload a couple of pictures I have of my father and members of the crew - he was a Sgt. at the time although I seem to recall that he eventually became a Warrant Officer - fortunate to have his wings, a few individual pictures, squadron patch and service medals but seeing a squadron picture with him in would be special.
     
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  10. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

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  11. Greg Farrant

    Greg Farrant Member

    IMG_0416.JPG IMG_0415.JPG

    To M. Hardwood. As promised here are the photos from my dads time with 267 Squadron. The photo on the right, my dad is on the left leaning against the post. The photo on the left, my dad Roy (Royston) Farrant is on the right. Sorry I do not know the name of the others in the photographs.
     

    Attached Files:

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  12. Kiwi Pete

    Kiwi Pete New Member

    My father, Pilot Officer Ernest (Ernie) W. Gulliver was seconded to the RAF 267 Squadron from the RNZAF during WW2. He was a pilot serving in the U.K., France, Italy, Egypt, India and Burma apparently. He never talked about the war and kept things very close throughout his life. I know he was in the England during the air raids, and that he was in a downed Dakota in Burma and I have anecdotal evidence he was walking out to a Dakota when it exploded in front of him but have no idea where, when or why. I have, since he and my mothers death, inherited some photos from that time of him and others in 267 Squadron which I can share and would like to hear from anyone who could help me find details of his and his comrades service in Pegasus Squadron.
     
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  13. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    The Parachute drops, Rangoon is an excellent piece of footage. At 7.40 on the YouTube counter Rangoon jail with its "Japs Gone" graffiti is clearly but fleetingly visible and at 7.44 they appear to be over one of the several railway stations in Rangoon.

    At the beginning of the footage the giant Buddha figure at Wingaba is also clearly visible. See this thread.

    Photograph location query.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2019
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  14. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Post the pics, Kiwi... :D
     
  15. Kiwi Pete

    Kiwi Pete New Member

    As custodians of our parents intellectual property I need to get the okay from my siblings first. I doubt there will be a problem, but in the meantime I have changed the Avitar to an image of our Dad during wartime, I think somewhere in England and I believe posed. I used the same image on his coffin at his funeral.
     
  16. helger84

    helger84 New Member

    Hello

    I am a researcher at the University of Montpellier (France) and I am currently working on a doctoral thesis on dropping zones and landings zones in the Vaucluse (France)

    in the books of Maccairns (flying as copilote of F/L B.E.T Rostron) it is alluded to a photograph taken at the time of the arrival in Ceccina of the Nuptial mission of August 11, 1944 and I would have liked to have obtained your help to find eventually people who know or could have held this photograph and given it to me.

    -- Thank you in advance for all the help you can give me, received my sincere greetings.

    Dr Laurent Gensonnet
     
  17. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the forum,

    you will have a better chance of obtaining the information you seek if you start a new thread in either the War in the Air section or the N.W. Europe section. You will be more likely to find someone who can help there.

    Good luck,

    Simon.
     
  18. Laurent Gensonnet

    Laurent Gensonnet New Member

    Merci à vous
    Cdlt
    Lg
     
  19. Maggie1066

    Maggie1066 Member

    Thank you for sharing these incredible photos. Do you happen to know that year they were taken ?
     
  20. Maggie1066

    Maggie1066 Member

    Hi everyone, I’m new here. I have recently discovered my great Uncle served in this squadron. His name was Pilot Officer David Maxwell Walker and he was killed in October 1942 and is buried in Cairo. I’m seeking any information etc that I can, Thank you
     

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