TURNING THE TABLES

摘要

By the autumn of 1943, one of the longer-serving RAF fighter units in southeast Asia was 136 Squadron, known as the 'Woodpeckers'. The men of 136 were a close-knit bunch. Out in the Middle East, a pilot might expect to stay with a squadron for a tour of perhaps six months and in Britain a little longer. But having travelled all the way to India, he tended to remain where he was for a more extended period. This made sense; after all it took a while to get them there in the first place. Also, during the summer months, at the height of the monsoon, there was little combat flying over the Burma front, so there was a chance to recuperate to a certain extent.