No. 435 Squadron

Badge A chinthe on a plinth

Motto Certi provehendi (Determined on delivery)

Authority King George VI, August 1946.

The chinthe is a legendary monster which guards the temples in Burma where this squadron operated. The motto refers to the unit’s activities as a transport squadron.

Formed at Gujrat, Punjab, India on 1 November 1944 as the RCAF’s 34th – third Transport, second in India – squadron formed overseas, the unit flew Dakota aircraft in support of the British Fourteenth Army in northern Burma. After hostilities in the Far East, the squadron moved to England and provided transport service to Canadian units on the Continent until disbanded at Down Ampney, Gloucester­shire, England on 1 April 1946.

Brief Chronology Formed at Gujrat, Punjab, India 1 Noviil . 44. Disbanded at Down Ampney, Glos., Eng. 1 Apr 46.

Title or nickname: “Chinthe”

Commanders

W/C T.P. Hartnett 1 Nov 44 – 10 Sep 45.
W/C C.N. McVeigh, AFC 11 Sep 45 – 1 Apr 46.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations

South East Asia Command:

No. 229 Group,

No. 341 Wing,

• Gujrat, Punjab, India 1 Nov 44 – 17 Dec 44.
• Tulihal, Manipur, India 18 Dec 44 – 31 Aug 45.
• En route to England (1) 27 Aug 45 – 19 Sep 45.

Transport Command:

No. 46 Group,

No. 120 (RCAF) Wing,

• Down Ampney, Glos. 29 Aug 45 – 1 Apr 46.
• 10 aircraft, Croydon, Surrey 9 Oct 45 – 16 Mar 46.

Representative aircraft

Douglas Dakota Mk.Ill & IV (India, Oct 44 – Aug 45, no Unit Code) (2)

• FD915 0 KG891 B KJ821 J KJ883 N KN563

Douglas Dakota Mk.III & IV (England, Aug 45 – Mar 46, Unit Code ODM)

• FZ658 Q KG317 A KG337 B KG414 G KG416 K KG486 K KG557 U KG559 0 KG563 N KG580 0 KG632 B KG659 W KG668 S KG713 Y KK143 A KN413 F KN511 Z KN665 E KN666 KW KP226 P

Operational History: First Mission 20 December 1944, 16 Dakotas from Tulihal airlifted supplies for the Fourteenth Army to a hurriedly constructed landing strip at Tamu in the Kabaw Valley, and air supply drops at Pinlebu, east of the Chindwin River. Note: One previous mission was flown before the squadron was declared operational. On 9 December it flew 35 sorties on an emergency move of No. 149 (F) Squadron RAF to Imphal.

Last Mission, India: 30 August 1945, 4 Dakotas from Tulihal, staging through Toungoo, dropped supplies to British guerrillas.

First Mis­sion, England: 18 September 1945, 4 Dakotas from Down Ampney transported 16 passengers and 8557 pounds of freight to various destinations in Europe.

Last Mission: 14 March 1946, Dakota KG587 ODM-T from Down Ampney with F/L H.E. Carling and crew – special flight to Rennes, France and return.

Summary, Burma Sorties: 15,681.

• Operational/Non-operational Flying Hours: 28,792/2734.
• Airlifted: 27,460 tons of freight, 14,000 passengers, 851 casualties.
• Casualties:
  • Operational: 4 aircraft; 21 aircrew, of whom 2 were killed, 14 missing, 5 wounded.
  • Non-opera­tional: nil.

England Sorties: 1018.

• Operational/Non-opera­tional Flying Hours: 4803/2434.
• Airlifted: 383.3 tons of freight, 62.8 mail; 9293 passengers.
• Casualties:
  • Opera­tional: 3 aircraft; 9 aircrew and 6 passengers killed, 2 air­crew and 13 passengers injured.
  • Non-operational: nil.

Honours and Awards: 1 MBE, 1 DFC, 2 AFC’s, 1 MiD’s.

Battle Honours: Burma 1944-1945.

(1) The first three aircraft left India on 27 August and the last three arrived in England on 19 September. At this time, the squadron was completing its reorganization as most of the India personnel were repatriated and replaced by crews newly arrived from Canada.
(2) On leaving India the squadron exchanged Dakotas with its relief, No. 233 (T) Squadron RAF.