Sutherland-Brown, Atholl: my South East Asia Air Force experience (March 10, 2015)
ABSTRACT: Military Oral History Project Interview Summary Narrator: Dr. Atholl Sutherland-Brown, 1923 – Title: My South East Asia Air Force Experience Interviewer: Mackenzie A Carr Extent 1 sound recording (MP3 file) 1:08:02 Interview Date and Location 10 March 2015, Victoria, BC Synopsis: Dr. Atholl Sutherland-Brown was a veteran of the Second World War. Born in 1923 in Ottawa, grew up in Victoria most of his life, moved around a lot as a child because his father was a General. Achieved his masters at UBC and PhD at Princeton. Joined the air force at 18 years old in Vancouver in August 1941. Training included qualifying for pilot training, elementary flying training at first class at boundary bay, advanced flying in Calgary at Curry Field, GR course which entailed navigation for pilots in PEI, overseas went to operational training in Yorkshire. Flew a beaufighter to India, a reinforcement flight at 20 years old, worked out of Deli with communications for 5 months, then got to Burma frontier with squadron 177 – 360 flying hours after training, first class training, not enough gunnery practice. Beaufighter – whispering death called by Japanese - first significant night fighter, strike squadrons against convoys on the Norway coast and desert and Burma frontier – low level attacks, rugged, long range, fighters, two powerful engines which made it difficult to fly. Shows picture from the cover of his book – Targets were trains, locomotives, river boats, sunk entire Burma ships, motor transport, airfields most difficult – all ground attacks and a few intruder attacks. Trying and effective in indicting the flow of supplies to the Japanese on the front, made difficult to resupply – strategic more than tactical. Crew of two, navigator but called an observer, operated gunner and radio – crewed up in Yorkshire, and together 1943 -1945, unusual to remain together for two tours. Silently into the midst of things motto, quiet to fly, flew under the radar. Flew 7 hours for longest time, long time for a fighter. Not much contact with people in Burma, except the personal servants, bearers, had a Guianese Christian servant Two monsoons, dry monsoon and wet monsoon, a lot of storm clouds dangerous to fly through, lost aircraft flying through the monsoon clouds – no hangers, temporary airfields (21:40 bells again) – maintenance made difficult to keep water out of gasoline. Flew during the two-week moon period, attempted to fly at night during the monsoon period. Japanese withdrew their aircraft from Burma during monsoon season. Heat was unpleasant in Bengal up to 100 degrees during summer. Mountain terrain up to 10,000ft with cloud all around flew at night attacking enemy supply lines. Tropical diseases affected them all the time, intestinal disease – cleanliness in kitchen, malaria from mosquitoes and dengue fever from small flies were of high concern, many hazards, tropical diseases were the second enemy. First operation was flying out to India, flew through enemy territory, Burma frontier was first main fighter. Every operation came back with bullet holes, Japanese trained to shoot back not retreat, trains had flak operations that would protect the trains when under attack – Attacking gas trucks around airfield and was under severe flak attack, took 50 shots, some explosive bullets, lost hydraulics and radio, saw the hydraulic fluid leaving the tank and had to crash land back at base with no flaps – attacked small convoy south of Momane with many ships with flak on them. Flew 50 operations, more than anyone else, all 4-6 ½ hours long – 49th operation wounded attacking a train at Pegu, by Rangoon, flesh wounds, bleeding heavily. Japanese fighters, Oscar, code name (32:48), fast and long range and maneuverable – not main hazard, flak from ground attacks was main hazard. Interviewed 7 Japanese pilots in 2000 (34:00 title of interview on database). Attacked transportation systems – easy to see trains in daylight because of dust stir up, which made them an easy target – most heavy flak on airfields, only time for one attack, and very hazardous. Band of brothers, got along well, young, loved to fly. Japans radar not as good as Germans but still flew 50ft below radar. VHF Radio, radio silence during missions to not give away position, trailing antenna to communicate but out of range quicker, and Morse code can bounce up and down, from signals of high frequency radios up to 400 miles away Last tour 28 Dec 1944, wounded, spent weeks in hospital, no leave, posted directly to small unit with direct air support control at the front. Saw good and bad all over the world – really negative thing to affect him was having to live day to day for over a year, early Post War period it was difficult to plan ahead. Perception hasn’t changed, not until after retirement began to rethink and write about time in the War, Aviation in SE Asia not appreciated by historians, 14th Army dependent on aviation, General Slim said it himself that without complete control of the air the missions were impossible, Slim appreciated air supply, first time ever done – air war was terribly important – Slim appreciated the support from ground attack fighters where the operations were preventing Japanese from getting supplies, men and ammunition. Hard to imagine the victory in Burma done so easily and quickly without the air component of beaufighters cut off supplies, spitfires in 1943 who maintained and got control of the air, as well as D3s, Dakotas, Parachutes all helped as well. End of Burma campaign, 30% were Canadians, not recognized for what they did there – the large impact Canadian air crew they had in South East Asia, along with radar stations largely manned by Canadians, Pilots mainly Canadian or Australian, navigator was mainly British. DFC award, proud to receive this award, involved in attacking 20-22 trains and other targets, recognition of success as a ground attack pilot. (57:50 end, starts showing log book). 0:41-1:14 - Where were you born, where have you lived? 1:29-2:07 - general, part of you moving around? 2:15-2:25 - Education 2:31- 2:58 - Family 3:10- 4:10 - Any members in the war 4:18-4:37 - What did family think when you joined Air Force 4:43-5:02 - When you joined it was in Victoria…. Vancouver 18 5:08-7:36 - What was training like? Also stories about time in the force 7:36-8:21 - Well trained? 8:32-9:47 - Bristol bull fire (whispering death) 9:52-10:57 - Easy to fly or hard 11:02-11:48 - What tactics did you use 12:02-12:53 - Why was all the transportation so important? 13:04- 13:54 - Squad 177, what was the crew like? 13:59-14:48 - Crew up 14:50- 15:12 - Why is it unusual to do a lot of tours together 15:13-15:31 - Did you like being with the same navigator? 15:44- 16:42- Motto- silently in the mist of things 16:52- 19:28 - Interacting with people in South East Asia 19:50-22:56 - Effected by weather and monsoons as a pilot 23:04-23:29 - Heat 23:42-24:21 - Flying in monsoons, flying at night? 24:37-25:53 - Tropical Diseases 26:07-27:07 - First operation 27:13-31:43 - Most difficult. Fluid problem 32:01-35:00 - How would you rate the Japanese 35:07-36:45 - Did you know what you were attacking 36:57-38:12 - Any other memorable stories? 38:12-39:20 - Radar cf. Japanese to German 39:30-41:18 - Technology useful 42:02-43:21 - Spoke earlier about morale, band of brothers and love of flying 43:34-44:28 - leaving South East Asia 44:40- 45:30 –adjustment to home 45:44-47:29 - How did war change you? 47:45- 48:43 - Perception of time in war, after research and books written 49:11-53:24 - Aviation was main success in Asia 53:40-55:36 - Books and how Canadians aren’t mentioned and why 55:43-56:33 - Received DFC and Wound Stripe, what did it mean 56:50-1:03:10 - Log Book Suggested Clip(s) for Archive: 8:32-9:47 - Bristol Beaufighter (whispering death) 19:50-22:56 - Effected by weather and monsoons as a pilot, what it was like 23:42-24:21 - Flying in monsoons, flying at night Subject Key Words: Aviation; Training; Squadron 177; Canadians; Air Force; Burma; South East Asia; Locomotives; Bristol Beaufighter; Monsoons; Second World War; Flying; Railways; RCAF; RAF; Disease; Airfields; Thailand; India; Bristol; Ground Attacks; Japan; Pilots; Aircrew; Navigator; British; Observer; Squadron; Night Attacks; DFC; Low level attack; Fighters; Navigation; Radar; Flak; VHF Radio; General William Slim; Burma Campaign, Battle of Imphal
An interview/narrative of Atholl Sutherland-Brown's experiences during World War II. Dr. Sutherland-Brown served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Interview took place on March 10, 2015.
Interviewer: Carr, Mackenzie A.
Interviewee: Sutherland-Brown, Atholl, 1923-
- In Collection:
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- Original sound recording (MP3) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- SBA_815
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- March 10, 2015
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 192 kbps. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2015. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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