VJ Day 80th – available on catch-up, Lincs-made documentary about the RAF in Burma 1942-1945

After the magnificent BBC1 Coverage of the VJ Day National Service of Remembrance, a reminder that a local contribution to the commemorations is also available on Catch up.

“Dakota-Air Drops-Kohima”, a 52-minute documentary written and presented by Lincoln businessman and former Chamber President Terry O’Halloran, is free to view at this channel:

C47 Skytrain / Dakota – Angel of the Skies – YouTube Its clearly marked “Global Watch Party” among the other clips.

Terry, a 31 Squadron airman in Germany in the 1960s, became Curator of the Museum of 31 Squadron RAF Association, thus the access to many wartime images. He met veterans of the Burma and South East Asia campaign at Squadron re-unions, and, after many a drink, coaxed their stories from them.

Terry believed that the role of the aviators who made highly risky supply drops under fire to the besieged at Imphal and Kohima, and to Chindits behind enemy lines, was never properly told to the British public, thus the above-named DVD and streamed programme.

Andrew Blow, from Lincoln-based Blow by Blow Productions – Camerman-Editor on the programme – said: “Its made available freely in memory of Terry, who died on May 3rd this year aged 80, and all those who fought in that far-off war that is now not quite so forgotten, given the splendid national coverage of VJ 80. And in particular, its in memory of the airmen who crashed into the Burmese jungles and were never found.”