RAF Amarda Road

India / Orissa / Jaleswar /
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This was a base for traing squadron of RAF. Amarda Road had one of the longest runways in the world. The runway still exists. Hundreds of aircraft were stationed at these airfields and the entire operations in Burma and beyond were controlled from there.

On 26 July 1945, two British Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator four-engine bombers, EW225 and EW247, collided at low altitude. The aircraft were based at the Amarda Road airfield and were part of a six-plane contingent from the Air Fighting Training Unit engaged in a formation flying exercise. Fourteen airmen – the crews of the two aircraft – died due to the severity of the collision and resulting crashes which happened at an altitude of less than 2000 feet. The debris fell into paddy fields swollen from the Monsoon rains. The exact spot is now in West Bengal, very near to the border town of Jaleswar.

Initially, it was a base for the 177th Squadron, which was formed in India in the early 1943. It started operations in September and was disbanded in the Arakan in May 1945. All the air-crew flew aircraft to India as part of a programme of re-equipping RAF squadrons in India; the ground crew left the UK late in 1942 by troopship. Neither knew their eventual destination. The squadron had a difficult and disorganised beginning but after it started operations it was highly effective in its assigned role of ground attack against the Japanese transportation systems and airfields. The strategic situation in Southeast Asia was perilous in 1942-43 but fortunately the Air Force was in fairly good shape by the end of the Monsoon in 1943.

The Air Fighting Training Unit - 228 Group - was established in May 1943 under the command of Frank Carey, the legendary Battle of France and Battle of Britain Air Ace, who also flew with great distinction against the Japanese in Burma and the Arakan. The AFBU mission was to teach various flying tactics deemed valuable in the unique air war against the Japanese. According to the book ‘Royal Air Force Flying Training & Support Units’ written by Sturtevant, the AFTU was disbanded on 25th May 1945, two months before the collision of the two liberators.

The remaining aircraft and personnel were transferred to the Tactical & Weapons Development Unit which had been formed at Amarda Road just the day before. At the AFTU many airmen were posted for a fortnight or more for rigorous instructions in such subjects as gunnery, navigation, bombing, fighter affiliation and formation flying.

Immediately after the crash, efforts were made to reach the crash site which was located approximately 47 statute miles as the crow flew north-east of Amarda Road. Given the remoteness of the locality, the lack of roads and bridges, and the severely limiting monsoon conditions, little could be done in the short term. There was news of some human remains that were reportedly discovered and then buried on site during the initial search efforts, but the evidence of this is vague and insufficient.

Several weeks after the accident (the exact date is unknown, but most likely it is between the 10th and 24th of September), Squadron Leader Stanley Bennett, the Padre of RAF Amarda Road, led a party of eleven or twelve men (five RAF members, five or six Indians) on a trek of nearly four days from Amarda Road to the crash site. By this time weather conditions had improved and the Monsoon floods had subsided.
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Coordinates:   21°48'32"N   87°2'34"E

Comments

  • hi friends i come to know about the airport that it was made by british in the time of 2nd world war.they made this airport for perpose of hideing there secrets like map ,treaser,plans,misaels,bombs etc...there4 they made inderground port under the runway.
  • yes u r rt bro i m 4m rasgubindpur dats y i kwn verious type of real story abt dis airport. now a days few old pepul r only the reai story the undrgraun iz provided by the central govt.
This article was last modified 10 years ago