Description
Mr. Sutherland Brown talks about how the Japanese never really understood the importance of air supply, which put them at a disadvantage.
Atholl Sutherland Brown
Mr. Sutherland Brown was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1923. Mr. Sutherland was the youngest of three sons, all of whom where in the military. His father had an extensive military background, but resigned just before Hitler took power. Mr. Sutherland enlisted at the age of 16 as a private with the Piper 16th Canadian Scottish. He then finished his education at Victoria College before joining the air force at 18.
Transcript
Interviewer: Were you men aware of the significance of what was happening at that time?
Well I think so, yes, um. You know the, and other squadrons and friends of mine now on Hurricane Squadrons in the valley, they were, you know they flew by day and at night they were in slit trenches defending their airfield from the Japanese insurgents. And when we were there, there were Japanese bodies still, they hadn't been buried yet around about the airfield. You know, every night there were sharp attacks on. So they were there in large numbers ah, but they didn't have the air support they should have had. And they also, the Japanese never fully understood the importance of the Allied air transport and the fact that whole divisions were being able to be moved by air transport and being supplied. They could be surrounded and they'd still be supplied by air and of course the um, Spit Fires, Hurricanes made it very difficult for the, them to be attacked. But they never really understood how important air supply was and ah, so that was one of General Slims great advantages.