194

Yorkshire. Here he converted to and completed his training on Hudson aircraft, before proceeding to No. 5 Personnel Despatch Centre, Padgate, Lancashire on the 16th September for embarkation overseas. Late the same month he embarked by sea for West Africa and took part in an Ante submarine patrol with No. 95 Squadron from (illegible) 41 during October. Early in November as pilot of a Hudson aircraft he flew to India across Equatorial Africa arriving at Karachi on the 13th November and Lahore on the 17th of the month, when he was posted to No. 194 Transport Squadron of East Asia Command. With this Squadron over the ensuing seventeen months as captain of Hudson and later od Dakato aircraft he took part in a great number of transport flights over India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), carrying passengers and freight and including two trips to Cairo. He also took part in supply dropping over Burma (now Myanmar).

Flight Lieutenant Mellsop was the pilot of a Dakato aircraft engaged in flying British Forces of the late General Wingate's command into Burma. In an attempt to land his aircraft on a small strip near Silchar deep in Burma about 200 miles behind the enemy lines on the 11th April, 1944, the aircraft crashed into the hillside, and Flight Lieutenant Mellsop lost his life.

He was buried in a small cemetery constructed on the spot by British Troops.

After the cessation of hostilities a Casualty Search Party endeavoured to find the graves in this cemetery. They were reluctantly compelled to assume that hte action of the elements, together with the excessive tropical growth, had effaced all traces of the graves, including that of Flight Lieutenant Mellsop.

Find a Grave link with photo of deceased: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56224916/raymond-gilmour-mellsop

5/1/763 AS2
1193 hours as Pilot.

Mrs. M.E.G. Mellsop (M) (right aligned)
27 Stanley Street, (right aligned)
HAMILTON. (right aligned & underlined)