Rare WW2 era footage of former POW Flying Officer K V Nair after his liberation from the Rangoon Jail.
Flying Officer K V Nair belonged to No.2 Squadron that arrived on the Burma Front in late November 1944. Within a week of the Squadron being deployed in operations, on 3rd December 1944, Flying Officer V K Nair failed to return from a recce sortie. He was shot down and imprisoned as a POW in the infamous Rangoon Jail. Nair was fortunate to be liberated from captivity within a few months. Rangoon fell in May 1945 and the prisoners were repatriated to India. among them was the lone Indian officer.
This rare footage of the POWs being repatriated was provided by Matt Poole, noted Burma Researcher. Matt notes:
This 9 May 1945 footage was taken when the hospital ship H.M.H.S. Karapara docked in Calcutta after the journey from Rangoon begun on the 5th. Here’s a very short diary entry from the 9th by F/O Nair’s fellow Rangoon Jail prisoner and survivor, RAF wireless operator/air gunner Donald Lomas (shot down over Rangoon in a Liberator bomber on 29 Feb 1944): “9th May. Docked in Calcutta about 3. pm. – great reception. Two bands, lots of brass hats, governor and wife etc. waiting to meet us. Red Cross comforts” etc. etc.
Nair subsequently served in the post-independence IAF but was dismissed from service in the mid 1950s after a courtmartial.