Tag: Japan

Serving in India 1942 to 1946 – My father-in-law’s time with Squadron 159 (Part 1)

My father-in-law is on the left.

For four years during World War II, my father-in-law served in RAF Squadron 159 in India.

We knew very little about this period of his life until the death of my mother-in-law in 2004. Soon after this he began to talk more about his experiences, firstly travelling aboard ship and being in India for four long years in various locations.

He also produced some black and white photographs in regard to his service, some of which I have included here for illustration in these several pieces.

It became a fairly common trait among servicemen on all sides after that war, and also post the Great War of 1914-18, to be reticent about their time in service, especially about describing more traumatic events. It must be remembered that back then there was little in the way of counselling after experiencing such action.

The B-24 Consolidated Liberator.

It must be said, however, that my father-in-law didn’t see active service during that time, arriving on the subcontinent at the age of twenty one. He was part of the ground crew, a critically important role for missions. They had been sent onto India in the first half of the year, before the arrival of the aircraft; the plane of choice for the long distance raids eastwards was the B-24 Consolidated Liberator, a four engine bomber produced in the United States.

The reason for the deployment of this squadron (among others) was to defend the then British Empire from Japanese incursions into south east Asia, threatening Burma and even India itself. India was strategically well placed for such operations to halt and repel this advance.


Copyright Francis 2022

The Walls of Alatri – An Example of Ancient Worldwide Culture?

Acropolis of Alatri tells the story of Cyclopedean Walls

The so-called Cyclopedean walls of Alatri in Lazio, central Italy, are far from being the only example of stunning ancient polygonal walls.

In fact there are many other such demonstrations of an ancient, even prehistoric technology, not only in Italy but throughout the world, such as at Cusco in Peru, and at sites in Japan.

With an open mind, we have to ask ourselves how this was achieved? Ancient polygonal architecture, which resembles a jig-saw in stone, is mind boggling, for we could barely achieve such feats today, not merely the intricacy, but the logistical tasks of lifting and manipulating the larger blocks of neatly hewn stone.

And it isn’t just me who raises an eyebrow at the description of this architectural style as Cyclopedean. Cyclops (plural Cyclopes), as you may be aware, in Greek mythology were one eyed giants, the sons of Uranus (the sky) and Gaea (the earth).

Does this myth in fact enshrine a truth in allegory? Does this reflect the verse from the Old Testament in the Bible which describes the sons of God mating with female humans? If the sons of God were higher dimensional beings (sky) and mated with ancient humanity (earth), perhaps the result of such engagement was truly astonishing – giants and other exceptional unusual beings, perhaps some with only one eye, for example.

Such beings might not only be intelligent but also practical and powerful enough to lift such massive stones, with or without technology. According to the myth, the Cyclopes were originally blacksmiths.

With the numerous widespread examples of similar polygonal and massive megalithic architecture, we have to surely be open to at least the notion of a once ancient or prehistoric worldwide civilisation. The massive hewn stones at Baalbek in the Lebanon, are perhaps the most extreme example of the capabilities of this proposed culture.


Copyright Francis 2022