Fly Past

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 33

Above

A view inside the

Bombay’s cockpit.

Left

Airframe K3583 acted

as the prototype

Bristol Type 130,

which performed

its maiden fl ight on

June 23, 1935 and

appeared at the

Hendon Air Pageant

later that year,

carrying ‘9’ on the

fuselage. ALL KEY

BRISTOL BOMBAY

Bombays were also involved in

the support of allied aircraft behind

enemy lines and dropped troops in

both Syria and Egypt. Other aircraft

were allocated to 117 Squadron

at Khartoum between April and

November 1941 whereas, nearer

to home, Bombays flew much

needed supplies across the Channel

to France in support of the British

Expeditionary Force in May 1940.

The following month, French pilot

Jean-Francois Demozay liberated

an abandoned Bombay to ferry

himself and 15 troops from France

to England. He would then join the

RAF and achieve ace status.

Bombays were also involved in

the support of allied aircraft behind

enemy lines and dropped troops in

bomber along the African
coast. During some missions,
the standard underslung bombload
was supplemented by improvised
bombs thrown out of the cargo door
by hand.
Bombays also participated in the
evacuation of Crete and later rescued
more than 2,000 wounded during
the Sicily campaign in 1943. The
aircraft also made the first aerial para-
drop in the Middle East (at Tmimi,
Libya) in November 1941 – the
‘passengers’ that day were members
of the fledgling Special Air Service on
their first official operation in
the Middle East.

Although the type was to all

extents and purposes obsolete by

the time it entered service, the final

three examples (L5827, L5831 and

L5842) operated in North Africa

until August 1944.

“Bombays participated in the evacuation of Crete

and later evacuated more than 2,000 wounded during the

“Bombays participated in the evacuation of Crete

and later evacuated more than 2,000 wounded during the

“Bombays participated in the evacuation of Crete

Sicily campaign in 1943.”

and later evacuated more than 2,000 wounded during the

Sicily campaign in 1943.”

and later evacuated more than 2,000 wounded during the