This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.
Three RAF stations in Palestine were attacked last night by Jewish insurgents, reports the Times. At a little before nine o'clock twelve Halifaxes were destroyed or damaged beyond repair by explosive devices planted under the wings at Qastina Transport Command base; guards discovered a group of intruders within the aircraft dispersal area but were forced back under a hail of machine-gun fire. Around the same time at Petah Tiqva, there was an explosion in the middle of the aircraft dispersal area as a Spitfire burst into flames; another six Spitfires were destroyed in the ensuing fire, and again RAF sentries were pinned down by automatic gunfire. One hour later, the lights failed at Lydda Transport Command station and shortly afterwards assailants who had mingled with the crowd leaving the camp cinema threw grenades at parked aircraft, destroying two Ansons. A radio broadcast today from the Jewish insurgent forces acknowledged responsibility for the attacks, accusing the RAF of in intercepting ships carrying illegal immigrants to Palestine. Curfews have been introduced around all three bases.
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