Whalen

Hi all, I sent this e-mail to Jack Morton, Jimmy's wingman, yesterday. The series of e-mails are self explanatory.

Jack,

Yesterday at work I was viewing a web page which detailed the accounts of Captain Peter Toole, who was a combat engineer at Imphal-Kohima. Remarkably, he described in his journal a recce he went on in late June of 1944. He was on the Kohima -Imphal road when he strayed off the road and found a downed Hurricane with the pilot still in it. He described it as having been there for a number of weeks. RAF records show Jimmy's plane as being found just off the Kohima- Imphal road at mile 47.5. I felt that there was a good chance that it had been Jimmy's plane.

I sent a note to Peter's son Adrian:

Adrian,

I was reading Peter's account of finding the Hurricane with the pilot in it, and I almost fell out of my chair. My cousin Jimmy Whalen was a Hurricane pilot with 34 Sqn. He was killed on April 18, 1944 while straffing targets at Kohima (I have a web page for him:)

www.rcaf.com/whalen

His plane was not found until late June/early July. Peter talks about straying off the Kohima Imphal road and finding the plane. Jimmy's plane was found at mile 47.5 of the Kohima - Imphal road, half way up the embankment. I think there is a darn good chance that they are the same. Is Peter around to verify any of this??

He sent his reply today:

Bill this is the paragraph to which you refer.

"Hurricane
One morning I was making a recce away from the road and I came across a
Hurricane which had ditched in the jungle. The plane was badly damaged
and the dead pilot still inside. It must have been there for weeks. "

I also looked at your web site for Jimmy Whalen
http://www.rcaf.com/whalen/ , which was wonderful and sad. Your cousin
certainly achieved his ambition didn't he!

I have not had a chance to update the Web site, but my father Peter
Toole died on 18 January after a long illness. It may seem strange but
my father talked little about his war experiences. I am very pleased
that the family managed to persuade him recently to write his memoirs,
of which the web site diaries are the copy.
I cannot in fact recall him telling the story of the downed Hurricane
prior to writing it down and now I regret that I didn't ask him for more
details!

My mother has however just spoken to an old friend Len Hall who lives
locally. Len was a Hurricane pilot operating over Kohima/Imphal and he
had confirmed that Jimmy Whalan was his Flight Commander! Len has a
photo of your cousin. My Father must have talked to Len about this.

Len is not a well man but wants to talk to you. His number is:
0044 1707 329608.

Do you know Len??

Bill

Adrian,

I phoned Len Hall this morning and we had a lovely chat. He confirmed that it was Jimmy's plane your Dad had come across. Such a small world. It seems both your web page and mine have sparked some interesting results. However, this is even better; Len advised that he had not been in contact with his squadron mates since the war. He had tried, unsuccesfully in the 50's. After talking to Len I called Jack "Jock" Morton in Scotland. Jack advised that the 34 squadron association had been trying to contact Len for the better part of 50 Years! Jack phoned Len the second I hung up. So, in a way, Jimmy with the help of your Dad, has brought these old comrades together.

I need to ask a favour. Len has requested a copy of my web page. Could you print off a copy for him and drop it by. There are quite a few pages with the links to some of the photos, cartoon etc, but I would be indebted.

Thanks again,

Bill Whalen