Westland Lysander (4 Viewers)

[CD Baumann]

So I got the old Revell 1/32 scale Lysander that I'm thinking of making next. It was well known for clandestine work but as I'm sure we're all aware it was an Army Cooperation aircraft and I believe it saw action in France and North Africa. Could anyone tell me more about the Lysander in it's combat role? Missions, Battle, etc

 

[Snautzer01]

Look here for some pictures eBay: Westland Lysander

 

[ThomasP]

There were also Lysanders operating in the CBI for most of the war, from 1942-45. They were operated by IAF Sqns as well as by the RAF.

 

[Shortround6]

I know there are some stories about squadrons of Lysanders in the CBI doing bombing raids with a pair of 250lb bombs each, but I can't remember where. It was online and it may have been a unit history or something about the Indian air force or other Commonwealth unit/s.

 

[ColFord]

Westland Lysanders had a long wartime service with the Royal Air Force and Allied Air Forces. Army Co-operation, Air Sea Rescue, SOE agent dops and pickups, Target Tug, and more.

Couple of good books if you can find them were the 4+ Publications profile on the Lysander and the Mushroom Models Publications book on the Lysander - more likely to find 2nd hand these days (MMP may be planning an updated edition of the Lysander book).

Otherwise, most recently Wingleader Publications put out one of their Photo Archive series books on the Lysander, lots of original detail photos with good supporting text and photo captions.

No.28 (AC) Squadron RAF and No.1 Squadron Indian Air Force both had Lysanders in Burma in December 1941. Fought a fighting retreat campaign from Burma back into India through most of 1942 which included bombing raids on airfields being used by the Japanese Army Air Force as well as advancing Japanese ground forces. A pre-War RAF pilot who was a good friend of mine was with No.28 (AC) Squadron from 1940 through 1943 and had some interesting tales to tell of his operations on the Lysander against the Japanese and then their early use of Hawker Hurricanes 'borrowed' from No.17 Squadron RAF for early fighter reconnaissance operations against the Japanese in the CBI.