Extract from Air Marshal Baldwin's letter          
 
            to the Air Commander-in-Chief, South East       
 
                     Asia of 10th March, 1944               
 
                                                            
 
      At General Wingate's advanced airfield (200 miles inside the 
      Japanese lines) control was magnificent and it might have been 
      a civil airport running under peacetime conditions. I first located 
      the strip by an aircraft taking off and a second took off as 
      we approached; we were given a green as we came into the circuit 
      and landed straight away. The Captain was at once signaled by 
      torches and led to his pen without any danger of collision from 
      obstacles on the ground, or other aircraft. As he moved in, the 
      prior occupant was moved out; we turned round within seven minutes 
      and in this period a further two aircraft had taken off. We were 
      then held up while three aircraft came straight in without having 
      to orbit and all were led to their pens with equal efficiency. 
      As we cleared the flarepath taking-off another aircraft was accepted 
         and was already committed to its final approach.   
 
                                                            
 
 
I cannot speak too highly of the drill and organization displayed 
      at this airport. Guides had been selected and trained from the 
      ersonnel of the Regiment who had arrived in the initial glider 
                            landing.                        
 
      I feel that this control, both at the home and advanced bases, 
      is, the major issue when conducting any future operations of 
                           this nature.                     
 
                                                            
 
 
With regard to the control at the homa base, the Commanding 
      Officer had got this worked out to the most minute detail. His 
      system of dividing the strip into two equal halves so that aircraft 
      took off alternatively, first north then south, worked without 
      a hitch and certainly got rid of the dust bogey. By so doing, 
      the runway north was completely clear for No.3 to take off by 
                the time No. 2 had departed south.          
 
                                                            
 
 
His organization of the pens and his system of numbering was 
      such that he could immediately substitute an aircraft to take 
      the place of any one that went unserviceable or was d %elayed due 
      to difficulty with its cargo. I think I am right, however, in 
      saying that last night only in one case was an aircraft prevented 
      from taking off due to cargo difficulties. In this case it was 
      yet again a mule which broke away on the ramp and insisted on 
                     jumping on the aileron.                
 
                                                            
 
 
Our Transport Squadrons put up a first class show and I think 
      this is true of both British and American. Our crews were in 
      exceptionally good heart, although last night was the forth night 
      for all and in certain cases the fifth night of operations. Everybody 
      last night did two trips bar the few who went unserviceable.