Leonard Birchall and the Japanese Raid on Colombo
HISTORY The White Ensign standard of the Royal Navy. The Rising Sun flag of imperial Japan. LEONARD BIRCHALL AND THE JAPANESE RAID ON COLOMBO by Rob Stuart Introduction objectives included disrupting shipping in the Bay of Bengal, and encouraging the Indian independence ir Commodore Leonard Joseph Birchall, Member movement, which desired to take India out of the Aof the Order of Canada, Member of the Order war. In other words, this was a raid, and not an invasion of Ontario, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the of Ceylon.1 British Empire, Distinguished Flying Cross, Canadian Forces Decoration, Officer of the United States Legion of The British were still reeling from a string of recent d Merit, passed away in September 2004 at the age of 89. isasters. Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, Borneo, and His passing was reported in most Canadian newspapers, much of Burma had fallen, and the Japanese Army and all of them noted that he had been nicknamed was approaching India’s eastern border. To stem the ‘the Saviour of Ceylon’ for having spotted a Japanese Japanese advance, such reinforcements as were available fleet approaching Ceylon (now Sri had been dispatched to the Far East. Lanka) on 4 April 1942 while on patrol Among them was 413 Squadron, which, in a 413 (RCAF) Squadron Consolidated “The force Birchall at the end of February, had been ordered Catalina flying boat. Unfortunately, spotted was the to move to Ceylon from Sullom Voe few accounts of Birchall’s actions that in the Shetland Islands. The squadron’s First Air Fleet, day paint a full picture of the combat four Catalinas departed Europe in operations in which his sighting the carrier battle mid-March, and its ground crews soon report played an important factor.
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