Major General William Gott (right), who would later lose his life in an aerial attack on his aircraft just after being appointed successor to General Sir Claude Auchinleck as British commander in North Africa, driven into Benghazi by Brigadier General "Jock" Campbell in the early stages of the North African war.  JR.

Major General William Gott.

Bristol Type 130 Bombay in flight.  The Bombay was a result of a Ministry of Defence specification for a dual-purpose transport/bomber, intended mainly for use in Africa.  The result - which could carry some 2,000 pounds (eight 250 lb. bombs mounted externally below the wings) or 24 troops - clearly reflects an intention that it be used as a utility aeroplane in the sort of situation that might arise in "the Empire".  Development was slow - the aircraft was commissioned in 1931, prototype flew in 1935, and production commenced in 1939 and, by the time production commenced, the aircraft was pretty obviously obsolete, at least for European theatre use.  However, an order for 50 aircraft was filled.  As the Bristol works was fully occupied in building other models by 1939, these aircraft were actually built by the Short & Harland company at Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Bombay saw very limited service in Europe, 1939/'40, but its main employment was, as intended, in North Africa and East Africa, where it was used both as a troop transport and a bomber, and also (in North Africa) as a minelayer (they armed the mines and tossed them out the cargo door).  In these "secondary" theatres, the Bombay performed a useful function (by East African theatre standards it was quite advanced).  With the end of operations in North and East Africa, the Bristol Bombay was phased out.  None would be in service by end-1943.  Best regards, JR.

The Bristol Bombay - an unsung servant.

From the IWM’s caption: «Bombay Mark I, L5845 ‘D’, of No. 216 Squadron RAF, undergoing engine maintenance at Marble Arch Landing Ground, Tripolitania, while engaged on the transportation and resupply of No. 239 Wing RAF, the first Allied fighter wing to operate from the landing ground after its capture on 17 December 1942». The Marble Arch, visible in the background, were a monument built by the Italians in obedience to an order of Governor of Libya, Italo Balbo, on the Via Balbia as sign of the border of the Libyan Regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. The monument, designed by the architect Florestano Di Fausto and inaugurated on 16 March 1937, were knew by the Italians with the name of Arco dei Fileni (or Ara Philaenorum) in remembrance of the mythical Carthaginian brothers Fileni here sacrificed yourself for the good of their Motherland. The Arco was demolished on 1973 by order of the Colonel Gaddafi as colonial power symbol and today the bronze statues of the Fileni Brothers, at a previous time on the top of Arch, are in a little museum at Sirte while the marble’s part of the monument lie neglected on the ground near the museum. Returning to Bristol Bombay, this plane was used by the RAF in the North African Theater of Operations also for paratroops training and as aircraft ambulance. Time ago I ago I posted a photo of a Bombay air ambulance in North Africa. See www.ww2incolor.com/australian-forces/BOMBAY-AMBULANCE. Best regards, Victor Sierra