No. 30 SQUADRON RAF AND THE BATTLE OF CEYLON

Motion Text

That this House salutes the memory of the five Hurricane fighter pilots of No. 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force, who gave their lives defending Ceylon against 125 Japanese naval aircraft on 5th April 1942; celebrates the courage and skill of the British, Canadian, Australian and American pilots of 30 Squadron, 22 of whom scrambled to get airborne while their airfield was already under attack, yet inflicted losses which put the Japanese at a crucial disadvantage in the subsequent battles of the Coral Sea and Midway; and applauds the efforts of the 30 Squadron Association to raise £8,000 for a 60th anniversary ceremony in 2002 and for a permanent memorial at Ratamala Airfield, Sri Lanka, dedicated to the memory of Sergeant Allan Browne RAFVR (Australian), Pilot Officer Garth Caswell RAAF (Australian), Pilot Officer Donald Geffene RAFVR (American), Flight Sergeant Tony Ovens DFM, RAFVR (British) and Flight Sergeant Thomas Paxton MiD, RAFVR (British).