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31 Squadron, formed in 1915, was the first operational military unit in Indian skies. During the [[First World War]] it was operational in the North West Frontier region of India . During the [[Second World War]] it saw action in Iraq and Burma.
<ref> Naval and Military Press publication [http://www.naval-military-press.com/history-of-no.31-squadron-royal-flying-corps-and-royal-air-force-in-the-east-from-its-formation-in-1915-to-1950..html ''History Of No.31 Squadron Royal Flying Corps And Royal Air Force in the East from its formation in 1915 to 1950'']</ref>
114 Squadron, originally RFC, was formed at [[Lahore]] in September 1917, from a nucleus provided by 31 Squadron. See the letters of Thomas Gilbert who was posted to 114 Squadron in late September 1917, below under "Individuals".
==Other Squadrons in India==
20 Squadron arrived in India May 1919, and received the following battle honours Mahsud 1919-1920, Waziristan 1919-1925, Mohmand 1927, North West Frontier 1930-1931, Mohmand 1933, North West Frontier 1935-1939, North Burma 1943-1944, Arakan 1943-1944, Manipur 1944, Burma 1944-1945<ref>[https://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/20squadron.cfm 20 Squadron] raf.mod.uk.</ref>
*Photographs from the collection of Air Vice-Marshal Gerard Combe, at Dardoni on the North West Frontier c 1923 . Imperial War Museum, [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205084911 1], [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205084913 2], [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205084935 3], [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205084938 4], [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205084939 5], [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205084942 6]
*[http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/31squadron.cfm 31 Squadron RAF] raf.mod.uk. This first operational military unit in Indian skies was in action along the North West Frontier from 1916, assisting the army in dealing with tribal unrest. Its BE2c biplanes were employed on artillery observation, reconnaissance and ground attack.
*[https://www.raf.mod.uk/history/114squadron.cfm 114 Squadron RAF] raf.mod.uk. Formed at Lahore, India, in September 1917, from a nucleus provided by No. 31 Squadron
*[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201554.html "No. 5 Squadron: A History of the “Fighting Fifth”: Part 2"] by John Yoxall ''Flight Magazine'' 25 October 1957, pages 643-646. Details the Regiment in India from when it was reformed in Quetta February 1, 1920. It subsequently remained on the North West Frontier of India, and Burma during WW2. The history continues [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201657.html "Part 3"], 8 November 1957, page 745. The regiment remained in India until July 1947 when the aircraft were handed over to the India Air Force, and was officially disbanded August 1, 1947. flightglobal.com. (retrieved 18 April 2014)
*20 Squadron arrived in India May 1919.
=== Individuals===
*[http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/archivaldocs/prg/PRG266_7_1-150_Gilbert_letters_transcript.pdf Letters written by Thomas Gilbert] to his parents and other family members, chiefly from India. State Library of South Australia. [http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:80/record=b2187028~S1 Catalogue link].
:Page 49 30.12.16 Notified he is to be posted to Egypt for training in flying; Page 53 28.1.17 He commences training at Aboukir, Abbasia, Heliopolis; Page 67 23.6.17 Advised he is to be posted to England; Page 75 9 Sept 1917. He receives notice he will be posted to India; Page 82 27.11.17 114th Squadron. R.F.C. [[Lahore]]; Page 92 18.3.18 Transferred to [[Sibi]], Baluchistan The war against the Marris; Page 96 23.4.18 Harnai; Page 97, 6.5.18; The squadron prepare to leave for [[Quetta]]; Page 112 10.11.18 The squadron moves to Lahore.
*[http://sgtregnaldwhite.blogspot.com/2010/07/third-anglo-afghan-war.html Sgt Reginald White, 48 Squadron RAF] in the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Retrieved 30 August 2014. 48 Squadron arrived in India by sea and by June 1919 were based in [[Quetta]].
*Charles Frederick Langley (born 1889). He was in India 1920-23 with the Royal Air Force. His final posting was the RAF base at [[Risalpur]], the new home for 27 Squadron. He was in charge of the base’s three pigeon lofts containing several hundred birds and one of his jobs was to teach the pilots how to handle and release the homing pigeons from the aircraft.<ref>
