Third Anglo-Afghan War

After the war Reginald briefly returned to England but early in 1919 the Squadron left England to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and onto India. Their Bristol Fighters were dismantled and packed into creates for the journey. On arriving in Calcutta, India they boarded a train to take them across the country to the Afghanistan boarder, the crates containing the Fighters were loaded on as well. The train journey took a couple of weeks to complete. In June 1919 the squadron was based at Quetta, India (now Pakistan), for Army co-operation work on the North West Frontier with Afghanistan. While there the squadron was involved in the Third Anglo-Afghan War when King Amanullah of Afghanistan declared war on the British India and the Afghans seized a large tract of land near the historic Khyber Pass. 48 squadron was one of 5 RAF squadrons that were ordered into action against the Afghan hill-tribes in the mountainous region of the Khyber Pass. A make shift aerodrome was laid out near Dakka village as a base for the squadrons. The Bristol fighters were used in bombing missions on Jalalabad. The bombing campaign by the RAF was one of the main factors that drove King Amanullah to call for a truce with the British.

Make shift Aerodrome used by the Squadron in Dakka, 1919.

BE2E Biplanes at the Dakka Aerodrome, 1919.
Few Snapshots from our Aviation History

During tour in India Reginald contracted Malaria and also got frost bite on his cheeks flying over the Kyber Pass. After a few months in India the RAF was being reorganised and Reginald was offer the position of an Officer in the RAF but he and some friends decided to leaved the Air Force and return to England. For his tour in India Reginald was awarded the India General Service Medal with Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 Clasp