No. 81 Squadron RAF Republic P-47D Thunderbolts in Indonesia

On Friday I met and recorded an interview with David Barnston for a future Wings Over New Zealand Show episode. He was in the Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot during WWII. He ended up in Burma flying Thunderbolts with No. 123 Squadron RAF, and when the war was drawing to a close the squadron was renumbered as No. 81 Squadron. After the war ended the squadron ended up shifting to Java in the Dutch East Indies (later known as Indonesia) as one of two RAF Thunderbolt and one Mosquito squadrons that were tasked with patrolling safe roads and areas to protect road convoys and civilians them from attack from rebel fighters during the Indonesian War of Independence.

David was posted back to Britain after January 1946, but I note the squadron remained there till June 1946. I am just curious as to what happened to the Mosquitos and Thunderbolts when the RAF pulled out? Would they have been ferried back to Singapore or somewhere nearby? Were they scrapped? And did any Thunderbolts go down in the jungle during the war there? I am just curious as to whether there may be any Thunderbolt wrecks in Indonesia’s jungles.