A week later, he sent Portal a ‘strictly personal’ signal to warn him that Mountbatten had signalled London alleging that extraordinary efforts would be needed to cover the deficit in air supply. That signal, said Park, had been sent without his knowledge and did not represent the correct situation. He had already strengthened the maintenance backing by transferring to Dakotas personnel and resources from other aircraft types and had also borrowed Dakota spares from the USAAF Servicing Command and improved field maintenance.
