Handley Page HP 42 " Hadrian " - October 1936

There are no know images of Meher Baba for the whole of this journey from Bombay to London. This was his 9th visit to the West.

This web page is of a historical nature only.

In late October 1936, Meher Baba set out for his 9th visit to the West.

Baba was accompanied by Feramoz 'Chanji' Dadachanji and Kaka Baria.

They departed from Bombay by train at 9pm 20th October by the Kathiawar Mail train.

They arrived in Karachi on 22nd October and stayed for 2 days. He met Pilamai Irani and her family and also his maternal aunt, Banu Masi and her family members.

Baba and his men departed Karachi on the 24th October, flying on the Imperial Airways HP-42 plane named 'Hadrain'. This was a 24-seat plane.

This was his first commercial and international flight.

The plane had originated from Singapore and the final stop was Croydon, London, UK. This was a routine timetabled journey by the Imperial Airways. Their other route was London to Cape Town.

Meher Baba and his men were flying only part of the way to London. Their last stop was Baghdad in Iraq. There were 6 stops by the plane to refuel, etc before reaching Baghdad.

The route was :

Karachi (Br. India), Gwadar (Oman Prov.), Sharjar (U.A.E.), Doha (Qatar), Manama (Bahrain), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Basra (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq).

** There are web pages for all of the above flight stops/ Click on the location name to visit their pages.

Both Chanji and Kaka were very ill with the flight sickness the whole way.

They landed in Basra on Sunday morning 25th October and arrived that night in Baghdad.

The fight distance was 280 miles or 450 kms. They booked into a hotel.

Feramoz 'Chanji' Dadachanji. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Kaka Baria. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Pilamai Irani. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Feramoz 'Chanji' Dadachanji Kaka Baria Pilamai Irani

October 1936

On Monday, 19 October 1936, Adi Sr. drove Baba to Bombay, and the next evening at 9:00 P.M., accompanied by only Kaka and Chanji, Baba boarded the Kathiawar Mail train for Karachi. (There were Hindu-Muslim communal riots in Bombay, prior to Baba's departure.) Reaching Karachi two days later, Baba met Pilamai and her family, and his maternal aunt Banu Masi and her family.

Baba and the mandali left Karachi on the 24th on the 24-seat Imperial Airways Hadrian biplane. It was his ninth foreign journey. Baba's first international air travel proved distressing for Kaka and Chanji who suffered from headaches and vomited during the flight, due to severe turbulence from Bahrain, Kuwait to Basra. ( Then flew to Baghdad )

Arriving in Baghdad on the evening of Sunday, 25 October, Baba and the mandali checked into a hotel. The next day they took a tour of Baghdad. On the 27th, Baba visited the shrine of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Gilani — a Sufi Perfect Master of his time. Baba remained in the Muslim tomb for some time, but made no comment on his work.

News was given to them at the Baghdad train station that there was a breach on the railway line at the crossing of the Turkish border, with no definite information as to when the line would be repaired and ready for travel. This report was, at first, vexing because Baba had planned to proceed to England from Iraq by train.

Lord Meher Online Edition Page 1739

1936 : Map shows the 1st stage of the trip to London. Bombay to Baghdad. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

This map shows the 2nd leg of Meher Baba's 9th visit to the West in Oct. 1936. Map graphics by A. Zois.

Courtesy of Lord Meher ; Bhau Kalchuri - Vol.6-7 : p 2041

These 2 web links are for the 2 Iraqi locations Meher Baba visited during this flight.

BAGHDAD

BASRA

1930s : Hadley Page 'Hadrian' aircraft interior. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Hadley-Page HP 42 at a typical airport of the time.

1930s map shows the flight path between Basra and Baghdad.

BAGHDAD AIRPORT

Map showing the 1936 plane, ship, road & train routes. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

These are AI created images showing what Meher Baba might have looked like in the various locations along this flight path in October 1936.

The above image was the cover of The Meher Baba Australia newsletter of October 1986.

The front and back covers were illustrated by Anthony Zois.

The following link is for the web page for that story.

http://www.meherbabatravels.com/newsletter-articles/first-air-flight-trip-to-iraq-turkey-oct-1936/

" HADRIAN "

The plane was named after the Roman Emperor ( b.AD 76 ) ruled from AD.117 to 138 ).

He initiated plans to end distinctions between Rome & her provinces.

He visited Britain in AD.122, where he ordered the building of Hadrian's Wall.

This plane was one of 8, its construction number was 42 / 2 and its registration no. is G-AAUE

It's first flight was on 24th June 1931.

At the start of WW2, it was assigned to RAF Squadron 271 - 5/40 as AS 982 and was based in Odiham, England.

On the 6th December 1940, during a gale, it tore loose from its moorings at Doncater Airport, England and it cart-wheeled onto railway tracks, ending up inverted on the line.

Routes

The route that the plane took was from Karachi - Gwadar, Muscat, Oman - Sharjah, U.A.E. - Bahrein - Kuwait - Basra, Iraq - Baghdad, Iraq.