[1][2] As these incidents involved refusals to obey orders they technically constituted a form of mutiny.
[1] A series of demonstrations and strikes occurred at several dozen Royal Air Force stations in the Indian subcontinent beginning on 22 January 1946.
For their part, the British Government argued that the amount of shipping available was insufficient to permit immediate repatriation of the large number of personnel.
However, later declassified reports have shown that British troops were deliberately retained in India to control possible unrest from the independence movement, and the grievances of the RAF men may have also included significant political views and sympathy with the communist Party of India.
Lord Wavell, Viceroy of India, commented at the time, "I am afraid that [the] example of the Royal Air Force, who got away with what was really a mutiny, has some responsibility for the present situation.