City of London) Squadron Rauxaf Association Newsletter

600 Praeter Sescentos

“THE RIGHT OF THE LINE”

600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF Association Newsletter

Patron: The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton

Affiliated Members; 601 & 604 Squadron Associations.

Patron: The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton

September 2011 Editorial

Welcome to the late summer, early autumn edition. So summer is fast slipping away and the dark mornings & nights are already back with us. The garden is starting to look tired, with some old favourites finished for another year although the tomatoes & Apples are plentiful (that’s of course if like me you have an Apple tree!). It won’t be long now before were scraping the cars again!

As usual I would like to thank all of you who have sent me messages of support for the newsletter – thank you, it is much appreciated although undoubtedly thanks to all you who have contributed – that said, please do keep your memories and stories coming folks as this is what helps me produce such bumper editions. I know I have probably used too many articles in one go, and the puritans amongst us will advise to hold some back, and I have, so if you have sent me material and you don’t see it in here, it will be in the next edition. I have a promise of many more articles to come from various sources although inevitably, the newsletter will start to get smaller in time, so keep it coming folks.

Some of you have sent me some photographs. These really are wonderful as they help boost the archive, so many many thanks.

I must again give thanks for another fantastic article from the Author and Historian, Ian White. Ian is writing a series of special articles based upon aircraft types used by our Squadrons which, if the one in this issue is anything to go by, will be really interesting. Many thanks for Ian’s very kind & continuing support and his very interesting articles.

As usual, we are still particularly interested in receiving any photo’s records etc. please as we still have some big gaps in our history to fill. We have a good deal of Squadron archive but are missing huge chunks from the war years. Any photos etc. will be well taken care of, copied and returned safely, so please have a dig and send me all you have! All items will be very gratefully received, and taken great care of.

In the next issue, I hope to bring you details of our revamped web site. We have been lucky to secure the services of a truly terrific chap who is both willing and able to help us develop the

Association web site, which may of you may not even be aware existed. We plan initially to set up a comprehensive section detailing the history of the Squadron with as many photographs, records etc as we are able – any help with providing material for this would be really appreciated.

Our web master, John Wheeler, who is US based, also looks after the 601 Squadron web site as well as the web site for the Battle of Britain Historical Society, so we have a very experienced and enthusiastic man helping us.

John has been working hard getting to grips with a ‘new look’ as well as gathering material and data and so we can look forward to a greatly improved offering that we can all be very proud of – so watch this space.

Obituaries

We will try to keep this up to date, but sadly we can only report the passing of old friends and colleagues if we are told about it. Since our last Newsletter, we are sorry to report the loss of the following;

Graham Charles Tidman 09 Feb 1924 – 26 May 2011

Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging of the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team (The Red Arrows)

From http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/behindthescenes/red4.cfm

MOD confirms the death of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging of the Royal Air Force aerobatics team (The Red Arrows)

It is with sadness that the MOD must confirm the death of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging of the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team (The Red Arrows). Flight Lieutenant Egging was killed when his Hawk T1 aircraft - Red 4 - crashed around 1km South East of Bournemouth Airport at 1350 on Saturday 20 August 2011.

A full Service Inquiry into the details of the crash has been initiated. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident at this time.

Group Captain Simon Blake, the Commandant of the RAF's Central Flying School, said:

"Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, known as 'Eggman', joined the Team as Red in the autumn of 2010. A gifted aviator, he was chosen to fly in the Red 4 slot, on the right hand outside of the famous Diamond Nine formation - an accolade in itself being the most demanding position allocated to a first year pilot. Throughout his winter training and the display season to date, his professionalism, skill and humility have shone through.

"A true team player, his good nature and constant smile will be sorely missed by all. In such a close knit team, this tragedy will be keenly felt by his fellow team members, the Reds and all of the engineering and support staff, the Blues."

Air Vice Marshal Mark Green, Air Officer Commanding 22 (Training) Group, said:

"I first met Flt Lt Jon Egging in 2003 when I became his Station Commander. Even at that early stage in his career, Jon's professionalism, competence and ever present smile made him stand out from the crowd. Hence, his eventual selection for duties with the Red Arrows came as no surprise. His time with the Team was typified by the characteristics that were Jon's trademark: professionalism, enthusiasm for life and a willingness to help others that transcended all boundaries. Jon will be sorely missed by all those that had the privilege to know him; our thoughts and prayers are with Jon's family and friends at this tragic time."

Flight Lieutenant Egging, aged 33 from Rutland, flew the Harrier GR9 before joining the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team. Jon became interested in flying at an early age, inspired by his airline pilot father who used to take him 'down route', allowing him into the cockpit for take-off and landing. Jon is survived by his wife, Emma.

He attended Southam School in Warwickshire gaining A-Levels in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. He was a member of 2028 (Southam) Sqn Air Training Corps from age 13. During the sixth form he was awarded a Royal Air Force Flying Scholarship and had his first solo flight in a Cessna 152 flying from Wellesbourne Mountford Aerodrome. Following a gap year spent working in

the UK and travelling around Australia, Jon went on to read a BSc in Environmental Science at Southampton University. He joined Southampton University Air Squadron and was awarded a Royal Air Force Bursary in his second year.

Whilst at University Jon completed Elementary Flying Training with the University Air Squadron, flying the Bulldog; he went on to join the Royal Air Force in 2000. Selected for fast jet training Jon flew the Tucano and Hawk before becoming a 'Creamie' Qualified Flying Instructor on the Hawk at Royal Air Force Valley, teaching both students and instructors. Jon went on to serve with IV(AC) Squadron - 'Happy IV' - based at Royal Air Force Cottesmore, flying the Harrier GR9.

During his time on the front line Jon was proud to support coalition ground forces when flying operational missions in Afghanistan. He has also taken part in exercises in the United Kingdom and America. As part of Joint Force Harrier, Jon served with IV(AC) Squadron on HMS Illustrious, flying training missions off the UK coastline. He became the Squadron Qualified Flying Instructor during his last year on 'Happy IV', making the transition to teach on the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit, based at Royal Air Force Wittering, in April 2010.

Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:

"It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging whilst performing with the Red Arrows today. He was a gifted aviator who was selected for one of the most demanding flying jobs in the RAF. Joining the Red Arrows was his lifetime ambition and he performed with great skill whilst on the team. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Emma and his family and friends at this terrible time."

Dr Emma Egging, the wife of Flt Lt Jon Egging said:

"Jon was everything to those that knew him, and he was the best friend and husband I could ever have wished for. I know that he would have wanted me to say something from the heart at this time. There was nothing bad about Jon. He loved his job and was an exemplary pilot. Watching him today, I was the proudest I've ever been. I loved everything about him, and he will be missed."

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Edward Mooney sadly passed away on the 19th April this year. He had his family at his bedside when he died. Ted, as he was fondly known, was proud of his past association with the RAF and was a true cockney in every sense. He was married to Nora for 52 years and had two children (Sandra and Ian), six grandchildresn and three great-grandchildren. He was very much a family man. He spent the last 10 years of his life down in Honiton, Devon. He was a character to the end and will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.

Sandra Sutherland

Military Quotations:-

"We have preserved peace in our time."

- Neville Chamberlain

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To conquer the command of the air means victory; to be beaten in the air means defeat.

- General Giulio Douhet: The Command of the Air, 1921

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"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."

- H. M. Forgy

Chaplain USS New Orleans, Pearl Harbor, Dec 7, 1941

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The atomic bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.

Admiral William Leahy, on US Atomic Bomb Project, to President Truman in 1945

600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF News

Jun-Aug 2011 600 Sqn Update from Wg Cdr Crossman, OC 600 Sqn

Since I last wrote we have been launching ourselves into the activities of a new training year. Alongside our trade training we have introduced more formal personal and leadership training. As part of this the Sqn conducted an airpower weekend which incorporated visits to the Map Room at Southwick Park, the National Air Traffic Centre and the D Day Museum at Portsmouth as well as a presentation on Space. At a subsequent weekend we utilised the newly installed low ropes training area on RAF Northolt to deliver leadership training to our more experienced members of the Sqn. We hope to see the outcome of this training practically demonstrated during the Sqn’s Field Training Exercise to Bramley Training Area in September at which we look forward to hosting Lord Trenchard, our Honorary Air Commodore.

As well as providing structured training to Sqn personnel we are also very much focussed on ensuring there are plenty of extra-curricular events and activities on offer to contribute to retaining the great team that we continue to have on the Sqn. These have included participation in the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo where 11 members of the Sqn paraded in front of HM The Queen as part of the RAuxAF 2 lives in one’ demonstration and our Summer Party in August. One member was lucky enough to participate in the USA Exchange and we will host the reciprocal visit in Sep. We were pleased to see members of the Association at both the City Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Reception in Mansion House and at the Armed Forces Day Flag Raising Ceremony and Reception at the Guildhall. We have been visited by our 1 star Op Sponsor, Air Cdre Atherton who has recently arrived in post. He was accompanied by Gp Capt Forward who has recently learned that he is promoted which is great news for him. We have been working closely with the Medical Reserves HQ and Sqns in order to work on attracting personnel to the Medical Support Flight at 600 Sqn and will host 4626 Sqn for a training weekend in October. 2 members of 600 Sqn did the RAuxAF proud by representing the Reserve view at CAS’s round table forum where CAS was keen to gain feedback on future employment models for the RAF. Sadly, due to other commitments and our high numbers of mobilisation only one member of the Sqn was able to participate in the Nijmegen Marches in Jul and one deployed in support.

We continue to contribute personnel in support of operations with Sqn members mobilised overseas and in the UK and hope to be welcoming some of those back to the Sqn on completion of their service very soon. Such personnel have been able to attend events such as the House of Commons Welcome Home Reception hosted by Melanie Moon MP.

Our recruitment drive continues – some of you may have seen the TV advert. We have held a recruiting evening and hosted around 30 prospective new members. Some of the team provided a stand at the RAF Northolt Families Day and Margate Air Show.

As ever, some of the team have sadly moved on but we welcome our new additions. In particular you will be interested to know the Sqn has a new Adjutant; WO Dai Franklin who has replaced Dougie on a part time basis and has already been busy working with Sgt Luddington in support of Association matters. Hopefully he will continue to badger Sqn members to ensure we can provide you with articles of interest from Sqn personnel.

Stay safe.

Introduction by The Revd (Flt Lt) Matthew Buchan

In July 2008 I sat next to the Chaplain in Chief at the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust dinner at the Ashford International Hotel. As I sat down I didn’t expect the evening to change my life!

Having been a Vicar in the Church of England for ten years I had recently moved to a parish in Kent (Leybourne near West Malling). One of my Church wardens is secretary of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust; hence my involvement in the dinner.

The Chaplain in Chief mentioned a new scheme he was introducing – namely Auxiliary Chaplains. Although the RAF has had an auxiliary chaplain before (Giles Legood, who many in the association will know), the intention was to formalise the place of Auxiliary Chaplains within the Royal Air Force. During the dinner, to my great surprise, I was well and truly recruited!

I duly went through OASC at Cranwell, the Chaplain’s course at Amport House and then both the Pre Basic Recruit Course and the Basic Recruit Course at RAF Halton. My officer training is ongoing and I am finding it very helpful to be stretched in different directions.

I am parented by 600 Squadron and the intention is to form a flight of Auxiliary Chaplains there – I believe in common parlance this is called “a build-up of Revs”.

I am writing this piece from RAF Brize Norton as I am on detachment here to get experience of military chaplaincy on this busy and growing RAF station, and to help the team at what is a very busy time with the closure of RAF Lyneham.

I expect to be used to “back fill” chaplaincy in the UK and also hope to be deployed on ops at some stage.

I am delighted to belong to 600 Squadron with its long and distinguished history and look forward to getting to know more of the Squadron and association in the future.

The Revd (Flt Lt) Matthew Buchan

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600 (City of London) Squadron, Altcar International Reserve Forces Military Skills Competition, 2011.

On 29 April 2011, 4 members of 600 squadron made the trip to the Altcar training camp (20 minutes north of Liverpool) to take part in the Altcar Challenge, International Reserve Forces Military Skills Competition. Teams came from Poland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, as well as UK representatives from the Royal Marine Reserves, Royal Naval Reserve, T.A. and of course Royal Auxiliary Air Force. The aim of the challenge is to provide reserve forces with an opportunity to put into practice core skills, in a safe environment where failure means at worst a loss of points, and a vital lesson identified. Each of the 24 stands was given a 15 minute slot, in which to brief, carry out the task, and debrief, meaning the pressure was on from the word go. The 600 team had a rotating 1ic / 2ic, to give all the members an experience of being in each part of the team, and to prevent any one person becoming worn out with the constant pressure of command in an unfamiliar environment. The hot, sandy, and shade free environment at Altcar provided a perfect area for practising IED awareness, building clearances, casualty evacuation, vehicle check point drills and procedures, as well as making use of the extensive range facilities and DCCT for rifle and pistol shoots. The first and second places in the same sex category were taken by RAuxAF Squadrons, with the mixed team trophy (2 male, 2 female) won by the Royal Naval Reserve, with the 600 Sqn team securing second place.

Overall, the 2 day event proved to be challenging, both mentally and physically, re-enforced core skills, and was a great way to meet troops from other units and services.

Photo's are Areo Med stand and 300yrd range, falling plate shoot.

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Ex Odyssey – Pyrenees ‘Freedom Walk’ by SAC Kelly

From 8-11 August a tri-service expedition of 11 reservists retraced the steps of perhaps the hardest and most famous wartime escape route, Le Chemin De La Liberte. The 72km route was used between 1939 and 1944 by hundreds of servicemen and civilians fleeing German occupation across the Pyrenees. The four-day hike commemorates the bravery of the escapees and the local people who led them safely along the route and provided them with food and shelter.

The expedition left a lovely Chateau in sunny St-Girons on Monday 8 August and followed an unseasonably muddy route up and down slopes through 22km of woods and farmland. The night was spent at the refuge of Subera, where the group enjoyed a great French meal and local wine. On the second afternoon we cleared the tree line and marvelled at views of soaring mountains. We passed the point of safe return where unfortunately one of the group had to drop out. After redistributing his equipment we finished the second day’s hike reaching our camp site in a shepherd’s field. A very cold evening meant we ate our rations and were tucked up in our sleeping bags early.

The third day proved to be the hardest with steep climbs, at times over scree, boulder fields and ravines of hard-packed ice. The ice was a surreal sight given the high temperatures and the fact a few of us managed to get well and truly sunburnt. En route we passed the crash site, memorial and wreckage of a British Halifax bomber which failed to clear one of the peaks. After several steep ascents we found ourselves on a ridge circled by griffon vultures, looking down to the refuge where we would spend the night. The final day started with a further scramble down a steep descent into a valley, followed by a seemingly never ending series of ridges. The team were overjoyed to complete the final hard climb marking the border with Spain. We completed the final 8km down into Spain to meet our ride, stopping for a bracing swim in a lake on the way.

The final two days of the trip were spent in the pretty French town of Luchon where we took part in rock climbing and the fun but scary sport of canyoning.

Completing the expedition was a satisfying and hugely enjoyable experience for all the team and gave us much to reflect on given the challenges faced by those who made the journey in wartime. The escapees would have made the climb in darkness, often in the freezing temperatures of winter, whilst contending with a lack of food and equipment and the constant threat of detection.

The expedition was led by Sqn Ldr White, OC 2620 Sqn and fully funded by The Ulysses Trust who can be approached for funding assistance for expeditions and adventurous activities involving members of the Volunteer Reserve and Cadet Forces.

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600 Squadron Association News

Apology!

In the last edition, Kevin O’Shaughnessy reported on the 600 Squadron & Associations visit to the Netherlands 3-5 May 2011. I accidently omitted the speech read by the Mayor, M. Salet. Sincere apologies, the speech is now included below;

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Blazer Badges

A reminder for those wishing to purchase blazer badges. You can get either (or both!) of our crests for £19 each plus £1.50 p & p.

As we are unique and have 2 badges to choose from, I suggest you use their wording (shown below with the 2 crests) in order to find on the web site or to order over the phone.

600 Sqn RAF Aux blazer badge 600 City of London Squadron RAF blazer badge

Please order direct from ......

Robin Finnegan Jeweller and Military Badges, 27 Post House Wynd, Darlington, County Durham DL3 7LP England Tel. +44 (0) 1325 489820

Email [email protected] Website WWW.Militarybadges.co.uk

Trivia -. Despite what you might see in the movies, the regular German Army (Wehrmacht) did not usually use the Nazi salute. Only after the July 1944 attempt on Hitler's life were they forced to use the Nazi salute as standard.

Association Diary dates

19 Sep 2011 BofB 71st Annual service, Westminster Abbey, London

11 Nov 2011 Dutch service of Remembrance, Mill Hill, London (to be confirmed)

12 Nov 2011 Lords Mayors Show, London

13 Nov 2011 Remembrance Day, St Paul’s Cathedral, London

Trivia - One of the American light cruisers anchored at Pearl Harbour during the Japanese attack of December 1941 was the Phoenix. The Phoenix survived the attack virtually unscathed, however, more than 40 years later she was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine Conqueror in the South Atlantic. The Phoenix, at the time of her demise, was of course known then as the General Belgrano.

(Copyright C M B Barrass 2001- 2008)

Trivia - The Soviet Red Army once trained dogs to destroy enemy tanks. The dogs were trained to associate the underside of tanks with food and were fitted with a 26lb explosive device strapped to their backs. Once the dogs crawled under the tanks, the device was triggered and exploded destroying the tank (and of course the dog). Unfortunately this didn't always work as planned as the dogs were trained using Soviet tanks so were more likely to run under these than the German tanks. As many as 25 German tanks were put out of action this way during the battles for Stalingrad and Kursk.

Contacts/Reunions/Information

Please do let me know of any anything in the way of reunions etc. and lost/found friends that you would like included here.

Clive Millman ([email protected]) of the BofBHS is trying to trace two men that he has researching from 604 Sqn. They are;

90225 Charles David Evelyn Skinner final RAF rank was Squadron Leader. He was in 604 during the Battle of Britain but I am not sure if he stayed there throughout his career.

74695 Nigel Ronald Wheatcroft – was Pilot Officer, killed in November 1940.

If anyone knows the last known addresses for these men or any other information, it might enable Clive trace living relatives.

AC Stuart Edwards would like to write an article on Peter Stewart who took over from Stan Collett. We have a fairly detailed chronology that he wrote himself. Peter formed the Association, ran it for many years and was hanging around at 600 as a dispossessed Wing Commander well in to the 1950s. If any of our older members have any memories or stories please do pass onto me.

Donations

Membership fees and donations are the financial lifeblood of our Association and so it is with great thanks the Association acknowledges the very kind donations from:

Mr Rothwell £5.00

Donation in memory of Graham Tidman, From Grahams family £50.00

Mr T Bennett £20.00

Mr Desmond J. Peters £100.00

Mr J. Slatter £20.00

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This item is reproduced by kind permission of 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron Association.

This cylinder was found in the possessions of Percy Button and the question is, “What is it?!” It is dark green in colour, 5&1/4” x 1&1/4” diameter plus the nipple. The nipple appears to take a flexible tube. On the side is stamped M25A/237? AM motif under, followed by 1941. I think it is the letter M at the beginning of the stamp, or it could be just a bruise in the metal.

504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron Association©

Any ideas? Please email Peter Moore; [email protected] or drop me a line…..

No. 504 Squadron - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron.

Active; 16 Mar 1928 – 10 Aug 1945, 10 May 1946 – 10 Mar 1957, 01 Oct 1999 – Present

Role; Offensive Support Role

Base; RAF Cottesmore

Motto; Latin: Vindicat in Vetis (Translation: "It avenges in the wind")

Post-1952 aircraft insignia;

Battle honours (These honours are all emblazoned on the squadron standard);

France and Low Countries, 1940, Battle of Britain, 1940, Home Defence, 1940-42, Atlantic, 1941- 42, Fortress Europe, 1942-44, Normandy, 1944, Arnhem, 1944, France and Germany, 1944-45.

Commanders;

Honorary Air Commodores - Lord Sherwood (48-56), J.M. Birkin (56-57)

Notable Commanders - Sir H.M. Seely, MP, John Hamar ”Johnnie” Hill

Squadron Badge heraldry - An oak tree fronted and eradicated. The 'Major Oak' of Sherwood forest from the armorial bearings of the county of Nottingham, also thought to be appropriate for a Hurricane squadron.

Squadron Codes; AW (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939), TM (Sep 1939 - Aug 1945, 1949 - 1952), RAD (May 1946 - 1949)

No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron was one of the Special Reserve Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force. It was integrated into the AAF proper in 1936. Based at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, 504 Squadron used a variety of light bombers before being re-tasked to fighters with the Hawker Hurricane in 1939. It subsequently became a Fighter Squadron. Currently no. 504 squadron no longer has a flying role, but as part of an Operational Support Squadron (OSS), the first role of 504 Squadron today is Force Protection. In December 2009, the MOD announced the closure of parent station RAF Cottesmore, 504's new location is to be announced.

History

Formation and early years

No. 504 squadron was formed on 26 March 1928 at RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire as a Special Reserve Squadron in the day bomber role. As such it flew first with Hawker Horsleys, later with Westland Wallaces and Hawker Hinds. In the meantime, on 18 May 1936, the squadron had gone over to the Auxiliary Air Force and the next change for the squadron came on 31 October 1938, when it was transferred from RAF Bomber Command to RAF Fighter Command.[2][3] After a short spell with Gloster Gauntlet biplane fighters the squadron received its first really modern aircraft as their next aircraft were to be Hawker Hurricane fighters.

In World War II

On 26 August 1939 the squadron was mobilised for active service as part of RAF Fighter Command and the Squadron was transferred to RAF Digby. In 1940 Squadron Leader ”Johnnie” Hill took command whilst the squadron was at Lille, France. When the airfield was overrun Hill had taken 12 Hurricanes into the air. Hill was shot down and shot at first by French peasants, and later by a British Army major who believed him to be a fifth columnist. On recovering from his injuries Hill was given command of 222 Squadron.

Throughout the Second World War, 504 Sqn operated from over some thirty airfields in both the UK and abroad. Roles were as diverse as Heavy Bomber escort; interdiction raids across occupied France; escort duties over Arnhem during Operation Market Garden and major involvement in the Battle of Britain. In March 1945 the Squadron was re-equipped with Gloster Meteor jets, but the armistice was declared before they saw any action.

Into the jet age

After standing down from active duty on the 10 August 1945, the Squadron was reformed at RAF Syerston as a light bomber squadron. It was initially equipped with Mosquito T.3 training aircraft but in April 1947 it was re-designated a night fighter unit, receiving Mosquito NF.30s. Its role was changed once more again in May 1948, now to that of a day fighter unit. For this it received Spitfire F.22s, flying these until October 1949, when Meteor F.4s began to arrive to replace them. These were in their turn replaced by Meteor F.8s in March 1952. The squadron standard was presented on 3 March 1957 by Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis Fogarty, GBE, KCB, DFC, AFC[5] and then laid up in St Mary's Church, Wymeswold, RAF Wymeswold having been the Squadron's last operational base. Seven days later the squadron, along with all other 19 flying units of the since 1947 Royal Auxiliary Air Force, disbanded.

Notable squadron members

Flight Lieutenant W.B. Royce of 504 Squadron became the first AAF pilot to be awarded the DFC, Sergeant Ray Holmes of 504 Squadron was forced to ram a Dornier bomber intent on attacking Buckingham Palace when his guns jammed during the attack. This event was immortalised in the film Battle of Britain.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 504 Squadron RAF From To Aircraft Version

October 1929 March 1934 Hawker Horsley

January 1934 June 1937 Westland Wallace Mk.I February 1935 June 1937 Westland Wallace Mk.II

May 1937 November 1938 Hawker Hind

November 1938 August 1939 Gloster Gauntlet Mk.II

May 1939 July 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I July 1941 November 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb

October 1941 February 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa December 1941 February 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIb January 1942 January 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb October 1942 September 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc September 1943 January 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI January 1944 March 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXb March 1944 July 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb July 1944 April 1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe

April 1945 August 1945 Gloster Meteor Mk.III

October 1946 July 1948 de Havilland Mosquito T.3 April 1947 August 1948 de Havilland Mosquito NF.30 May 1948 March 1950 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 October 1949 March 1952 Gloster Meteor F.4 February 1952 March 1957 Gloster Meteor F.8

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 504 Squadron RAF From To Name October 1928 S/Ldr. C.M. Elliot-Smith, AFC

May 1936 September 1938 S/Ldr. Sir H.M. Seely, MP September 1938 January 1940 S/Ldr. F.Y. Beamish January 1940 May 1940 S/Ldr. H. Watson May 1940 May 1940 S/Ldr. J. Parnall May 1940 May 1940 S/Ldr. J.H. Hill May 1940 May 1940 F/Lt. W.B. Boyce, DFC May 1940 March 1941 S/Ldr. J. Sample, DFC March 1941 July 1941 S/Ldr. M. Rook

July 1941 February 1942 S/Ldr. P.T. Parsons February 1942 January 1943 S/Ldr. R. Lewis January 1943 March 1943 S/Ldr. J.I. Kilmartin, DFC March 1943 July 1943 S/Ldr. R.C. Kilian July 1943 October 1943 S/Ldr. P.J. Simpson, DFC October 1943 March 1944 S/Ldr. H.J.L. Hallowes, DFC, DFM & Bar March 1944 October 1944 S/Ldr. Banning-Lover October 1944 August 1945 S/Ldr. M. Kellett May 1946 1948 S/Ldr. A.H. Hook, DFC, AFC 1948 March 1950 S/Ldr. J.M. Birkin March 1950 1954 S/Ldr. G.J. Beardsall 1954 March 1957 S/Ldr. P.I. Briggs, DFC

Current role

On 1 January 1998, the Offensive Support Role Support Squadron (OSRSS) was formed at RAF Cottesmore. This was then renamed 504 Squadron on 1 October 1999. On 1 October 2000 the reformation was celebrated with a march past in Nottingham. Although 504 Squadron no longer has a flying role, its importance as an asset to the RAF is no less than it was before. As part of an Operational Support Squadron (OSS), the first role of 504 Squadron is Force Protection (FP). To this end, approximately 60% of the personnel are RAF Regiment gunners providing ground defence for all assets on deployed operations. The remaining personnel are responsible for the many other duties including; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) warning and reporting, airbase shelter marshalling and general sentry duties. Elements of the squadron are currently operational in Afghanistan.

Reservists train one weekend a month, either at RAF Cottesmore or in a nearby military training area. For those undergoing selection, basic recruit or initial trade training also takes place one weekend a month, but on a different date to make sure that instructors and equipment are available.

Roles and specialist skills.

All Gunners are trained as riflemen, providing ground defence to prevent attacks on airfields. As a Gunner, and are trained in fieldcraft, learning the military skills needed to survive in the field, as well as move and observe the enemy covertly. They also learn to operate the full range of infantry weapon systems employed by the RAF Regiment. During pre-deployment training, they will, among many other things, learn about grenade machine guns, advanced communications, off-road driving and vehicle recovery.

On operations, they are part of highly mobile armed teams, organised to protect RAF assets and counter threats to RAF bases. Recruits form part of a range of groups, from vehicle-mounted patrols to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Warning and Report Cells. Personnel may be deployed by helicopter or react to intelligence gathered from sniper assets to counter the enemy’s movements. Understandably, this is a very demanding role and Gunners must be robust, as well as mentally and physically fit. For reasons of combat effectiveness, women cannot be accepted for this role.

Recent deployments

From 2005 until 2009, 504 Sqn Reservists were deployed at Basra Airport in Iraq as part of Operation Telic. Since 2006, 504 Reservists have also been deployed to either Kandahar Airfield or Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick. During the winter of 2008–09, 11 Reservists were deployed to Cyprus to provide security and a quick-reaction force for the base. The calling-up of Reservists has been constant in the last few years. Since 2005, over 60 504 Sqn Reservists have completed operational tours of between 10 and 12 months.

Blenheim progress – From the Engineering Side

We have been making good visual progress since my last report, a deal of work has been concentrated on the fuel tanks, we have fitted the low level warning system to the tanks and pressure tested them and they are now fitted to the aircraft. This will allow further work to be done around the under wing nacelles and also to connect up some of the fuel system.

Steve has completed the undercarriage set up and also removed the flying wires from the rear fuselage, this was a quite difficult job as the wires go through a number of awkward places in the fuselage. The wires have had a visual check, which they passed, and they will now undergo proof testing to make sure they are still useable.

Tony has been working hard at repairing the bomb doors and helping others when necessary and Brian is busy with some of the nacelle work to the engine bay.

Colin in the meantime has been fitting the Teleflex controls to the cross feed and balance fuel valves and laying other controls along the front spar.

I’ve been doing a number of repairs and fitting around the nacelles along with Coner who is being very helpful assisting all of us at various stages, and Bill has been making up the conduit which runs along the starboard side of the cockpit in readiness for the electricals to be laid in.

We have purchased one new tyre and this with the spare we had and the wheels and axles have been put with ARC to be checked over then painted and assembled. We have also put the elevators with ARC to be refabric’d.

As said, good visual progress and John has started doing a survey on the engines which is the next big step.

Blenheim Day 2011

The Blenheim Society will be holding its annual Blenheim day on Saturday 15 Oct, entirely within the Aeroplane Restoration Company’s compound where they have held it these last 6 years. By force of circumstances the other year, this event took place ‘back-to-back’ with Duxford’s Autumn air show but they have deliberately planned it that way again as they will benefit from all sorts of air activity in preparation for the show on the following day. They haven’t finalised details beyond that but will be sending out a separate mailer nearer the date with a pro-forma once they have sorted out catering, cost etc.

There will be Blenheim Society stock for sale and a raffle as well as the usual free Vraux Champagne of course or other forms of refreshment available if you don’t like the bubbles!

The Society’s sincere thanks to John Romain for allowing them this privilege once again, rather than having to go to an increasingly expensive host that is now the IWM Duxford! And you’ll get a ‘behind the scenes’ view of quite a few aircraft within the compound as well.

If you would like to attend this event, you need to be a member, and to be a member, all you need to do is contact me and I will give you details. Membership is £15 per year.

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Trivia - You've heard of suicide or kamikaze bombers - but how about suicide battleships!? On 7th April 1945 off the island of Okinawa the Japanese battleship Yamato, which had not been given fuel for its return journey home, arrived with several other ships to attack the American fleet. The Yamato, which was one of the two largest battleships ever built, and her accompanying ships, were sunk by American aircraft before they reached their target.

The balance……

(A Beaufighter in 600 Sqn Markings - Copyright C M B Barrass 2001- 2008)

Aircraft of the London Auxiliaries - No.1 De Havilland D.H.9A by Ian White

History

(the late Mike Keep) De Havilland D.H.9A J8223 of ‘A’ Flight, No.600 Squadron, Northolt, circa 1926.

In 1917 with the senior staff of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) eager to counter the aeroplane bombers of German’s Imperial Army Air Service that were then raiding London and take the war to Germany’s cities, the Corps had need of an effective long-range day-bomber. Amongst the bombers available to the Flying Corps was the Aircraft Manufacturing Company’s (Airco) de Havilland D.H.4, which, whilst being a satisfactory aircraft in most respects, proved inadequate in terms of its speed, range and bomb-load. By June of that year the Air Board, a department of the War Office, had sanctioned the production of a further 700 D.H.4s with which to equip an expansion of the RFC from 108 to 200 squadrons. However, at a meeting of the Air Board on the 23rd July Sir William Weir, one of the Board’s members and the Controller of Aeronautical Supplies at the Ministry of Munitions, produced a set of drawing for an extensively modified version of the D.H.4, the D.H.9, which he claimed would be faster and have a longer range than the ‘4. Weir, thereafter, proposed the D.H.9 be adopted to fulfil the contract for the additional 700 bombers - a proposal that was subsequently reviewed and accepted by the Board.

Colour print of DH9A by S.O. Bradshaw - © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

To meet the Air Board’s requirement, the Airco designers under the leadership of Capt Geoffrey de Havilland, produced what was essentially a new design which married the wings and tail surfaces of the D.H.4 to a new fuselage that brought the pilot and his observer/ gunner closer together in adjacent cockpits behind the wing trailing edge and re-profiled the nose to give improved

streamlining for a lightweight 300-hp Siddeley Puma, water-cooled, in-line engine. Despite these changes much of the D.H.4’s structure was retained. The prototype, A7559, a converted D.H.4, began flight trials at Hendon during July 1917 and quickly showed that when carrying a full military load - 70 gallons (318 litres) of fuel, 4½ gallons (20 litres) of oil, the pilot’s forward firing Vickers machine-gun and the observer’s Lewis Gun, plus two 230-lb (105 kg) or four 112-lb (50 kg) bombs - the aircraft could barely reach 13,000 feet (3,960 metres). The type’s poor performance was the result of development problems with the Puma engine, which necessitated its being de-rated to 230-hp and thus endowing the D.H.9 with a performance that was inferior to the D.H.4!

Nevertheless, the type was committed to production towards the end of 1917 by the simple expedient of amending the D.H.4 contracts and converting the airframes on the production lines to D.H.9s. Delivers from the Airco lines were sufficient to ensure that sufficient numbers of D.H.9s were available to re-equip several squadrons in France by April 1918, by which time the RFC had been incorporated into the fledgling Royal Air Force (RAF). The new bomber was employed by the RAF’s Independent Air Force that was created on the 6th June 1918 under the command of Maj- Gen Sir Hugh Trenchard to undertake the strategic bombing of Germany. Unfortunately the new type incurred severe losses on operations, with, for example, just two out of twelve D.H.9s returning from a raid on the 31st July. Engine failures contributed further losses, with Nos.99 & 104 Squadrons suffering 123 such failures during 848 sorties before the Armistice was concluded in November 1918. Consequently, the D.H.4 was retained in service for longer than had been anticipated. Although later undertaking useful work against the Turks in Palestine, on Home Defence duties and coastal anti-submarine patrols, the D.H.9 was rapidly relegated to second line duties.

Towards the end of 1917, with the shortcomings of the D.H.9 already impacting on future RFC planning, consideration was given by Sir William Weir to installing the Rolls-Royce (R-R) Eagle engine in the ‘9. His proposal was acted upon immeadiately with a 375-hp Eagle VIII engine being allocated on the 22nd December 1917 to Airco for a trial installation in D.H.9, C6350. Once installed and with the mainplanes extended to provide an additional 52.73 sq ft (4.9 sq metres) of wing area, C6350 was flown from Hendon in mid-February 1918 to the RAF’s testing station at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, for official trials. These were successfully concluded, with the D.H.9 and its Airco stablemate, the D.H.10 Amiens bomber, being assigned production quantities of the R-R engine. At about this juncture (March 1918) the Eagle engined D.H.9 was redefined as the D.H.9A.

Good as the Eagle was, the demands on its manufacture were such that they began to outstrip R- R’s capacity to deliver sufficient engines to meet the Ministry of Munition’s production requirements.1 Fortunately in late 1917 Britain was given access to the supply of 400-hp Liberty engines that were being built in the United States (US) and had a similar power rating to that of the Eagle. The first 400-hp Liberty 12 engines were delivered to Britain in March 1918 and work was begun to modify a D.H.9 to act as a prototype. With Airco’s design team fully committed to the building of the Amiens bomber, the redesign of the D.H.9 was allocated to the Westland Aircraft Works at Yeovil, Somerset, for which purpose the parent company loaned one of its draughtsmen, Mr John Johnson. Already conversant with the D.H.9’s structure as they were then committed to building quantities of the ‘4 and the ‘9, the Yeovil design team set about the task of strengthening the ‘9s forward fuselage to take the heavier Liberty 12. This was accomplished by April 1918, when D.H.9, C6122, took to the air on the 19th, before being transferred to Martlesham Heath on the 18th May for testing. Whilst there it was joined by the second Westland-built D.H.9A, F966. Following the completion of testing at some point after August 1918, the D.H.9A was committed to production by Airco, Westland, F.W.Berwick Ltd, Mann Egerton, the Vulcan Motor & Engineering Company and Whitehead Aircraft and post-war by the Engineering Division of the United States Army’s Bureau of Aircraft Production on behalf of the United States Army Air Service (US designation USD-9).

1 In addition to the D.H.9A the Eagle VIII engine was also destined for installation in the Handley Page O/400 & V/1500, the Vickers Vimy, the Felixstowe F.2A, F.3 & F.5 flying boats and the D.H.10C.

The first RAF squadron to take delivery of the D.H.9A was No.110 Squadron which received its first examples in August 1918 when it was based at Kenley and deployed to France on the 1st September, where it was joined by Nos.18, 99 & 205 Squadrons before the First World War was ended. When operating in close formation at 17,000 feet (5,180 metres) the ‘Ninak’ proved extremely effective on daylight raids over German towns and suffered relatively light losses. Post- war two squadrons, Nos.47 & 221, were equipped for fighting Bolshevik forces during the civil war that wracked Russia in 1919/20.

It is estimated that by 1919 the British manufacturers had built 1,780 ‘9As to wartime contracts, with 271 being in squadron service during 1921, 124 serving at flying training schools (FTS) and a further 268 in storage. During the 1920s contracts for an additional 435 aircraft were raised from new and refurbished aircraft. These were delivered between 1923 and 1925 and allocated serial numbers in the J6957 - J7356 range irrespective of their being new or refurbished. A further sixteen contracts were awarded to Blackburn Aircraft, de Havilland, Gloster Aircraft, Handley Page Ltd, Hawker, Gloster, Saunders, Short Bros and Westland, with serial numbers between J7787 and J8494. The last D.H.9A was flown on the 17th May 1927 and delivered to No.1 FTS at Netheravon.

(the late Mike Keep) De Havilland D.H.9A E8627 of ‘B’ Flight, No.601 Squadron, Northolt, circa 1927.

It would not be unreasonable to state that the post-war RAF was literally ‘awash’ with D.H.9As, that saw employment in a variety of roles at home, overseas, mainly on ‘Empire Policing’ duties in the Middle, the Far East and India, and in the Air Force’s training organisation. Consequently, when the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) was created in 1925 many of its squadrons were inevitably allocated ‘9As as their first equipment for training and communications flying. The first of these, Nos.602 (City of Glasgow), received ‘9As following its formation at Renfrew in September 1925, with the first of the London Auxiliaries, No.600 (City of London) taking delivery of its Ninaks during October when it was based at Northolt. Although formed at Northolt on the same day as 600 (14th October 1925), No.601 (County of London) did not received its ‘9As until June of the following year. No.604 (County of Middlesex) formed later than its London rivals on the 17th March 1930 and received ‘9As the following month, by which time it had been joined at Hendon by 600 and 601 to form the AAF’s London Wing. Although designated as a reconnaissance-bomber, the ‘9A was not regarded as an operational type in Great Britain, that was reserved for its successor the Westland Wapiti, which ironically employed a number of Ninak components in its structure. Indeed by the time 604 was receiving its ‘9As, 600 had converted to the Wapiti the previous autumn (October 1929). 601 followed in November 1930 alongside 604, whose use of the ‘9A was, therefore, somewhat transitory. By the end of 1930 all three squadrons were firmly established on the Wapiti.

It is known that the following D.H.9As served with the London Auxiliaries:

600 Squadron: J8165, J8184/B & J8223/C. 601 Squadron: E8605, E8627, J7835 & J8108. 604 Squadron: Not known.

With the exception of E8605 & E8627 which were built during the war by Airco, the remaining D.H.9As were delivered to the RAF post-war. J7835 from a 1925 contract and J8108, J8165, J8184 & J8223 from re-build contracts post-1925.

Description & Technical Details

The de Havilland D.H.9A was a conventional fixed undercarriage biplane of wire-braced, wood and doped fabric construction, powered by a 375-hp R-R Puma or 400-hp Liberty 12 in-line engine. The crew of two comprised a pilot and observer/gunner in tandem cockpits, the latter with a flexible 0.303-inch (7.69mm) Lewis machine-gun and the former with a fixed, forward firing, 0.303-inch Vickers machine-gun firing through the propeller arc by means of a Constantinesco interrupter gear. In addition to its defensive armament, the D.H.9A could carry up to 600-lbs (270 kg) of bombs in a

bomb cell forward of the pilot’s cockpit. The D.H.9A had the following dimensions, weights and performance:

Length: 30 ft 3-ins (9.22 m) Empty Weight (Eagle): 2,705-lbs (1,227 kg) Height: 11 ft 4-ins (3.44 m) (Liberty): 2,800-lbs (1,270 kg) Wing Span: 45 ft 10½-ins (13.98 m) Loaded Weight (Eagle): 4,223-lbs (1,916 kg) Wing Area: 486.73 sq ft (45.22 sq m) (Liberty): 4,645-lbs (2,107 kg)

Eagle VIII Liberty 12 Max Speed at 10,000 ft (3,048 m): 118 mph (190 km/hr) 114½ mph (184 km/hr) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m): 104.5 mph (168 km/hr) 106 mph (171 km/hr) Initial rate of climb: 850 ft/min (259 m/min) 890 ft/min (271 m/min) Time to 15,000 ft (4,572 m): 33 min 42 secs 33 min 0 secs Service Ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,877 m) 16,750 ft (5,105 m) Endurance: 3½ hours 5¼ hours

(Copyright C M B Barrass 2001- 2008)

IAN WHITE, BA(Hons), IEng, AMRAeS.

Ian White was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1947 and educated at secondary schools in Rotherham and later in Ilford, Essex. He joined the Post Office Engineering Department (GPO) in August 1963 as an apprentice and later served as a technician in the City of London. In 1973, on promotion to engineer, he was appointed to the Post Office’s Air Defence (AD) Group in London to provide landline and ground-to-air communications for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the UK, Germany and Cyprus. The latter part of this period was spent in the provision of special-to-type communications equipment for Royal Signals, the Royal Observer Corps and a number of police forces. It was whilst serving with the AD Group that he first became interested in the technical aspects of airborne radar and the history of British night-fighters.

In 1974 he began his research into the history of the development and deployment of air intercept (AI) radar and its role in the night air defence of the UK. His research has expanded since then to take account of the development of the British night-fighter and especially the role played by night- fighters in the home defence of the UK in both world wars and the Cold War.

In 1979 Ian was seconded to the Army’s School of Signals at Blandford, Dorset, to act as the liaison officer between the Post Office and Royal Signals on telecommunications’ matters. During this period he was involved in the communications planning aspects of the Falkland’s conflict following the restoration of the Islands in 1982 and proposals to introduce fibre optic communications into the Army and RAF airfields in Germany.

Ian returned to what was now BT in April 1984 and joined the Company’s Defence Sales Organisation as a Senior Systems Engineer and later as an engineering manager. The final three years were spent as a liaison officer within the defence and law enforcement community. Ian retired from BT in May 2000, following which he attended Anglia Polytechnic University (now Anglia Ruskin University), Cambridge, as an undergraduate history student. In 2003 he was awarded an honours degree in Modern European History.

Ian joined the Royal Aeronautic Society in 1977 as an Associate, before being appointed an Associate Member (AMRAeS) in 1984. He was awarded Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status by the Society in March 1999. He is a member of the Royal Air Force Historical Society, Air Britain and an associate member of No.604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron Association.

He has written a history of No.604 Squadron (If You Want Peace, Prepare for War, 2005) and a history of the British night-fighter (A History of Air Intercept Radar and the British Night-Fighter, 1936 - 1959, Pen & Sword Ltd, 2007) and is currently engaged in writing a history of the Vickers Wellesley bomber for Warpaint Publications.

Ian, in association with the late Douglas Fisher, FRPS, has prepared the draft for a book on the history of the RAF’s radar research flights and recently part wrote the history of the Post Office/BT’s contribution to UK defence, A Call to Arms, published by Focus Publishing in February 2001. He has also prepared and presented papers at Bournemouth University on the history of IFF (1998) and the History of British Night-Fighters, 1940 - 1955 (2001) and others on behalf of the Royal Aeronautical Society Branches at Cranwell, Brough & Yeovil.

(Copyright C M B Barrass 2001- 2008)

Trivia - Virtually everybody knows the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima - the Enola Gay - but how about the one that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki 3 days later? This B-29 was known as "Bock's Car", and Nagasaki was not its original target - the intended target city was Kokura, which escaped as the bomber was under orders to attack only a clear target and the city was shrouded in smog at the time. Nagasaki was the first alternative target city.

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Trivia - Amongst the methods of transport used by the 2nd Polish Corps fighting the battle of Monte Cassino was a brown bear called Wojtek who helped to move boxes of ammunition.

......

‘A Slight Cock Up’– Flg.Off. F.G.Grisley

I’ll always have an ambivalent attitude towards Joe Stalin and the North Koreans. If it hadn’t been for their political and military ambitions, I might never have realised my own.

The early spring of 1953 found me at Curry Field, Calgary, together with 29 other Flight Cadets, courtesy of the Canadian re-activation of the World War Two Commonwealth Aircrew Training Scheme. This was a major part of their contribution to NATO and the re-armament program. World War Three might only be a matter of time.

Our course 5301 consisted of equal numbers of British, Canadians and French. I found my old text books recently and marvelled at the sheer quantity of material we had to learn. Our French colleagues had the added burden of having to learn English; and thereby hangs a tale.

One of them was a charming chap called Jean-Marie. He was good-looking, good company and a great favourite with the ladies. He was also a fitness fanatic. Every morning, as we were gazing bleary-eyed at our pancakes and maple syrup, he would appear, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, having already done a couple of laps of the parade ground.

‘Ah’ he said one morning, waxing lyrical, ‘the sun-rise this morning was so beautiful. The frost was so white and sparkling, and there were rainbow colours in the testicles hanging from the roof’. He realised immediately, as we choked on our coffee, that he hadn’t got it quite right; but he was a great sport and took it in good part.

The next morning, Jean-Marie appeared as usual and again extolled the beauties of the morning; the sun-rise in a cloudless sky, the sparkling white frost, and ‘the rainbow colours in the icicles hanging from the roof.’

‘Ah’ said Graham, ‘that’s not what you said yesterday is it Jean?’

‘No’ he replied,’I….er………’ow you say……..dropped a bollock!’

604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron

Royal Auxiliary Air Force

(Copyright C M B Barrass 2001- 2008)

An article by Mrs Frances Cassell

I enclose an article my former husband wrote for Chaz Bowyer to include in his book ‘The Beaufighter at War’. My husband was W.O. F.W. de Vroome (deceased) for his entire service with e RAAF and the RAF was with 600 Squadron, enlisting in 1936 until 1957. The longest serving member ever and with his excellent memory could recall the names of all who served during that time. Hence, it was he who had the honour of escorting HM The Queen Mother during her visit to Armoury House in November 1972 and introducing her to the members present, a most memorable occasion.

Memories by Jack Atkinson….

As an ex member of 600 Sqn when based at RAF Biggin Hill May 1946 to May '49 as the Sqn flying instructor the attached may be of interest to readers of the Sqn magazine.

There are one or two errors eg I served in the RAF for 28 years and there is no mention my time with 600 Sqn. I followed this up with time as GM of the Lasham Gliding Society (3 years) and GM of Wycombe Air Park (6 years) with a further six years as Admin Sec of the Island Cruising Club, Salcombe, before retirement. In all I flew as pilot over 40 powered aircraft ,25 types of gliders and visted as pilot or pax (a further 27 types) over 250 airfields worldwide.

1948-Olympic Torch bearer RAF Biggin Hill

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MY TIME WITH THE GENTLEMEN IN BLUE by Sydney Taylor

Sixty years ago, having completed my flying training as a National Serviceman, I was posted to learn to fly Wellingtons at Swinderby. The conversion course began with 4 weeks ground school and on the last day of this I was wandering along the flight line when I was grabbed by the Flying Wing Adjutant. “Ah Taylor,” he said, “You are to report to The AOC 23 Group on Monday morning. Collect a travel warrant and be there by 9am”. These brief instructions filled me with trepidation, but after a little thought, I concluded that I had done nothing to warrant the wrath of the great man, and so I was intrigued by the change in routine and the free trip home for the weekend. On arrival at 23 Group HQ, I was wheeled in to see SASO as a preliminary, and during the course of the interview it became apparent that I was not the intended interviewee! However I was in the AOC’s diary so I had to see him. We agreed that there was no point in a NS pilot learning to fly ‘Heavies’ and he sold me the idea of joining an Auxiliary Squadron at Biggin Hill to complete my 5 years NS reserve commitment.

On Wednesday of that week I was posted to Middleton St George for a Meteor conversion, following which I undertook to extend my NS to complete Operational Conversion at Stradishall. So it was that on 5th June 1951, I visited Biggin Hill where I hoped to join 600 Squadron. The Auxiliaries were on stand down after their mobilisation for three months, but the Regular adjutant Flt Lt Jack Jagger asked me about my experience and training, and suggested that I come back in August when 600 would resume operations.

So I settled in to my job as a junior Civil Servant (at the princely salary of £340 per annum), commuting from West Wickham to Fanum House on the corner of Haymarket and Piccadilly, and Saturday 5th August saw me duly strapped into a Meteor 7 with Flt Lt Roy Lloyd- Davies DFC, 600 Sqn Training Officer, for a comprehensive dual check. After a further dual flight mainly spent low flying and finishing with a landing using only one engine, I had, apparently, established my competence and the following day I was given a Meteor 4 to play with on my own. A fortnight later I was allowed to take another Squadron member, John Miles, for a flight in the two-seater, the first time I had ever flown an aircraft with anyone other than an instructor on board, and I had joined 600 on probation.

From this time onward, I spent at least three weekends each month at Biggin Hill and flew about half as much in a year as the regular RAF pilots of 41 Squadron with whom 615 and ourselves shared the airfield. As a civil servant I was allowed one Saturday morning off each month plus the fortnight spent at Summer Camp as leave (in addition to my annual allowance) to perform my reserve sevice commitment. The auxiliary pay and allowances just covered my mess bills, but meant that I could take a full part in mess life! For my 21st birthday I persuaded my parents to buy me a second hand motor cycle which was invaluable for commuting to the West End and to Biggin, saving both money and time. About this time, the CO, Jack Meadows suggested that I should get myself a best blue (there was no allowance for this on commissioning as a National Service officer) so I went off to Fishers of Woolwich, where for £30 I bought a reasonably presentable secondhand uniform.

We met at our Town Headquarters in Finsbury Barracks each Thursday for training, usually professional training, but sometimes for a Dining In Night at which we would entertain a special guest, such as Lord Trenchard (I will never forget sitting on a settee at Finsbury Barracks discussing pilot training, National Service, and being an Auxiliary with the founder of the RAF) , the Editorial Staff of Punch, and many others. A tricky ride home over the tramlines and wood blocks of the roads of South London usually followed, except for those occasions when we went to a club and completed the night with a visit to the Jermyn St. Turkish Baths!

As a young single man I was able to attend for duty as often as I liked and in common with most of the batchelors on 600 and 615, at weekends I stayed in the mess overnight Saturday, thus earning 2 days pay - I payed very little income tax so the extra earnings did not worry me. However most of my seniors were married and earning considerably more, so they tended to return home on Saturday evening and were payed untaxable training allowance for their day time attendances plus motor mileage allowance for the journeys. The disruption to family life was considerable and I greatly admired their sense of duty. Even so, there would be a considerable 600 presence in the mess on Saturdays so impromptu parties were frequent!

The Squadron re-equipped with Meteor 8s in December 1951, and we were all pleased to be flying the same aircraft as the regular day fighter squadrons, although some perhaps viewed sitting on an ejection seat with mixed feelings.

At the end of January 1952 Her Majesty The Queen, our Honorary Air Commodore visited THQ to present 600 with the ‘Dust Cart’ badge which had at last been formally approved earlier in the year. Her Majesty’s reluctance to leave the reception which followed the ceremony pleasantly surprised all of us, even though some were having difficulty dealing with an extra hour of champagne cocktails! Just one week later the 6th February saw the untimely death of His Majesty King George 6th, and Court Mourning precluded further visits until November that year, when Her Majesty and Winston Churchill (HAC to 615 Squadron) visited their Squadrons at Biggin.

As the first National Service pilot to join 600 I was very much the junior pilot, as all of the others had wartime experience - there were four of five holders of the DFC - and all were well established in their careers, although unlike the pre-war 600 there were no stockbrokers and only one at Lloyds. With the arrival of Colin Muntz, and several ex UAS pilots who had completed their flying training prior to joining 600, I ceased to be the junior pilot (in age as well as experience) , and was accepted as a permanent member of the Squadron. For the next few months we concentrated on air combat training, live firing - both air to air and air to ground, - and instrument flying in preparation for our first Summer Camp abroad. Our target during the air to air firing was a banner 6ft by 30 feet towed 250 yds behind another Meteor, and flying a number of curving approaches we fired some 30 rounds from one of the Meteor’s four guns using ball ammunition tipped with a coloured paint which marked the banner (if we hit it!). We took it in turns to tow the target, it was a long flog at 180kts from Biggin to the range, either off Selsey Bill or off the Essex coast near Shoebury ness. We were under radar surveillance, but the tug pilot was responsible for ensuring the sea area where the spent rounds would fall was clear of shipping.

On 31st May we set off for our first overseas Summer Camp to be held at RAF Celle, tight up against the East German border, which was to be our home for the next two weeks of intensive flying. I flew out there in a Meteor 7 with our regular adjutant Flt Lt Harry Hawker DFC, and for me the journey was marred by an attack of the bends brought on by some serious dental work the previous day. The flight lasted only an hour and 10 minutes and as soon as we descended from 35,000ft the symptoms disappeared, never to reappear.

While at Celle we each flew an average of 3 sorties per day, as our full complement of ground crew ensured excellent serviceability, working hard into the night when needed, to guarantee the maximum number of aircraft available each day, thus ensuring that we exceeded our target of 450 hours flying in 12 flying days. This high level of activity did not preclude a hectic social activity both in the mess and in Celle town where the excellent Ratskeller had a menu that took us aback with delights hitherto only dreamed of by rationed Britons, the favourite being the Chateaubriand with pfifferlingen! Fortunately the exchange rate in those days was very favourable!

All good things must come to an end, and on the return journey bad weather at Biggin forced us to divert to RAF Tangmere where we were met by the very experienced resident Customs Officers who knew of all the places in a Meteor where items could be hidden to avoid paying duty, instead of the Port of London officers who knew nothing about aircraft who would have checked us over if we had landed at our home base, flying in the UK at that time was a joy.

Apart from small areas around major airports there was no controlled airspace over the UK and we could fly where we wished above 200ft above ground level. While our flights always formed part of our operational training we would normally make a mock attack on any other aircraft we encountered, and the fact that the film taken by the camera gun was added to each pilots library reel of film to be critically viewed by the other pilots was an incentive to make these attacks as good as possible. A waggle of the wings by the target aircraft signified that its pilot was aware of the attack but was unable to play, so the manoeuvre was broken off at once. In addition to Meteors and Vampires of other fighter squadrons, targets included Lincolns, B29s and B50s, B36s and on its sole flight over the UK an XC99, the prototype cargo version of the B36, which some other lucky members encountered. The B29s and B50s looked pretty big, but as can be seen the B36 was enormous, so big that even with the maximum wingspan setting possible on our gunsights that was only the tail span of the B36.

A B36a in comparison with a B50

Sometimes our formations would encounter the USAF F86 Sabres based at Manston and despite their superior performance; we would dive in at them. We could out-turn them and had an advantage if they tried to dog-fight with us but they could easily outrun us if they chose. Just one problem arose here, and that was the effect of the onset of the sound barrier as it was called in those days. At heights above 30,000 feet, the Meteor could fly at 82% of the speed of sound (Mach .82) in a dive, but as soon as a serious turn was begun the aircraft would go completely out of control and there was little that the pilot could do other than throttle back, extend the air brakes and hold onto the stick (which otherwise thrashed around uncontrollably) until the aircraft had descended into thicker air. At some point control would be regained, one would be all alone in the sky so would sheepishly return to base or try to rendezvous with the others! (Toward the end of 1953 we flew some affiliation with Canberras as the targets, a futile activity as their performance so greatly exceeded that of the Meteor.)

In October 1952 the UK Air Defence exercise Ardent took place and 600 was involved in defensive patrols of RN convoys, high level patrols with the rest of the Biggin Hill Wing, plus low level Rat and Terrier sorties. We flew from before dawn until just after dusk so we were pretty fully stretched and our sleep was broken on the first night by a bombing attack on Biggin in which the enemy aircraft dropped photoflashes which made a pretty big bang when they went off.

On New Year’s Eve 1952 at the Biggin Hill Officers Mess party I proposed to my then girlfriend (Kay) and was accepted, so during 1953 the need to find more gainful employment became a priority, especially as the pay scale I was on at work lasted for 12 years at the end of which I would have been earning little over twice my starting pay, and in addition I worked in the Ministry of Food which at that time was being wound up. I was due my annual Auxiliary bounty, then £30, about this time, which solved the problem of paying for the ring (a better investment than the best blue!). The New Year was to be an eventful one for me. We knew we were to receive the first Squadron Standard to be awarded to an Auxiliary squadron and the second to be awarded to any Air Force unit (No1 Squadron RAF was to be the first RAF squadron to get its standard a few weeks earlier) and Flying Officer Colin Muntz was to receive the Standard from the Queen Mother at Buckingham Palace on May 16th. However, on 25th April Colin was detailed to be my No 2 in a Metropolitan Sector Rat and Terrier exercise in which we would seek and intercept low flying targets under broadcast control (the controller would broadcast details of the position and direction of flight of the

intruders and we, the interceptors, would use this information to work out how to catch them). When scrambled we flew to our towline near Redhill. The high fuel consumption of the Meteor dictated that we flew as economically as possible while waiting to be allocated a target, so we climbed to 5000ft and flew a loose pattern at endurance speed which was about 170kts. As soon as we were told of our targets we went to full power and descended to 250 ft accelerating as quickly as possible to about 360kts while heading toward the eastern end of the London Docks where we expected our target to be. We kept radio silence as the controller was also talking to other aircraft, and I was unaware that following the descent, Colin’s cockpit canopy had become detached from the aircraft. The turbulent airflow pulled the ejection seat operating blind from its stowage causing the ejection seat to fire and Colin to be ejected. At the time we were using the Mk1 Martin Baker seat, the earliest version to enter service, on which the pilot had to release his harness, roll forward out of the seat, and pull his ripcord following the ejection (the minimum height for voluntary ejection with this equipment was 1000ft). In the confusion resulting from the involuntary ejection Colin had insufficient time to complete these actions at the height we were flying before hitting the ground and, sadly, did not survive.

The following Thursday, Jack Meadows asked me to become the Standard bearer, and with just over two weeks to the ceremony I had to attend RAF Uxbridge for some concentrated training. The sword drill was completely new to me, as none was given in basic training at that time, as indeed was banner handling, and I was allowed to take home the 71 (Eagle) Squadron items then used for practice. (71 Squadron had been one of three wartime RAF squadrons formed to accommodate American fighter pilots who had volunteered to fly with the RAF but which no longer existed and in true American fashion had equipped themselves with a Standard) . At this distance I cannot recall Squadron training for the event but I vaguely recollect it taking place at Finsbury Barracks during the two Thursdays preceeding the parade.

May 16th dawned dull and damp, and we assembled at Wellington Barracks. While we were waiting to fall in a Guards officer asked me if I would like a kneeler but I opted to dispense with this as we were parading on grass. We fell in and proudly marched to the lawns at the rear of the Palace where the parade took place watched by our nearest and dearest from the terrace. The photographs of the actual presentation show HM the Queen Mother having to reach across the unused kneeler thougthtfully provided! I must have looked pretty scared as HM told me to keep still as she had done this before! This apart, the ceremony went off without a hitch, the Standard was duly paraded for all of the Squadron to see and we proudly marched off and out of the front of the Palace to return to the Barracks in front of a considerable crowd of the public which always gathers outside the Palace. (A rather clipped version of the event can be seen at (www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=53981 and 53982).

Later in the year the standard was paraded for a visit to the City by HRH the Princess Margaret and for the Lord Mayor’s Show. With that successfully accomplished our next big event was the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Coronation Ball at the Savoy. For this I had to hire evening dress ( a dinner jacket, which I had already would not do) and Kay and I were kindly offered a lift to and fro by Flt Lt Maurice Maxwell our Administrative Officer and head of the Maxwell legal publishing company, in his Rolls Royce which ensured a more dignified arrival than a BSA350! Each of the Squadrons attending had a table and of course the Queen Mother was at the head of ours. The dinner menu was luxurious in those times of food rationing, and as the evening went on and spirits rose a competition ensued to place the squadron badge that graced each table as high as possible in the room as a token of the superiority of one’s squadron, which ultimately involved climbing up the stucco decoration of the walls as various attempts to form pyramids on the tables proved unsatisfactory. As might be expected the climbers were egged on by their various HACs including our own.

In 1953 our Summer Camp was again in Germany, this time at Oldenburg, somewhat further away from the border as Celle was now too close to the Iron Curtain. This time I was entrusted with a Meteor 8 for the journey, a more comfortable flight than the previous year as I would have the benefit of pressurisation. However, after take-off when I selected pressure on vapourised fuel began to flow into the cockpit through the air outlets, this was not unusual and might only happen for a few seconds if it did occur, but soon liquid fuel started squirting out and I had to switch the pressurisation off. As we needed to get the aircraft to Oldenburg to be fixed, it was decided that I should fly low level to Schipol unpressurised, refuel there and fly on to Oldenburg. The flight across

Holland and Germany at 250ft provided an opportunity to contemplate on similar wartime operations made by those who had gone before. The camp itself was even more intensive than the previous year despite some early morning fog and some pretty big thunderstorms later in the day, so the R&R in the evenings and at the weekend was welcome! This time our return home was uneventful, and confirmed our opinion that the City Customs men were favourably inclined!

After the month off which followed the annual camp, August was very busy. We started with an intensive air firing programme for the first two weeks and finished the month flying on Exercise Ardent, the annual UK Air Defence exercise. At the end of the month our much loved CO, Jack Meadows left us on promotion to Wing Commander to become one of the Metropolitan Sector Controllers, so we sometimes heard his dulcet tones when flying under sector control. His place was taken by John Cormack whose AFC we had celebrated the previous year and who had been my flight commander for some time, an equally popular promotion, as Johnny was most welcoming and friendly when I joined. Indeed all my RAuxAF colleagues were completely charming and friendly and made me feel comfortable and at home in these new surroundings truly ‘gentlemen in blue’, and I remember them all with affection.

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The Fire Surveyor’s Report! By Richard Swale

(This is based on an actual survey which took place in 1951 when the writer was working, in the north of England, as a Fire Surveyor. The subsequent telephone conversation was not quite as described!)

Hello. Hello. That you Mr. Smithers? Bullock here sir -- what’s that Mr. Smithers? No sir--- Bullock, Bullock!

Ha ha! Very funny Mr. Smithers - very funny - must remember that. What do I want? You’re very busy. Sorry about that Mr. Smithers, but there’s something you should know concerning that £100,000 worth of newsprint we’re covering in store for BRS.

Should be routine? You’re quite right Mr. Smithers it should be. There’s a snag sir. Yes, it is, isn’t it? Most unusual - but it’s the place next door. Yes Mr. Smithers, next door. There’s a door between the two buildings. I quite agree sir. So what? You might say. But when I went through the door, I found there was a firm spraying the insides of fluorescent tubes. Yes Mr. Smithers, it should be no problem, but they are using nitrocellulose.

That’s right sir, nitrocellulose. Yes, it can go off bang! No, Mr. Smithers, the firm using it isn’t insured. Can’t find anyone who will take them on apparently. Ah yes, the process. Well sir, they take guncotton. Yes Mr. Smithers, it is a high explosive - and they dissolve it in cellulose thinners. Yes sir, cellulose thinners are highly inflammable.

Lights and extractor fans? Yes, they do have them. Flameproof?

I’m afraid not Mr. Smithers. You are quite right sir - very dangerous.

Stocks of raw materials? Well, yes. Black tins. Yes sir, quite a lot. What’s in them? Guncotton! Sorry I keep using that word sir, but it is damped down. What with? Well, er, methylated spirits sir! Mr. Smithers --- Mr. Smithers. Are you there Mr. Smithers?

Ah Mr. Smithers. You’ve been for a glass of water and your pills. You’re feeling better now? Good. Well, as I was saying Mr. Smithers, in spite of everything, the manager was quite confident that things were all right. He gave one of the tins a kick and said - I think he was joking - ‘there’s enough guncotton here to blow half Bradford to bits!’ Ha, Ha!

Mr. Smithers - are you alright Mr. Smithers? Oh, another glass of water. You can’t take any more pills because of the side effects. I’m sorry to hear that Mr. Smithers. You feel better again now? Oh, good.

What premium do we charge? Bit irrelevant if I may say so sir. If we don’t get that newsprint moved in a hurry we could be insuring a bloody great hole in the ground!

Mr. Smithers? ------Mr. Smithers?------Mr. Smithers?!

Richard Swale

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These two lovely pictures were sent to me by Richard Swale…….

Richard Swale off swimming on the Lido in Venice and Richard’s Wife Mavis, Tottenham 1943 © R. Swale

A thought by Richard Swale…..

I have just thought of a different angle on WWII.

It was in the 80\s and my wife and I were returning from a visit to Fowey in our 25' yacht. We had just turned into Falmouth harbour and were alongside the lighthouse when a rust bucket of a trawler approached us and as it came near the skipper leaned out of his wheelhouse and in a strong Brummie accent shouted: "Keep clear of that black dinghy it’s got a line down." Or, at least that is

what I thought he said. Ahead of me there was indeed a black rubber dinghy with four black wet suited men in it. I turned away to port and carried on. Looking back I saw the dinghy turn round leaving a small black buoy behind it. As they moved away I could hear the men talking, one said: "Shall I blow it now", to which came the reply: "No, wait until that yacht is further away." Almost immediately there came a terrific report and it felt as though we had hit something. Looking back I could see where the black buoy had been was a great column of water. Fortunately my boat was pretty stoutly built and I could see no signs of leaks. The black dinghy was motoring at high speed into the distance and rapidly disappeared round the headland.

Next morning, after giving the matter a little thought, I decided to ring the Harbour Master. After all, it had happened within the harbour limits, and there was nothing to indicate what was going on. They do have flags for use on such occasions. Apparently the Harbour Master had heard the bang and became very miffed when I told him about our experience, as he had not been informed about what was happening. He asked if my boat was damaged and sounded quite disappointed when I told him that it didn't seem to be.

Of course, what the skipper of the trawler had tried to tell me was that the men had got a 'mine' down, not quite what one expects on a sunny morning in Falmouth harbour; especially with nothing to indicate to the contrary!

The war was taking a longtime to go away.

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Another memory by Richard Swale….

I remembered a rather strange coincidence which occurred when I was on a flying grading course at a place called Cliffe Pypard near Swindon in the winter of 1941. The idea was to sort out the non-starters before the course proper started. We were due to do 12 hrs on Tiger `Moths and given two weeks to do it in. After a few days it started to snow and, soon, we were completely snowed up! So we spent the rest of the time trying to keep a landing strip clear. We were billeted in WWI huts which had 1/4 of an inch of ice on the inside of the windows each morning. Heating was restricted to a bucket of coal each evening.

Eventually the road to the airfield was cleared and a lorry laid on to take anyone who wanted to go for an evening in Swindon. It didn't appeal so myself and another chap stayed behind. There was a small village pub down the road so I suggested we went along and had a pint. He agreed and off we went.

The place was empty and we sat and contemplated our pints. On the wall across the room was a photograph of a group of First World War soldiers dressed in tropical kit. Having satisfied our thirsts we found we were both now looking at the picture and then, quite spontaneously, we got up and went across for a closer look. He turned to me and asked why I was interested. I told him my father was in Palestine during the war, to which he replied that so was his. He then asked me which regiment. I said the East Riding Yeomanry. He then said so was his, and asked me what my father's rank was. I replied that he achieved the dizzy height of Lance Corporal. "Oh", he said," my father was Colonel of the regiment"! Then I remembered how my father had talked about him.

At least he and I were level pegging in the RAF - so far at least.

I don't know where he ended up. I know we both completed the flying course in America.

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Poems of the Air War By Philip A. Nicholson

Furrows into Silence

The Lancs have left; from Fenland skies

The clamour and the fret has gone.

Their crews and those who watched with anxious eyes

For homing kites are long departed.

Through roofless huts and fissured tarmac grow

The thrusting weeds

And there is little left to show

What once was here.

Nor should we grieve, or yearn

For what is past.

This place, designed for war, has served its turn

Let Nature now take back its own.

The ravages of age and time can not decay

The greater work.

These artefacts of steel and concrete pass away;

The deeds remain.

The Society was set up around 1995 by Bill Bond MBE.

Bill was concerned that young people were not being taught about 20th Century history in general as a result of which they knew little about World War Two and almost nothing about the Battle of Britain. Whole generations of British people were unaware of the significance of the Battle of Britain and how through the success of the brave pilots in the Battle the planned invasion of Britain was cancelled. It was felt that too many people did not understand just how our lives would have changed had we failed in the Battle.

The Society’s activities, therefore, are primarily educational. The principle aim is to ‘perpetuate the memory’ of the Men of the Battle and the projects that the Society has developed are concerned entirely with that aim.

Perhaps the most spectacular project was the commissioning of the Battle of Britain Monument which is on the Victoria Embankment in London. This was funded by public subscription and with donations from the families of the Men being honoured. Being situated in the centre of the Capital the monument is seen regularly by many thousands of visitors from within Britain and from overseas.

The School Plaques Project is a rolling programme of presenting Commemorative Plaques in honour of the Men of the Battle to the schools where they had been educated. This serves two purposes.

Firstly, it honours a brave former pupil of the school. Secondly, it provides a focus within the school for current and future generations to help them understand the significance of the Battle of Britain.

The Society works hard to find relatives of the men being honoured and invites them to the presentation ceremony – they are most grateful to the School and the Society for having given their brave relative a permanent and visible memorial whereas previously, in too many cases they had just been names in a dusty archive.

The School Films Project. This is the latest project and ties in quite neatly with the Plaques Project in that the film will be about the Battle of Britain but presented in an interesting manner and suitable for the learning process in school today.

Something else with which the Society is heavily involved is the maintenance of the graves of Battle of Britain men that are in private graveyards. This is all done by volunteer members of the Society who often have to completely restore the grave thereby returning to the lost man some respect and appreciation.

CliveMillman of the BATTLE OF BRITAIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY writes….

I wonder if any of your members might like to consider becoming a Member of our Society. Amongst the benefits are that they would receive our quarterly magazine – Scramble – and this gives news and information right across the Battle of Britain sector. They might pick up information of former colleagues who were with other squadrons. Let me know if you want further information on membership. http://battleofbritain1940.net/

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"Wish me luck...” by Clare Stewart

She waits In the late twilight, Shivering in the wind That scoops up Over the lip Of the chalk cliff.

She waits, Listening to the Throb of the Wimpy’s engines As the squadron nears Her look-out post.

She waits For a glimpse of a Gauntleted hand Waving at her eye level, The hand that caressed Now ready to trigger the tail guns.

She waits, Keeping watch Ears straining to catch The returning flight, Waiting to count the returned And the missing.

She waits Past the dawn... Waits for the missing... Waits... And waits... And waits.

20 October, 2002

Clare Stewart is the daughter of a Second World War Canadian soldier and a British War Bride, and was born in Canada after the war. She is very proud of the service her family has given to their countries since the time of the American Revolution.

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The following has been sent to me by John Wheeler – scans of old photocopies. My apologies for the poor image quality. The Originator was Mr John Strudwick

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A VERY funny recollection by Richard Swale…..

When I was on Bleheim’s at Grantham we had a satellite field at a place called Harlaxton, not far away, which we used for night flying. The aircraft were dispersed about the field and Nissen huts were provided for the pilots to wait around in. As it was spring the nights were pretty chilly and a pipe stove was provided for warmth. The one in our hut had coal but no sticks with which to light it. We stood around and looked at it wondering what we could use. One of the group, who happened to be a Pole, suggested we took the stars out of a Very signal pistol cartridge. As a better idea did not occur we decided to give it a go, although it was questioned about it being a good idea. The Pole replied there would only be a 'leetle purf, a leetle smoke'! There was a Very pistol cartridge handy so it was deprived of its two stars which were placed under the coal and all was set for the light up. I stood by with a fire extinguisher. Just before a match was applied I noticed a chap sitting in an armchair over to my right, he was reading a newspaper with his legs over the arm of the chair. Suddenly there was a bloody great bang and a flash of flame and the next thing I knew was that I was jammed in the doorway, still carrying the extinguisher, with the chap who had been so casually reading his paper! The others, who were nearer the door, were already outside and the hut was filled with smoke. A column of smoke was also issuing from the chimney, This must have alerted the fire tender, which was on the other side of the airfield, which came clanging across to see what was going on. The crew joined us as the smoke slowly abated and we were able to go back in the hut again, to find the fire glowing merrily.

It was rather more than a 'leetle purf, a leetle smoke,' but it undoubtedly worked.

RS.

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Military Quotation….

"I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid... Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!"

General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord

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A memory by Richard Swale….

Pensioned off Blenheim’s were used by 8 AFU Grantham when I was there in 1943.

A strange thing occurred there. My chum Jock Thompson disappeared for a week on compassionate leave and came back in a terrible state. I could hear him crying in his sleep and he wouldn't tell us what was wrong. I told him that if he didn't get a grip he would kill himself. He replied that he didn't care if he did.

A few days later I was making my way down to Flights when I noticed a Blenheim coming in doing a practice single engine landing. Satisfied he would make it the instructor in charge opened up to go round again. It was March and there was a strong wind blowing. On opening the throttles the engine it had been coming in on picked up alright but the other didn't. The aircraft wing with the good engine reared up and the aircraft was carried by the wind at right angles to its intended direction.

There was a single house on the edge of the airfield and the kite was heading straight for it.

I stood transfixed; I couldn't see how it could miss it. At that point the dead engine cut in, the wing came up and it missed the house by inches.

I carried on down to dispersal as the Blenheim taxied in. Instructor and pupil climbed out and came toward me. The pupil was Jock and he was grinning all over his face. I told him he was bloody lucky not to hit the house. He agreed and said as he looked in the bedroom windows that he suddenly didn't want die after all! It turned out that reason for his gloom was he fact hat his young wife had died suddenly of cancer, which had accounted for his compassionate leave.

A strange twist of fate as Jock would have been thought to be at greater risk

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Flt Lt. Hugh Cole-Baker DFC BSc

Please find attached the first article of two for Hugh Cole-Baker who sadly died recently. The second will follow in July covering postwar 502, 600 and Hugh’s work with the Swiss Branch of RAFA. Thanks go to the editor of the RAFA’s Swiss Branch newsletter ‘Roudel’ for allowing us to publish these articles. Thanks to the individuals John Noble, Brian Wanstall and Eric Dalzell for their help in this. My apologies for the poor quality scans.

An article by Geoff Monahan

I belong to an aviation group called the British Aviation Enthusiasts (B.A.E.S). Its aim is to promote friendships between likeminded aviation buffs and to arrange trips all over the world, visiting air bases, flying clubs, museums etc. and to fly in as many different aircraft, mainly warbirds and vintage, as possible.

On 24th February 2011, I and seven others took off from Heathrow on the first leg of a tour of Australia, taking in the Avalon International Air show, near Melbourne. Our Airbus A380 took us, after a two hour delay at LHR due to engine trouble, to our first stop, an overnight in Singapore. The aircraft was quiet and its landing soft, for such a large machine.

Next stop again by A380, was Melbourne with an onward flight by Boeing 737 to Adelaide. Total flying time, LHR-Adelaide just over 18 hours.

Our first visit took us to Parafield. This used to be Adelaide’s principle airport but has been superseded by an International Airport. Parafield is used, basically, for flying training. I was able to fly in two aircraft, a Piper Warrior and a Super Decathlon. The latter is a high wing, tandem seat trainer. It is fully aerobatic. We also visited a collection of static aircraft, Lincoln Nitchky’s collection in the Barrossa valley.

On our final day in Adelaide we visited Goolwa airfield where I flew in a Super Cub, while others flew in Tiger Moths and a Sports Cub. On 1st March we flew back to Melbourne by Boeing 737. The next day we had a tour of the Ramp at Essenden Airport and then on to the Australian Aviation Museum at Moorabin, followed by a flight in a twin engine Partenavia.

On 3rd March we visited a B.24 restoration project at Wirrebee and witnessed an engine run. A lot of work has been done – a lot more to come! Then on to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. Point Cook was the RAAFs first Base and is still in use as, among other things, an initial Officer Training Establishment.

At the Point Cook Flying Club, we had flights in a Tiger Moth and Yak 52. We were also shown a P51 Mustang restoration project.

The 4th March was a full day at the Avalon Air show. A very good show was spoilt by it being bitterly cold. The RAF had an E3 Sentry from Waddington. The RAAF was well represented, it being their 90th Anniversary. Hawks, Super Hornets, Hornets and their new Boeing ‘Wedgetail’ ECM aircraft were displayed. The USA had a B1 Bomber, C17 Transport and Hornets plus F16’s.

Singaporean F16’s gave a spirited display, Warbirds flew in formation (Meteor F8, Boomerang, Mustang, Spitfire, T.11 Vampire, Sea Fury, F86, were all featured). A super constellation was also present.

An airfield attack was included and various light aircraft and helicopter displays. Avalon is an active airport and in between displays, airliners were arriving and departing. The next two days in Melbourne I spent sightseeing. Old Melbourne jail is worth a visit and as it is an Australian National Trust Property and I am a member in the UK, admission was free. It was here that Bush ranger Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880. A boat trip on the River Yarra was also enjoyed.

On the 7th, we flew to Sydney in a Boeing 767 (1 ¼ hour flight). Picking up our hire mini-van we set off for an Air Museum. We were to stay in Nowra overnight. We visited Albion Park, home of the historic Aircraft Restoration Society. We were shown around their Super Constallation, back from Avalon and various other aircraft including their Catalina and Neptunes. We also had a flight along the coast in a Piper Chieftain of the Australian Aerial Patrol Unit.

After our overnight stop we visited the Fleet Air Arm museum Nowra. Due to operational commitments we could not carry out a Base visit, as in previous years. Then it was mini bus back to Sydney.

Our first visit in Sydney was to the National Aviation Museum at Camden where various restoration projects were shown to us. A tour of the Ramp was also laid on by the Airfield Operations Manager, Aero Commanders much in evidence. I flew over local countryside in a Tiger Moth and had ½ an hour low level manoeuvring in an Enstrom Helicopter, never above 50 feet with no doors, it was quite exciting. On the 11th we spent some time at the Fighter Town Museum situated on Williamstown RAAF Base. We were able to witness comings and goings by based Hornets and Hawks. Part of the station is given over to civil operations, so again there were a number of civilian movements.

Luskintyre was our venue on the 12th. A small private airfield used by many Tiger Moths enthusiasts. I was able to fly in a Chipmunk and Tiger Moth over some lovely scenery. Sunday 13th saw us at Rose Bay, Sydney, for a pre booked Beaver float plane trip. We went up the coast to Palm Beach (of Home and Away fame), and came back past the bridge and the Opera House.

Sydneysiders are lucky to have so much leisure opportunities on their doorstep; but sometimes they have sharks! We then immediately drove to a small private club airfield, some way outside Sydney, called Wedderburn. Here we had a 40 minute flight in a twin Pioneer along the coast.

Monday 14th saw us heading for Brisbane in a Boeing 767, a 1 ½ hour flight. We went straight away to Caloundra airport for some more flying. I managed trips in a Genarco, Stinson L5B and a Chipmunk.

After a visit to the Oakey Army Aviation Museum on the 15th, we went to the Zuccoli collection at Toowoomba. Normally a number of aircraft are available here, but due to flood work we were not able to fly.

The 16th saw us at Caboolture airport. When I was here in 2009 I was able to fly in a P51 Mustang flown by an RAAF air commodore, he is now in charge of their fighter force. Flying went on all day and I had flights in a DeHavilland Dragon, Tiger Moth, Winjeel, Jabaru and Sky Fox Gazelle; the latter two are classed as ultra-lights.

Our last day of flying at Archer Field, near Brisbane, enabled me to round off the trip with 25 minutes in a T28D Trojan, ex-US navy trainer and ‘coin’ aircraft. That night we flew to Hong Kong in a Airbus A330-300 for a two night stay. We toured the island going up Mount Victoria by coach and down by Funicular railway and had a Sanpan trip round the harbour.

Sunday 20th saw us arrive at Heathrow by replacement Boeing 747-400, after a 5 hour delay due to hydraulic problems with our original aircraft.

To learn more about the BAES and to view photographs and reports on their trips why not go online to www.baes.org.uk .

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The Commanding Officer’s Sword, by Russell Turner

Before

The days when swords were used in battle may be long past, but the Royal Air Force still demands the very finest standards of those worn by its commissioned officers on ceremonial occasions and 600 Squadron now has more occasions to attend than most, except possibly the QCS. The present regulation Royal Air Force Sword was designed by Wilkinson and adopted by the Air Ministry in 1925 and apart from the Royal Cypher has not changed since, although in 1994 a shorter sword was introduced for female officers.

So being in the privilege position of owning two swords I decided to donate one to the squadron for use by the Commanding Officer. The sword itself was made in 1973 by Wilkinson and was originally purchased by Flt Lt Leonard Davies an RAF VRT officer and former Rear-Gunner in Lancasters. It has just been refurbished by Pooley Sword (set up by Robert Pooley in 2005) which included polishing & replating the hilt and scabbard mounts, as well as blacking the scabbard. The blade has been polished and the empty cartouche engraved with 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF.

After

An RAF sword is described as follows:

The sword has a single-edged straight blade with gold-plated brass hilt, white fish-skin grip and a brass pommel in the form of an eagle. A stamped 22 Carat gold-plated brass cartouche bears the albatross emblem of the Royal Air Force. The scabbard is made of rawhide with 22 Carat gold- plated brass mounts, while officers of Air Rank and above carry a version with more ornate, engraved mounts.

Wilkinson Sword was perhaps the most prestigious sword manufacturer ever and the American parent company decided to bring 200 years of sword making history to an end and closed the Acton sword factory with sword production ceasing on 15 September 2005. Most of the Wilkinson Sword machinery, tools and equipment was purchased by the oldest, producing sword factory in the world, WKC (Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie) of Solingen, Germany. Amongst these items were most of the current British MOD Pattern Sword and Scabbard tools as well as the original blade roll forge of

Wilkinson. These are currently used to produce ceremonial swords and scabbards for military and police forces worldwide. Original Wilkinson swords, however, are still considered the best and are more expensive than new swords.

There have been a number of famous swords made by Wilkinson.

The Sword of Peace was awarded annually to the unit of each Service judged to have made the most valuable contribution to humanitarian activities by establishing good and friendly relations with the inhabitants of any community at home or overseas. Since 2005 Firmin & Sons have supplied the swords

The Sword of Stalingrad a bejewelled ceremonial broadsword specially forged during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943.The sword is a double-edged, two-handed longswords, approximately four feet long, with a solid-silver crossguard. The acid-etched inscription in Russian and English reads: "To the steel-hearted citizens of Stalingrad - the gift of King George VI - in token of the homage of the British people". The hand grip is bound in 18 carat gold wire and has a pommel of rock crystal with a gold rose of England. Each end of the 10-inch crossguard is fashioned in the likeness of the head of a leopard and finished with parcel gilt. The 36-inch double-edged blade is convex and hand- forged out of the finest Sheffield steel. The scabbard was made from Persian lamb skin dyed crimson, although some sources suggest it was of leather. It is decorated with the Royal arms, the Crown and Cypher in silver gilt with five silver mounts and three rubies mounted on golden stars. In its time it was celebrated as one of the last masterpieces in swordmaking craftsmanship from the modern age.

It was presented to Joseph Stalin by Winston Churchill during the Tehran Conference in the presence of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and an honour guard. Wilkinson Sword made three other swords which are in the Wilkinson Museum, the South African National Museum of Military History and the third is in private hands.

The 600 Sqn sword was present to Wg Cdr Crossman on Tuesday 6th of September 2011 in the Keith Park Building, RAF Northolt’s Battle of Britain Sector Operations Centre.

AP1358 CHAPTER 9

0908 a. Sword. (1) Blade. Straight, 32¼to 32½in (82 to 82.6cm) – 1925 pattern or 72cm (1994 scaled down version) long, both tapered gradually and fullered both sides. (2) Hilt. Consist of guard, grip, backplate and pommel, ferrule, under nut and invisible top nut. The guard is of gold plated rolled brass pierced with an ornamental device, including the Royal Cypher. The backplate is in the form of an eagle's head. The officer patterns also have a badge showing the RAF eagle and crown made of gold plated thin sheet brass, raised from underneath and fixed and brazed to the dome of the guard. The grip is 4½in (11cm) long and made of wood. The officer patterns are covered with white fish skin, bound with gilt wire. b. Sword knot. The officer pattern is of blue and gold and comprises a gold lace strap with a blue silk line down the centre, gold acorn, gold and blue slider. c. Scabbard. Of tanned leather, blocked and polished and fitted with three gold plated brass mounts. On the officer patterns, the rings on the top and middle mounts are held by a ball attached to a laurel wreath. On the air rank pattern, both mounts are ornamentally chased and the centre mount is slightly longer than on the other patterns. The bottom mount, known as the shoe or chape, is surrounded at the mouth by a laurel wreath on the officer patterns and a feature of the air officer pattern is that the shoe is asymmetric.

d. Ceremonial belt. Of blue silk web 1⅜in (3.5cm) wide, with a bar of gold embroidery ⅜in (9mm) wide running length-wise along each edge. It is lined with blue morocco to match. The plate fastener bears the eagle and crown surrounded by a laurel wreath, with the motto PER ARDUA AD ASTRA under the eagle and within the wreath. http://www.answers.com/topic/wilkinson-sword - History of Wilkinson Sword http://pooleysword.com/en/Home_page - Pooley Sword http://www.armsresearch.co.uk/ - Wilkinson Sword Archive http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=11724 – Swords being made by Wilkinson

Editor – One of Russell’s restored swords are to be presented by Russell to the OC 600 Squadron RAuxAF and we will cover this in a later edition.

Library picture

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Profile – Stan Collett – 600 Sqn

Stan – thought to be while at GWR. © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

Introduction

Having moved to a new HQ building at Northolt last year, 600 have for the last few months been based on a road now named after a former commanding officer – namely S B Collett. Why is an officer who died in tragic and sensational circumstances before the Second World War began, still of such consequence and importance to his old unit so many years on? Who was Stanley Beresford Collett?

Background

Stanley Beresford Collett was born on the 27th November 1896 at Beckwith Road in Camberwell.

He was the 2nd child of Sir Charles Henry Collett and his wife Louisa, who would ultimately have 10 children – eight of whom were sons. Sir Henry worked in the textile industry and owned a retail sort on Shaftsbury Lane. He was a descendent of the prominent Collett family that had risen in the 1490s to provide 2 Lord Mayors to the City of London.

Collett family – Stan behind father in centre. © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

Stanley, or Stan as he is still widely regarded as, was schooled at the Quernmore School and later at Bishop’s Stortford College where he represented the college at rugby and swimming. He was by all accounts a talented musician and classical singer. From 1913, aged about 16, he began studying for the law. His military service record shows that he was employed at various times as a law student and latterly solicitor (presumably in articles in a local firm) and later still Town Clerk in Peterborough. He would not have required a degree to have done so, and it seems fitting that the son of a solidly middle class family would have pursued such a practical course rather than going to university and the bar.

War Service

Upon the outbreak of the Great War, Stanley was declared unfit for service as he had twice broken his arm playing rugby and had received a broken leg in a riding accident in 1912.

He was however, eventually accepted into the Durham Light Infantry as a Second Lieutenant – presumably chiefly on home duties, on the 27th November 1915 before then joining the RFC on 25th March 1917.

Thereafter, Stan was promoted to Flight Commander and Captain in February 1918, having passed through a number of training schools and area defence organisations. At various times he flew with 43, 50, 55, 100 and 141 Squadrons and worked as personal assistant to Sir Percy Scott in charge of the defence of London. It is thought that he took part in strategic raids into Germany on multiple occasions, although his logs would have to be sought to confirm this.

As a sideline, 50 Squadron were also involved heavily in the night defence of the UK – the shape of things to come for Stan’s future AAF colleagues! Also as a precursor to the future, the Squadron’s last CO in 1919 was one Arthur Harris, a name that needs little explanation to readers of this article!

Many other members of the Collett family also provided War service. Of particular note, his younger brother Norman enrolled in the Royal Naval Air Service also in 1917. Tragically after leaving training school at Vendôme, he was killed in a flying accident at Sleaford no less than 3 months later. His Sopwith Pup spun in to the aerodrome. He was the first Collett lost in a service flying accident.

Norman Charles Collett RNAS © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

Post-War

Stan continued in uniform well past the armistice – taking part in the British occupation of the Rhine and being granted a permanent commission in August 1919 as a Lieutenant in the RAF.

On the 2nd of September 1919, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre by France.

However, as the 1920s began, it seems that he suffered from prolonged ill-health, and after lengthy periods of sick leave, hospitalisation and grounding from flying duties to instead become a recruiting officer, he resigned his commission as a Captain in March of 1921.

Stan continued in the law and he joined the GWR as assistant solicitor and later assistant secretary. He participated in the flying at the Hendon Pageant in 1923, and in the same year on the 12th April married Olga Kathleen Griffith, daughter of Colonel Frank Griffith. Stan and Olga were to have no children.

To the AAF

In 1925, with the formation of the AAF, Stan promptly applied for a commission with the obvious expectation that he could resume flying – DH9’s again!

Stan’s AM Form 50, dated 14th June 1926 shows the Air Medical Board as passing Stan as fit for AAF service, with the next and final page showing “commission parchment sent 25 Oct 26 – received 26 Oct 26”. Illustrative of the then efficiency of Royal Mail!

On the 6th July that year, Flight Lieutenant Collett joined the newly formed 601 (Bombing) Squadron at Hendon as an officer in the General Duties Branch AAF. He would promptly again rise to become a flight commander.

To 600 Squadron

On the 3rd September 1931, he was promoted “to Sqd Ldr to cmd [sic] a Squadron” and on the 19th of November 1931, just after the announcement in the London Gazette, he took command at 601’s rival – 600 Squadron.

On taking command at 600. Note only one “A” on collar. An old 601 trick perhaps??? The size and build of the Wapiti is evident – Stan was not a small build but is overshadowed by the beast. (Sqn Archive). © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

He would not be the last man to change allegiances in this way. Later the equally legendary Charles “Paddy” Green was to do the same at the height of the war. Each man in his own way changed the fortunes and character of 600 Squadron, albeit in different ways, through the force of their respective characters. More on Paddy from me in the future!

Under Stan’s command, the squadron consolidated its reputation as a premier flying unit, and the standards achieved by all ranks of the squadron was seen by the press and public as being to a standard surpassing that of the regular service.

In addition, he worked tirelessly to improve the lot of his men, and he features in the minute’s books that we hold of the various messes and the social club that was set up at Finsbury Barracks. It is thought that he contributed to the building of separate messes at Finsbury and Hendon and ensured that the junior ranks were well tended for in terms of their welfare.

At this stage, the squadron would have had no official badge or crest, but it seems that for some time an adaptation of the City of London crest had been used on Squadron aircraft. This leads on to the question of the Collett Standard.

The Collett brothers at the Mansion House. Father centre – Stan Second from left. The Squadron holds on loan from Hendon a large colourised photo of Stanley In this uniform which has been framed in black mounting as a memorial. It is on display in the lobby of the main briefing room. © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

It was at this time, in 1933, that Sir Charles Henry Collett, Stan’s father, became the second Collett to hold the office of Lord Mayor of London – from November ’33 to November ’34. He had been prominent in the City and latterly as an Alderman for some time. There was an obvious connection here, and the City of London Squadron being connected so directly to the incumbent Mayor and this appears to have been recognised by the awarding of a standard with the so familiar “dustcart crest” in 1933.

Tragedy at Hendon

Tragedy struck the Collett family in 1934 at that year’s Hendon Air Pageant. At that year’s show, Stanley, as CO of 600 Squadron was the escort to the Prince of Wales. The squadron were to perform a mass take-off and fly-past. Stanley took the observer’s seat in the lead aircraft flown by Pilot Officer Lea, who was according to the later board of enquiry, widely regarded as the most technically proficient pilot on the squadron.

The crowd instead watched anxiously as Lea’s aircraft was seen to be in clear trouble. He attempted to turn for an emergency landing. Veering at first towards the crowd, he was said to have struggled to control the aircraft back towards the field before the aircraft stalled into the ground. Lea

was thrown partially clear and escaped the wreck – which subsequently burst into flames. It seems that Stan was knocked unconscious and received a possibly lethal blow to the head – but in any case was trapped in the inferno which took his life in front of a horrified crowd.

2 fire tenders and various airmen rushed to fight the flames and they struggled to release the observer to no avail. Mrs Collett was present at the show and collapsed at the scene before being taken home where the news was broken to her. She went on to work tirelessly in charity until her passing many years later.

Stan’s record is emblazoned – “Killed in aero accident at Hendon, 30.6.1934.”

1935. Preparations for the Hendon Pageant that year. J 9606 is believed to be the mount of Stan’s replacement as 600 Squadron CO, Squadron Leader (later Group Captain) Peter Graham Stewart. His observer is Cpl Charles “Chas” Kirby, later Lt Col Kirby RA!

The photo is well known, and gives a clear impression of the type of mass take-off and formation flying that would have been seen at the 1934 air pageant before things went so tragically wrong. Note the WW1 style pennant flying from the tail of the aircraft on the left. (Squadron Archive). © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

Subsequently, Stanley’s funeral was held at St Paul’s Cathedral on 4th July. The Squadron turned out as a whole and Stan was borne from Finsbury Barracks on a gun carriage, through the crowded streets past Mansion House. The casket was carried into the Cathedral by the CO’s of the other AAF Squadrons. He was later cremated at Golders Green. The Squadron has contemporary news clippings from the time and a battered order of service. The news reel footage from the time can be sought and viewed online which gives some feeling of the impact that the incident had at the time.

The cover of the funeral order of service – now preserved as part of the squadron collection in the AHB controlled storage. © 600 (City of London) Squadron Association

In the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Air stated:

“The regrettable accident which occurred at Hendon on Saturday was the result of an attempted forced landing probably due to engine failure. The pilot of the aircraft is still suffering from injuries received in the crash and cannot be questioned, but it would appear that when gliding in to land he realised that if he continued on his course he would land among the spectators and that he turned at a low altitude and, in so doing, stalled the aircraft”.

“I should like to take this opportunity of publicly expressing my Noble Friend's and my own deep personal sympathy with the relatives of the late Squadron Leader Collett, and to place on record the Air Council's high appreciation of the distinguished services he has rendered to the Auxiliary Air Force since its formation”.

HC Deb 03 July 1934 vol 291 cc1751-2

Consequences

Immediately after the accident, the books that we hold in archive show that 600 Sqn were to be commanded by Squadron Leader Peter Stewart, promoted internally to do so. Peter was himself greatly loved and admired and will hopefully be the subject of a detailed profile in the future. Indeed, so quickly was everything in place that meetings were held the night of the crash to amend the makeup of the various social and welfare committees.

The subsequent board of enquiry accounted for the accident in that the knee of Pilot Officer Lea had inadvertently knocked and turned off the fuel cock – a not uncommon accident – and that at low altitude and ever slowing speeds his manoeuvres stalled the aircraft leading to an uncontrolled stall landing. The finding was obviously one that lay the blame at least partly at the Pilot Officer’s door – however, he seemingly continued with 600 Sqn for a few years afterwards, and he crops up in one photograph in the Getty Collection from the war as a Wing Commander associated with the Observer Corps. Robert Francis Gore Lea appears to have died in 1994.

The Collett family, including Stan’s widow continued to visit the Squadron well after the Second World War as can be evidenced from the visitor books also kept in our archive.

On a final note, it seems likely that, the evidence pointing to the Standard having been given to the Squadron by the Collett family much earlier than expected in 1933, Sir Henry must have given permission for it to be marched through the City after his son’s death and in his son’s memory. There can be no doubt in my mind that the Standard could not have been “given in memory of his son” as is often recorded. However, there appear to be no formal records of how or why the custom began.

Sir Christopher Collett became Lord Mayor in 1988, being the 3rd Collett to do so and the Collett extended family remains active across the City of London today.

His influence today

On the reformation of 600 Squadron in 1999, the standard was loaned out on permanent loan by the RAF Museum in Hendon alongside its presentation plaque and a sombre memorial portrait that presumably was displayed with the standard previously. The Photograph is on display at 600 Squadron as a reminder of the Squadron’s loss and the former CO’s sacrifice.

The Standard is still brought out on special occasions, it and the memory of Squadron Leader Collett are a reminder of the link between the Squadron and the City, but are a link between the Squadron and it’s past- they physically link us to the airmen and officers who pioneered the Auxiliary Spirit in the 1920s, and in some cases paid to create that spirit with their lives.

SAC Stuart Edwards, Squadron Archivist – 30/08/2011

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Profile – Billy Fiske – 601 Squadron – (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Picture used with kind permission of 601 Sqn.com

4 June 1911(1911-06-04) – 17 August 1940(1940-08-17) (aged 29)

Pilot Officer W.M.L. Fiske, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Birth name William Meade Lindsley Fiske III, Nickname Billy

Place of birth Brooklyn, New York

Place of death Royal West Sussex Hospital, Chichester

Resting place St Mary and St Blaise churchyard in Boxgrove, Sussex

Years of service 23 March 1940 - 17 August 1940

Rank Acting Pilot Officer

Unit No. 601 Squadron RAF

Battles/wars World War II - Battle of Britain

William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III (4 June 1911 – 17 August 1940) was the 1928 and 1932 Olympic champion bobsled driver and, following Jimmy Davies, was one of the first American pilots killed in action in World War II. At the time Fiske was serving in the Royal Air Force.

Early life

Billy Fiske was born in New York in 1911, the son of Beulah and William Fiske, a New England banking magnate. He attended school in Chicago, and then went to school in France in 1924,

where he discovered the sport of bobsled at the age of 16. Fiske attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1928 where he studied Economics and History.

Fiske then worked at the London office of Dillon, Reed & Co, the New York bankers. On 8 September 1938, Fiske married Rose, Countess of Warwick, in Maidenhead.

Bobsled career

As driver of the first five-man U.S. Bobsled team to win the Olympics, Fiske became the youngest gold medalist in the sport, aged just 16 years at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. His American team-mates were Geoffrey Mason, Nion Tucker,Clifford Grey and Richard Parke.

Fiske competed again at the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, USA, where he was given the honour of carrying the flag for the United States at the opening ceremony. The format of the race was altered to a four-man team, but again Fiske and his team-mates, Clifford Grey, Eddie Eagan, and Jay O'Brien took gold.

Olympic medal record

Men's bobsleigh Competitor for the United States Gold 1928 St. Moritz Five-man Gold 1932 Lake Placid Four-man

He was invited, but declined to lead the bobsled team in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch- Partenkirchen in Germany. It is believed by some that this decision was due to his disagreeing with the politics in Germany at the time, which may also explain his later decision to join the War-effort in 1940.

Fiske was also a Cresta Champion, and was well-known for jumps from the Badrutt's Palace Hotel's bar chandelier in St. Moritz.

World War II

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Fiske was recalled to the New York offices of Dillon, Reed & Co, but on 30 August 1939 he returned to England aboard the Aquitania accompanying a bank colleague who was also a member of No. 601 (County of London) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Fiske was one of seven US aircrew personnel who fought in the Battle of Britain, although due to the neutrality of the United States, he pretended to be a Canadian. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer on 23 March 1940. He undertook his flying training at No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire before moving to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, for advanced flying training. He, American citizen, duly pledged his life and loyalty to the king, George VI, and was formally admitted into the RAF. In his diary, a joyous Fiske wrote, "I believe I can lay claim to being the first U.S. citizen to join the RAF in England after the outbreak of hostilities". He joined No. 601 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, the so-called Millionaire's Squadron on the 12 July 1940.

On 16 August 1940, in the midst of the Battle of Britain, No. 601 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept a squadron of German dive-bombers. Fiske was flying a Hurricane - code number P3358. The Squadron destroyed eight Stukas, but after just 15 minutes of flight, a German gunner put a bullet through Fiske’s fuel tank. With his aircraft badly damaged and his hands and ankles burnt, Instead of bailing out Fiske nursed his Hurricane fighter home, gliding over a hedgerow to the airfield. Although Fiske landed his aircraft safely back at Tangmere, he had to be extracted from the aircraft by ambulance attendants. Shortly after, his fuel tank exploded. Fiske was taken to Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chichester for treatment, but he died 48 hours later from surgical shock. He was 29 years old.

Of Fiske's role in the Battle of Britain, Bill Bond, founder of the Battle of Britain Historical Society, wrote

"...although Billy made several sorties he didn't shoot anything down, so that his impact on the battle in that respect was negligible, but he is most definitely still very much a hero in our book."

Fiske's Flight Commander, Sir Archibald Hope, added:

"Unquestionably Billy Fiske was the best pilot I've ever known. It was unbelievable how good he was. He picked up so fast it wasn't true. He'd flown a bit before, but he was a natural as a fighter pilot. He was also terribly nice and extraordinarily modest, and fitted into the squadron very well”.

William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III grave Memorials and tributes

Pictures used with kind permission of 601 Sqn.com

Fiske is buried in St Mary and St Blaise churchyard in Boxgrove, Sussex. The inscription on his gravestone reads simply: He died for England.

A memorial stained glass window was dedicated to him on 17 September 2008 at Boxgrove Priory. At the dedication service, a number of former colleagues of Fiske attended and his green Bentley was on display.

On 4 July 1941, a plaque was unveiled in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. The inscription reads: An American citizen who died that England might live. The decision to unveil this plaque on American Independence Day was probably a political one; the United States had not officially joined the war and the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was keen to popularise Fiske’s story. The plaque was unveiled by Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Secretary of State for Air. He said at the ceremony:

“Here was a young man for whom life held much. Under no kind of compulsion he came to fight for Britain. He came and he fought and he died”. A memorial tablet was dedicated to him in the crypt of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York.

Fiske is listed on the Battle of Britain Monument in London and the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne.

The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation created the Billy Fiske Memorial Trophy as a posthumous tribute to him. The trophy is awarded to the national champion four-man bobsled team each year.

In addition to a 2005 documentary (American Warrior: Billy Fiske), a controversial film about Billy

Fiske, The Few, was slated for release in 2008.

Red Valley Productions performed a new play based on his life called Billy Fiske: King of Speed at the Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis from 20–25 July 2010.

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Profile – W/Cdr Frederick Desmond Hughes - 604 Squadron – by Ian White

Hughes as W/Cdr with 604 Squadron 'via the 604 Squadron Association'.

Usually known as Desmond Hughes - was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on the 6th June 1919 and educated at Campbell College, Belfast, and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he read law. He learned to fly with the Cambridge University Air Squadron before being commissioned into the RAF as a P/O on the 29th October 1939 and posted to No.1 Initial Training Wing (ITW) at Cambridge the following month. He undertook his initial flying training at Cranwell on the second wartime course and completed his training at No.5 Flying Training School (FTS), Sealand, before moving to the School of Army Co-operation at Old Sarum, Wilts. A week later, on the 10th June 1940, he was posted to No.5 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Aston Down, to convert to the Boulton Paul Defiant and was posted again to No.264 Squadron at Duxford, Cambs, on the 19th.

At 264 he was teamed-up with Sgt Fred Gash as his gunner, with the pair claiming their first enemy aircraft (e/a) when they destroyed a pair of Dornier Do 17Zs on the 26th August 1940, by which time the Squadron had moved to Hornchurch, Essex. Their first night-kill occurred on the night of the 15th/16th October when a Heinkel He 111H-4 of Kampfgruppe 126 (KGr126) engaged on minelaying was shot down over the Thames estuary during the early hours of the 16th and crashed at Hutton, near Billericay, Essex, at 0200 hours. The pair damaged another He 111 on the 23rd/24th November. By March 1941 264 had moved to Biggin Hill, Kent, from where Hughes & Gash took-off to intercept their next victim, an He 111P-4 of Kampfgeschwader 55 (KG 55) that was on its way to bomb Birmingham. The aircraft caught fire and exploded before hitting the ground near Ockley, Surrey, at 2130 hours on the evening of the 12th March. Another He 111 was claimed as a probable on the 8th/9th April. On the night of the 10th/11th April, Hughes and Gash destroyed another He 111 during an attack on the West Midlands. For their work with 264 F/O Hughes and Sgt Gash were awarded the DFC and DFM respectively on the 18th April 1941.

On the 3rd October 1941 Hughes was promoted to F/Lt and posted as a flight commander (and acting S/Ldr) to No.125 Squadron in January 1942, who were shortly to convert from Defiants to Merlin-powered Beaufighter Mk.IIs at Colerne, Wilts, and then move to Fairwood Common, near Swansea, during May. Sgt Gash did not accompany F/Lt Hughes to Colerne, his place as Hughes regular radar operator (R/O) being taken by P/O Laurie Dixon later in the year. Hughes first kill with 125 occurred on the 27th June when he claimed a Junkers Ju 88 destroyed. His first claim with Dixon was made on the 4th November, when another Ju 88 was destroyed.

On the 19th January 1943 S/Ldr Hughes and F/O Dixon left 125 on posting to 600 Squadron that was then stationed at Setif, Algeria, following the Allied landings in North Africa the previous November (Operation Torch). - Hughes & Dixon's record in North Africa with 600 is covered in Appendix IV of Gentlemen in Blue - Hughes was awarded a bar to his DFC on the 13th April 1943 and second bar on the 28th September 1943. At the end of 1943 Hughes was posted back to the UK to a staff appointment at HQ Fighter Command, before being promoted to acting W/Cdr in February 1944 and posted to HQ No.85 Group, Tactical Air Force, where he remained until he was appionted to command 604 Squadron on the 19th July 1944.

When W/Cdr Hughes and Dixon joined 604 Squadron they were stationed at Colerne, but engaged on preparing to move to the Continent of Europe, a move that was made that month when a detachment crossed the Channel to occupy Manpertus (Airfield A.15) on the Cherbourg Peninsular. By August the Squadron had moved to Picauville (A.8) a few miles inland. It was from Picauville that Hughes and Dixon intercepted and destroyed a Ju 88 near Avaranches on the night of the 6th/7th. The pair's final victory occurred on the night of the 14th/15th January 1945, when another Ju 88 was despatched to the south of Rotterdam. For his work in commanding 604, W/Cdr Hughes was awarded the DSO on 23rd March 1945. Hughes was destined to be 604's last wartime CO, when the Squadron was formally disbanded at Lille/Vendeville (B.51) on the 15th April 1945 - see also Chapters 7 & 8 of If You Want Peace, Prepare for War, for more details of Hughes time with 604. At the war's end Hughes was credited with eighteen e/a destroyed, one shared, one probably destroyed and one damaged.

S/Ldr Hughes remained in the RAF after the war and was granted a permanent commission as a F/Lt (his wartime commissions were all VR) in April 1945 before being promoted back to S/Ldr on the 1st August 1947. His post-war career began after the war when he was posted back to the Fighter Command staff. By 1954 he was a member of the directing staff at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell, and later the Personal Staff Officer (PSO) to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). In 1959 he was appointed to command RAF Geilenkirchen as a G/Capt. During the 1960s he returned to the CAS Staff in 1961/62 and to the Directorate of Air Plans in January 1963. He was promoted to A/Cdre that year and appointed as an ADC to HMQ in September In September 1966 he was appionted as AOC Flying Training Command, and promoted to AVM on the 1st July 1967. As an AVM he became AOC No.18 Group and the AOC Scotland & Northern Ireland. Following two years as the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) Near East Air Force, Cyprus, AVM Hughes retired on the 6th June 1974.

In 1982 AVM Hughes was made the Hon A/Cdre of No.2503 Squadron, RAF Regiment, and was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Lincoln in 1983. He was awarded the AFC on the 1st January 1954, made a CBE on the 1st January 1963, and CB in 1972. AVM Frederick Desmond Hughes, CB, CBE, DFC**, AFC, died on the 11th January 1992.

Sources:

If You Want Peace, Prepare For War, Ian White, 2005. Gentlemen in Blue, Hans Men of the Battle of Britain, Kenneth G.Wynn, 1999. RAF Squadrons, Jeff Jefford, 2001. The Blitz, Then & Now, Volumes I & 2, Winston Ramsey [Ed], 1987 & 1988. www.thesoutheastecho.co.uk/Pilots/Hughes.htm

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As a follow up to the profile in the last edition about John Cunningham, Al Hanley-Brown has sent me the following;

Group Captain John Cunningham CBE DSO** DFC* AE DL.

John Cunningham, exactly one week away from his 83rd birthday at RIAT, was one of the best fighter and test pilots of a whole generation of daring young aviators. In 1935 he joined the de Havilland Technical School, and later that year was accepted by 604 Squadron for flying training.

When war broke out in 1939, 604 Squadron, designated as a Day & Night Fighter Squadron, was equipped with the Bristol Blenheim Night Fighter. During the Battle of Britain blitz on London, John Cunningham was already developing airborne radar - the new technology which was to give him his wartime nickname of 'Cat's Eyes' Cunningham. He commanded 604 Squadron from 1941 to 1942.

The War Ministry colluded with the media in spreading stories such as this one from the Daily Sketch, in an attempt to keep airborne radar secret from the Luftwaffe. "He is called 'Carrots', because of his sandy hair and because he eats carrots to keep his eyesight keen. Indeed, he has cat's eyes' in the dark." By the end of World War II, Group Captain Cunningham was the most famous of Britain's night fighters.

In 1946 John Cunningham began an illustrious career as Chief Test Pilot for the de Havilland Aircraft Company. He helped to develop the Comet, Britain's first jet airliner, setting an international flight record in the aircraft on 16 October 1957.

Beaufighters of 604 Squadron

Beaufighter

Mosquito

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Book Corner

'If You Want Peace, Prepare for War': A History of No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron, RAuxAF, in Peace and in War by Ian White

 Hardcover: 288 pages  Publisher: 604 Squadron Association (Feb 2005)  Language English  ISBN-10: 0954961609  ISBN-13: 978-0954961602  Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 16.6 x 2.4 cm

The History of the Air Intercept Radar and the British Nightfighter 1935-1959 by Ian White

 Hardcover: 340 pages  Publisher: Pen & Sword Aviation (17 May 2007)  Language English  ISBN-10: 1844155323  ISBN-13: 978-1844155323  Product Dimensions: 24.6 x 19 x 2.6 cm  Available via www.amazon.com for around £15.00 plus P&P

This is the history of Air Intercept (AI) radar and its use in night-fighters in defence of the UK and in the protection of RAF bomber forces. It is set against the political, military, economic and technological background of world events. Beginning in 1935, it describes the events leading up to the creation of the Air Ministry Research Establishment and the work of the Establishment’s Airborne Group under Dr Edwin Bowen and the building of the first 1.5 metre AI Mk 1 and later versions that saw use during the winter Blitz in Blenheim night-fighters and Mosquito during the Baedeker Raids. It covers the introduction of centimetric technology at the Telecommunications Research Establishment and the creation of centimetric AI (Mks VII – IX) and their installation in the Beaufighter and later marks of the Mosquito. It describes the creation of the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the development the SCR 720 radar and its adoption by the RAF. The final section describes the Cold War and the development of jet-powered night-fighters and the changes in the air defence situation with the introduction of strategic bombers by the Soviet Union and the atomic bomb.

“An outstanding combination of the many aspects involved with air intercept radar. The author is very successful in blending technical, operational and military aspects of the subjects into a very interesting book.” Air Power History, winter 2008

The Flying Sword: The Story of 601 Squadron by Tom Moulson

 Hardcover: 184 pages  Publisher: Macdonald; 1st edition (1964)  Language English  ASIN: B0007J3592  Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.7 x 2.3 cm  Available on www.amazon.com for around £30.00 plus P&P www.amazon.com – buyer review – “Tom Moulson’s history of 601 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, is a solid, small history of this famous unit. The book is what I would call a concise history of the squadron with an emphasis on the pre-war and early war years. The author was a pilot with the squadron post-war and his enthusiasm and pride in serving with 601 is apparent throughout. Although hardly hefty and exhaustive, the book covers the complete history of the squadron and includes a great many anecdotes and recounting which are not seen in other titles. This is a specialised work and one which will really only be of interest to those with more than a passing knowledge of 601. Recommended for those readers with a particular in interest in 601 and its members”.

Wg Cdr Oliver Wells, Night Flying Instructor, Pathfinder, P.O.W., Flying Boat Pilot & Author

Pitch Black to Plane Fare

World War Two continues to bring to the surface many untold stories of remarkable courage in the face of danger. Many of these stories have remained locked away for several years. This one has stayed untold for over fifty. The text of Pitch Black To Plane Fare is directly from the pen of Oliver

Wells, ex-night flying instructor, pathfinder and flying boat pilot. It has not been altered significantly in any way. It concentrates on three periods in his flying career, all different, yet unique experiences.

You will learn about his time teaching trainee night fighter pilots to fly in the dark. You will marvel at his near death experience as his crippled Lancaster plummeted to earth. You will be gripped by the tale of his five months' working through the Comet Line under the nose of Nazi occupying forces only to be caught by the Gestapo, and his subsequent incarceration and forced march with thousands of other prisoners. Finally you will take great pride in the part that he played in Operation Plane Fare, perhaps the largest humanitarian airlift in history. His story is remarkable, yet he tells it simply in precise detail without a shred of line-shooting or false bravado.

This is a man whose flying career spanned over fifty years and logged over three thousand hours in over forty different aircraft types. There aren't that many around who can match this achievement.

Order this book and you'll be helping ex-RAF service personnel who have fallen on less fortunate times as profits from sales go to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund

The book is on sale at £4.99 plus carriage (£2.50 for the UK) and overseas, depending where it is, slightly more.

To buy this book, contact Mark Peacock on 01234 273434 or on E Mail at valiant- [email protected].

Twenty-one Squadrons: History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925-57 by Leslie Hunt

 Hardcover: 432 pages  Publisher: Garnstone Press; First Edition edition (13 Nov 1972)  Language English  ISBN-10: 0855111100  ISBN-13: 978-0855111106

Foreword by Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris. A history of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons, formed after World War I, maintained during the inter-war period, and active in all theatres of war during World War II. There is a history of each squadron integrated with the unit crest, black and white photographs, and representative squadron aircraft.

Gunner's Moon: Memoir of the R.A.F.Night Assault on Germany (Eyewitness of World War II) by John Bushby

 Hardcover: 192 pages  Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd; First Edition edition (21 Aug 1972)  Language English  ISBN-10: 0711003726  ISBN-13: 978-0711003729  Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.5 x 2.5 cm

Gunner's Moon tells the story of how the author jointed the famous 601 (County of London) Fighter Squadron before the outbreak of war. It offers a fascinating account of life as a "Saturday afternoon airman" in those days of biplanes and open cockpits and offers some interesting sidelights on long forgotten Service lore and customs.

With his squadron the author served throughout the Battle of Britain at a south coast airfield and here he records, for the first time, something of the story of the men and women who worked through the bombs and the blitz to keep the Hurricanes and Spitfires flying for "The Few".

The book graphically recounts the story of almost forty successive operations over Europe as a rear gunner. The author is one of the very few survivors of those who flew the illfated Manchester bomber, fore runner of the Lancaster. He became a Gunnery Leader and was among the earliest crew members to gain the coveted Pathfinder badge. This part of the story conveys what it felt like to operate night after night against heavily defended targets at a time when bomber losses were as high as ten percent of the attacking force; and when the odds against aircrew survival were assessed as ten to one against. It tells of the human stresses involved and the relationships between crew members in the air and on the ground.

Published in hardback by Ian Allan in 1972. This book contains 16 pages of black and white photographs.

Night Fighter Navigator: Beaufighters and Mosquitos in WWII by Denis Gosling

 Hardcover: 208 pages  Publisher: Pen & Sword Aviation (18 Feb 2010)  Language English  ISBN-10: 9781848841888  ISBN-13: 978-1848841888  ASIN: 1848841884  Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.8 x 2.6 cm

This is a personal account of one man's war and of the aircraft in which he served. Much has been written about "fighter aces" and, as far as I am aware, to become an Ace, a pilot had to have a minimum of 5 confirmed enemy kills to his credit. Many famous pilots who claimed the Ace distinction failed to achieve such a number. Dennis Gosling received his DFC for being present as a navigator when that number of kills were confirmed.

This book takes the reader through his service, as a sergeant navigator with the Beaufighter - which includes the defence of Malta at a time when his squadron was often reduced to a single aircraft. It also includes a certain amount of ill-feeling towards the RAF and its class system for rewarding officers and not those in the ranks.

Nevertheless, he recounts the constant enemy fire, the stress of flying impossible missions and the health problems he endured whilst flying. Reduced to starvation level at one point, he is finally repatriated by way of Brazil and Canada on no less a ship than the Queen Mary after which he undertakes a spell of instructing. Promoted to Warrant Officer, he returns to active flying duties just as his squadron are equipped with Mosquitoes.

Curious how he misspells "Mosquitoes" on the book's front cover - but Inside the book he refers to these aircraft as Mossies.

This is a particularly interesting account, an intriguing work which demonstrates how the history of WW2 is still written by those who took part and had their own peculiar role to play. It forms, therefore, an essential part of our ever-growing understanding of who did what during this time of global conflict.

Trivia - The Lancasters that appear in the film “The Dambusters” came from the Maintenance Unit at RAF Hemswell, having the 617 Squadron code letters applied (Gibson's aircraft also got the ED932 registration, though others kept their real registrations) as well as having the dorsal turrets removed (as the real aircraft had had) and the addition of the oversized dummy Upkeeps. Most of the original Lancasters saw no further action during the war, and were scrapped after the war ended, including Gibson's aircraft (AJ-G / ED932) which incredibly was scrapped in 1946. All the aircraft used in the film were broken up for scrap in 1956. The film aircraft appear to have 2 x 0.5" machine guns in the rear turrets, though the original aircraft would have all had 4 x 0.303" machine guns there; ammo seen being loaded also appears to be 0.5". [ This detail was probably overlooked when making the film. ]

RAF Kenley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Royal Air Force Kenley

RAF Kenley Station Crest, with motto: NISI DOMINUS PRO NOBIS (We depend on the Lord)

Country United Kingdom

Type Flying station

Defence of London & South Role East England

Part of No. 11 Group RAF

Kenley, Borough of Croydon, Garrison/HQ England

Royal Air

Force Ensign

Battle of Britain, Evacuation of Dunkirk, Engagements Preparation for D-Day, Normandy Campaign

The former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley (now known as Kenley Aerodrome) was a station of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and the RAF in World War II. It is located near Kenley, London, England.

History

Its active phase commenced in 1917, and ceased in 1959 when RAF Fighter Command left the aerodrome. The airfield at Kenley now hosts 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS), a Royal Air Force gliding squadron of the Air Cadet Organisation.

During World War II RAF Kenley was one of the three main fighter stations, which was, together with Croydon and Biggin Hill, responsible for the air defence of London. It was during the crucial days of the Battle of Britain that all three RAF stations came into their own, fighting off the overwhelming might of the German Luftwaffe.

RAF Kenley suffered its worst damage in an attack on 18 August 1940. While 15 September is considered by many to be the climax of the Battle of Britain, 18 August is often cited as the costliest or hardest day — the British lost 68 aircraft and the Germans lost 69. At Kenley, all ten hangars and twelve aircraft, including ten Hurricanes, were destroyed and the runways badly cratered. The Sector Operations Room had to be moved to an emergency location away from the airfield.

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Hammond Innes' book Attack Alarm, published in 1941, was based on his experiences as a Royal Artillery anti-aircraft gunner at RAF Kenley during the Battle of Britain. Innes' novels are marked by attention to accurate detail, and the book contains graphic descriptions of the station and attacks on it in 1940.

The pilots

Many famous pilots are connected or served at Kenley, including the famous South Africans 'Sailor' Malan, Group Captain P.H. 'Dutch' Hugo, C. W. A. Scott (winner of the MacRobertson Air Race) who served there with No. 32 Squadron RAF from 1923 to 1926, and the British ace JE "Johnnie" Johnson, later Air Vice-Marshal, who took over the Canadian wing at Kenley in 1943.

Film location

The aerodrome was used as a location in the following films: Angels One Five (1952) and Reach for the Sky (1956), the latter about Douglas Bader who was posted to RAF Kenley in 1930 No. 23 Squadron RAF shortly before his accident in 1931

The present

Although few of the remaining buildings survive and the control tower was demolished after a fire in 1978 along with the hangars, Kenley is thought to be the best preserved of all World War II RAF fighter stations, with the runway still in its original configuration. English Heritage (in 2000) identified Kenley as "The most complete fighter airfield associated with the Battle of Britain to have survived". The respective councils of Croydon and Tandridge have designated the airfield site as a Conservation Area (2006).

The south-west corner, previously occupied by married quarters, has been redeveloped with modern high-density housing directly abutting the airfield (the area was excluded from the Green Belt as part of the Tandridge District Local Plan and thus not included within the Conservation Area). In December 2005, the former Officers' Mess building and surrounding land was sold to residential building developer, Comer Homes, and its future is uncertain as is that of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Portcullis Club.

Some of the original 12 E-shaped blast pens remain, as well as the shelters for the servicing personnel. One in particular — forming the background to the RAF memorial — has been fully restored. Since 2004 these structures are protected as Scheduled Monuments.

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The airfield is still used today by 615 VGS (Volunteer Gliding Squadron) flying the Grob Viking glider. They provide air experience flights to Air Cadets and the CCF.

It is still possible to walk in the woods and on the common, meander around the airfield, and even go for a meal and a pint in the Wattenden Arms — a stone's throw from the airfield and said to be a favourite with pilots during the war. The pub is ornamented with pictures and artifacts associated with the airfield.

Part of the former air station is preserved as a tribute to the service personnel of the Commonwealth and Allied fighter squadrons who shared the honours with the RAF. In a former aircraft parking area in one of the blast pens a memorial, was unveiled on 19 August 2000. Dedicated to the Royal Air Force and allied air forces, the inscription reads: RAF Kenley Tribute In Honour Of All Personnel Who Served Here 1917–1959.

At the foot of the memorial, is inscribed the war-time quote commemorating the Battle of Britain: Never in the field of human conflict, has so much been owed by so many to so few — Winston Churchill 1942.

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Kenley memorial with blast pen in background

Squadrons based at Kenley

No 46 Sqn Gauntlets in line at RAF Kenley

No 46 Sqn Gaunlets get airborne for the display for Dominion Representatives at RAF Kenley 1936

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AOC's visit to 46 Sqn at RAF Kenley to present Sqn Plaque 1938

Line up of 485 Sqn. 'Subscription' Spitfire Mk. Vbs at RAF Kenley in 1941

(Squadrons as shown on the memorial)

 No. 88 Squadron RAF 1918  No. 95 Squadron RAF 1918  No. 105 Squadron RAF 1918  No. 110 Squadron RAF 1918  No. 116 Squadron RAF 1918  No. 91 Squadron RAF 1918–1919  No. 1 Squadron RAF 1919 & 1941  No. 207 Squadron RAF 1920  No. 84 Squadron RAF 1920  No. 24 Squadron RAF 1920–1927  No. 39 Squadron RAF 1920–1921  No. 32 Squadron RAF 1925–1932  No. 13 Squadron RAF 1924  No. 23 Squadron RAF 1927–1932  No. 17 Squadron RAF 1934–1940  No. 3 Squadron RAF 1934–1940  No. 46 Squadron RAF 1936–1937  No. 80 Squadron RAF 1937  No. 615 Squadron RAF 1937–1941  No. 600 Squadron RAF 1938  No. 604 Squadron RAF 1940  No. 229 Squadron RAF 1940  No. 64 Squadron RAF 1940  No. 66 Squadron RAF 1940 & 1943  No. 616 Squadron RAF 1940 & 1942  No. 253 Squadron RAF 1940–1941  No. 501 Squadron RAF 1940  No. 258 Squadron RAF 1941  No. 302 Squadron RAF (Polish) 1941  No. 312 Squadron RAF (Czech) 1941  No. 485 Squadron RNZAF 1941–1942  No. 602 Squadron RAF 1941–1942  No. 452 Squadron RAAF 1941–1942  No. 605 Squadron RAF 1941  No. 111 Squadron RAF 1942  308th Pursuit Sq. (USAAF) 1942*

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 No. 402 Squadron RCAF 1942–1943  No. 611 Squadron RAF 1942  No. 401 Squadron RCAF 1942–1943  No. 412 Squadron RCAF 1942–1943  No. 350 Squadron RAF (Belg) 1942  No. 403 Squadron RCAF 1943–1944  No. 411 Squadron RCAF 1943  No. 165 Squadron RAF 1943  No. 421 Squadron RCAF 1942–1944  No. 416 Squadron RCAF 1943–1944  No. 400 Squadron RCAF 1943  No. 661 Squadron RAF RA & RAF 1949  No. 61 Comms Flight 1959

*Inscription of memorial actually reads "No. 308 Sq. (USAAF) 1942"

The last flying Vulcan (Taken from the Vulcan to the Sky Trust web site)

With two full weekends left before our deadline, four displays to complete and £30,000 to find, we really hope we will generate the average of £7,500 per display needed to ensure we reach our funding target of £350,000.

Our display commentary is the best way we have of directly reaching the many tens of thousands of people who will see XH558 at the time, so it will very much focus on asking people to donate using our text service. Please could you play your part too by telling everyone around you that they need to text VULCAN to 70558!

Attaining our target will enable us to complete our initial developments at Doncaster, settle XH558 into her new hangar, whilst ensuring she can complete all her display commitments through to September.

If you can assist XH558 by asking friends and family to help with our final push, then here are the easiest ways:

 Call 0845 5046 558 (during office hours) and have your credit or debit card ready  Visit our donation page, enter your desired amount, then press e-donate  From your mobile phone - Text VULCAN to 70558  Scan in this QR Code on your smartphone and press SEND

Texts and QR scans cost £5 and one standard text message - Vulcan to the Sky (Charity Number 1101948) will receive the minimum of £4.50 from either of the above text services. Please make sure you have the bill payer's permission and do sign up for Gift Aid from the enclosed link if you are a UK Tax payer. We can then claim up to 25% more from the government at no additional cost to you.

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/

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Event – Trip HQ 11 Gp Bunker, Uxbridge Barracks, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB10 0RZ

The Association is still considering arranging a private tour of the old HQ 11 Group Bunker at the former RAF Uxbridge.

The bunker is the fully restored WW2 War Operations bunker where much of the Battle of Britain was controlled from. Adjacent to the entrance is a monument dedicated to those who fought and died in the Battle of Britain;

If anyone is interested, please let me (Andy Cameron) know. We are at this stage gauging the level of interest and if we have enough, will set it all up and no doubt have a great day.

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Personal Details updates.

Please (print off) complete and return the form below (address at end of newsletter) for confirmation and all updates of your personal contact details. It is the only way we can communicate with our members and so would be grateful if you can confirm to ensure we have the correct details on our files. If you know of any member changes that we may not, please do let us know or ask the member to do so.

Personal Details Update Request

Name: Address:

Post Code: Telephone: Mobile: Email address (if applicable): Date:

For the attention of the Secretary, 600 Squadron Association.

Dear Secretary,

I have noticed from your records that you are holding certain information on me that is incorrect. Please find details of how this information should be amended.

Current details held:

Amendments:

I would be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of my request, and notify me once the necessary amendments have been made. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

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Donations

DONATION SLIP – ONE OFF PAYMENT

To help us please print off a copy of this form then complete and return it, along with your donation (in pounds sterling only) to the address below. Please note we do not recommend sending cash through the post and would advise the safer option of a cheque, postal order or Bankers Order. Unfortunately we cannot accept credit card donations. Cheques payable please to; the 600 (City of London) Squadron Association.

Andy Cameron, 53 Telford Crescent, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4QT "I would like to make a voluntary donation to 600 (City of London) Squadron Association, Registered Charity No. 248203 ("The City of London Squadron Central Fund") to assist with the funding of the Association.

Title Mr Mrs Miss Ms Other______

(Please circle, as appropriate)

First Name(s) Surname

Full Address

City & Country

Telephone No. (including area codes)

Email Address

Date of Birth

Amount Donated

Payment Method Cheque Postal Order Cash

(Please circle as appropriate)

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Pro-Forma

To John Wilding 01 June 2011 7 Heathpark Drive Windlesham Surrey GU20 6JA

From...... Phone Number ......

1. There are a number of other events in the calendar for which full details are not yet available. If you think you may be interested in attending any of these please indicate below and details will be forwarded as they become available. By indicating your interest it does not commit you but reduces the number of people I have to contact prior to the event.

a. Battle of Britain Service at Westminster Abbey on 18th September.

b. 600 Squadron’s Annual Formal Dinner at Butchers Hall will be in October, the exact date is to be confirmed by OC 600 Squadron. The Squadron extends the invitation to the Association but numbers are limited. The cost of the evening last year was £60.

c. Remembrance Sunday Service at St. Pauls Cathedral on Sunday 13th November. The service starts at 1030 hours, followed by wreath laying and a parade at the Royal Exchange, then lunch at the Mansion House.

I am interested in attending:

Battle of Britain Service yes/no number of guests......

The Butchers Dinner yes/no

Remembrance Sunday Service and lunch at the Mansion House yes/no

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601 Squadron Association News

A Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 in 601 Squadron markings Motto:No Motto Badge:A winged sword

No.601 Squadron was formed at Northolt on 14 October 1925 as a light bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. A nucleus of permanent staff was posted to the squadron and on 4 December the first Auxiliary personnel were enlisted. Flying did not begin until May 1926 and it was the following year before the Avro 504Ks were supplemented by D.H.9A light bombers. In January 1927 the squadron moved to Hendon, which was its base up to the outbreak of war, apart from a few days during the Munich crisis in September 1938. In November 1929 Waptis began to arrive and a year later had replaced all the D.H.9As. These were in turn replaced by Harts by June 1933 and on 1 July 1934 the squadron was redesignated a fighter unit. The Harts were retained until replaced by Demons in August 1937. In November 1938, No.601 converted to Guantlet single-seat fighters, but in January 1939 began to receive Blenheims. It was with these that fighter patrols began when World War Two broke out in September 1939 but in March 1940 the squadron had converted to Hurricanes. During the German invasion of France, a detachment operated from French soil for a week, followed by defensive duties during the Battle of Britain while based in southern England.

In February 1941, the squadron began taking part in offensive sweeps over northern France which continued until August, when re-equipment with Airacobras began. These proved useless and were discarded in favour of Spitfires in March 1942, but after only a few minor operations. In April the squadron sailed for the Middle East and re-assembled in Egypt on 25 June. Fighter sweeps over the Western Desert started a few days later and after the rout of the Afrika Corps at El Alamein, the squadron moved westwards to Tunisia, where it was present at the end of the North African campaign in May 1943. Next month it flew to Malta to cover the Allied landings in Sicily moving into captured airfields in mid-July. In October No.601 moved to Italy, where it spent the rest of the war flying ground attack missions in support of the Allied armies. On 14 August 1945, the squadron was disbanded.

On 10 May 1946 the Auxiliary Air Force was reformed and No.601 began to recruit personnel at Hendon in June. In October it commenced flying Spitfires, but moved to North Weald in March 1949 where it converted to Vampires in December. These it flew until re-equipped with Meteors in August 1952. On 10 March 1957, the Royal Auxiliary Air Force was disbanded and No.601 ceased to exist. www.601squadron.com

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Crashed 601 Squadron Blenheim 1F

©601 OCA Archives. I was sent this picture by James Ivers. It’s a picture that has probably not been seen before. Its 601 and 600 at the annual summer camp in Lympne in 1927. The flying swords are obvious on some of the Avro 504's / DH9a, but note the 600 Sqn shield on the ones to the right. This is probably the earliest known photo with the two Squadrons together. Thanks James!

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©601 OCA Archives. 1938. Left to right S/Ldr Carlow (CO of 600), Charles Lee Steere, "Little e" Michael (forget his last name, but he had a thing against writing the capital letter "e" including his middle initial which was "e"), Michael Peacock, Jimmy Little and Roger Luard.

©601 OCA Archives. A 1939 group photo (at Camp Ford or Shorham)? – The officers are (second row from the bottom starting at 4th on the left) Jack Riddle, Guy Branch, Raymond Davis, Jimmy Little, Michael Peacock, Roger Bushell, Archie Hope, Charles Lee Steere, Paddy Green, Max Aitken, and the last one I am not sure of…..

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©601 OCA Archives. AC J.G. Hearson CB, CBE, DSO (AOC) & The Rt Hon. Sqn Ldr F.E. Guest CBE, DSO, MP ( OC 600 (B) Squadron) at Lympne.(1926 or 1927?)

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(Cloud)

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The Shoreham Aircraft Museum by Scott Rall

If you’ve never visited the Shoreham Aircraft Museum located in Shoreham, village, you’d be well served to do so. Located in a picturesque village in Kent The Shoreham Museum is a small although well stocked and fascinating museum packed full of some amazing and interesting artifacts from the Battle of Britain.

Shoreham is more than just a museum; museum volunteer Dean Sumner is extremely knowledgeable and helpful to visitors and those interested in the history. Clearly the enthusiasm and passion shown by Dean and Geoff Nutkins, a local artist with amazing talent who has painted many scenes and personalities from the Battle, are more than obvious.

The museum dates back to 1978 when a group of friends excavated crash sites from the Battle of Britain that were local to them in Kent. As the local ‘digs’ outgrew an initial display in the village due to an ever increasing collection of aircraft parts, engines, etc. a house with an attached barn was purchased and opened as a permanent Museum , and home for all the artifacts in July 1988. No less than 10 members of “The Few” and even one from the Luftwaffe attended the opening ceremony.

The Museum‘s purpose is to tell the story from both sides of the battle and is inclusive to all personnel that participated. One of the most iconic exhibits on display is the Blackout Screen from the White Hart pub at Brasted. Many of the pilots from Biggin Hill “chalked” their names on the board which can still be seen today. Names like “Dickie” Grice, “Sailor” Malan, Brian Kingcome , Bob Tuck and Al Deere to name just a few. Jack“Bunny” Rose was the last surviving name on the Screen before he passed away in 2009.

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Many items almost too numerous to list are on display including S/Ldr Jack Riddle’s flying helmet and tunic that he wore whilst in 601 Squadron. Jack Riddle was a close friend of the Museum and a popular participant during their signings. Also from 601, S/Ldr Arthur “Bill” Pond who served as a Flight Sergeant during the Battle donated his Sidcot flying suit which is displayed on a mannequin in the Museum.

A gallery is also present which displays the prints of aviation artist Geoff Nutkins.

Since September 2006, the Museum has devoted its time to the Pilot Memorials Project. The project’s goal is to remember Battle of Britain pilots that lost their lives within a 10 mile radius of the Museum. Six stone memorials shave already been unveiled with a seventh currently being planned. Two pilots in particular are Sergeant Pilot Trevor Oldfield of 92 Squadron whose doomed Spitfire crashed into the ground in Hesketh Park after combat with JU88 Bombers and its ME109 escorts. Eyewitnesses were convinced the pilot stayed with his aircraft to ensure that he would not hit the houses near the park. F/O Robin “Bubble” Waterston of 603 Squadron is also remembered as he crashed outside of Woolwhich Barracks in SE London during the battle. Flt/Lt James Paterson also of 92 Squadron, F/O Nathaniel Barry (501 Squadron), Sgt John Ellis (85 Squadron), and Sgt Jack Hammerton (615 Squadron) are also memorialized.

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Currently under restoration for the Museum’s ‘Schnellbomber’ Project is a rear canopy from a Ju88 shot down by 601 Squadron on 15th August 1940.

The Museum does not charge a fee although donations are appreciated and are used for recovery and restoration of the artifacts. Any remaining funds are donated to the RAF Guinea Pig Club, East Grinstead,

Shoreham Village is in north-west Kent, just outside the M25, close to London. It is easily reached via the A225. The Museum is located at 13 High Street, Shoreham Village, Kent. +44(0)1959 524416

For more information, please visit Shoreham Museum’s website at: http://www.shoreham-aircraft-museum.co.uk/

Scott Rall

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604 Squadron Association News

(A Bristol Blenheim Mk 1F in 604 Squadron markings)

Motto:Si vis pacem, para bellum - 'If you want peace, prepare for war' Badge: A seax.

No 604, being the County of Middlesex squadron, took part of the armorial bearings of the county, a seax, to commemorate that associaton.

No 604 Squadron was formed on 17 March 1930 at Hendon as a day bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. On 2 April it received its first DH9As and flew these till the arrival of Wapitis in September 1930. On 23 July 1934, it was redesignated a fighter squadron and received Harts as an interim type, pending the delivery of Demon two-seat fighters which arrived in June 1935. Shortly before the outbreak of war, it converted to Blenheims with which it flew defensive patrols and undertook early experiments with airborne radar.

When Germany invaded the Low Countries in May 1940, No 604 flew sweeps over the battle areas, but reverted to night patrols in July and became a full-time night fighter squadron, with Beaufighters beginning to arrive in September and by January 1941 the squadron was completely equipped with the type. Early in 1943 the decrease in enemy night raids allowed some Beaufighters to be diverted to intruder operations over enemy airfields in northern France. Conversion to Mosquitoes began in February 1944 and joined Second TAF to help provide cover for the invasion forces during the Normandy landings. In August 1944 it moved to airfields in Normandy, but returned to the UK in September for three months. From January 1945 until it disbanded on 18 April 1945, the squadron was based near Lille to provide night defence for Allied bases in the Low Countries and northern France.

On 10 May 1946, No.604 reformed at Hendon as part of the newly reconstituted Auxiliary Air Force and began recruiting in November. As a fighter squadron, it was initially equipped with Spitfires, the first of which arrived in October 1946. It converted to jet fighters with the arrival of Vampires in November 1949. These were replaced in August 1952 by Meteors which were flown until the Royal Auxiliary Air Force was disbanded on 10 March 1957.

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REUNION MENUS

Reunion lunches and dinners have always formed an important part of Associations’ programmes. The menus provide wonderful memories of these events. Below are two examples of menu covers from the 604 Squadron Association archives.

This menu printed less than a year after 604 Squadron had been reformed gives a potted history of the squadron which was still a part of the Auxiliary Air Force not yet the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

The second is the menu from the last formal luncheon held by the 604 Squadron Association on 8th October 2005. It carries a nostalgic picture of the squadron’s Meteor lined up at North Weald.

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Some pictures kindly sent to me by Jim Coverdale (804363).

604 Squadron Beaufighters – Middle Wallop

Annual Camp, 604 Squadron at Ford 1938

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604 Squadron, Bristol Blenheim, Ford 1938

604 Squadron, Middle Wallop. John Cunningham’s Night Fighter (Bristol Beaufighter T4625)

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Untitled – anyone know what or where?

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Untitled – anyone know what or where?

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604 Squadron Blenheim Ford 1938

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604 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION TIES

A limited number of 604 Squadron Association ties are available for purchase by former 604 Squadron Association members. The ties are the remainder of stock produced some years ago by C.H. Munday Ltd and may be purchased at a price of £10.00 per tie including postage & packing.

Former members wishing to obtain a tie should send a cheque made out to ‘604 Squadron Association’ to:

M. Allen 44 Campden Hill Court Campden Hill Road London W8 7HU

Ties will be despatched on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

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Fun & Stuff

Great Escape Crossword

1 Across 2 3 2 These people made maps and travel documents (7) 4 5 Name given to those who hid bags 5 of earth in their trouser legs (8)

6 7 Number of feet the tunnel was short by (3) 7 8 The tunnels were called Tom, Dick 8 9 and _____ (5)

10 9 Month of 1942 when the camp was opened (5) 11 Nickname of the chief escape 11 12 officer (3,1) 12 Used to shore up the tunnels (3,6) 13 Problems were caused because the 13 earth dug out was a different ______(6) Down 1 Number of men that escaped (7,3)

3 Polish town where Stalag Luft III was located (5) 4 The Germans believed this was impossible (6) © www.historyonthenet.com 6 These people made civilian clothes

(7)

10 Fate of 50 escapees (8)

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Rule book for RAF Pilots….

1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.

2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is,unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again.

3. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.

4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here.

5. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

6. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you canactually watch the pilot start sweating.

7. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever collided with the sky.

8. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again.

9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

10. You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp.

11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa.

12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.

13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.

14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made.

15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.

16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.

17. Helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly the earth repels them.

18. If all you can see out of the window is ground that's going round and round and all you can hear is commotion coming from the passenger compartment, things are not at all as they should be.

19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of aluminum going hundreds of miles per hour and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose.

20. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment.

21. It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going forward as much as possible.

22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.

23. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to appeal.

24. The three most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, runway behind you, and a tenth of a second ago.

………………………………

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And we thought RAF cut backs were bad…..

Tom retired in his early 50's and started a second career at B&Q.

Even though he loved his new job, he just couldn't seem to get to work on time and every day, he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late but he was a good worker and really sharp, so his boss was in a quandary about how to deal with it.

Finally one day, his boss called him into the office for a talk.

"Tom, I must tell you, I truly like your work ethic, you do a bang-up job, but being late for work nearly every day is quite annoying to me as well as your fellow workers."

Tom replied, "Yes sir, I know. I'm sorry, but I am working on it."

"That's what I like to hear," his boss said.

"However, the fact that you consistently come to work late does puzzle me, because I understand that you retired from the RAF, and they have some pretty rigid rules about tardiness. Isn't that correct?"

"Yes, I did retire from the Royal Air Force, and I'm very proud of it!", said Tom.

"Well, what did they say when you came in late?"

"They said, 'Good morning Air Vice Marshal".

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A Pilot Officer was walking home from work one day, when he noticed a little boy sitting on the pavement.

The little boy was playing with a pile of doggy dirt. Curious, the PO walked over to the little boy and asked him "Why are you playing with a pile of doggy dirt?" The little boy replied "I'm building an NCO". ThePO, amused by this, ran back to the unit to get his Flt Lt. Upon returning to the little boy, who was still playing with the pile of doggy-do, the Flt Lt asked "Son, what are you doing?" The little boy looked up at him and said " I'm building an NCO". The Flt Lt being equally amused insisted that they return and get the Sqn Ldr. When the three returned the little boy, still playing with his pile of poo, was asked by the Sqn Ldr "Son, what are you doing?" The little boy again replied "I'm building and NCO". "Why are you building an NCO?" asked the Sqn Ldr. The little boy paused and responded "Because I don't have enough poo to build an officer".

………………………….

Officer: "LAC, do you have change for a Fiver?"

LAC: "Yes mate".

Officer: "That's no way to address an officer!

Now let's try it again!"

Officer: "LAC, do you have change for a Fiver?"

LAC: "No, SIR!"

......

Having just moved into his new office, a pompous, new Wing Commander was sitting at his desk when an airman knocked on the door. Conscious of his new position, the WingCo quickly picked up the phone, told the airman to enter, then said into the phone, "Yes, Air Vice Marshal, I'll be seeing him this afternoon and I'll pass along your message. In the meantime, thank you for your good wishes, sir."

Feeling as though he had sufficiently impressed the young enlisted man, he asked, "What do you want?"

"Nothing important, sir," the airman replied, "I'm just here to hook up your telephone."

……………………………..

The three most useless things in aviation are: Fuel in the bowser; Runway behind you; and Air above you. — Basic Flight Training Manual

…………………………….

"You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal." — Fighter Training Manual

………………………………

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Only in the Navy…..

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Phonetic Alphabet

Find and circle the Phonetic Alphabet words that are hidden in the grid. The remaining letters spell an additional word from the Phonetic Alphabet.

ALPHA HOTEL OSCAR UNIFORM BRAVO INDIA PAPA VICTOR CHARLIE JULIET QUEBEC WHISKEY

DELTA KILO ROMEO X -RAY ECHO LIMA SIERRA YANKEE FOXTROT MIKE TANGO ZULU GOLF

Did you enjoy this puzzle? Visit: http://www.puzzles.ca/wordsearch.html

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…………………………………

As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives. The rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, "What the heck happened here?" The pilot replies: "I don't know, I just got here myself!"

………………………………….

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Aircraft Recognition……

Whats this then?

What about this little mystery nugget?

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An easy one?

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Footnote

A reminder. This is YOUR newsletter, and I hope you will both enjoy reading it, and find the content interesting. I would of course welcome your feedback.

The newsletter depends largely on YOUR contributions. Please forward any & all contributions to me (no matter how small). Photographs, articles, memories, funny stories etc – all welcome and appreciated, especially from our older members who may like to share memories, thoughts records, pictures etc that they may wish to share with our younger members of perhaps your War time experiences?

I will endeavour to use all material provided albeit I reserve the right to edit as required. Please also note that I may not use you material in the current newsletter period, but may hold it back for a later issue.

If anyone ever spots an innocent faux-pas or technical inaccuracy, please do let me know so I can correct it.

Please send me all your material at [email protected] if you do not have e mail, post your articles to Andy Cameron, 53 Telford Crescent, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4QT. If you require any originals returned, copies and will be taken and sent back, although please ensure you provide your name & address. If you wish to kindly donate any material to the archive, please do specify this and it will of course be very gratefully received!

If at all possible, electronic copies are preferred either by email or disc. Please where possible save your file to word format as it makes it quicker and easier for me to simply format and insert.

Hand written or typed are fine too – Mrs Cameron has become a dab hand at transposing onto the PC for me!

And one final reminder – can I please ask that those of you who have e-mail drop me a quick contact message with your name so that I can keep our records up to date.

I have been asked several times if I could e-mail you the newsletter so that you could get it faster and save the Association money in printing, paper, envelopes and postage. Having done it all now several times, I now find that emailing is none too easy due to the file size (average of 55mb) – It’s all the lovely photos that are to blame, so for now, I will continue to mail you the hard copy. It should be noted that presently, I have a private sponsor who is providing all materials and postage costs for the newsletter by way of a donation.

And finally, you may have noticed I am still a bit of a Blenheim & Beaufighter geek. If anyone has any photos or records specific to the Blenheim, I would be very grateful for a copy. The records would be primarily for the archive, but also for my own personal interest.

Cut-off date’s for Newsletter submissions to Newsletter 2011

30 Nov 2011 Andy

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Hello to everyone from Caron & Ian Wilson.

The World of Collecting Vintage Aviation Memorabilia is possibly the most Interesting, Exciting and Diverse there is! Different Era's, Squadron's, Aircraft, Countries, Equipment, RFC, RAF, Luftwaffe, Flying Helmet, Oxygen Mask, Goggles, Cockpit Clock, Flying Boots.... and the list goes on.

Our intention is to offer Aviation Enthusiasts and Collectors around the World the most varied and interesting items we can find. When we say "find" we mean that quite literally, we won't be sitting around waiting for a Type D Oxygen Mask to drop on our laps! Caron and I have given up our full-time jobs, bought a motorhome and plan to visit ALL of the major UK & European Militaria Fairs, Antique & Collector Fairs, Private Auctions, Flea Markets etc.

We will scour every nook and cranny to find you the collector, the type of Aviation items you tell us you are after. Send us your 'wish-list' and we'll do our best on your behalf. From Flying Helmets to Cockpit Clocks, Fug Boots to Scramble Bells - Whatever we find, you will find on the Bombphoons website at some stage.

1914-1945, Axis or Allied, Issued or Private Purchase, Mint or Relic, we will find it.

Bombphoons will also offer a Money Back Guarantee if you are not totally satisfied with your purchase.

One last thing; I am a Collector too. I am always willing to buy or trade for any Hawker Typhoon/Tempest and 2nd Tactical Air Force items for my own display, and we're also interested in buying any items for the website too.

Caron and I look forward to working with you.

Editor note:- I have dealt with Ian recently and can HIGHLY recommend Bomphoons. Ian & Caron are unusual amongst Militaria dealers in that they are 100% genuine, honest, really sincere and really nice people. I totally endorse their service and am happy to include them in this newsletter to promote their services.

Andy

Web: www.bombphoons.com Tel: +44 (0)7969 051 573 Email: [email protected] Address: 30 Pikesyde, Dipton, Stanley, Co. Durham, DH9 9EQ, United Kingdom

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Newsletter contact;

Andy Cameron 53 Telford Crescent Woodley Reading Berkshire RG5 4QT Email; [email protected] Tel; 0118 962 8118

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