AUGUST 2009 2nd TACTICAL AIR FORCE MEDIUM BOMBERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER B25 Nose Art Norfolk Fields Wartime creativity What are they doing today? Grumpy-ness Reborn Lizzies She’s back in the air ‘Moon planes’ fly again Mogin’s Maulers Steam-powered Halifax Aftermath A ‘bit’ unusual Neder-Lands Whispering Grass 2nd TACTICAL AIR FORCE MEDIUM BOMBERS ASSOCIATION Incorporating 88, 98, 107, 180, 226, 305, 320, & 342 Squadrons 137 & 139 wings, 2 Group RAF MBA Executive – United Kingdom Chairman/Liaison Norman Prowse 6 Kenwood Road, Edmonton, London N9 7Jd Telephone: 020 8803 2986 Secretary/Archivist Russell LeGross 15 Holland Park Drive, Hedworth Estate, Jarrow, Tyne & Wear NE32 4LL Telephone: 0191 4569840 E-mail: [email protected] Treasurer Amanda Riley 9 Sidney Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK40 2BQ Telephone: 01234 305907 E-mail: [email protected] Registrar John D. McDonald 35 Mansted Gardens, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Essex RM6 4ED Telephone: 020 8590 2524 E-mail: [email protected] Newsletter Editor Peter Jenner 13 Squirrel Close, Sandhurst, Berks GU47 9Dl Telephone: 01252 877031 E-mail: [email protected] MBA Executive - Canada Chairman/Newsletter Editor David Poissant 242 Harrowsmith Drive, Mississauga, ON L5R 1R2 Telephone: 905-568-0184 E-mail: [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer Susan MacKenzie 406 Devine Street, Sarnia, ON N7T 1V5 Telephone: 519-332-2765 E-mail: [email protected] Western Representative Ken Wright 2714 Keighley Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5X8 Telephone: 250-756-3138 E-mail: [email protected] Eastern Representative Darrell Bing 75 Baroness Close, Hammond Plains, NS B4B 0B4 Telephone: 902-463-7419 E-mail: [email protected] MBA Executive - Australia Secretary Tricia Williams PO Box 16, Ormond, Victoria, Australia 3204 Telephone: 03 9578 5390 E-mail: [email protected] Dispersals is published February ● May ● August ● November DISPERSALS ● CANADIAN CORNER August 2009 LAST POST Charles Raymond Plewman (Observer - 98 Squadron) passed away peacefully on 15 May 2009 in his apartment at Alexander Mackie Lodge in Langford on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In 1942, after completing his BCATP Observer training, he joined 98 Sqn flying with an English crew: F/S K. Marlow, F/S L.K. Staines and F/S M.G. Penfare. Charlie survived 57 operations during two tours with 98 Squadron, with a break between when he instructed ‘GEE’ at Bicester OTU. Charlie was predeceased by his wife Alice in 1995; he lived with daughter Carol and her husband David Mallett before moving in with his partner Gladys Vietch in 2005. Gladys passed away 19 Feb 2009. Charlie requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Sooke Elderly Citizens’ Housing Society (6764 Ayre Road, Sooke, BC. V9Z 1K1), the non-profit society for which he was a board member from 1980 until 2005. Chairman’s Message Steam-powered Halifaxes are the subject of an article in this month’s ‘Dispersals’. It was originally published in two 2001 issues of ‘Short Bursts’, the former newsletter of the Canadian Air Gunners’ Association. A very interesting account; it raised Air Gunner Member comments of both doubt and confirmation. I attempted to find confirming information but found little beyond names in the article being listed as active at Marston Moor Airfield; with so many wartime ‘top secrets’ now unveiled (‘Ultra’ for example), one would think that information on 1 something as exotic as steam-powered aircraft would be everywhere. Please let us know if you had any firsthand experience with these ‘Top Secret’ aircraft or know someone who did. Ladies: Were you a war bride? Let us know your experiences. How and where did you meet your Air Force husband? What were your first impressions of Canada? Please tell us about it. Your Say Letters From Our Members (and others) Yves Duwelz in Belgium: Thanks a lot for the information [‘Interim Notes’ email on Canadian Warplane Heritage Lysander]. I will forward to my contacts here as there are many Lysander addicts. The Lysander of the Sabena Old Timers in Brussels is near its first flight after restoration. Their second Lysander in restoration (for the Brussels Army Museum) is also near completion. I received the last ‘Dispersals’ (Mai 2009); very Sabena Old Timers ‐ Brussels Air Museum interesting. Have a very nice evening (or a good morning on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean). Walter Eacott (‘Odd Bods’ Association Newsletter Editor) in Australia: ‘Dispersals’ received intact and complete. Congratulations, it’s a great publication. Very good pics and not only are the articles interesting and well-presented, I feel like one of the family when I read of Dick Levy (I’m going to see him tomorrow at Bendigo), Nevin Filby (a very smartly-dressed 90-year old who sends me Newsletter stuff) and George Smith (our George Smith). Finally by the strangest coincidence, I came to the bottom of the letter where the change of address for Norman Goyen was posted. I sat here last night at this very computer and typed in the same change of address for Odd Bod Norman Goyen that George Smith had sent me. I would appreciate it very much if you keep in touch and make me a regular recipient of ‘Dispersals’. For your info, I flew Beaufighters (Night Fighters in UK and Costal Day Fighters in North Africa and Middle East). [Editor’s note: I contacted Walter while researching 2nd Tactical Air Force information. I read a number of ‘Odd Bod’ newsletters online and emailed copies of our last two issues to Walter. Our Associations share a number of members in Australia.] 2 THE TOP SECRET TRUTH OF THE HALIFAX IV BOMBER Based upon the writing and memoirs of Harry Thomas Esq. (RAF Ret’d.) Edited by Chief Technician David Curry RAF First published in Air Gunners Association’s ‘Short Bursts’ March/April 2001 During October 1995, I researched the loss of a 102 Squadron Halifax III heavy bomber, based at Pocklington. My investigations revealed that the particular aircraft and its crew were shot down by flak while attacking Koblenz; the seven man crew were lost. While obtaining information from the Public Archives Office relating to this bomber, I came across a previously top secret classified document detailing the formation of a specialist and highly unusual Halifax bomber squadron in Yorkshire. The document revealed that from mid-1943 a special high altitude day bomber force of 20 Halifax IVs were operating from Marston Moor airfield. The unit was not assigned a squadron number, but was merely identified as ‘S’ (Special) Squadron, and was administratively controlled by 4 Group HQ of RAF Bomber Command. The document said that the Halifax IV had been designed to fly at high speed, extreme altitudes, and was fitted with very special engines. Similarly, they contained the latest in blind bombing aids, namely H2X, and were fitted with the high altitude tachometer bombsight. Upon checking, the only entry I could find describing the Halifax IV was, and I quote, "Halifax IV - Experimental aircraft built for the purpose of testing new engine mountings". This seemed rather odd as I had read archives saying that they were conducting operations to Germany from 1943 to the end of the war. I next approached the Air Research Branch in London and gained access to previously classified government papers relating to a meeting, held in 1942, of a committee set up to discuss the design of a new type of bomber. Shortly afterwards I was introduced, through the 4566 Sqn. association, to a Mr Harry Thomas, who as a young man, had served with 466 Sqn, 35 Sqn, and then ‘S’ Sqn. The story he told me regarding the introduction to service of the Halifax IV must surely be one of the strangest to be uncovered from WW2. Prior to joining the RAF in 1940, Harry Thomas was a trainee Fireman/Stoker working on the foot plate of the LNER (London North-Eastern Railway). At the outbreak of the war he joined up hoping to become a pilot, but after selection ended up as a flight engineer destined for Bomber Command. After completion of his training in Canada, Harry Thomas commenced his flying career on Hampdens and then on Wellington bombers. His Squadron then re-equipped with the new four-engined "heavy" Halifax I, and the entire Squadron underwent HCU (heavy conversion unit). 3 He did not realize at the time but his pre-war and wartime training would introduce him to one of the best kept secrets of the war. The advent of the four-engined heavy bombers meant that more and more 100 octane fuel was needed, and this while our convoys were still suffering terrible losses carrying fuel from the USA. Inevitably, something had to give. Just as petroleum and oil would prove to be the Achilles heel of Germany towards the end of the war, it was also causing concern within Bomber Command. A solution was sought at the highest level of government and many scientist and learned bodies were approached. Eventually, a Junior Minister of Fuel and Production, named Stephenson, suggested we utilize our most abundant fuel supply, namely coal. The Germans were producing thousands of tons of aviation spirit every month from coal, but it was a very inefficient method and only viable because of the vast European stocks on hand. Unfortunately, the German fuel was low octane, and while the enemy's engines were designed to run on low grade petrol, our engines were not and would suffer irreparable damage. Similarly, the conversion of so many of our refineries to the method would cause too much disruption to our already hard pressed fuel output. Experts from the Air Ministry and Industry joined forces and came up with the surprising solution by re-designing the already proven and tested Sentinel Supeer-heated steam engine.