No.263 SQUADRON THE LION IS KNOWN BY HIS CLAWS W/O Alexander Smart arrived as Squadron 21st OCTOBER 1939 Disciplinarian. Sgt Patrick Ian Watson-Parker met with a flying W/O Sanders arrived as Armament Officer. accident in Gladiator K6145, whilst flying in the very RAF Filton near vicinity of the Severn Bridge, near Lydney, 2nd 6th Gloucestershire. The wingtip struck the water whilst No.263 Squadron was formed under S/L John P/O William Edmund Hunt arrived as Adjutant. carrying out a turn. Pilot swam ashore & admitted to William Donaldson. Lydney Hospital with facial injuries & exhaustion. F/L Randolph Stuart Mills arrived for flying duties 10th Aircraft exploded & sank in 30 feet of water. from HQ Fighter Command, to command ‘A’ Flight. 6 Gladiators collected from No.605 Sqn, Tangmere; F/L Tom Rowland arrived for flying duties from HQ the Squadron's 1st equipment. 26th No. 11 Group Uxbridge, to command ‘B’ Flight. 6 Gladiators collected from 8 MU, Little Rissington. P/O James Martin Abell, P/O Graham Walter Beech 11th Austin, P/O Michael Alexander Craig-Adams, P/O 4 Gladiators delivered, making 10 in total. 27th John Antony Dixon, P/O Dudley Henry Forrest, P/O P/O James Martin Abell, P/O Graham Walter Beech 5 Gladiators collected from 8 MU, Little Rissington. Harold Bryan Lillie Hillcoat, P/O Joseph Grantley Austin & P/O Harold Bryan Lillie Hillcoat posted to Hughes, P/O Louis Reginald Jacobson DFC, P/O No.605 Sqn, Tangmere. 28th Irving Francis McDermott, P/O John Woffenden Sgt Basil Ewart Patrick Whall, Sgt Patrick Ian 5 Gladiators collected from 8 MU, Little Rissington. McKenzie, P/O Sidney Robert McNamara, P/O Watson-Parker & Sgt Herbert Horatio Kitchener Darrell Edward David Milsom, P/O Patrick John arrived for flying duties from No.605 Sqn, Tangmere. 31st Muriel Nettleton, P/O Phillip Hannah Purdy, P/O The Squadron completed 409:30 day & 9:10 night Peter Wyatt-Smith, Sgt Reginald Thomas Llewellyn 12th hours. This was only attained by, on average 6 out of Sgt Arthur Edward Makins, Sgt Ernest Frederick P/O Wyatt-Smith force landed in Gladiator K6145. 10 aircraft being kept serviceable speaking very William Russell, Sgt Kenneth Primrose Vickery highly of the skill shown by the airmen. The standard arrived for flying duties from No.3 FTS. 19th reached is now very nearly on a par with a fully P/O George Stanley Milligan arrived for flying duties S/L Donaldson, F/L Mills & F/L Rowland carried out trained Squadron. Strength of Squadron as at 31st from No.11 Group HQ. ground attack on AA Defence Positions near Bristol. October was 15 Officers, 185 Airmen. 24th confidence in their guns which is perhaps the NOVEMBER 1939 16 Pilots now fully trained for Air Fighting. 13 most important item in air fighting. Great have reached this high standard 8-weeks after advantage & accuracy was found possible by RAF Filton passing out of Flying Training School. the fact that the CO & the 2 Flight Commanders 6th with R/T took each pilot individually & made 6 new Gladiators collected from No.6 MU, Brize 25th close observations of the aim they took whilst Norton. Sgt Reginald Thomas Llewellyn & Sgt Arthur firing. Pilots were checked & rechecked by R/T Edward Makins posted to No.41 Sqn, Catterick. from the air & it can now be stated that the 11th The Squadron, it has been ordered to take over standard not only improved rapidly with this F/S Bertrum Robert Grant appointed W/O the Air Safety of the Western part of England, assistance, but it has become very accurate. (Eng). which speaks very highly of its standard considering it was formed 7 weeks ago. It is the 28th 14th only Squadron detailed for this. S/L Donaldson broadcast to the Royal Navy & Re-equipped with Browning .303 guns. Air Firing at Sand Bay & 50,000 rounds of AA of Portsmouth Command & District on Sgt Dennis William Mason arrived for flying ammunition were fired in 2 days. Many teething methods of recognition of British Aircraft as duties from No.11 Group Pool, St. Athan. troubles with the guns were experienced but against Hostile Aircraft. P/O Craig-Adams flew have now been rectified & all guns are now a Gladiator in a Demonstration. mechanically perfect. The pilots have 11th The Squadron attended a Dinner in honour of W/C DECEMBER 1939 During the early hours of the morning the Observer O'Neill, Station Commander who has been appointed Corps reported the sounds of an explosion in the G/C on taking Command of North Weald. 1 of the RAF Filton Bristol Channel & gave sound plots of a single Squadrons at North Weald is commanded by S/L 1st-2nd aircraft. These plots were intermittent coming in Edward Mortlock ‘Teddy’ Donaldson, the brother of F/O Rowland, who has proved himself most capable every 15 minutes. Later it was reported that a ship the CO of this Squadron. in his duties as Flight Commander, recommended for was making a series of short blasts from its foghorn. promotion to F/L. 2 aircraft were standing by at Readiness but owing 22nd P/O McNamara to Royal Navy as a RAF Liaison to insufficient detail it was considered unnecessary S/L Donaldson commences leave. Officer. His duties are to sort out friendly & hostile to employ them. F/L Mills takes over command of the Squadron. aircraft throughout the voyage of a Convoy which will last approximately 10 days. 14th 26th The following airmen were posted to Ground Formation led by P/O Craig-Adams made a forced 5 ‘A’ Flight aircraft formed the ‘Bomber’ formation, Training School, Eastchurch. Cpl T.F. Thornber, Cpl landing at Handley Swan owing to poor visibility & & 3 ‘B’ Flight aircraft successfully Intercepted over W.J. McDonald, Cpl J.G. Boggan, Cpl C.V. Misstear, lack of petrol. P/Os Milsom & McKenzie landed Yeovil. AC2 T.W. TROW, LAC S. Vincent, AC2 G.R. Angus, LAC successfully but P/O Craig-Adams broke his aircraft J.G. Dumbleton, AC1 G.E. Manley, AC2 J.K. McLean, when, after touching down, it passed through a 28th AC2 G.E. Parry, AC2 R.S. Saunders, LAC A.E. Thorn, bogged draining run, causing it to turn into a hedge. S/L Donaldson returned from leave. AC2 B.H. Williams, AC2 J.H. Wilson, AC2 L.J. 3 successful Interceptions during the day. It is Cheeseman, LAC R. Davies, 746561 AC2 E. Evans, AC2 15th considered that under the bad visibility conditions, C. Bowyer. S/L Donaldson, F/L Mills & W/O Grant proceeded to the flying was of the highest possible standard. 3 forced-landing field to make the necessary decision different Controllers controlled each of the 3rd regarding the damage etc. The field was situated 50 Interceptions and in each case only 2 vectors were S/L Donaldson to Eastchurch for Broadcast on miles from Filton. It was found the field was long & given. In one case the Flight Commander of ‘A’ Flight Recognition Demonstration. P/O Craig-Adams is to narrow, the surface not being considered very was given the order to orbit at Zero+12 & at that assist in a fly past in a Gladiator. suitable for landing, but the party believed it was the precise moment he was level with the hostile aircraft. best field in the district. The forced-landing field was The matter was investigated later, & it was 4th in upper part of the River Severn, & at present most considered that the fault lay with the Observer Corps, The Gloucester Observer Corps reported an aircraft of the land is under water. S/L Donaldson & F/L Mills whose plots were being plotted in the Operations bearing German National Markings. ‘B’ Flight flew the 2 serviceable machines out, F/L Mills Room some 8-minutes after observation. F/L Mills intercepted the aircraft which was found to be an reached Filton in ½-hour, but S/L Donaldson's will carry out trials with the object of bringing a Anson. The Interception was carried out with ease & aeroplane developed plug trouble & he made a higher degree of efficiency with the posts concerned. over a range of 34 miles. Place of Interception was precautionary landing at Gloster's aerodrome. With reference to the Forced Landings of the Stroud. following aircraft – Gladiators N5649, N5632 & T/Sgt W.F. Howells posted to No.1 Balloon Training 16th N5635. The following is an extract from a letter Unit, RAF Cardington. ‘Works & Buildings’ have worked on the aerodrome addressed to The Under-Secretary of State for Sgt Denis William Mason awarded a special for the past fortnight & the surface has become much Commanding. ‘I consider that all 3 pilots concerned assessment from No.13 Training School. improved, although there are still portions that showed sound common sense & I agree with the remain unserviceable. remarks made by the CO No.263 Sqn in his report 5th attached to the above-mentioned letter in that both 3 Practice Interceptions. 1st led by S/L Donaldson 38 17th pilots showed great courage & determination in miles from Filton, 2 miles south of Wincanton; 2nd led The Station Signal Officer reported that his Wireless maintaining their positions in the formations.’ by F/L Mills, 22 miles from Filton, 3 miles south of Operators had had more practise during the past 3- Bath; 3rd led by F/L Rowland, 22 miles from weeks than they had received over the previous 4 29th Malmesbury. So far, this Squadron has met with months & the efficiency & smooth running of his A thick fog broke out approximately ½-hour after 100% success of all Interceptions carried out.