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F540 Operations Record Book May 1953 NO 112 SQUADRON.
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2588 Microfilm Row1 Draws 52-71
Place Date Time Summary of Events                          COMPILING OFFICER..Plt Off. J.E.A. JENKINS... REFS TO APPENDICES
       
JEVER 1.5.53   The month opened with the return of the almost forgotten Fg. Off. Creswick from
Filton, where he had been waiting for a new barostat to be fitted.   The Squadron was on
Battle Flight but those pilots not so engaged flew many cine sorties in preparation for
Sylt.   The C.O. left today for the U.K. to attend the Land/Air Warfare Course.
 
  5.5.53   Advantage was again taken of the good weather, and cine and low level sorties were flown  
  6.5.53   Bad weather restricted our flying today to two weather tests.  
  7.5.53   The Squadron had the use of the Meppen Range today.   Thirty five cannon sorties were flown
(17½ hours) and the scores and stoppage rate were good.   The Wg.Cdr. Flying flew one
Sortie with the Squadron and scored 40.
 
  8.5.53   Twenty cine and formation sorties were flown and in the late afternoon the first practice
Wing Coronation Flypast was flown in conjunction with the Ahlhorn Wing.
 
  11.5.53   Due to indifferent weather at the range today's R/P firing was limited to the more
experienced pilots.   Eleven sorties were flown before "rain stopped play" - There
were no hang-ups.
 
  12.5.53   Flt. Lt. Holmes, as deputy Coronation Fly Past Leader, spent the morning flying round
the route.   (Base-Gutersloh-refuel-Gutersloh-Paderborn-Munster-Fassberg-refuel-Fassberg-
Saltau-Hamburg-Base)Plt.Off. Duke returned from his convalencing and claimed to be fit.
He flew a rehabilitation Sector recce.   The rest of the Squadron still has its nose to
the grindstone.
 
  13.5.53   The box leaders, Flt.Lt. Robinson and Holmes flew yet another practice flypast and Sgt.
Lackran
had his first experience of flying a dropped-tanked Vampire.   Fg.Off. Dawes and
Plt.Off. Jenkins stood in for one section of No. 4 Squadron on Battle Flight.
 
  14.5.53   The weather halted the flying during the day but we were able to night-fly in spite of
a fairly thick haze.   Sgt. Lackran did his first jet night-flying, and seven cross
countries were flown to Wunstorf.
 
  17.5.53   Preparations for our visit to Sylt were completed today and the pack wagons loaded.
Plt.Off's Brown and Frame joined the Squadron from Chivenor.   They both have short
service commissions.
 

JEVER
SYLT
18.5.53   The rail party moved off today under the charge of Plt.Off. Frame and arrived safely at
Sylt with the Squadron hound (Blackie) in hot pursuit.
The Squadron flew 14 aircraft to Sylt in the morning and the afternoon was spent on
removing the drop-tanks (taken for the flypast only) whilst the pilots were welcomed
and briefed for the attachment.
 
  20.5.53   On the first day of firing only those who had been to Sylt before fired.   The five
pilots who had joined the Squadron since then have to fly two demo's and six cine
sorties before starting live shoots.   The stoppage rate was good and the scores as one
would expect on a first day.
 
  22.5.53   The scores are building up slowly and all pilots are learning from each others much
analysed mistakes.   The stoppage rate is still quite good and we face the Whitsun
Grant with high hopes for the future weather and scores.
 
  26.5.53   The newer pilots are now firing on the range though the weather is not too good.  
  27.5.53   Weather curtailed flying all today but twelve sorties were flown after 1800.
Unfortunately a days tensioning of the B.F.M. springs led to several stoppages.
 
  28.5.53   We flew fortythree sorties today and returned some reasonable scores.   All pilots
are now firing two guns(50 rounds each.)
 
  30.5.53   Both flights have similar averages and the competition is becoming keener.  
  31.5.53   The pilots taking part in the Fly Past, left for Gutersloh this afternoon, they were:-
Flt.Lt. Robinson, Flt.Lt. Holmes, Fg.Off. Creswick, Fg.Off.Jonklass, Fg.Off.
Concannon
Plt.Off.Jenkins and Sgt. Jones with Fg.Off.'s Francis and Dawes as spares.
 
      GENERAL: With the increase in flying the standard is improving in all aspects.  
 
DISCIPLINE: The discipline and morale were good during the month.  
      SPORT: The Squadron took part in the Wing Sports and came a close second to No. 4
Squadron
in the over all results.   Sgt. Jones, S.A.C. Rolf and S.A.C. Cattanach deserve
mention for their efforts.

 
                                                                                                  signedIDBoltonSL
                                                                                              ( I.D. BOLTON))
     ;                                                                                        Squadron Leader,
                                                                                             Officer Commanding,
                                                                                             N0.   112   Squadron




 
                Strength Pilots.
            Sqn. Ldr.   I. D.  Bolton, D.F.C.,

            Flt.    Lt.     Robinson
            Fg.Off.       Creswick
            Fg.Off.       Francis
            Fg.Off.       Concannon
            Plt.Off.       Lydiate
            Sgt.           Jones,

            Flt.Lt.        McConnell
            Flt.Lt.        Holmes
            Fg.Off.     Jonklass
            Fg.Off.     Dawes
            Fg.Off.     LeBreton
            Fg.Off.     Duke
            Fg.Off.     Beaumont
            Plt.Off.     Jenkins
            Sgt.          Lackran


 
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