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F540 Operations Record Book July 1957 NO 118 SQUADRON.
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2705 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71
Place Date Time Summary of Events                     COMPILING OFFICER__Fg. Off. A. F. Brewer_________   REF. TO APPENDICES
       
JEVER 1.7.57   The last month of flying as an operational squadron started off pretty well today.   Six
aircraft were available throughout the day and six high level battle 'fours' on P.I.'s
were flown.   The other pair flew cine ¼'s with the odd individual sortie for a total of
27 hours for the day.
 
  2.7.57   Another excellent day's flying.   Seven serviceable aircraft flown on an extremely
good mixture of sorties, including high level Battle. low level battle, cine and
individual trips, resulted in 34 hours being flown.
 
  3.7.57   The normal Wednesday half-day reduced the amount of flying done to 13 hours but still
maintained the total at well above the required figure for the stage of the month.
 
  4.7.57   Thirty hours flown today brought the total flying for the first four days in July to
above the 100 hours mark.   If this continues, the squadron's final month is going to
prove a record one.   The emphasis was placed on 'fours' in the morning and cine 'pairs'
in the afternoon with some individual sorties.'
 
  5.7.57   As a reward to the ground crew for the magnificent effort of the past four days, they
were stood down at 14.00 hours while the pilots did dinghy drill.   The emphasis during the
mornings flying was placed on cine and 24 hours were flown.
 
  6.7.57   No flying today, the pilots once again did dinghy drill.  
  7.7.57   Stand-down.  
  8.7.57   A good day's flying.   6 serviceable aircraft enabled 29 hours to be flown on a well
balanced mixture of flying.   This brings the present total for the month to 156 hours.
60 hours above the target for this stage of the month.
 
JEVER 9.7.57   The long awaited exercise 'General Alert' took place this morning.   First take-off
for this squadron being 04.15 hours.   The groundcrew achieved the magnificent effort
of having 7 seven serviceable aircraft on the line within 45 minutes of starting work
and for most of the morning the squadron was providing up to 75% of the aircraft
strength of the wing.   Due to the very early start and the good serviceability we flew
40 hours today, mainly on pairs on the exercise and individual trips in the afternoon
after the exercise was over.
 
  10.7.57   In the morning's flying the squadron flew 11 hours, mainly on individual sorties.  
  11.7.57   Exercise 'Argus' took place today which involved a lot of waiting around on the ground
for the targets to appear.   This kept the flying hours down to 22, mainly composed of
high level interceptions in 'Pairs' and 'Fours'.
 
  12.7.57   A slight dropping off in serviceability meant that only 20 hours were flown on high
level battle and individual trips.
 
  13.7.57   Stand-down.  
  14.7.57   Stand-down.  
  15.7.57   In order to allow some primary inspections to be carried out we did not start flying
until 13.00 hours today and with only four aircraft we were only able to do 8 hours.
 
  16.7.57   The squadron started battle flight today but the aircraft serviceability fell to two
by 11.00 hours and these had to be at 5 minutes readiness all day, we were unable to
fly any more.
 
  17.7.57   A little better serviceability today, 6 being available.   However the normal
Wednesday half day meant that only 11 hours were flown consisting of high level Battle
fours on P.I.'s.
 
  18.7.57   Quite a good day, we flew one four first thing but two of them went U/S for a time and
therefore we flew pairs for the remainder of the day.   A total of 25 hours were flown,
all on practice interceptions.
 
  19.7.57   Battle Flight continued today, five high level battle 'fours' being flown.   A few small
snags stopped flying for an hour at mid-day but apart from this it was quite successful.
Some good P.I.'s were carried out and the standard of controlling was generally good.
Some 21 hours flown brought the achievement for the month to above the 300 hours so far,
an excellent total.
 
  20.7.57   Stand down to two hours available from mid-day today meant that only 12 hours were
flown on Battle Flight this morning.
 
JEVER 21.7.57   Stand-down.  
  22.7.57   A bit of an 'On & Off' day.   After the first detail we were held on the ground to
intercept 65 Squadron who are visiting the station.   This meant that the second detail
did not go until 10.45 hours; quite a long wait.   All this waiting around left us with
only 19 hours flown at the end of the day.
 
  23.7.57   Not a very good day, poor serviceability reduced flying to a few pairs on cine before
the weather 'clamped' at 13.30 hours.
 
  24.7.57   Two 'fours' & a few individual sorties were all that were flown this morning.  
  25.7.57   Poor weather at the start prevented any flying before 11.30 hours and the remainder of
the day consisted of mainly individual sorties.   A team from the instrument rating
Squadron have been visiting this station over the past few days.   The reports have
just come in and they show that almost without exception, the instrument flying of the
Squadron is excellent.
 
  26.7.57   Poor weather reduced flying all day and only 12 hours were flown on pairs doing cine .  
  27.7.57   The Squadron threw a 'Disbandment Party' for the rest of the station last night and
therefore it was thought better that no flying be done this morning.
 
  28.7.57   Stand-down.  
  29.7.57   Flying was kept to a reasonable minimum today, just enough being done to pass 400 hours
for the month.   The reason for the reduced flying effort was to enable the groundcrew
to get all aircraft serviceable for the farewell flypast which we intend to do
tomorrow.   What flying there was consisted mainly of cine and individual sorties.
 
  30.7.57   The only flying done today consisted of the Squadron's farewell flypast over
R.A.F. Jever.   From all accounts they were quite successful and the groundcrew
achieved the magnificent effort of having all 13 aircraft on strength serviceable
and in the air.
 
  31.7.57   The Squadron's "Final Day" of operational flying consisted entirely of a few individual
sorties by the few pilots left on the Squadron.   It is a rather sad day for all of us
but we still have hopes that, some day, No. 118 Squadron will fly operationally again,
maintaining the high standard of efficiency that these past few years have produced.
 
 
3.7.57
11.7.57
31.7.57
                                                           PERSONNEL
Fg.Off. W.B. Maish, Squadron P.A.I., posted to No. 4 Squadron.
Fg.Off. D. Henderson repatriated to U.K.
Fg.Off's B.C. Lawn, K.D. Gray and P.W. Baines repatriated to U.K.
 
 
Aircraft

Hunter
Vampire


  Day
  Day
                                                           FLYING HOURS
      Hrs.              Mins.              Sorties
     425                 10                      615
       28                 20                        36

                                                                                  signedKJGoodwin
                                                                                  (K.J. Goodwin)
                                                                                  Flight Lieutenant,
                                                                                  Officer Commanding,
                                                                                  No. 118 Squadron.
                                                                                  Royal Air Force.


Handwritten attachment:
ADDENDUM
                        Subsequent to its disbandment, it was learned
that the Squadron had been awarded the "Duncan"
Trophy
for 1957/58 on the results of their Air Firing
Detachment at Sylt during January to August 1957.
                        The Commander-in-Chief Second Tactical Air
Force, Air Marshal Sir Humphrey Edwards-Jones KCB, CBE,
DFC, A.F.C. presented the Trophy to the last Commanding Officer
of the squadron at a ceremony at JEVER on 22nd April
1958 at which 14 former pilots of the squadron were
on parade.

(Photographs of the ceremony have been placed in the squadron
history folder in A.H.B.5.)


118sqnpic039.jpg, 149712 bytes
                118 Sqn Reformed for 1 day, on parade to receive the Duncan Trophy for Gunnery - 23Apr58

Aircrew row L to R: Ginger Dutton, Bill Brewer, Peter Baines, Pat King, Don Henderson, CO Norman Buddin with the Trophy at his feet, Tommy Thomson, Peter Jones, Stanford Howard, Bill Maish
(Thanks Bill Maish)   (Not in the F540.)
 
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