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F540 Operations Record Book January 1955.
RAF Museum Hendon. Holds 2nd copy of F540 1945 to 1970.
PLACE DATE TIME SUMMARY OF EVENTS                     COMPILING OFFICER   __Fg. Off. F.J. MAYCOCK.___ Refs
     

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Sylt. 3.1.55             The early part of this morning was taken up with last minute preparations for the
departure of the air party to Sylt.   Ten aircraft took off as scheduled, and
arrived at about 12.00 hours.   Briefings on Sylt air traffic rules accounted for most
of the afternoon, and for the rest of the time pilots completed their arrival
procedure.
                               Sorties: 10                  Hours:    5.55
 
  4.1.55        Today was taken up entirely with dual demonstration trips in the T.11, and cine
attacks with the Sabres.   Pilots are doing cine-attacks until their films show a
satisfactory standard for firing on the flag.
                                 Sorties: 26               Hours:        14.55
 
  5.1.55        The weather today was almost ideal for air to air firing, as in fact it has been
since we first arrived and most pilots managed to get in two shoots.
                               Daily Average:      8.2%
                               Flights:      23               Hours:       14.05
 
  6.1.55        The weather continues to remain fine, and the flying programme ran smoothly
     throughout the day.   Demonstration flights having been completed yesterday, most of
the pilots had two or three live shoots.
                               Daily Average:     12. 4 %
                               Flights:    36                 Hours:          20.25
 
  7.1.55        The day started well with clear skies and almost unlimited visibility.
Unfortunately, before many sorties had been completed, fog rolled in from the sea and
remained with us for the rest of the day.   Owing to a small number of comparatively
good shoots in the morning, the average for the day was quite high.
                               Daily Average:     24%
                                Flights:      7                    Hours:      3.15
 
Sylt. 8.1.55        The fog dispersed during the night and conditions were quite good, allowing each
pilot at least one shoot during the morning.
                               Daily Average:     9 .5%
                               Flights:       11                    Hours.:              5.35
 
  10.1.55             Following the decision to bring up the remainder of the Squadron to Sylt,
a second road party arrived today and it included four more pilots.   The weather
was unsuitable for flying and the pilots carried out ground training.
 
  11.1.55        Snow storms were forecast but they did not materialise and flying was
carried out in the morning in reasonable weather.   Low cloud drifted in during
the afternoon and put a stop to airborne activities for the day.
                                        Flights:     22                    Hours:      12. 30
 
  12.1.55        Owing to bad visibility flying did not commence until after lunch.

                                     Flights:     12            Hours:           6 .45
 
  13.1.55             Quite a considerable amount of snow fell throughout the day, making both
the taxy ways and runway unsuitable for braking.   Flying was therefore cancelled and
a lecture on the Aden gun was given by the armaments officer, followed by a general
discussion on the gun's merit as a new weapon.
 
SYLT 14.1.55             It continued to snow today, and as there was no point in sending out
snow clearing parties until the snowing had ceased, films were shown in the main
briefing room, followed by individual lectures by the pilots.   Flying Wing
were given a stand-down until 0800 hours Monday morning.
 
  17.1.55             Pilots and Groundcrew, assisted by snow ploughs, spent the day in snow
clearing parties in a vain attempt to clear taxiways and runway.   Unfortunately,
the days work was undone by yet another fall of snow towards the end of the
afternoon.
 
  18.1.55             Yet another days snow clearing, a little more successful than yesterdays,
but marred to a large extent by frequent snow showers.
 
  19.1.55             The weather today was fine and from about mid-morning a thaw began, giving
rise to high hopes that the snow was at last clearing.   By night fall
however, it began to freeze, leaving roads and runway in a far worse state than
before.
                                            Sorties            2                          Hours  1 .10
 
  20.1.55             Still no flying.   An interesting film on the affects of atomic explosions
was shown, followed by more lectures by the pilots.
 
  21.1.55             Some of the Squadron members started work today on a project which will eventually
take the form of a land yacht.   The airfield remains snow and ice bound.
           4sqnpic143.jpg, 20219 bytes
                 Pete Phillips and Ron Gray surveying the progress of the Land Yacht.   [Not in F540].

                                                  Sorties  7             Hours             4.20
 
SYLT 22.1.55             All pilots attended a demonstration re-arm this morning and followed
it up by each doing a re-arm individually to ensure that the demonstration
was fully understood.
 
  24.1.55             There was still no change in the airfield state, and once again a series
of films were shown, the subjects varying from "Steel production in Europe", to
a film on arctic survival.
 
  25.1.55             A pleasant change came today in the form of an escape and evasion exercise.
No. 98 Squadron, part of 14 Squadron and target towing flight were defending.
Whilst 4 Squadron, the Belgians and some of the Sylt P.A.I.s were evading.   This
proved to be a very enjoyable exercise, and finally resulted in the capture of
about 40% of the evaders.
 
  26.1.55             At last the thaw seems to have set in with snow and ice fast disappearing
from the roads and runway.   It has brought with it a thick fog however, so
that the days activities were confined to clearing particularly stubborn
patches of snow.
 
  27.1.55             The fog is still with us, but the thaw continues.   The taxy ways and runway now
being serviceable, it only remains for the fog to disperse and flying will commence.
 
  28.1.55             For the first time for over a fortnight the Squadron was able to fly and
the fine weather continued for the rest of the day.
                                     Sorties       17          Hours           9. 20
 
  29.1.55             Hazy weather prevented flying again and the Squadron occupied itself
preparing for the return to Jever.
                                     Flights       Nil          Hours           Nil
 
SYLT 31.1.55             Flying was not possible again today because of thick fog.   An interflight
.303 shooting competition was held and in the first round a very high standard
of shooting was evident.
                                           Flights       Nil           Hours  Nil

          A number of pilots remained at Jever for the whole month and flew mainly
solo sorties with the aircraft still available, as and when they became
serviceable.
          Flying took place at Jever on occasions when Sylt was closed through
bad weather, which accounts for some days being shown with hours and sorties,
when stated that there was no flying.
          Flight Lieutenant S.H.R.L. D'Arcy, "A" Flight Commander, was posted to
the Empire Test Pilots School on the 5th of the month, and Flight Lieutenant
H.B. Iles
was posted into the Squadron to replace him.
          The Squadron markings were officially approved by Air Ministry, and are
now beginning to appear on the aircraft.

                                        MONTHLY FLIGHTS: 189     MONTHLY HOURS :     118.20
                                                                SQUADRON AVERAGE 9.7%
 
      SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH 
          The main task this month was air-to-air firing at A.P.S. for which
the greater part of the Squadron moved to Sylt.   For the third attachment running
the Squadron has been plagued by very bad weather, allowing only a very small
amount of intermittent air firing to take place.   As a direct result the
Squadron average was not as high as had been anticipated.
          The approval of the suggested Squadron markings for the aircraft was
another small step in the making of the Squadron's history.   A photographic
record of these markings will be attached next month.

 
                                                                  Compiling Officer
                                                                           ..................FJ Maycock..Fg. Off.
                                                                                   (F.J. MAYCOCK)

                                                     PW Gilpin
                                                          (P.W.GILPIN)
                                                          Squadron Leader,
                                                          Officer Commanding
                                                          No. 4 Squadron
 
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