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Date |
Time |
SUMMARY OF EVENTS COMPILING OFFICER FLT. LT. J.T. HALL |
REF. TO APPENDICES |
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| R.A.F. JEVER |
AUGUST, |
1959 |
Tuesday, 4th. August - Monday, 10th. August, 1959
August was spent testing the Jever squadrons' ability to operate under combat
conditions: the squadron was therefore dispersed, 93 Squadron operating from their
war time dispersal. Throughout the month the weather was excellent.
The first week of the month opened with battle flight. Pilots were on state
from 04.15 to 20.30 local time; only two aircraft are now required on battle flight,
this pair being at 5 minutes readiness. There were no scrambles during the week.
Operational training consisted of preparation for the Jever "war" which was to start
on Monday, 10th. August: the squadron's role in the "war" was to be mainly low level
army co-operation strikes. On Tuesday, 6th. August; however; Exercise Argus took
place; the Squadron flew two pairs in the exercise. On Friday, 7th. August, the
whole day was spent flying DME calibration sorties. The Wing Commander Flying
considers that the Jever DME beacon and the aircraft DME sets should be of first class
reliability before the winter. The press to transmit buttons on the Hunter aircraft
have been known to fail: should this happen in bad weather the DME would be invaluable.
Individual sorties were flown under GCI control along headings selected by the Signals
Officer. The pilot obtained constant fixes from GCI and plotted the readings of the
Jever DME. In this way areas of weak or unreliable signals from the Jever DME beacon
were plotted.
At the end of the day Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone practised aerobatics. Whilst he was
inverted his engine flamed out. He rolled level and re-lit. This is the second
time that Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone has experienced a flame-out under these conditions, and
oddly enough in the same aircraft both times.
On Saturday, 8th August, the Wing Commander Flying decided that no 'out of hours'
flying would be allowed: during battle flight the Squadron had previously flown
normal routine training sorties from 07.00 until battle flight stand down, with the exception
of Sundays, when flying began at 12.00. On Monday, 10th. August, the Wing Commander
Flying also introduced a system of slot times. From now on the Squadron flies sorties
lasting 1 hr. 10 mins., and arranges the take-off and landing times in such a way that
the turn rounds are staggered.
Flight Lieutenant G.A. Talbot (Skipper) and J.T. Hall and Flying Officers M.A. Harvey and B.J. Tonkinson returned at the beginning of the month from an August
Grant spell sailing on the Baltic. Flight Lieutenant J.J. Parker also started out
with them (in another boat) but was last seen with his wife and two mackerel heading
for the appropriately named island of Aero. He is spending his leave sailing around
the Danish coast. Flight Lieutenant Talbot nearly brought disaster to his boat on the
homeward journey: entering Laboe harbour at night he ordered his helmsman to head for
"harbour entrance, the four green lights". Unfortunately the four green lights in
question were the insignia of a custom boat lurking outside the harbour entrance. A
stout boat hook averted the disaster.
On Sunday, 9th August, the Squadron dined out Flight Lieutenant G.A. Talbot, who
returned to England the following day. Flight Lieutenant Talbot has been with us for
2 1/2 years and will be posted either to a Javelin O.C.U. or as A.D.C. to A.O.C. 23 Group -
it is not yet known which. |
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Tuesday, 11th. August - Monday, 17th. August, 1959
The week's flying consisted mainly of air combat and army interdiction strikes.
The "war" began in earnest. Before each strike the G.L.O.'s briefed the pilots on the
general situation, bomb line, future intentions, &c., &c. By now pilots and ground
crew had become used to working in tented and hutted conditions, the slot times were
working well and the Squadron was able to achieve a good weeks flying. The strikes
were planned thoroughly by each pilot, but in as short a time as possible to imitate
war-time conditions. These have increased the precision of the Squadron's low level
flying considerably. Normal 1/2 million maps are used to plan to within 15 miles or so
of the target, but the IP and PUP are selected from the 1:50,000 maps. Interdiction
strikes were made on road and rail bridges, mills, radar stations and castles (relics
of feudal warfare?). Most of these attacks were simulated RP attacks, and the pilots
regret keenly that they were never able to use RP's on a range. Were the Squadron to
go to war tomorrow there would be very few pilots competent to carry out a successful
RP attack.
Flight Lieutenant T.A.K. Wood, the "C" Flight Commander went on leave on 14th.
August. He handed over his duties to the Adjutant, Flying Officer P.R. Wild, whose
back is now redoubly redoubled with the weight of responsibility it carries.
At the end of the week we heard with great regret that Flying Officer M.A. Harvey
who has been sick for some weeks, will be off flying for six months or so. He is to
recuperate at the inter Survival School in Kohlgrub, where he will be posted shortly
as adjutant.
Gorilla men with 93 Squadron escarbuncles on their arms were reported in a
national daily. Maddox of the Daily Express was the culprit, and so a letter was sent
thanking him for unearthing an early part of the Squadron's history and requesting the
portrait of a gorilla chief to hang with our previous commanding officers At the end
of the week a very smart one arrived, complete with squadron motto and Maddox's
signature. It is being framed and will be accorded a place of honour in the Squadron's
crew room.
[Cartoon not in F540] |
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Tuesday, 18th. August - Monday 24th. August, 1959
Again a week of perfect weather, and again a week of army interdiction strikes,
the most notable of which was a wing strike of 16 aircraft (4 Hunters of 93 Squadron
4 of 4 Squadron and 6 Sabres of 430 Squadron, R.C.A.F. 430 Squadron, based at Gros
Tonquin, was spending 10 days detachment at Jever "on rotation" with 2 Squadron).
The strike, led on Wednesday, 19th August, by Flight Lieutenant R.D. Stone, the "A"
Flight Commander, was against an army formation of tanks encamped in the woods at
Munster, east of Soltau. After the strike Flight Lieutenant Stone led the wing over
the airfield in a close formation fly past.
Other flights during the week included a broadcast control exercise organised from
Brockzetel on Tuesday, 18th August. Flight Lieutenant R.D. Stone again scored a
triumph for 93 by being asked by a 4 Squadron Flight Commander to give 4 Squadron a
briefing on broadcast control.
On Thursday, 20th, August, 5 sorties of night flying were completed. The next
day, Friday, the Squadron flew air to ground sorties at Strohen range. This was
continued after the weekend on Monday 24th. August.
Flying Officer Gleen was due to leave the Squadron at the end of the week, and so
a party was arranged for this (in the bar unfortunately, because of short notice) on
Thursday, 20th. August. There was a misunderstanding, however, for he failed to tum
up. Nevertheless it was a very good party!
Flying Officer A. Vine, an old member of the Squadron now at 101 S.U., Brockzetel,
took a week off from his controlling and flew with the Squadron again - mainly P.I.'s
Flying Officer J.C. Haig received good publicity in the July Flight Comment's "Good
Show Corner". The write up, needless to say, was on his professional handling of the
flame-out on 16.6.59. |
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Tuesday, 25th. August - Monday, 31st. August, 1959
The week opened with battle flight: pilots were on state from 0500 until 1945.
Again there were no scrambles. Tuesday, 25th. August, was the last day of the month's
air to ground programme, the highest score being Flight Lieutenant J.J. Parker (75%)
in an aircraft which was afterwards found to be incorrectly harmonised. The second
highest was Flight Lieutenant J.T. Hall (63.3%).
On Wednesday, 26th. August, Flight Lieutenant R.D. Stone and J.T. Hall went on a
Round Robin exercise to Dijon. Everything went well until they got there. On one
aircraft a drop tank refuelling light remained on despite the French ground crew's
assurances that the fuel gauges read "le maximum". The pilot climbed the step ladder
into the cockpit to verify this, only to hear a dull thud followed by splashing noises.
Turning around he saw the ground crew ankle deep in fuel which was surging from a newly
jettisoned and very broken port drop tank. One man, bowser driver by profession, was
still staring fascinated at the small hole into which the pin, clearly labelled "DANGER
Press to jettison drop tank" had disappeared; coaxed therein, it is regretted, by a
French forefinger. Shouting at the ground crew in as many languages as could reason-
ably be employed failed to elicit a reason for the ghastly action. The aircraft was
flown home successfully with one drop tank.
On Thursday, 27th August the Squadron had 8 aircraft serviceable During the
day 11 pairs were flown from the O.R.P. on Exercise Amled. 24 H.S.I.'s were made under
Brockzetel's control on aircraft returning from "raids" in Denmark. The Squadron
received the Air Executive's congratulations on such a fine record of serviceability
and flying.
By the end of the day the Squadron's monthly target had been achieved: on Friday
therefore, the Squadron did not fly, but returned from the N.E. Dispersal to its per-
manent quarters in the hangar. Aircrew and groundcrew spent the late afternoon of
Friday consuming two barrels of beer to mark the end of a very successful month's
flying.
Flying Officer D.J. Gleen, his return home delayed by inventory troubles, finally
set out for England on Friday, 28th. August. He seems determined to have a three year
tour in 2nd. T.A.F., however, for he was soon back again:- bruised and shattered but
otherwise quite whole after a car crash near Leer. On Saturday afternoon the Squadron
rescued him from a hospital bed in Papenburg where he had been imprisoned with his
alleged victims. |
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