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F540 Operations Record Book December 1959 NO 93 SQUADRON.
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2803 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71
Place Date Time SUMMARY OF EVENTS                                 COMPILING OFFICER   Flt. Lt. J.T. Hall       REF. TO APPENDICES
      JeremyHall.jpg, 5122 bytes  
R.A.F. Jever. DECEMBER   Tuesday, 1st. December - Monday 7th. December, 1959.
     For the first three days of the month the weather was appalling:   red on Tuesday
and Wednesday, and a "bad" amber three on Thursday.   The first two days were therefore
taken up with briefings and sport - survival aids were demonstrated, Flt. Lt. P.D. Stone
briefed on low level strikes with four tanks and "A" Flight played "B" Flight at
basket ball.   On Friday the weather cleared, and we flew low level strikes.   In the
evening Flt. Lt. Butterworth kindly volunteered to take some members of the Squadron
to a local hostelry in his motor car.   They had not gone far before he neatly rolled
the machine through 450 o into a ditch, thus putting three pilots temporarily unservic-
able, thus giving more hours to Flt. Lt. Butterworth, who inevitably, was quite un-
hurt.
     On Sunday we had an interesting exercise.   Several blips were seen in the afternoon
by Uedem GCI , who scrambled Battle Flight (No 4 Squadron) to investigate.   Four
aircraft, i.e. both 5 and 30 minute pairs were rapidly airborne.   Sector then began
to look for more pilots to defend the Fatherland:  the members of the Squadron were
soon brought from their beds (most of the pilots) or rhododendron bushes (C.O.) or
sick beds (Fg. Off. B. Tonkinson with a hole in his head and Flt. Lt. J.T. Hall with
a gammy arm - both as a result of Flt. Lt. Butterworth's indiscretion on Friday) and
put into their aeroplanes.   No general alert was sounded but rumours of war were
soon rife:   so much so that the "B" Flight Commander, Flt. Lt. P.B. Hine, was persuaded
to leave the golf course and come to the Squadron (it is therefore assumed that he was
losing his game at the time).   Seven aircraft were brought up to stand-by or readiness
before, towards 1600, the Wing Commander Flying passed the message that war was not
imminent and that we might stand-down.   It is believed that the blips' origin was a
light aircraft - possibly a helicopter - crossing the ADIZ, hotly pursued by similar
slow aircraft.   The Squadron, therefore, returned to their rhododendrons.

[Click here to compare this report with the account given by the leader of the
first Battle Flight pair from
No. 4 squadron, Flying Officer Pete Jennings]

     On Monday the weather was later OK:  HSI's and cine weave were flown all day.
 
      Tuesday 8th. December - Monday 14th. December, 1959  
     Snow was reported to be within the local area for the first time on Tuesday - 15
miles west at Aurich.   Jever remained amber one all day, however.   Flt. Lt.
P.A. Barrow
returned from a guided weapons course at Manby.   On Wednesday the weather
was green or amber one all day.   The snow was still close, green salad and HSI's were
flown all day.   On Thursday morning a "Route" exercise took place, this being the
ancillary of Exercise Gateman.   Six aircraft took off and flew from Sylt towards
Gutersloh, each aircraft being 3 miles abreast of the next.   Most of our aircraft were
intercepted by Gutersloh fighters on Gateman.   Freelance HSI's were flown for the
remainder of the day.   Four night sorties were flown.
     On Friday, exercise "Quicktrain" - the exercise to practice the general alert
system - took place at 05.50.   Both air and groundcrews were over at the Squadron in
very good time, and our first aircraft was on telescramble at approx. 06.20. the next
about ten minutes later, the elements of our second pair some ten to fifteen minutes
after that.   Our pairs took off at 08.15 and 08.25: these aircraft were being turned
round after their sorties when, at 10.00, the exercise ceased.
     Later in the day cine sorties were successfully flown by the Squadron on exercise
Thunderbolt - a low level army support exercise - after which the weather caused the
exercise to be cancelled.   The triumphant pair consisted of Fg. Off. B. Tonkinson and
Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone:  they awoke the admiration of No. 2 Squadron's Commanding Officer
who, on account of the weather, turned back en route to the target at about the same time.
Combat sorties were flown for what little remained of the day.
     In the evening the Squadron held a party at the Schuttsenhof, a nearby "Gasthaus",
for all ranks and their wives.   A very good meal was devoured for DM 3.80 ( a very
favourable price negotiated by the Officer i/c Jever Riding Club:- the number of horses
remaining in the station is now a closely guarded secret ) and various tribal dances
were performed to the music of a tape recorder.
     On Monday the Squadron had the use of Strohen range.   Nine successful air to
ground shoots were made, the daily average being 24.0%.   The highest score was Flt.
Lt. P.B. Hine
with 51.6% (gyro). second highest Flt. Lt. J.T. Hall with 33% (fixed
cross
).   Flt. Lt. B. Butterworth went to the Aviation Centre at Wildenwrath for the
av-med course.
 
      Tuesday 15th. December - Monday 21st. December, 1959  

     Freezing rain on Monday night left a thin sheet of ice over the airfield on
Tuesday.   The airfield remained black all day.   On Wednesday six sorties were flown,
two of them being successful air to ground shoots.   Fg. Off. T.M. Ashwood was the
higher of the two with 60% (gyro), the other, Flt. Lt. P.B. Hine, scored 41.7% (also
gyro).   The airfield was red by noon.   On Thursday Exercise Gateman was cancelled
because of weather, and again only one pair fired successfully on the range:  Fg.Off.
D. Fahey
with 36.5% and Fg. Off. D.J. Gleen with 11.7%.   In the evening the Squadron
was invited to a house warming party by Fg. Off. and Mrs. D. Fahey.
     On Friday the air to ground programme continued, the last day of the present phase.
The highest scorer was Flt. Lt. P.B. Hine (41.6%), second highest Fg. Off. P.R. Wild
(36.6%).   In the evening the Squadron was entertained by the Commanding Officer and
his wife to wine and turkey.
     Two games of football were played over the week-end.   On Saturday, with 8 1/2
players we lost to Tech. Wing 4 - 0 after a most heroic game.   On Sunday, with the
Commanding Officer playing, the score was 4 - 1 against Admin. (Equip) - we lost.
Tradition must, of course, ascribe the less ignominious defeat to the outstanding play
of the C.O. who, with ferocious mien, charged over the football pitch in cossack kit
knocking down most of his opponents and, on one occasion when he had his eyes closed,
one of the more gallant members of his own team.
     On Monday shortage of aircraft prevented a good day's flying.   12 hours of HSI's
were flown.
 
      Tuesday 22nd. December - Monday 28th. December, 1959  
     On Tuesday Exercise Gateman took place:   six of our aircraft took part.   The
telescramble again failed us - this time because the Army had switched it off!   After
Gateman two sixes were put up in 4 v 2 combat.
     In the evening a party was held in the Pilots' Crew Room, which had been suitably
titivated for the occasion.   The wives supplied the food, Flt. Lt. P.A. Barrow
supplied a tape for the tape recorder (of incredible length and unprecedented awfulness)
and the party went with a swing.   Next morning......   On Wednesday we put up five
which flew over Oldenburg, Ahlhorn and Gutersloh along with four from No. 4 Squadron.
The nine was led by Flt. Lt. P.B. Hine.   At mid-day we gave the airmen their Christmas
barrel of beer and disappeared, dissipated, for the Grant.
 
      Tuesday 29th. December - Thursday 31st. December, 1959  
     Normal routine was resumed on Tuesday morning, after the Grant.   Lack of aircraft
prevented a good day's flying.   On Wednesday and Thursday low level strikes were
practised.

MaddocksApeman.jpg, 92330 bytes     On Thursday evening the Squadron came to the
Fancy Dress Ball as apemen (a Maddocks).   Adorned in
sack cloth and little else the squadron provided a
fearsome picture as they rushed into the ante-room
chasing their women folk.   The Commanding Officer and
his wife, showing aesthetic discernment if anachronistic
leanings, came dressed as a waiter and waitress.   They
did not, alas, serve the ape men with chopped women folk,
as was hoped.

   Thus the year ended.







         Cartoon not in original F540
 
                                                          DAY            NIGHT              TOTAL
                 Hunter F. 6.         221.20              3.10                224.30
                 Hunter T. 7.           16.35              1.50                   18.05
                 Total                    257.55               4.40                242.35


                                                                   AIR TO GROUND

                                                 Rounds fired in December              1406
                                                 Hits                                                         337
                                                 Stoppage Rate                             1:1406
                                                 Squadron Average (Dec.)                  24%



                                                                                                    Signed DS White
                                                                                                   (D.S.WHITE )
                                                                                                   Squadron Leader
                                                                                                   Officer Commanding No. 93 Squadron.                                                                                                    Royal Air Force Jever
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