PLACE DATE TIME SUMMARY OF EVENTS COMPILING OFFICER. Flt. Lt. J.T. Hall
R.A.F. JEVER Monday 1st February - Sunday 7th February 1960
The team from Day Fighter Combat School which had arrived at Jever last Friday flew with the Squadron
during the first week of the month. The purpose of the team's visit is to check the Squadron's operational
proficiency, both in tactics and air weapons and to give constructive criticism. On Monday in very good
weather, low level strikes were flown each strike was led by a member of the Squadron, with D.F.C.S. flying
No. 2 and 4. On Tuesday the day was devoted to high level formation, combat and cine weave, again
with members of D.F.C.S. after which the team went to No. 4 Squadron. We heard later that the Squadron's
flying and briefings (the latter were very thorough) had impressed D.F.C.S. On Thursday Exercise Gateman
took place: the scramble from the O.R.P. was again not as quick as it should have been: Jever's O.R.P.
procedure needs very much more practice. The Squadron, as defenders, saw no attackers during the
exercise. On Friday bad serviceability prevented a good day's flying: cine weave and simulated flag attacks
were flown. On Friday evening, Flying Officer T.M. Ashwood, who had been declared operational at the end
of January, held his operational party.
Monday 8th February - Sunday 14th February 1960
On Monday, after a slight delay for weather, cine training progressed slowly throughout the day: poor
serviceability limited the hours flown to 10.35. The pre-Sylt run-down had already started. On Tuesday
a grand air battle versus Gutersloh ended disappointingly. No. 4 Squadron provided six aircraft, we four,
Gutersloh, however, could only produce two aircraft: these were successfully engaged in combat, which
was broken off at a low height with neither side triumphant. The pair, we learnt later, was flown by our
friends from D.F.C.S. who were inspecting the Gutersloh Squadrons. On Wednesday only two sorties were
flown (owing to bad serviceability). The Magirus Trucks were loaded with Sylt gear. On Friday the mess
had a dining-in night: after dinner both Fg.Off. T.M. Ashwood and Flt.Lt. V. Ventham damaged their legs
(the former more seriously) in a game against the infamous 4th Squadron. (We were incidentally very
pleased to see an old member of the Squadron, Fg.Off. P. King, now at Gutersloh on No. 79 Squadron at
the dining-in night. Needless to say his vast bulk helped us considerably). A problem arose from Fg.Off.
Ashwood's incapacity, for he was to have gone on the Winter Survival Course at Bad Kohlgrub the
following day. After much discussion it was decided (at midnight) that Flt.Lt. J.T. Hall should take his place.
Fg.Off. M.A.F. Ryan also went to Kohlgrub on Saturday, having been placed on the short list for the
2nd T.A.F. skiing team. We learned that he was finally selected as reserve in the 2nd A.T.A.F. team in the
competition at Garmisch Partenkirchen. On Sunday Flt.Lt. R.D. Stone returned from No. 29 N.A.T.O.
Offensive Support Course at the school of Land and Air Warfare, Old Sarum. Fg.Off. C.R. Lamont took the
advanced party to Sylt.
Monday 15th February - Sunday 21st February 1960
On Monday Fg.Off. P.R. Wild and D. Fahey took the road convoy to Sylt, and Flt.Lt. P.B. Hine went to
England for leave and, later the D.F.C.S. course. Flt.Lt. J.T. Hall was recalled from Kohlgrub's sunny slopes
(the Squadron was fast running out of pilots) and returned to Jever on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, 17th February, the day the Squadron should have flown to Sylt, ice and snow at Jever
in the morning, and a blizzard at Sylt in the afternoon prevented jet movements. The Hastings, carrying
the ground crew, successfully flew to Sylt and back to Jever however. On Thursday Flt.Lt. R.D. Stone,
T.A.K. Wood, P.A. Barrow, J.T. Hall and B. Butterworth and Fg.Off. P.R. Wild (who had returned in the
Hasting on Wednesday) P.A. Bouch, J.C. Haig and B. Tonkinson flew the Squadron's nine aircraft to Sylt: the
Squadron landed at about 13.00hrs, and a briefing and welcoming party filled the remainder of the day (and
night). On Friday, Sylt's weather prevented flying, on Saturday only four sorties could be flown before the
weather deteriorated. On Sunday Flt.Lt. T.A.K. Wood's dog, Jack, up till then hidden in the mess and
secretly foddered on cream cakes and choice meats stolen from the Sylt inhabitants, was smuggled to Jever
by car. In the evening we learnt with great regret that it had escaped from the car on the autobahn and,
by the end of the month, had not been recovered.
Monday 22nd February - Monday 29th February 1960
On Monday flying was delayed until 14.30hrs. because of the appalling Sylt weather. Four effective cine
weave sorties were flown. On Tuesday 18 sorties were flown, on Wednesday none (bad weather) and on
Thursday six cine weave sorties and seven cine sorties on the flag. On Friday, the last day of the month
on which the weather permitted us to fly, four sorties were flown, one of them live, a selective shoot by
Fg.Off. P.R. Wild, aborted because of radar troubles; he got six hits out of nine rounds fired. On Saturday
Flt.Lt. B. Butterworth went to Bad Kohlgrub for the Winter Survival course.
Flying at Sylt has been extremely disappointing. The weather has been appalling for most of the time,
and the G.C.A. has been unserviceable almost continuously since the Squadron has been here. It is likely
to remain so for the rest of the detachment.
HOURS FLOWN.
Day Night Total
Hunter F.6.. 117.10 Nil 117.10
Hunter T. 7. 17.05 Nil 17.05
Vampire T.11. .30 Nil .30
Total 134.45 Nil 134.45
ROUNDS FIRED
Rounds fired 9 Signed RD Stone
Hits 6 (R.D. STONE)
Stoppage rate 0 Flight Lieutenant
Remarks:- one sortie only, aborted through u/s radar. No. 93 Squadron.
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