NO 93 SQUADRON - Form 540 March 1953

F540 Operations Record Book March 1953 NO 93 SQUADRON. PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2636 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71 from Duncan Curtis
PLACE	DATE	TIME	SUMMARY OF EVENTS COMPILING OFFICER Sqn.Ldr. S.M. McGREGOR	REF. TO APPENDICES
JEVER.	MAR.	5th	Page 1 missing from micro-film. To be added later. THURSDAY. ....and for the day.
		6th	FRIDAY. After another morning of low cloud, Battle Flight was at last scrambled to intercept a Washington. On their becoming airborne, no mention was made of this target and so they did P.I.'s. The second sortie was made more interesting by scrambling as two pairs at about a 15 minute interval. The first was worked by 'FACECREAM' as bomber and the second as 'RUSTY' as fighter. Of this second pair only one got airborne. The whole exercise proved much better than the usual P.I.'s and was very successful on the whole.
		7th	SATURDAY. A Station Commanders parade was held with a much-depleted station. Flying Wing had only one flight of men as did Tech. Wing. Wing Commander Coulson took the parade. 20 minutes drill followed immediately for 93 Squadron. After this, normal squadron routine was resumed, except for an inspection by Flt.Lt. Paterson of the airmen's living quarters.
		8th	SUNDAY.
		9th.	MONDAY. The Squadron was sharing the range all day with 4 Squadron. This served to cut down on sorties a little, and the visibility and cloud also helped. Fifteen rocket and cannon sorties were flown. One low level 'RHUBARB' of three aircraft was loaned to Battle Flight for one sortie. 49 rockets were fired and 190 rounds of 20 mm. An early finish was made and aircraft made ready for night flying. In view of the ominous nature of the weather and its known unreliability in this area, local flying and short cross countries were adhered to. Sqn.Ldr. McGregor and Flt.Lt. Paterson both went to Ahlhorn to check their system of Airfield lighting. Flying finished at 21.00
		10th	TUESDAY. A fine day, during which a full day of rocketing was flown - right from early morning till after 17.00 hours., with the usual break at midday - while the range crew repaired targets. In the afternoon two formations of four aircraft each did some operational attacks - trying to perfect their techniques for such things as pull-up point, spacing in the dive, and presenting the worst target to ground fire. All the other afternoon sorties were done with 9,700 revs in the dive as work-up to higher speed and quicker get-away in operational conditions.
		11th	WEDNESDAY. Low cloud and showers prevailed, but in spite of it, three pairs took off to do cine, cloud flying and Q.G.H.'s. When they had landed, flying was temporarily stopped in view of a slight deterioration but was resumed later, and another five sorties were flown. In the afternoon flying was shelved so that the aircraft could be serviced While the aircrew all took part in games.
		12th	THURSDAY. When the morning mist had cleared flying commenced with cine practice at high level in pairs. Only a few pilots were available; Courts of Inquiry, Inventories, Mobile Equipment etc, claiming several of them. Mostly the programme comprised cine exercises with a few Battle Formation and Aerobatic sorties to use the odd aircraft. It was decided to fly late in view of the fine weather, and to make up some of the time lost in the past weeks due to consistently bad conditions. Flying ceased at 18.00 hours.
		13th	FRIDAY. The day was spent preparing for the move to Schleswig. Aircraft radios were re- crystallised and the vehicles were loaded ready for the main party's early start in the morning.
		14th	SATURDAY. The main party moved off at 09.00 hours and made good time to Hamburg, where they spent the night. One aircraft flew to Schleswig, did some runs there to calibrate the homer, and returned to Jever without landing away. All personnel with- out any special job, concentrated on their own packing and preparations. By the end of the morning, ten aircraft were serviceable for the move.
		15th	SUNDAY.
		16th	MONDAY. After briefing, and having packed their kit, the ten pilots took off at 07.05. An uneventful trip brought them to Schleswig-land where they had their first view of their new home. It was quickly decided to make use of the beautiful weather and fly off some local recces. Serviceability was good, and by the end of the day most pilots had flown three more sorties each. One four was put up to practice rocket attacks and recce shipping on the Kiel canal, while the rest recced the Battle Area. During the afternoon the Group Captain flew in from Jever to see how things were going. Conditions proved very good, the cooking excellent. Guards were mounted on the aircraft which are picketed outside. The rear party arrived safely at an amazingly early hour in the evening, having had an extremely satisfactory journey.
		17th	TUESDAY. In spite of trouble in tracing supplies of AVTAG which should have arrived most of the aircraft flew three times. Visibility was poor in spite of the very good conditions prevailing. One aircraft went to Jever, for crystals to set up the Norwegian F.D.P. but they proved unsatisfactory. The Army were occupied with digging in and were to be seen all over the area, moving into position. The weather promises to remain good for some days yet, since we are under the influence of a high pressure area, which shows little indication of declining quickly.
		18th	WEDNESDAY. The exercise commenced with a ground mist which prevented any dawn recce- missions being flown. At 10.00, when the mist cleared, three armed recces were flown but very little was seen. It appeared that troops had dug in exceedingly well and the real concentration were further north of the particular bomb line. A brigade H.Q. was discovered and a sortie put in on it. A routine recce of the Kaiser Wilhelm canal was also flown and supplies coming up by ship were attacked. At 15.00 a demand came in for a strike in an area near the western edge of the battle zone and South of Rensburg. Three independent pairs were on target at 15.30 and off again at 15.40. Heavy casualties were inflicted and it later transpired that the strike was very near our own troops. A four attacked gun positions which were so well camouflaged that only three out of sixteen were seen. To end the day three pairs did last-light reconnaissance. 38 sorties were flown, and the second pre-arranged bomb-line was reached by the end of the day. Group Captain Donald, who commands R.A.F. Sylt and the detach- meant at Schleswig-land, flew in a Vampire T.11. He returned just before dusk, after the nose oleo of his aircraft had been serviced.
		19th	THURSDAY. The morning mist was much thicker and widespread, and consequently flying did not begin until 15.30. By this time the battle had moved north considerably and a new area of gun positions were heavily attacked by 8 aircraft in the late after- noon. Activity was not very great but the three dusk recces brought back a good deal of information; including reports of a position suspected to be a Brigade H.Q.
		20th	FRIDAY. Once again early morning mist took a while to clear but at 08.20 hours one aircraft was airborne for Jever, where it was left for servicing and another brought back in its place. Upon arriving at Schleswig it was quickly recrystallised on local frequency, and took part in the big strike of the day on the position which had now been confirmed a Brigade Headquarters. The aircraft represented two squadrons of top cover for four which did rocket attacks, quickly followed by a close low-level four doing a 'napalm' strike. Once this had been done, it was almost as if the highspot of the war was past. A few more strikes were put in on gun positions, and a great deal of anti-aircraft fire was encountered. Demands for strikes were extremely lacking in sufficient information about targets, type of attack and armament required. Preparations had meanwhile begun for the move, and a small advance party was despatched to Jever.
		21st	SATURDAY. The usual fog cloaked everything, and it was clear from the Met. briefing that the Squadron had very little chance of moving back to Jever. In spite of the fact that conditions at Schleswig eventually became ideal, those prevailing at Jever were quite impossible for a Squadron landing. Chocks and aircraft covers were reluctantly off-loaded and aircraft were guarded for yet another night at Schleswig. The mobile kitchen was packed up, and the men ate in the Sylt detachment dining hall, while the kitchen staff worked in with the detachment staff Throughout the whole detachment serviceability has been very high and in spite of the almost leisurely atmosphere prevailing 96 exercise sorties were flown during the available good weather. A total of 68 sorties were flown on the whole detachment.
		22nd	SUNDAY. Once again the Squadron hung eagerly on the reports of the Met. Section, but conditions at Jever never once gave a sign of being good enough to allow the move to be carried out.
		23rd	MONDAY. At last Met. were slightly more hopeful, and even in the face of very poor early morning conditions, their hopes were borne out by improvement reports at Jever, until at last at about 15.30 the Squadron flew back in sections to make uneventful land- ings at base. Aircraft were disarmed by the waiting armourers and pushed in by everyone available. A new arrival Plt.Off. M.J. CROCKER was waiting to join the Squadron, having been on the station since Friday 20th. He comes from O.C.U. at Chivenor. Meanwhile a hasty pack-up had been going on at Schleswig, and the Main Party were able to reach Hamburg for the night-stop.
		24th	THURSDAY. No flying was done all day - but aircraft were cleaned and the Hangar was put in order for the visit of the A.O.C. in C. on the morrow. The rear party arrived at 15.00, but did not off-load any but essential equipment. After their long drive they had to set about cleaning up their barrack block. A domestic evening was ordered. Plt.Off. Goodwill proceeded on leave, having already been forced to wait two days by the weather at Schleswig. Plt.Off. Standish went immediately on an Escape and Evasion exercise for two days in the south of the zone.
		25th	WEDNESDAY. A limited rocket programme was flown all day - at least up till 15.15 when all aircraft were grounded pending the inspection, and passing as secure, of the arms carrying the rudder mass balances. Fracture of these, was anticipated to be the cause of two recent accidents. In spite of this 48 rockets were fired for nil hang-ups. The A.O.C. in C. arrived in his Devon at 12.35 and dined at the Officers Mess. After lunch he toured and inspected the station, arriving at 93 Squadron at 14.45, where he interviewed the available pilots. He left shortly afterwards. A course for two pilots at a time was commenced in A.S.F. at 09.00. It requires their attendance for an hour each day, for five days - at the end of which they will be tested and qualify as Crew Chief - capable of carrying out servicing up to Primary Standard. Plt.Off. CROCKER had a dual check in the Meteor with Flt.Lt. PEARCH.
		26th	THURSDAY. All aircraft were grounded until 15.00 when the Squadron had four serviceable aircraft which flew on cine. The Chief Crew lectures continued in A.S.F. and for the rest of the day pilots pursued their own duties.
		27th	FRIDAY. With the exception of two aerobatic sorties and a Sector Recce for Plt.Off. CROCKER, all the sorties flown were rocketing. In all 67 rockets were fired. One aircraft was on loan to 112 Squadron for Battle Flight, with Fg.Off. BATES flying it. Plt.Off. STANDISH returned from the Escape and Evasion exercise.
		28th	SATURDAY. Long Weekend.
		29th	SUNDAY. Long Weekend.
		30th	MONDAY. Sgt. WILLIAMS returned from leave. The weather was cloudy all day. The morning's low cloud lifted - but as the day wore on a strong cross wind coupled with a slippery runway put the airfield U/S. 93 Squadron had their four available aircraft on Battle Flight, but after the first sortie the number fell to three. On their two flights they did P.I.'s and encountered cloud up to 36,000 feet.
		31st	TUESDAY. Battle Flight again with four aircraft. In the morning there were two scrambles to do P.I.'s with other Battle Flights. The interceptions were good, and a slight note of realism was introduced by controlling the formations on different channels. The ground waits during refuelling are longer now because I.F.F. sets, if used, must be checked after each flight. From the Hangar there was only one training flight. This was Plt.Off. CROCKER who was doing a Sector Recce and Q.G.H. After he became overdue for return to base, a search revealed that his aircraft had crashed South of the airfield, and that he had been killed. [Vampire WA198, 5 miles South of airfield]. The cause of the accident is not yet known. The absence of crash equipment on the airfield put it out of action, and it was not until 16.20 that Battle Flight were able to get airborne again to do Practice Interceptions on one another. Flying finished at 17.05. The weather had been broken cumulus all day, with one or two large Cumulo-Nimbus clouds which gave severe hailstorms at times, of very short duration. Fg.Off. HARDCASTLE went to England on a P.A.I. course.
			Total hours flown -218:10 Vampire. 3:20 Meteor. Sorties flown -350 Vampire. 4 Meteor. Ammunition expended - 20 m.m. 190 rounds R/P289
			ADMINISTRATION The main administrative problem continues to revolve round the manning situation in the skilled trades. The shortage of experienced N.C.O's is one of the caused of low aircraft availability, aircraft frequently having to wait for a considerable period for work involving component replacement. The Squadron's detachment to SCHLESWIG during this month was a most enjoyable exercise and provided good mobility practice. The exercise was unique in that it caused no "headaches" being singularly free from any difficulty.
			MOVEMENTS Plt.Off. M. CROCKERPosted in w.e.f. 20.3.53. Plt.Off. M. CROCKERFatally Injured 31.3.53. Flt.Lt. A.W. PATERSON. )Winter Survival Course 14 - 24.4.53. Fg.Off. A.V.H. STURMAN ) Plt.Off. G. GOODWILL.Proceeded U.K. leave 22.3.53. Sgt. D.T. THOMAS )Proceeded Continental leave 14.3.53. Sgt. J.E.M. WALKER ) Fg.Off. J.E.F. HARDCASTLEU.K. leave 14.3.53. Fg.Off. G.W. SPEARMANReturned from Winter Survival Course - 2.3.53. Sgt. C. WILLIAMSU.K. leave 4 - 28.3.53. Plt.Off. D.W. STANDISHReturned from U.K. leave 14.3.53. Fg.Off. J.G.M. WOODReturned from Cont. leave 3.3.53. Fg.Off. A.V.H. STURMANReturned from Cont. leave 15.3.53. Flt.Lt. A.W. PATERSON.Returned from Cont. leave 3.3.53.
			NOMINAL ROLL OF PILOTS Squadron Leader S.M. McGREGOR. Flt.Lt. A.W. PATERSON.Flt.Lt. K.M. PEARCH. Fg.Off. A.V.H. STURMAN Fg.Off. J.E.F. HARDCASTLE Fg.Off. J.G.M. WOOD Fg.Off. E.K.G. BATES Fg.Off. A.R. WALLACE Fg.Off. G.W. SPEARMAN Plt.Off. D.W. STANDISH Plt.Off. G.F.C. GOODWILL Sgt. D. WEBSTER Sgt, J.E.M. WALKER Sgt. C. WILLIAMS Sgt. D.J. THOMAS Signed SM McGregor (S. M. McGREGOR) 13th April, 1953.Squadron Leader, Commanding, No. 93 Squadron, Royal Air Force, JEVER.