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F540 Operations Record Book March 1960
PLACE             DATE TIME        SUMMARY OF EVENTS                         COMPILING OFFICER. Flt. Lt. Hall
JeremyHall.jpg, 5122 bytes
R.A.F. Jever     Tuesday 1st March
                     to Sunday 6th March
                             1960

     The bad weather at Sylt continued all week.   On Tuesday, 8 sorties were flown, the highest scorer being Flt. Lt. T.A.K. Wood with 22%.   On Wednesday thick fog kept everybody on the ground, on Thursday 8 sorties were again flown between periods of bad weather: highest scorer was Fg. Off. P.R. Wild with 32 1/2%.   On Friday the Squadron dispersed round northern europe for the long week-end.   London, Goteborg, Copenhagen and Jever were the main resorts chosen for relaxation.

                     Monday 7th March
                     to Sunday 13th
                     March 1960.

     This was the one really good week's flying which the Squadron had at Sylt:   on Monday twenty-six sorties were flown, six of them scoring 30% or more.   Flt. Lt. J.C. Butler, the Wing P.A.I., joined the Squadron at Sylt to help with the assessings: he lasted until Wednesday, when he became a cas-evac after a quick game of squash with one of the members of the Squadron.   Highest Scorer:   Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone with 66%.   On Tuesday only nine sorties were flown, highest scorer Fg. Off. P.A. Bouch with 38%.   On Wednesday, after another excellent day's flying; Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone was again Highest scorer with 68%.   On Thursday and Friday it was Fg. Off. P.R. Wild with 70% and 66% respectively.   On Friday the mess had a dining-in night.   This resulted in two minor casualties, Fg. Off. Fahey suffered a cut eye whilst being carried to bed, and Fg. Off. Tonkinson was wounded in the ankle whilst playing tanks.   On Saturday the station commander inspected the Squadron.

                     Monday 14th March
                     to Sunday 20th
                     March, 1960.
     The week's flying was marred alternatively by bad weather and a lack of serviceable aeroplanes.   No flying on Monday,   cine weave only on Tuesday, and 13 sorties on Wednesday: highest scorer Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone with 68%.   On Thursday, Fg. Off. P.R. Wild achieved this position with 50%.   On Friday, Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone again with 45%.     On Friday night the traditional party was held for the airmen.   The officers won the "Bone", the time-honoured darts trophy.   Saturday morning saw the fantastic score from Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone of 82.1% (23 rounds on out of 28 rounds fired).


R.A.F.Jever       Monday 21st March
                      to Sunday 27th
                      March 1960.
     On Monday and Tuesday preparations were made to return to Jever:   there was 
therefore no flying on Monday.  On Tuesday afternoon the Squadron flew to Jever
under the leadership of Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone with nine aircraft, the other pilots
being Fg. Off. Tonkinson, Fg. Off. J.C. Haig, FLt. Lt. B. Butterworth, Flt. Lt.
P.A. Barrow, Flt. Lt. T.A.K. Wood (deputy leader and leader of the second element),
Fg. Off. P.A. Bouch, Fg. Off. M.A.F. Ryan and, number nine, Flt. Lt. V. Ventham.
The fly-pasts at Sylt and Jever were in diamond nine formation.  On stepping out
of the aircraft at Jever, the Squadron was received by the new Commanding Officer,
Squadron Leader M.O. Bergh, A.F.C., late of No; 2 Squadron.   H.S.I.s were flown on
Wednesday;  on Thursday and Friday there was no flying for administrative reasons,
and on Saturday 4 versus 2 combat and low level strikes ended the week.  On Saturday 
evening an informal dance was held in the mess to welcome the Squadron back home
to Jever.
                      Monday 28th March
                      to Thursday 31st
                      March 1960.
     The last days of the month were spent mainly on broadcast control interceptions
and low level strikes, all of these latter against the army, most of them in the Soltau
area (where the targets were extremely efficiently camouflaged) and some of them (on
Thursday) against the Dutch at Havelte.  Also on Thursday was exercise Amled, which
was considered only a partial success owing to the lack of targets.  Our aircraft
were put at the disposal of the air exec. who employed them in mutual P.Is.  On
Tuesday 29th March 1960 the Squadron began a week of Battle Flight.  There were no
scrambles.
     On Monday, 28th March, Mrs. Ashwood, Fg. Off. T.M. Ashwood's wife, gave birth
to a son, Sean.
                                            Total Hours.
                                Day               Night            Total
      Hunter F. 6.     257.45                 Nil             257.45
      Hunter T. 7.      14.05                 Nil               14.05
      Vampire T. 11.    2.40                 Nil                 2.40
        TOTAL          274.50                 Nil             274.50

                Air to Air Firing (Sylt Detachment 18th February - 22nd March 1960)
                       Rounds fired                             5652
                       Stoppages                                    4
                       Stoppage rate                       1:1413
                       Squadron average                         23.5%
                       Squadron Duncan Trophy average    29.9%
                       Highest individual average               60.9% Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone

                 Cine Weave during Sylt Detachment.
                       Squadron Duncan Trophy average             68.4%
                       Highest individual average                        71.9% Fg. Off. P.R. Wild
        

							Signature O Bergh
							(M.O. Bergh)
							Squadron Leader
							Officer Commanding No. 93 Squadron
							Royal Air Force, JEVER.