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F540 Operations Record Book May 1960
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2803 Microfilm Row1 Draws 52-71
PLACE             DATE TIME        SUMMARY OF EVENTS                         COMPILING OFFICER. Fg. Off. J.C. Haig
JohnHaig.jpg, 4507 bytes
R.A.F. Jever     May 1960.  

1.    OPERATIONS.   The month's operational training was severely hampered by preparations for the A.O.C.'s annual inspection.   During the latter part of the month, however, sorties of cine gun quarters, cine weave, combat, low level strikes and air-to-ground shoots were flown.   The air-to-ground this month included both precision and operational attacks, some of the latter firing four guns.

     For the A.O.C.'s fly-by the Squadron provided six aircraft towards the Wing total of twenty.   The Wing was led by the Wing Commander Flying: the No.93 Squadron pilots were: The Commanding Officer, Flt.Lt. T.A.K. Wood, Flt.Lt. R.D. Stone, Flt.Lt. J.T. Hall, Fg.Off. D. Fahey, and Fg.Off. P.R. Wild.

     Exercises this month included an army strike near Aachen on 11.5.60; Exercise Yeoman, a close control bomber interception exercise, on 20.5.60 and Exercise Flick, an armed reconnaissance army co-operation exercise in Area 6 on 14.5.60.

     The Squadron was on Battle Flight from the beginning of the month until 3.5.60   During this period there was one scramble to investigate what turned out to be two F.84 Fs, flying close formation in the A.D.I.Z.   A second period of Battle Flight at the end of the month was from 25.5.60 until 31.5.60 with the exception of p.m. on 27.5.60 and a.m. on 28.5.60.   During this period Battle Flight was scrambled on 25.5.60 to investigate a Sea Fury flying over Hamburg.   This aircraft had come from Lubeck, and its trace had become confused on the radar scope with what was expected to be an American C.47 returning from a short but compulsory sojourn in Eastern Germany.   Battle Flight was scrambled twice on 26th May, the first time intercepting a Beechcraft Type 181 near Brunswick, the second being an abortive one with a disappearing trace.

HOURS
  Day Night Total Sorties
               Hunter F. 6. 325.50 Nil 325.50 328
               Hunter T. 7.    10.55 Nil    10.55     11
AIR-TO-GROUND
  Operational Precision
Rounds fired: 1020 1764
Hits:    164    501
Month's average          16.1             28.4%
Stoppage rate  1:1392  
Month's Highest Scorer:          F/O Wild   51.6%             F/Lt.Stone 78.2%


II.    ADMINISTRATION   The Air Officer Commanding carried out his annual inspection of R.A.F. Jever on 10.5.60.   On 16th and 17.5.60, the Station was visited by a group of Careers Masters and Headmasters:   on the second day of their visit they saw the Squadron carrying out a simulated exercise which involved running to the aircraft as if being scrambled - the weather was not sufficiently good for flying. With the Headmasters there also came a Mr. Rassell, who had been commissioned by Macmillans to write a book "I am a Pilot".   This scheme had been approved by the Air Ministry, and Mr. Rassell was therefore permitted to interview the Squadron pilots and gain as much information from them as he could.   This must have been very considerable judging from the infinite pains he took, and the length of the interviews!

On 20.5.60, the Station was visited by the Leeuwarden Wing. 35 pilots arrived in the afternoon to play sport, at which the Squadron was well represented, and this was followed by an extremely convivial evening in the Mess.

     13.5.60 was declared a free day following upon the hard work and extra hours put in preparing for the A.O.C.'s visit.

III   PERSONNEL.   Flt.Lt. Hine was away throughout this month on the D.F.C.S. course at West Raynham.

     Fg. Off. P.B. Wild completed both the simulator course at Jever and the aviation medicine course at Wildenwrath.

     Leave was taken during May by Flt. Lt. B. Butterworth from 1st to 29th
and Flt. Lt. J.T. Hall and Fg. Off. B. Tonkinson from 26.5.60 until the end of
the month.

IV.  GENERAL AND SOCIAL .   Fg. Off. D. Fahey represented the station at Squash against
Laarbruch on 25.5.60.   The Commanding Officer and Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone paid a liaison
visit to West Raynham on 3.5.60.   On 19.5.60, the groundcrew and aircrew competed
to see who could change a Hunter gun pack the quicker.   The ground crew won:
beating the aircrew team by only 1 min. 50 secs.   An informal dance was held
to celebrate the Headmasters' visit and the Leeuwarden Wing's visit.   The Summer
Ball was held in the Officers' Mess on Friday 26th May 1960, preceded by a cocktail
party at the Squadron Commander's house.


Signed R Stone                         
(R.D. STONE)                           
Flight Lieutenant                       
for Officer Commanding                   
No 93 Squadron.