F540 Operations Record Book March 1957 NO 98 SQUADRON. PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2640 Microfilm Row1 Draws 52-71 Place Date Time Summary of Events                                     Compilation Officer:   Fg. Off G.V. Shipley. REFS TO APPENDICES         A.P.S. Sylt 1-3-57      At first cloud conditions prevented range firing.   Of the 27 sorties flown, 10 counted as effective shoots.   Five more were effective as cine, the remainder were abortive due to weather and flag unserviceability.     2-3-57      Stand down.     3-3-57      Sunday.     4-3-57      Because of cloud and G.C.I. unserviceability many of the morning's sorties were cancelled.   In all the squadron flew 19 effective shoots, giving a daily average of 18.5%.     5-3-57      Of 38 sorties flown, 23 counted as effective shoots.   The abortive sorties being due mainly to flag and aircraft unserviceability, the rest , in the late afternoon, to poor weather conditions.     6-3-57      After the first five sorties, of which three were effective, the squadron discontinued flying for the day as only two aircraft were serviceable.   The day was spent in harmonising gunsights and packs.   The progressive medium level average stood at 16.4% and the stoppage rate was 606.     7-3-57      A quasi-stationary occlusion produced low cloud and rainand flying was cancelled for the day.   A flight instrument quiz was held in the morning and the afternoon was devoted to sport.     8-3-57      Fog persisted throughout the day and no flying was possible.   During the morning pilots attended a lecture by Flt. Lt. Shafe of Sylt on the development and operation of the helicopter.   This was followed by two films, "Alaska" and "The Five Stages of Rescue".   There was another sports afternoon.     9-3-57      The airfield was closed this morning and pilots attended to their respective ground duties.     10-3-57      Sunday.     11-3-57      Using the trial modification of the gunpack selection switch the squadron flew20 sorties, comprising 17 effective shoots and three cine.   The daily average was 17.5% and the stoppage rate 520.     12-3-57      Due mainly to flag unserviceability 22 of todays sorties were abortive.   However 24 effective shoots were achieved giving a progressive medium level average of 16.6 % and a progressive stoppage rate of 649.     13-3-57      Until late afternoon weather conditions on the range were fair and of 48 sorties, 27 were effective.   The stoppage rate improved to 715.     14-3-57      This morning cloud on the range precluded the high level programmed shoots, but 8 effective shoots were carried out at 20,000', giving a high level average of 26.1%.     15-3-57      There was no flying today because of persistent low cloud and rain.   The morning was spent in ground training and harmonisation checks.   There was a sports afternoon.     16-3-57      This morning eight pilots flew two sorties eachagainst glider targets.   The aircraft turn - round times between sorties were 13 minutes 25 seconds and 11 minutes 27 seconds. The latter was 21 seconds faster than the previous Command record for this exercise.     17-3-57      Sunday.     18-3-57      Today the air party left for Jever.   Three Hunters were flown to Jever in the morning, the other nine during the afternoon.     19-3-57      The road and rail parties left Sylt this morning, at Jever the day was spent in servicing the aircraft with the limited equipment available.     20-3-57      Five sorties were flown this morning, the necessary ground equipment being borrowed from No. 93 Squadron.   There was a sports afternoon.     21-3-57      The rear party flew back to Jever.   The weather was fair, but aircraft unserviceability was poor and only nine sorties were flown.     22-3-57      Twenty Hunter sorties were flown today.   In addition three of the squadron pilots flew Vampire T.XI's in a simulated strike on the airfield to give practice to some anti - aircraft gunners.   R.A.F. Jever 25-3-57      Stand-down.     24-3-57      Sunday.     25-3-57      Poor weather prevented flying today, in the morning the pilots attended to their respective ground duties.   The afternoon was spent in ground training.     26-3-57      Twenty day and twelve night sorties were flown in Hunters , the day flying consisting mainly of battle formations.     27-3-57      The airfield state varied all morning between Amber 1 and Amber 11.   Eight battle formation and two individual sorties were flown.   There was a sports afternoon.     28-3-57      Twenty - six Hunter sorties were flown in fair weather.   These were mainly cine exercises, individual trips and high level navigation.     29-3-57      The weather was fair, with some low cloud.   Thirty - five sorties were flown, most being practice interceptions on a Canberra bomber stream.     30-3-57      There was no flying by the squadron today.   Pilots attended to their ground duties, while the ground crews attended trade training lectures.     31-3-57      Sunday.                                                                        Flying Hours.                Operational Day        251 hrs. 20 mins.      Instrument Flying Actual       15 hrs 55mins                Operational Night          7 hrs. 10 mins.      Instrument Flying Simulated 2 hrs 15mins                Training Types            47 hrs. 40 mins.      Other Pilots:                            16 hrs.                                                                        Personnel              8th.    Fg. Off. E.B.Bywater         left for Bad Kohlgrub.              8th.    Fg. Off. A. Macnae            left for Bad Kohlgrub.              10th.  Fg. Off. D.G.Riley             returned from Bad Kohlgrub.              15th.  Fg. Off. P.A.Barrow          left for U.K. on leave.              21st.  Fg. Off. D.J.Hipperson   left for U.K. on leave.              23rd.  Flt. Lt. M.O. Bergh          posted to No. 98 Squadron from No. 600 Squadron                                                                                                                             R.A.A.F.              23rd.  Fg. Off. P.J. Hirst           arrived from U.K. for reinforcement training.              24th.  Fg. Off. E.B.Bywater      returned from Bad Kohlgrub.              24th.  Fg. Off. A. Macnae         returned from Bad Kohlgrub.              28th.  Fg. Off. E.A.McCullagh repatriated to U.K.              28th.  Flt. Lt. A.B.Lethbridge  repatriated to U.K.                                                                 Administration.    The main problem was the squadron's return from Sylt.   All ground equipment was moved by road and ground crews by rail.   The rear party flew back to Jever.                                                                            Operational.    The first part of the month saw the completion of the Air Firing Detachment to Sylt. The Squadron scores were :- at low level 21.9 %, at medium level 16.8 %, and at high level 20.1 %.    The top scorer was Flt. Lt. C.J. Barrey, D.F.C., A.F.C., D.F.M., with an overall average of 34.5% who also achieved a new 2 TAF Individual Shoot record of 88 %.   In all 336 air to air sorties were flown.   There was 42 gun stoppages in the 26,783 rounds fired, giving a stoppage rate of 685.   The aircraft returned to Jever on 18th. March and the ground movement was carried out the following day.    The remainder of the month was spent in normal squadron flying and in all 274 hrs.    15 mins. were flown.   The weather overall was good for the time of the year.                                                                                               signed DTAdamson                                                                                                    (D. T. Adamson)                                                                                                    Squadron Leader,                                                                                                    Officer Commanding,                                                                                                    No. 98 Squadron.