No Place for Chivalry
Page 15
Life at the dispersal gets very boring with no aeroplanes to fly, even if the weather is so duff. Fortunately I managed to wangle some leave again and while I was away things livened up again with a few incidents. One afternoon the whole of A Flight – with the sole exception of Sgt Gunnill – and most of B Flight took off on NFTs. While they were airborne, the weather clamped in and our aircraft were scattered to the four corners of 12 Group. Some got down at Church Fenton, some at Coleby Grange and a few at Wittering and they just had to stay put overnight. Poor old Joe Gunnill was left holding the fort at Hibaldstow with just one aircraft and the AOC was tearing his hair out.
On the 7th Sgt Carter wrote off Hurricane BE581 when he crash-landed on a Q-site a mile west of Mablethorpe. It burst into flames and he was damned lucky to get out alive and only with cuts and bruises. The very next day one of our sister 538 Squadron Havocs taxied very prettily into Church Fenton’s telephone exchange. I have never seen a taxying accident look so much like the result of spiralling in from 20,000 feet in my life. Both mainplanes had at least 50° of dihedral and the rest of the machine is a complete write-off. Sgt Lowndes, the unfortunate pilot, was injured in the prang, which was attributed to the windscreen completely misting up and poor lighting on the peri-track.
I managed to get airborne for the first time this month for an NFT on the 13th but it was only for ten minutes before the inevitable bad weather closed in. Hibaldstow is a helluva place for lousy weather! It was another week before I put in more night hours and even then I had to turn back early with a spot of engine trouble. I managed to squeeze in another sortie at 04.00 and it was wizard to have that peace and quiet of the last patrol of the night.
Except for the odd NFT, flying was washed out for the rest of the month and the monotony was only relieved by the bind of the group captain’s inspection of dispersals and being invited to attend a colossal binge at Wittering’s annual dance. On December 1 the squadron’s official photographs were taken and the rain just managed to hold off until they were completed. The weather is marginally better now, allowing all NFTs to be got in and a session of night flying until about midnight but it is exceedingly cold up there now and there is not much sign of the Hun.
As December wore on it was back to foul weather again and I had to wait until the 10th before getting airborne again. At long last the Hun decided to liven things up a bit and twelve enemy aircraft came over on a minelaying sortie. Just our luck that they were too far north for us to cooperate successfully against them. We heard later that the Czech boys of 68 Squadron at Coltishall caught one Dornier Do217 on its way home, so that relieved the tedium, as these were the first Huns to venture our way for ages. It was the 20th before the enemy sent another foray but 532 was not on readiness that night so 538 scrambled a couple of aircraft with bags of flap all round but no result.
For once no one moaned when the weather went delightfully non-op for four whole days from Christmas Eve. From teatime on the 24th until the early hours of the 28th everyone, almost without exception, was gloriously tight. There were dances in the various messes and the WAAFs were on top line all the time. What a smashing party and it lasted four whole days! There were many sore heads and lively stomachs when flying resumed on the 29th, although the first snow of the winter soon put paid to that. It was my 21st birthday on the 31st and I went home on a week’s pass.
January 1943 and back at Hibaldstow we passed the time snow clearing mostly but I did manage to put in some night flying on the 9th. Between then and the 18th little flying of any sort took place and the only event of note was that my promotion to flying officer came through.
Well, it looks like the writing is on the wall for the squadron because 12 Group declared us non-operational on January 18 and big changes are rumoured. A hint of what was in the wind came when the CO ent over to Wittering to test the new Mosquito night fighter.
One of my last flying duties on the squadron was a little test-flying job. Fg Off Johnny Limbert and I were detailed to go by train to Loughborough to test fly two Boston Havocs that had been assembled by the General Airwork Trading company. We duly reported to a Mr Davies, an AID inspector who briefed us for the tests. The runway on which we had to take off and land was situated behind the repair shops and was, to our amazement, just 700 yards long! Now, in our experience, we normally operated the Boston Havoc with 1,200 yards for its take-off run and not only was the runway on offer very short but also the landing approach was between an electricity pylon and a darned great chimney as well.
Johnny tested his aircraft during the afternoon and for want of something to do, I went up with him in the back seat. The undercart took a lot of persuading to come down and we lost a flame trap but otherwise Johnny managed to get it up and down without mishap. Next day, January 25, it was blowing half a gale across the runway but we were both anxious to get back to Hibaldstow to hear the fate of the squadron, so it was decided to take a chance and complete the wretched testing. Johnny went up this time with Mr Davies in the back and I took up Mr Woodward, another AID official. What with that crosswind, the rain, the electricity pylon and positively the shortest runway I have ever landed on, we did jolly well to get down at all. Both of us burst a port tyre in the process because of the heavy braking necessary but were congratulated for our efforts. All the blokes at the factory were very nice to us but the aircraft, in my opinion, were somewhat ropey.
Back at Hibaldstow, the news was out that 532 and all the other Turbinlite units are disbanded with effect from January 25th and all personnel are to be posted. Most of us in A Flight will go to 25 Squadron to fly Mosquitoes at RAF Church Fenton. B Flight is being split up among various single-engine fighter squadrons, with a few of the boys choosing to go to OTU to convert to twins.
The Turbinlite scheme is finished and I can’t say I’m very sorry about it but the pity is that the squadron has to break up as a result.
It was lunchtime of January 29 1943, when I set out by train for RAF Church Fenton to embark on this next phase of my career. I was delighted to find a familiar face upon my arrival, for none other than my former CO, John Willie Blair, is now the senior controller at the station. Fg Off Jimmy Wooton, who was with me at 54 OTU was another welcome sight together with several old pals who should make the squadron quite lively.
After converting to the DH Mosquito NF II, Fg Off Jack Cheney and his RO, Plt Off Mike Mycock, went on to night fighter operations with 25 Squadron during which, in addition to home defence night fighter patrols, they carried out several ‘Night Ranger’ intruder sorties deep into Germany and ‘Instep’ long-distance offensive patrols over the Bay of Biscay. It was during one of the latter sorties that Cheney and Mycock were shot down and killed in combat with FW190s off the Brest peninsular on June 13 1943.
In the control gondola of German Naval Zeppelin L14; Hptmn Kuno Manger, second left. (Aeronauticum, Deutches Museum fur Luftschiffahrt und Marinefliegerei, Nordholz)
The effects of aerial attack were brought home forcibly to the civilian population of King’s Lynn when they saw the extent of the bomb damage on January 20 1915.
Kptlt Alois Böcker, commander of L14 on the air raids of September 8 1915 and January 31 1916. While commander of L33, he and his crew were captured when their Zeppelin was hit by AA gunfire over London and crashlanded at West Mersea, Essex on September 24 1916.
Another German aerial Baron. Front: Horst Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar- Brandenfels, wearing the 'Pour le Merite' decoration at his neck, commander of L14 on the air raids of September 8 1915 and January 31 1916. Seen here with his first officer Hans von Schiller, both airmen had a long and distinguished airship career both during and after WW1. (Philippe Saintes)
Kptlt Joachim Breithaupt, seated second left with officers and ratings of German Naval Zeppelin L15, which took part in the large raid of January 31/February 1 1916. (Author’s collection)
Oblt-z-S Kurt Frankenberg, commander of Imperial German Naval Zeppelin L21. He died when L21 was shot down by Fl
t Lt E Cadbury and Flt Sub-Lt E Pulling on October 1/2 1916. (Aeronauticum, Nordholz)
Imperial German Naval Zeppelin L31, in which Kptlt Heinrich Mathy and his crew died on October 13/14 1916.
Kptlt Heinrich Mathy, commander of German Naval Zeppelin L13 on the raid of September 8 1915. Mathy died in L31 when it was shot down by 2/Lt Tempest at Potters Bar on October 13/14 1916. (Aeronauticum, Nordholz)
Kptlt Kurt Friemel at the window of the black-painted main control gondola of German Naval Zeppelin L52. (Aeronauticum, Nordholz)
Flt Sub-Lt Edward Pulling (left) and Flt Lt Egbert Cadbury from RNAS Gt Yarmouth, who jointly destroyed L21 off the Norfolk coast on November 27/28 1916. (via Putnam)
Kptlt Hans-Kurt Flemming, standing ninth from right, with the crew of German Naval Zeppelin L55. Note the two outside gunners wearing different headgear, sixth and tenth from right. L55 took part in the Silent Raid of October 19/20 1917. (Aeronauticum, Nordholz)
Fregattenkapitän Peter Strasser, Director of the Imperial German Naval Airship Service. He died in L70 when it was shot down during the last airship raid on England on August 5/6 1918. (Aeronauticum, Nordholz)
Kptlt Franz Stabbert, commander of German Naval Zeppelin L44, which took part in the last airship raid on England on August 5/6 1918.
Thick, warm clothing for machine gunners was absolutely essential when manning the extremely exposed gun positions on top of German airships.
The exposed nature of defensive machine-gun positions on the top forward part of the outside of a Zeppelin. Access to the gun position is by ladder through the interior, emerging from the small hatch seen in the foreground.
Zeppelin chaser. A BE2c, B3707 from 3 Gunnery School at Frieston, Lincs, a satellite of RNAS Cranwell.
(J M Bruce/G S Leslie collection)
BE12, A6303, a single-seat conversion of BE2 used by the RFC for anti-Zeppelin night patrols.
(Author’s collection)
Planning the raid. Oblt Joachim von Arnim, second left; Oblt Ulrich Jordan, right; going over final details before the raid by KG4 on 18/19 June 1940. (Goss/Rauchbach archive)
Oblt Joachim von Arnim (third left) and his crew, Fw Karl Hauck (left), Fw Wilhelm Maier (second left) and Uffz Paul Gersch, in front of Heinkel He111, 5J+AM, before the sortie on 18/19 June 1940. (After The Battle)
Raymond Myles Duke- Woolley, who shot down He111 5J+DM on June 18/19 1940, as a Wg Cdr just back from his fourth sortie on the day of the Dieppe raid. (Robin Duke-Woolley)
Riddled by gunfire in the air battle of June 18/19 1940, Heinkel He111, 5J+DM, the bomber flown by Oblt Jordan with KG4 Gruppenkommandeur Maj von Massenbach on board, wallows like a stranded whale in The Hood shallows off Blakeney Creek. (Peter Brooks collection)
Flying a Hurricane, New Zealander Plt Off Irving Smith of 151 Squadron intercepted a Heinkel He111 over The Wash on October 2 1940. While commanding 151 he also shot down a Heinkel off the north Norfolk coast, in a Mosquito NFII on 24/25 June 1942. (NZFPM)
23 Squadron, RAF Wittering, July 1940. Seated, from left: Ensor, Baker, Harding, Duke- Woolley, Sqn Ldr Bicknell, Sqn Ldr O’Brien, Knight, Anderson, Cooper-Key, Gawith. Standing, from left: Swan, Young, Sgt Bicknell, Willans, Atkinson, Grogan, Duff, Hoole, Orgias, Pushman, Gillespie, Burton, Penford, Dann, Rose. (23 Squadron Association)
An early production Bristol Beaufighter, believed to be R2059, a Mk IF of 25 Squadron. Delivered in September 1940 with AI equipment yet to be installed. (Ernie Sutton)
Hurricane I, V7434, DZ-R of 151 Squadron, in which Plt Off Irving Smith shot down a Heinkel He111 at Chapel St Leonards on October 2 1940. His NZ Maori emblem can be seen painted above the fuselage roundel. (P H T Green collection)
A pre-war studio portrait of Richard Playne Stevens in the uniform of an airline pilot. (Simon Parry)
Dornier Do17, 5K+EA, from the unit KG3, one of whose aircraft was shot down by Plt Off R P Stevens of 151 Squadron on the night of January 15/16 1941. (Luftwaffepics.com)
Ogefr Wilhelm Beetz, pilot of Ju88C-2, R4+BM of NJG2, who died when his intruder aircraft was shot down at French Drove, Gedney Hill on April 17 1941. (Simon Parry)
Excited schoolboys! This is usually how the public got to see RAF successes. A Junkers 88C bomber, 4D+DR, of KG30 on display in Peterborough for War Weapons Week in December 1940. The 151 Squadron Defiant night fighter team of Edmiston and Beale shot down a bomber from KG30 on May 2/3 1941. (Author’s collection)
Given that 151 Squadron Defiant gunner Sgt Beale only fired thirty-two rounds at it accounts for this Ju88A-5, 4D+BH of KG30 showing little sign of battle damage after its forced landing off Weybourne beach on May 2/3 1941. (Peter Brooks collection)
Junkers Ju88A-5 of KG77 from which 3Z+CL crash-landed in Welney Wash on the night of May 4/5 1941. (Heinz Nowarra)
Originally mustered as an air gunner, Plt Off Dennis Britain re-trained as an AI operator and served with distinction in 25 Squadron. Flying with Plt Off David Thompson, Britain helped to bring down Dornier Do17Z-10 near Boston on May 7/8 1941. (Dave Stubley)
Uffz Herbert Thomas, one of the crew of NJG2 Dornier Do17Z-10, R4+GK, shot down on May 7/8 1941 at Carrington, Lincs. (Herbert Thomas via D Stubley)
Merlin-engine Beaufighter IIF, R2375, the type flown by Michael Herrick in his combat of June 22 1941. Clearly visible on the nose is the arrowhead transmitter aerial for its AI Mk IV radar. Azimuth receiver aerials are on the leading edge of both wings and those for elevation protrude above and below the starboard roundel. (Cheney collection)
New Zealand night fighter pilot Flt Lt Michael Herrick DFC of 25 Squadron, who shot down Junkers Ju88, R4+JH at Deeping St James on June 22 1941. (Simon Parry)
Fg Off Kenneth Blair, kneeling, with pilots of 85 Squadron with whom he served in the Battle of France. Flt Lt Blair fought in the Battle of Britain with 151 Squadron and stayed with the squadron when it moved to RAF Wittering for night fighter duties. While at Wittering, Blair was posted to command 1453 (Air Target Illumination) Flight. (IWM)
Oberfeldwebel Otto Wiese, pilot, of the night fighter unit NJG2, who died in combat with Michael Herrick on the night of June 21/22 1941. (Wiese family via Robert Bates)
151 Squadron at the height of its success as a night fighter unit in mid-1941 at RAF Wittering. Front, from left to right: Staples, Nicholls, Atkinson, McRitchie, Stevens, Edmiston, C L W Stewart, Turnbull, McMullen, Sqn Ldr Adams, Darling, Turner, I S Smith, Ellacombe, Bodien, Wagner, Davidson, Lynes, Copeland. Back, from left to right: Parkin, Maguire, Sidenberg, Elvin, Beale, Fairweather, George, Hart, Wain, Cartwright, Fielding, Wrampling, Broit, J G Stewart, Jonas, Lammin, Gudgeon. (Ron Durant)
Defiant N1791, DZ-K, of 151 Squadron, in 1941. (Ron Durant)
Junkers Ju88C-2 of NJG2 at Gilze-Rijen, seen here with a cannon and three machine guns fixed in the ‘solid’ night fighter nose section. (Simon Parry)
25 Squadron at RAF Wittering, November 1941. Front, from left: Sandford, Castle-Miller, Sellick, Picknett, Singleton, Stoneman, Wray, Pleasance, Atcherley D, Clayton, Alington, Shaw, Britain, Waddington, Chase, Cooke, Anderson. Middle, from left: Rimer, Keith, Holloway, Hill, Hollowell, Hollis, Bennett, Bent, Johnson, Bradshaw, Pound, Curtis, Rodger. Back, from left: Felton, Harper, Sheffield, Silvester, Thomas, Shead, Spence. (Wg Cdr J Singleton)
A primitive mobile GCI interception room similar to that used at Langtoft in 1941. (J Baxter)
Ready for battle. Sgt Jack Cheney shortly after he joined 1453 (Air Target Illumination) Flight at RAF Wittering in December 1941. (Cheney collection)
A Defiant with attitude! Shark’s mouth Boulton Paul Defiant I, N3328, DZZ, of 151 Squadron based at RAF Wittering in 1941/42. (P H T Green collection)
Despite being shrouded in covers protecting it from the harsh winter snow of 1941/42 the characteristic arrowhead AI Mk IV aerial can be seen on the starboard wing of this 151 Squadron Boulton Paul Defiant IA. The receiver aerial protrudes from the engine cowling cover. (P H T Green collection)
Air gunner Sgt Fred Barker
(right) and his mascot, in the turret of a Defiant night fighter. Sgt Barker is wearing the special ‘parasuit’ parachute smock whose D-ring release cable can be seen passing under his left arm. Pilot Sgt Ronald Thorn (left) and his gunner are credited with thirteen day and night air victories with 264 Squadron. (Alec Brew)
‘Round the bend NCOs, Wittering April 1942’. NCO aircrew from 1453 (Air Target Illumination) Flight. Back: Harrison, Alfie West. Middle: Godfrey, Mycock, Cheney, Smith. Front: Gunnill, Compton, Thomas ‘Jock’ Grieve.
Turbinlite Havoc Is of 1453 Flight flying in formation from Wittering to RAF Heston to be exchanged for the more powerful Boston IIIs. Spring 1942. (Cheney collection)
Bob Braham (right) and Bill ‘Sticks’ Gregory in front of a Mosquito. This distinguished and highly successful night fighter crew learned their trade patrolling The Wash area with 29 Squadron based at RAF Digby, Lincs. (Wg Cdr Gregory via Key Publishing)
A ‘Kolynos’ toothpaste smile from observer (radio) Sgt James Mycock, 1453 Flight, RAF Wittering, spring 1942. (Cheney collection)