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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0719.PDF
MARCH 17, 1938. FLIGHT. k.A.F. Units Visited No. 76 (B.) SQUADRON By Major F. A. de V. ROBERTSON, V.D. Illustrated with "Flight" Photographs WHEN the Zeppelin attacks on Lon-don in the autumn of 1915 re-vealed the complete ineffectiveness of the defences, Lord Kitchener (so it is recorded in The War in the Air, Vol. Ill) sent for Sir David Henderson, the Director General of Military Aeronautics, and asked him '' What are you going to do about these airship raids? " Sir David replied that the responsibility rested with the R.N.A.S. To which K. of K. retorted, " I do not care who has the responsibility; if there are any more Zeppelin raids and the Royal Flying Corps do not interfere with them, I shall hold you responsible." Not long afterwards it was decided that the Admiralty should hand over the air defence of the country to the War Office, and then Sir David Henderson was able to make plans for intercepting the raiders. It was decided to form ten Home Defence squadrons, and string them out on a line between Dover and Edinburgh. But in May, 1916, the number was reduced to eight, and next month the needs of the Army in France caused another reduction to six. In the autumn the matter was reconsidered, and the four other Home Defence squadrons were raised. Under this final decision, No. 76 H.D. Squadron came into being on September 15, 1916. No. 76 (B) Squadron was the first to have the Vickers Wellesley medium bomber. The first CO. of the Squadron was Major E. M. Murray, M.C., and his headquarters were at Ripon. The three flights of the squadron were stationed at Catterick, Helperby (near Ripon), and Copmanthorpe (south-west of York). Each of these stations was equipped with a searchlight. Pilots of No. 76 (B) Squadron. Left to right (front row) :P/0. J. S. Sherwood, P/0. J. T. B. Sadler, Sgt. S. W. Jenkins, P/O. W. D. Corr, P/O. J. E. Riepenhausen, P/0. J. M. Warren,Fit. Lt. Isemonger, Sqn. Ldr. L. E. J. George (Commanding Officer), F/0. L. R. Stewart, P/0. P. H. Rebbeck, P/0. F. L.Chadwick, P/O. J. N. Culverwell, P/O. C. A. Baskett. Back row: Fit. Sgt. E. G.Couch, P/0. G. K. Pea- cock, P/0. B. P. Jones.
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