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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0351.PDF
FEBRUARY 6TH, 1941. ^Service Aviation Royal Air Force and ^^r Fleet Air Arm News and Announcements 'R.A.F. Dinner Club NO dinners will be held by the Royal Air ForceDinuer Club until the conclusion ol hos-tilities. Members o! the Club should, therefore, take early steps to cancel their annual subscrip-tions and bankers' orders until further notice. Any communications on the subject should beaddressed to the Act. Hou. Sec.. Wing Cdr. E. Bentley Beaumaa (Betd,), Air Ministry, KingChariot Street, Whitehall, S.W.I. ••-f Pigeon Service SPECIALLY-TRAINED homing pigeons arebeing used by the Royal Air Force as anemergency means of communication. Through the NaHonal Pigeon Service many hundreds of birdshive been bred for work with bombers and Coastal Command aircraft. Some of these birds have putup fast times with their messages, often flying in unfavourable weather conditions.Some E.A.F. birds, flying singly from aircraft, have put up near-championship times. The fastestflight recorded so far in the present war was at a •peed of 68.7 m.p.h. and another bird distinguisheditsel! by covering 175 miles in a gale. Higher and Higher /CONCURRENT with the quest for speed andKj yet more speed as a desirable feature of the military aeroplane comes the struggle for height.The new bombers and fighters, such as the Stirling, Spitfire HI, the later marks ot Hurri-canes, the Tornado and Whirlwind, all have increased performace in both service ceiling andepeed. Increase in the high wing loadings now used,in order to obtain speed and carrying capacity with a given engine power, is likely to keepoperating height at about the 40,000ft. mark. This limit is probable owing to the difficultiesexperienced in supercharging powerful engines at these heights. Take-oti also becomes somewhat ofa problem, and some form of assistance appears heritable. The Germans are reported to be gettingJunkers Ju 88s off for special missions at some 501b. per square foot. Awards THE KING has been graciously pleased toapprove the following awards in recognitionof gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations : — DlSTINOUISHED FLYING CBOSS. Flight Lieutenant Samuel McCanghey Boat, No.217 Squadron. FVght Lieutenant Derek Price Marvin, No. 206 W-\. Flight Lieutenant James Douglas Steuart--4 Kichardson (since killed in action). No. 53 Squadron.Firing Officer Alfred Lawrence Fowler. No. 248 Squadron. DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL.Sergeant Stanley Henry Hawes, No, 240 Squadron. Sergeant Howard Sidney Webb. No. 59 Squadron.One ol the above officers was on patrol over the North Sea when he fought a determined action•gainst a Dornier 215, an aircraft of superior •peed and fire power to his own. Althoughwounded in the hand, face and eyes he pressed home his attack until the enemy broke off theengagement. He then brought his damaged air- craft back to base. Another officer has taken part«n 77 operational nights by day and 47 by night. One recipient, a wireless operator air gunner,flas on two occasions, although wounded, success- tally directed his pilot's evasive manoeuvres when•tucked by the enemy. Middle East AwardsH IS MAJESTY THE KING has approved thefollowing awards : — DlSTINOTTISIfED FLYING CROSS.Fit. Lt. Graham Danson JONES and P/O. Reginald Alan COLLTS.*70. Callis volunteered to fly a single engi.ned aircraft over difficult and mountainous countryit 'e"*' Abyssinia carrying a representative of the Emperor Haile Selassie to confer with rebelenreftaans. The aircraft, which also carried an a™?, officer and a 8st. Observer, was further\ ,S*<^ "ith essential stores. ^ (:tn this heavy burden the pilot was able tov * 'Ottessfnl landing in extremely "difficult •"ry eigbt thousand feet above sea level. Ai- .'"Vi^" whica was urgently desired by the Gen- Urh.-er Commanding British troops in the•1-1 ft , place- Since il was impossible for the • it to take off from the rough ground on which it had been landed P/O. Coll is was obligedto remain in Abyssinia for two nights and super- vised the preparation of a runw,»y which enabledhim to take ntf. The night wag undertaken in spite ol the factthat enemy fighters were known to be in the vicinity. In addition to having made long andarduous raids into enemy territory, this officer also made a two hundred mile flight into Abyssiniain an attempt to drop supplies for rebel forces. Later, he led a formation of three aircraft whichsucceeded in dropping ammunition, money and mpplies tor the rebels. Fit. Lt. G. D. Jones has taken part in morethan forty raids, many of them in very bad weather and against strong enemy opposition.In a raid on Valona early last month two flights were obliged by severe icing conditions to turnback and two of their aircraft were lost. The flight led by Fit. Lt. Jones continued on its mis-sion. Over the target they encountered fierce opposition from enemy fighters which they en-gaged, shooting down one. Then they delivered the bombing attack with determi nation, andaccurately placed all their bombs. Ten days later Fit. Lt. Jones carried out a successful low levelattack on enemy ground forces during a blinding snow storm. DISTINGUISHED FLVTNG MEDAL.Sgt. MURRELL—an Mr gunner in a Rhodesian equadron. He took part in a dive bombingattack on a target in the Metenima area on January 4. His aircraft, wTiich was leadingthe formation, was struck by splinters from an anti-aircraft shell. Sgt. Murrell was woundeuin the knee but removed the shell splinter with a screwdriver. He then discovered that the air-screw covers had been set alight apparently by red hot shrapnel :tnd had fallen on the floor of therear cockpit where they were beginning to blaze. He threw them overboard, but finding lie couldnot operate the extinguisher, he attacked the flames with his hands. The pilot signalled to himto abandon aircraft by parachute, hut he continued to deal with the blaze until the pilot succeededin making a forced landing. The fire was then extinguished with water and the aircraft flownsafely back to its base. THE King baa been graciously pleased to approveof the following awards in recognition of gallantry and distinguished service with the RoyalNew Zealand Air Force: — GEORGE MEDAL. Cpl. E. A. STBATTON, R.N.Z.A.F.L.A/C. (now P/O.) D. T. HEBRICK, R.N.Z.A.F. On the 21st June, 1940. an Oxford aircraftwhich was taking off from the Elementary Flying Training School. Taieri, New Zealand, crashed andcaught fire. Two of the occupants were easily removed by the ambulance crew, who were underthe impression that no one remained in the air- craft. On ascertaining that the pilol was still in theburning aircraft, however, Cpl. Stratton and L.A'C. Herrick, without the protection of asbestosfire suits »nd with the full knowledge that there was n 2501b bomb in the burning wreckage, r;1-mnvpd th<? pilot from the cockpit in which he was jammed.Fortunately the bomb did not explode, but both airmen sustained damage to their clothing andslight burns to themselves. Both airmen displayed outstanding bravery and a complete disregard firtheir own Fafcty. Tjnfortunately the pilot died from his injuries. Commendation The King has also been graciously pleased togive orders for the publication of the name o! the undermentioned airman in the LonimGftzeft'' as having rweived an expression of Com- mendation for brave conduct in connection withCivil Defence:— A/C.2 Stephen James Read. Prisoners of War NEXT of kin, if able to identify the men fromthe information published, are requested toadvise the Casualty Branches of the Services, con- cerned, forwarding Regimental or any other details.The following is the latest list of British prisoners of war as received from enemy sources: — IN HERMAN HANDS. Sgt. G. E. Bessel, Beach Avenue. Upminster,Essex. Sgt. R. W. Cullen (T'Curren), Asheroft Gardens,Northampton. Sgt. R. W. Jones, address unknown. Wounded.In hospital. Fit. Lt. II. C. Marshall, c/o Miss M. Hewittson,Kent. (VTent). End House, Ashton Keynes, nr. Swin-don, Wiltshire. i MODERN SIR GALAHAD. TheQueen and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose were assisted from aLockheed Hudson during their visit to a Coastal Command Station. Roil of Honour Am MINISTRY CASUALTY COMMUNIQUE NO. 58.•TM1E Air Ministry regrets to announce the -*- following casualties on various dates. The•»ext of kin have been informed. KILLED IN ACTION (WHILE FLYING TN OPERA- TIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY).—Sgt. K. U. Ashley,742042; Sgt. C. Blackshaw, 612284; Sgt. W. H. E; Boast, 749598; Sgt. R. J Bowtlen, 748589; Sgt.A. R. Clarke. 744984; Sgt. J. L. Curry. 748639; F/O. L. a. Delancy, 40371; Sgt. R. B. Elliott,581379; PiO. J. H. Erskinc, 81034; Sgt. W. G. Evans, 530401; P/O. P. J. B. Griffiths. 41016;Sgt. G. A. HadcJon, 751070; Sgt. D. A. Jc>w?ph, &432*7; Sgt. W. C. Langdon, 751603; Sgi. T. A.Ale-Cord, 612781; P.O. B. P. McNamara. 42856; A/C.l T. Middlebrook, 649212; F/O. G. S. Ogii-vie. 77507; Sgt. J. Olive, 978156; Sgt. W. E. Penneil, 966641; Sgt. V. Pollard, 745972; P.O.A. R. Quemby, 42645; Sgt. M. R. Ritchie, 631868; P/O. ». C .Stewie. 42540; Sgt. A. C. Tad-hunter, 747976; Sgt. H. T. Thomas, 754426; Sgt. P. F Wilcock, 647226; Sgt. T. N. Wilson,754004. PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING. BELIEVED KILLED IN ACTION, NOW PRESUMED KILLED INACTION—Sgt. J. B. Callaghan. 565694; P/O. L. R. Dorrieu-Snn'th, 72501 ; F/O. («. B. Morgan-liean,40131; L.A/0. D. M<;L. Nimmo, 536679; A/C.1 H B. Sewell. 531562; A/C.l D. W. Sharpe,541437; I..A/C. L. Turner. 751657. PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW PRE- SUMED KILLED IN ACTION—Act. Fit. Lt. C. F. 6.Adye, 28173: Sgt. ,T. L. Alexander. 562397; P.O. L. J. Ashfield. 40198; Sgt. D. J. Avent. 5669«0;Cpl. E. T. Baillie 507775; F/O. J. W. Buird, 39408; Sgt. D. H. ,T. Barrett, 580865; Sgt. F. B.Beames, 522176: P/O. B. S. Bell. 40665: F/O. F. D. Bird, 33300; Sgt. J. T. Bowcn, 515101;Sqn. Ldr. R. L. Bradford. 33019; F/O. (;. R. Branch. E.G.M., 90137; L.A/C. W. E. Brenster,546678; Sgt. C. J. W. Brinn. 563306; Spf. L. J. Brooks, 742109; Sgt. .1. F. Brown. 565062; L.A/C.E. W. Burnett. 613517; Sgt N. H. Burton, 580867; Sgt. C. H. Butler, 745989: Sgt G. A.Cart-wright 580604; L.A/C. W. T. Cavauagh, 542267; F/O. G. L. Chambers. 90343; P.O.D. E. S Charles 74349; A/C.2 K. C. Chntfield, 6J0838; L.A/C. R. D. K. Cochranc. 903064; F.O.W C. G. Cograan, 39274; A/C.2 G. D. Cole*. 618330; Sgt. E. F. W. Curtis, 564067; F/O. J.Bawson, 90331; P/O. F. G. H. Dencta, 42487; A/C.2 M. T). Dr.lan. 631053; P/O. W. U. I*iugl..s,43430; Sgt. W. Eddleston 524172; F/O. J. D. Edmonds 39^71; P/O. T). G. Fev«z, 42746; Fit.Lt. G. M. Fidler, 34219; Sqn. Ldr. A. L. Franks, A.F.C., 26053; A/C.2 A. Fryer, 626227: F O.T. J. Gcae-h, 33311; I..A/C. .1. H. K. >:>-AV,, 551.672; F/O. J. C Gilbert. 90327; L.A-C. I).Gnffe. 551547; F/O. G. V. Gordon. 39080; Sgt. A. N Gray. 581175: Sirt. P. C. Gray, 580511;P II. W A Gray 43166; Act. Sfln. Ldr. G. F. Hall. 37350; Sgt. .1. C. Harrison, 519293; Sit, E. Hibbert 564863; Sgt. C. G. Hill, 55OOS3;L.A'C T. Hogarth 543524; Sgt. R. G. Hopkins, 56J177; S*t. D V. Hashes, 937392: F/O. .1. Ing.J9987; Fit, Si?t. W. T. Jones. 590275: F O. G. M. T. Kerr. 90336; P/O.. T. Kerr. 70863;P/O. K. KirkcaU.o, 72526; Set. B. E. S. Kn-.wlw, 580790: Act. Sqn. Ixlr H. Y. l.awrnro. 37549:F/O. C. A. Lce-Steere. 90129; F/O. W. K. U-a-
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