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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0816.PDF
WHEN Wing Cdr. Ramsbottom-Isherwood took his R.A.F. Wing to Russia equipped with Hurricanes, a special page was added to the already splendid record of Britain's Air Forces during the present struggle. As is now well known, the Wing's primary duty was to instruct Russian pilots and ground staff in the handling and maintenance of what, to them, was a new type of aircraft. That the R.A.F. Wing succeeded in their task is now history; moreover, they delighted the Russians by doing more than merely instruct—they went into action against the enemy them selves to such good effect that it was reported the German pilots soon learnt to sheer off if a Hurricane hove into view, while Russian bomber pilots whom they escorted on many a raid joyfully announced they never needed to bother about the sky above them when the Hurricanes were up there. Having suffered amazingly few casualties, the Wing eventually returned to.this country, leaving their Hurricanes-—and an excel lent impression of the R.A.F.—with the Red Air Force. The collection of pictures on this page, nearly all of which are self-explanatory, give a viyid idea of the conditions under which the R.A.F. Wing lived and worked while on the Russian front. Notice, for example, in the pictures immediately below, the obvious dimculties imposed by the outdoor storage of supplies which were often snowed up, while the second down on the left shows the "battery" of massive rollers, drawn by a caterpillar tractor, employed to keep the snow-covered airfield in usable con dition. In the top picture of the middle column on the right a crated Hurricane is being unloaded, and the centre one in the same column shows Russian soldiers excavating dispersal bays. Note, also, immediately above, the useful type of temporary hangar, with camouflaged roof, in which the aircraft were pro tected from the weather. The machine flying overhead is a Russian bomber of the S.B.3 type. In the bottom but one picture on the left Wing Cdr. Isherwood is seen discussing opera tions with Russian pilots in the control room.
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