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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0168.PDF
68 FLIGHT JANUARY 2IST, 1943 THE AIR AND THE COMMONWEALTH—NOW icing and lick the problem by devoting enough time ,and energy to it. (I wonder how many lives and how much money has been lost in icing crashes against the money invested in quarrelling about how to start thinking about how to start investigating a way of improving present methods of de-icing.) Start these things now. Build the airport. Build the research centres. Find the students. Undertake the problems. Win the war and help the peace. One last thing., Arrange that the Commonwealth sends its quota of students to this first British University of Aeronautics and thereafter start universities every- where, linked to the Mother Country. Somehow I would force everyone in power to learn a lesson from the past. I have just picked up, at random, the Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation for 1936. Under "Export Business," it said: "... United Kingdom aeronautical exports reached the record figures of £2,923,138, exceeding the previous record figure by nearly £200,000"! The total sum allotted by the Empire and the Sudan under the Civil Aviation votes for 1936-7 was £2,066,879, and even that was 58 per cent, better than 1935—£2,000,000—about the design and development cost of building one prototype aircraft a bit bigger than the Douglas giant bomber. This was in 1936, when war seemed at least highly probable. It was no more difficult then to see that world air transport was within sight of being a serious rival to road; rail and sea than it is now. That such a change must provide great new industries for the fore- sighted and progressive nations was obvious. Capital then invested in experiment, development and technical education could not have failed to bring huge dividends for peace or war. The war might have been shortened by years—at more than ten million pounds a day! No we must look backward with penitence before we look forward. We must think on a large scale. The next war will be lost in a month if we make a similar mistake in war aviation to that we made in civil aviation. Imagine if Germany had jumped five years ahead with the Lancaster and had had two thousand in operation in 1940! It was not impossible in terms of knowledge then available. Summing up : 1. Start inter-Commonwealth discussions and planning now. 2. Build the central airport, aeronaiftical university, new and ample research facilities now. 3. Encourage designers and aircraft businesses to devote a certain amount of time, man-hours and material to so-called "post-war" aircraft now. 4. Come to an Understanding with the U.S.A. now. 5. Act now to secure properly organised air routes so that we maintain our share of passengers and goods- carrying trade abroad. 6. Act as a Commonwealth rather than as a Country. Unsurpassed in the Annals of the Royal Air Force' D.(L Awarded to Sergeant Pilot Middleton '"THE King has approved the award of the Victoria Cross -*- in recognition of most conspicuous bravery to Aus. 402745 Flight Sergeant Rawdon Hume Middleton, Royal Australian Air Force (Missing), No. 149 Squadron. Following is the official citation :— Fit. Sgt. Middleton was captain and first pilot of a Stir- ling aircraft detailed to attack the Fiat works at Turin one night in November, 1942. Great difficulty was experienced in climbing to 12,000 feet to cross the Alps, which led to excessive consumption of fuel. So dark was the night that the mountain peaks were almost invisible. During the crossing Fit. Sgt. Middleton had to decide whether to proceed or turn back, there being barely suffi- cient fuel for the return journey. Flares were sighted ahead and he continued the mission and even dived to 2,000 feet to identify the target, despite the difficulty of regaining height. Three nights were made over Turin at this low altitude before the target was identified. TJie aircraft was then subjected to fire from light anti-aircraft guns. A large hole appeared in the port main plane which made it difficult to maintain lateral control. A shell then burst in the cockpit, shattering the windscreen and wounding both pilots. A piece of shell splinter tore into the side of Fit. Sgt. Middleton's face, destroying his right eye and exposing the bone over the eye. He was probably wounded also in the body or legs. The second pilot received wounds in the head and both legs which bled profusely. The wire- less operator was also wounded in the leg. Pilot Unconscious Fit. Sgt. Middleton became unconscious and the aircraft dived to 800 feet before control was regained by the second pilot, who took the aircraft up to 1,500 feet and released his toombs. There was still some light flak and the aircraft was hit many times. The three gunners replied con- tinuously until the roar turret was put out of action. Fit. Sgt. Middleton had now recovered consciousness, and, when clear of .the target, ordered the second pilot back to receive first aid. Before this was completed the latter insisted on returning to the cockpit, as the captain could see very little and could speak only with loss of blood and great pain. Course was set for base and the crew now faced an Alpine crossing and homeward flight in a damaged aircraft with insufficient fuel. The possibilities of abandoning the aircraft or landing in Northern France were discussed h\£ Fit. Sgt. Middleton expressed the intention of trying t» make the English coast, so that his crew could leave the aircraft by parachute. Owing to his wounds and diminish- ing strength, he knew that, by then, he would have little or no chance of saving himself. After four hours, the French coast was reached and here the aircraft, flying at 6,000 feet, was once more engaged and hit by intense light anti-aircraft fire. Fit. Sgt. Middleton was still at the con- trols and mustered sufficient strength to take evasive action. Five Minutes' Fuel After crossing the Channel there was only sufficient fuel for five minutes' flying. Fit. Sgt. Middleton ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft while he flew parallel with the coast for a few miles, after which he intended to head out 'to sea. Five of the crew left the aircraft safely, while two remained to assist Fit. Sgt. Middleton. The aircraft crashed in the sea and the bodies of the front gunner and flight engineer were recovered the following day. Their gallant captain was apparently unable to leave the aircraft and his body has not been traced. Fit. Sgt. Middleton was determined to attack the target regardless of the consequences and not to allow his crew to fall into enemy hands. While all the crew displayed heroism of a high order, the urge to do so came from Fit. Sgt. Middleton, whose fortitude and strength of will made possible the completion of the mission. 'His devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds is unsurpassed in the annals of the Royal Air F6rce.
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