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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1947.PDF
SEPTEMBER 26TH, 1946 FLIGHT 2 6 SEP W* SERVICE AVIATION- SALUTE TO THE FEW : A particularly fine view of the Battle of Britain Celebration Fly-Past, with British and U.S. fighters passing the Houses of Parliament in orderly and imposing array. Sir Arthur hongmore's M.E. Despatch HTHE text of a despatch, Air Operations•*- in the Middle East from January 1st, 1941, to May yd 1941, submitted to theSecretary of State for Air on November 24th, 1941, by Air Chief Marshal SirArthur Longmore, G.C.B., D.S.O., Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Royal AirForce, Middle East, has now been pub- lished as a supplement to The LondonGazette. Space does not permit any lengthyreview of the despatch, but the main events dealt with are summarizedbelow: (a) The complete defeat ot the Italian Air Force in Libya; the successful and rapid advance to Benghazi (February 6th) and the subsequent temporary stabilization in Cyrenaica as far West as El Ageila. (b) The reduction of British Forces in Cyrenaica. both Army and Air, in order to meet fresh Greek commitments due to development of the threat to Greece from German Forces which had crossed from Rumania into Bulgaria. The decision being made on February 22nd to send British Land Forces to Greece. (c) The subsequent German-Italian offensive in North Africa leading to the withdrawal of British Forces in Cyrenaica to the Frontier and to the isolation of Tobrnk. (d) The German Invasion of Yugo-Slavia and Greece on April 5th, resulting in the capitulation of the Armies of both countries and the evacua- tion of British Forces to Crete and Egypt. (e) Intensified attacks on Malta and naval com- munications in that area by German aircraft based on Sicily. (f) The successful offensives against Italian East Africa from Kenya and Sudan, including the re-occupation of Berbera.A separate report was rendered on R.A.F. operations in Crete from April17th to May 31st, the control of which ceased to be Air Marshal Longmore'sresponsibility from May 3rd. On that date the German air invasion of theisland had not developed. A full report on air operations in Royal Air Force and Naval Air Arm News and Announcements East Africa from February 10th to April5th, 1941, was also forwarded to the Air Ministry, but a summary of these opera-tions is included in the despatch which is the subject of this note. R.A.F. Qraves in Norway THE British R.A.F. and Army missionwhich has been searching Norway for the graves of airmen shot downduring the war have so -far found over 100 in which the bodies have beenidentified. These men will be re-buried in Norway with full military honours.The mission also found the remains of 50 aircraft shot down by the Germans. The Qreat Fly-pastA FLIGHT representative who wit-nessed the fly-past on September 14th in commemoration of the Battle ofBritain, writes: — " Londoners are now becoming quiteaccustomed to mass fly-pasts, but the 250 or so aircraft which formated overthe city on Saturday morning to com- memorate the sixth anniversary of theBattle of Britain were for several reasons particularly welcome. First, becausethe people of London have always felt that the air battles pitched on theapproaches to London in 1940 weie fought particularly in their defence;secondly, the approach of the fighter squadrons was heralded by the impres-sive appearance of No. 35 squadron of ' Goodwill ' Lancasters in perfect for-mation ; and thirdly, because for the first time squadrons of American Thun-derbolts and Mustangs were among the British formations. Polish squadronswere also included. It is interesting to note that the number of aircraft in thefly-past was roughly the same as that available for the Battle of Britain." Although bad weather in the forming-up areas threatened to prevent take-off, only No. 4 Wing, comprising one squad-ron of Seanre XVTIs from Lee-on-Solent, and four squadrons of Spitfires fromBiggin Hill were finally prevented from taking part. Over London, where the
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