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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0494.PDF
FLIGHT George Pretyman (pilot) and " Hoppy " Cleaver trying the first stripped Lewis gun in a Morane Parasol. A remarkable incident occurred on July 26th, when 2nd Lt. L. G Wood and his observer H. J. L. Cappei, had been sent out to see how the infantry were faring in an attack on an important strong-point. The officers made an "area call" to the artillery to open fire. Shells fell accurately and a British tank and its bombing party were able to get as far as the sector which was being bombarded. A second call was made to the artillery to cease fire. As the shelling ceased, the pilot dropped to 300 feet and flew along the trench, raking it with machine-gun lire. The endurance of the occupants snapped and they waved arms and white handkerchiefs in surrender to the airmen. The news was communicated by message bag to the infantry, who advanced and accepted the surrender of eight officers and 362 men. With the advent of specialized fighter units. No. 3 became Lt. Shekleton's S.E.2a at Clioques in December, 1914. Note the arma- ment—one .45 Service revolver. Robb's recollection that he once gave permission to one F/O. P. Cranswick, M.C:, to take his Woodcock and land at every R.A.F. airfield, all-in one day. With the exception of aircraft changes—Gloster Gamecock in August, 1928, and Bristol Bulldog in 1929—the Squadron had a more or less uneventful peacetime life at Upavon and Kenley. In 1935, however, King George V held his first royal review of the Royal Air Force, at Mildenhall. More than 350 aircraft took part and, by virtue of seniority, No. 3 Squadron on their Bulldogs had the honour of leading the Fighter Group of eleven squadrons. The King spent some time with the Squadron on the ground and chatted with G/C. Strugnell, M.C., and W/O. Eley, both . of whom were original members of No. 3 in 1912, G/C. Strug- M08ANE PAXASDL HfS -17 SWMIW .F.I. CAMEL 1917-13 strmrrrlt '-SNIPEmo-21 tm-2s WtSTLAND WALRUS 1921 -22 one of a number of squadrons to be detailed for such duty and, until the armistice of November, 1918, it spent its time in air fighting, low bombing and making machine-gun attacks against ground targets. During the period in which the Squadron had Sopwith Camels—October, 1917, to November, 1918—it accounted for 59 enemy aircraft. The Great War ender1 No. 3 remained in France until February, 1919, when it was reduced to cadre strength and returned home to be disbanded. For the next few years the unit had a very chequered career. In 1920 it was re-formed in India, at Ambala, but was dis- banded again and re-formed at Leuchars, in Scotland, in 1921, as a general reconnaissance unit. After a year in this role it was disbanded yet once more, this time at Gosport. On April 1st, 1924, equipped with Sopwith Snipes, it was revived once again, at Manston, under-the command of S/L. J. C. Russell, D.S.O., and started to practice night-fighting. After a while the faithful Snipes were discarded and were re- placed by Hawker Woodcocks. Thus No. 3 became at that time the only specialized night-fighter squadron in the Royal Air Force. In the spring of 1926, S/L. Russell handed over the reins to S/L. J. M. Robb (now Air Chief Marshal Sir James Robb, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O.. D.F.C., A.F.C., C.-in-C. Air Forces Western Europe). Sir James recalls for the writer how, within a month' or two of taking over the Squadron, he found it detailed to do special illuminated night flights a* the Birming- ham and Aldershot tattoos. The Woodcocks each had about 80 lights under the lower planes. Another of Sir James's recollections is of the small circle of the defence of London, which, in the air exercises of 22 years ago, it was his duty to keep clear of t ie "enemy." The "enemy" was S/L. Harris, who led N6. 5B Bomber Squadron in their Vickers Virginias. S/L. Harris, in the recent war, came to be Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris, G.C.B., O.B.E., A.F.C., the renowned A.O.C.- in-C. of Bomber Command during its greatest period. An interesting sidelight on the middle 'twenties is Sir James nell as an Air Mechanic and W/O. Eley as a boy. In com- mand of R.A.F. at the review was Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, the first CO. of the Squadron, who was then A.O.C.-in-C. Air Defence of Great Britain. His Majesty also spoke to a F/O. Donaldson, of No.*3, who had won the Brooke-Popham air firing trophy for two years in suc- cession. It was the same Donaldson, now a Group Captain, who broke the world's speed record by clocking 616 m.p.h. on a Gloster Meteor in 1946. Four more years of peace-time training followed, and by the time that the second German war broke out in "1939 the unit had been re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane Is and was sta- tioned at Biggin Hill. During what was known as the "phoney war" its duties consisted almost entirely of shipping and escort patrols and practice night flying. Photograph of Salisbury in 1913, taken from Lt. Joubert's Bleriot and developed in the air by his observer.
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