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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1904.PDF
FLIGHT, 24 November 1949 ' Flight " photograph. R.AUX.A.F. SQUADRONS RE-EQUIPPED No. 601 (County of London.) and No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadrons Receive Vampires As the Vampire 3s arrived at North Weald they passed over the Spitfire 22s which they now supersede. On the right is the Meteor 7 to be used for pilot conversion. r , .-..,^ - .- ON Friday last the first of the Vampires for the twoAuxiliary squadrons stationed at North Wealdarrived from Odiham. Five came in at about mid- day and a further two during the early afternoon. They were of the Mark 3 variety and emanated from the famous No. 54 (Fighter) Squadron, which last year made the historical formation flight in Vampires across the Atlantic. Led by S/L. E. Plumtree, O.B.E., D.F.C., the Vampires were expected to arrive in style and put up an aerobatic display for the benefit of the new "owners." This, however, was not to be, for the weather was extremely patchy, with clear sunlight in places and areas of thick fog elsewhere. Added to these variable conditions the R/T. on S/L. Plumtree's aircraft refused to function. To welcome the arrival at North Weald were S'L. B. P. T. Horsley, A.F.C., who commands the station and S/L. P. H. M. Richey, D.F.C., commanding officer of No. 601 (County of London) Squadron, and other officers of both 601 and 604 Squadrons. The re-equipment with jet fighters is in line with the announced policy of making the 20 Auxiliary units into first-line fighter squadrons, and a time limit has been given for them to reach fully operational standard. A two-seater Meteor 7 is available for the pilots to familiarize " Flight " photograph. Reception : S/L. Plumtree, right, with F/O. Hardie. F/O.MeArthy-Jones and S/L. Richey. all of No 601 Squadron. Next to S L. Plumtree is S/L. Horsley, the Station Commander. themselves with the new technique of jet-fighter flying. Both S/L. Richey and S/L. Lofts, who commands No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron, are pre-war members of the Auxiliary Air Force. S/L. Lofts has had his squadron for nearly two years but S/L. Richey's appoint- ment is a very recent one. He joined the R.Aux.A.F. as a member of No. 601 Squadron in July, 1948, and before this, up to his release in May, 1946, he had served with distinc- tion on flying, administrative and Air Staff duties in the R.A.F., in which Service he attained the rank of wing commander. Joining the Service in March, 1937, he went into action with his squadron in the Battle of France, during which he gained his D.F.C. " Flight " photograph. S/L. Richey, in the cockpit of his new aircraft, goes over the "drill" with its late owner. In 1941 he spent four months with No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron, R.Aux.A.F., and for three months commanded No. 74 Squadron. He followed this by taking command of No. 609, his old squadron, during the summer of 1942. It was while he was serving in No. 609 Squadron that he received a Bar to his D.F.C. Between October, 1942, and the end of 1943, he served in India, his tour culminating with five months in command of No. 165 Wing. He also commanded No. 189 Wing, Air Command, South East Asia, in December, 1943. In 1944 he took a Senior Commanders' Course and was thereafter engaged on various staff duties. He is, perhaps, best known to the public as the author of Fighter Pilot. E 10
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