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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0022.PDF
16 FLIGHT, 4 January 1951 No. 6 SQUADRON RAF moving, the squadron dog Rommel was lost, but he was brought over later by No. 73 Squadron. During the month 338 sorties were flown, amounting in all to 570 flying hours. Three pilots were lost and a further three were shot down but were able to return to the squadron. The final operation of the war had an element of comical surprise. On, May 1st, 1945, four pilots were briefed to contact enemy troopships putting out from Trieste. The operation was led by P/O. A. J. White. A dummy run was made on the leading vessel, which promptly ran up a white flag and then lowered it again. A second pass was made and the white flag went up again and stayed up, the rest of the ships followed suit. Two Hurricanes stayed with the captured ships and two returned to report. Top cover was maintained over the convoy until it was in our hands. The squadron made a claim of " 16 ships captured." Peace came on May 8th and was suitably celebrated. For No. 6, however, there was no peace for by the 18th they had changed their four-rocket Hurricanes for the eight-rocket jobs (previously belonging to Nos. 351 and 352, the Jugoslavian squadrons) and were on their way to Canne, Italy, to await trooping to Palestine. Italian military currency was changed for English money and on July 7th the ground party left in S.S. Carnarvon Castle for Alexandria. A train journey across the Sinai desert (over the railway which was first laid as a military operation in the 1914-18 war, and was for a while operated by engines from the old London and South Western Railway) brought them to Megiddo (Haifa). The air party flew via Araxos (Greece), Hassani, Maleme (Crete), El Adem and Mersa Matruh. Only one Hurricane failed to make the journey; it went U/S with a coolant leak. Then came the whittling down by re-establishment and de- mobilization; but, despite very severe handicaps imposed by post-war troubles, No. 6 never became dispirited or adopted the " couldn't care less" attitude which affected so many units. Towards the end of August, 1945, there was a further move, to Petah Tiqva. The trophies and plate, of which the squadron is so proud, were drawn from the safe keeping of Barclays Bank in Tel Aviv, polished up and returned to use. Discipline was tightened up a little and a training programme laid down. Ever nomadic, the squadron next found itself at Ramat David, where pre-war duties such as pipe-line patrols were resumed and added to the training programme. By the end of October the squadron was 40 per cent under strength, mostly owing to de- mobilization ; yet even those waiting for their turn to go slaved hard to, in their own words, "keep the kites serviceable." Owing to the curfews necessitated by the inter-racial disturb- ances the men were tied more and more to camp. Although they were so near to Bethlehem the first peacetime Christmas was more of a testing time than one of peace and goodwill. Squadron strength was down to less than half and airmen had (Left) S/L D. Crowley-Milling, DS.O., D.F.C., and Bar, who commanded the unit for two years, ending in July, 1950. (Right) The present commanding officer, S/L P. A. Kennedy, DS.O., D.F.C. to be on guard each alternate night because of possible attacks on the camp. The promised Tempests had not yet arrived, but a few Mk. 9 L.F. Spitfires with "zero-length" R.P. rails and gyro sights adapted for R.P. work were sent to the unit. S/L. Slade-Betts, D.F.C., left the squadron in July, 1946, for demobilization. He had been a worthy C.O. of a worthy squadron and when he left in a Lancaster for Heliopolis all the serviceable aircraft available at that moment—four Hurricanes and one Spitfire—flew with him as an escort. F/L. Kendell took over temporary command. S/L. C. E. Mould, who next commanded No. 6, came at a very difficult period. All the aircraft were very old, only four of the pilots were R.P.-trained and three of these were due shortly to leave. By October, 1946, the Hurricanes were really wearing out— every inspection became a major overhaul. Rock-bottom was reached at the end of November, when pilot strength was down to four, with one serviceable Hurricane. Even so, perusal of the squadron diary shows the old squadron spirit to have been still apparent Tempest 6s began to arrive in December, co-incident with another change in command, S/L. C. K. Gray, D.F.C., taking over. For its 33rd birthday party the squadron foregathered at the Palace Hotel, Nicosia, Cyprus, whence a move had been made at the end of the previous September. The birthday cake was cut by the youngest member, A/C. 1 Seaman, and a dinner and sing-song completed the celebrations. November, 1947, found the unit at Khartoum under. the command of S/L. D. Crowley-Milling, D.S.O., D.F.C. and Bar. From here, in the following January, a detachment of six air- craft, 22 airmen and two Dakotas made a journey to Mogadishu, Somaliland. It appears that something went wrong with the logistical department, because when the aircraft came to refuel at Mogadishu there were found to be available 500 gallons of petrol and 5,000 gallons of oil! When this curious disparity had been put right demonstration patrols were flown before the return to Khartoum on February 13th. In May drop-tanks were fitted and feverish preparations made for a quick move north to cover the evacuation of Palestine by the British Forces. At least one of the pilots was approached by the Jews to sell his aircraft. The method suggested was that he should land in Palestine, where he would be taken and dumped into the sea. From here he would be "rescued" and removed to hospital before being released. The price offered was £7,000. If any- thing had happened to go wrong with the rescue apparatus, of course, the aircraft would have been cheaper still! The situation for a while was very tense. As the British columns left, so the Arabs and Jews joined battle. Some air fighting was observed but recognition was difficult owing to the fact that everybody concerned had British aircraft. Owing to attacks by the Egyptian Air Force, all Dakotas flying into Palestine were escorted. One of them carried the late Count Bernadotte, who attempted to mediate between Jews and Arabs. At the close of the Palestinian troubles No. 6 enjoyed its first spell of real peace since it was formed in 1914. The Tempests have now given place to Vampire 5 fighter bombers and the squadron was in the news when, recently, it went to Mafraq for a four-week desert training exercise. While they were there King Abdullah visited them and was presented with a framed reproduction of the squadron badge in gold and silver brocade, the crown studded with jewels, on a white satin background. In return the King has now presented to the squadron one of his own personal banners. It is of silk, in the Jordan colours, with the royal crown in yellow as a centre- piece. The presentation took place at the Palace at Amman. A.V-M. G. Beamish, A.O.C. Iraq, attended and Gen. Ghibb Pasha, Commander of die Arab Legion, acted as interpreter. It is appropriate to conclude a history of such a famous squad- ron with the words of A.V-M, J. N. Boothman, who visited No. 6 in 1950. In a message of appreciation he said, "In No. 6 you have a grand outfit; you may well be justifiably proud of it. The spirit of the squadron and its ability is remarkable. I have never seen better." With the new official badge on their noses '• No. 6 Squadron Vampire 5s on desert training at Mafraq in Jordan last August.
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