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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0787.PDF
49© FLIGHT Meteors of No. 600 (City of London) Squadron, bearing full fuselage- insignia, are drawn up in the foreground of this scene at Biggin Hill, Parading before the Air Minister in front of the hangar (built on the site of one destroyed in the Battle of Britain) are Auxiliary personnel about to begin their three-month training. " Flight " photographs AUXILIARIES CALLEEPW R.Aux.A.F. Fighter Squadrons Assemble for Full-time Training XXTHILE regular pilots and ground staff of Fighter YY Command undergo continuous, year-round training " " to maintain their characteristically high level of efficiency, their Auxiliary comrades are equally hard at work in civilian occupations. In a war, the part-time airmen would immediately take their place in the front line along- side the Regulars, and so must aspire to reach the same standards—within the limitations set by the training-time available to them. Only by cheerful sacrifice of leisure hours and true cameradie do the Auxiliaries succeed in achieving this ambitious objective. The Auxiliary spirit was never more apparent than at Biggin Hill on April 16th, when two squadrons paraded in a ceremony representing the official calling-upj for three months, of themselves and seven similar units. The re- maining II squadrons will begin their three-months' full- time duty on July 16th, thereby "staggering" the load placed on Fighter Command training facilities. The two Biggin Hill squadrons are No. 600 (City of London) and No. 615 (County of Surrey). On their first day of "back-in-harness" training, their Meteor 4s were lined up and personnel paraded for inspection by the Secretary of State for Air, Mr. Arthur Henderson. On his arrival the Air Minister told the airmen that the three-month call-up would enable them to share the primary responsibility for Britain's air defence from the outset of an emergency. At the end of that period they would be fully trained and operationally ready squadrons. "I pay tribute," he said, "to the readiness which has characterized the call-up—it is typical of the fine voluntary spirit of the R.Aux.A.F." Mr. Henderson then inspected the squadrons' aircraft, h with its pilot, fitter and rigger standing by. He was Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary of State for Air, inspects members of No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, also equipped with Meteors and based at Biggin Hill. The blue- flash marking of "615" may be discerned on one aircraft.
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