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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0085.PDF
FLIGHT, 16 January 1953 83 SERVICE AVIATION Royal Air Force and Naval Aviation News No. 63 Group A.O.C. UNTIL recently Director of Flying Training at the Air Ministry, A. Cdre. W. S. Hebden has been appointed A.O.C. No. 63 Group, Home Command. A. Cdre. Hebden served with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France at the beginning of the war and later com manded No. 109 Squadron. After a period in the United States on signals liaison duties he was made Chief Signals Officer of the then newly-formed Transport Com mand and in 1945 commanded a transport wing in the Mediterranean. "Ocean" in Greek Exercises THE aircraft carrier H.M.S. Ocean, which arrived recently in Suda Bay, Crete, is taking part in combined exercises with units of the Greek Navy, Army and Air Force. Having served in Korean waters, Ocean is expected to create during the exercises some of the conditions experienced in the Far East. The Greek Air Force has recently re ceived a number of Thunderjets. These were delivered by air from America via Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Germany and Italy. Their actual flying time was approximately nine hours. New Cyprus Air Base A LARGE new airfield is to be built for the Royal Air Force at Episkopi Bay, to the west of Limassol in southern Cyprus. The main runway is expected to be 3,000 yards long, and the new base will therefore be suitable for bombers and transports. Local sources report that a nearby area has been earmarked for Army camps for British Middle East troops. Nicosia will continue to be used as a fighter base. Malta Blitz Reconstructed ALL three Services have co-operated in •** the production of The Malta Story, a film depicting the siege of Malta. For the flying scenes four Spitfires from No. 41 Group, Maintenance Command, flown by pilots of Fighter Command, and two Wellingtons from No. 2 Air Naviga tion School, Thorney Island, flown by crews from Flying Training Command, were attached to R.A.F. Station Luqa. Both here and at Ta Kali, a R.N.A.S. air field now jointly used by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, scenes reminis cent of 1941-42 were enacted as the Spit fires scrambled. The Spitfires also simulated the first delivery of these fighters to Malta during the critical days of 1942. Combat forma tions were filmed from the rear turrets of the Wellington. At Safi airfield a strip of disused runway was employed to simulate repair of runways after enemy bombing. F/L. J. B. Staples, D.F.M.—who won his decoration as a pilot in Malta at the time of the siege—acted as liaison officer, and F/Sgt. Aquilina who actually drove SABRETACHE: One of the two Bristol 170s used by the R.C.A.F. in Britain for the carrying of Sabre spares between No. 30 Air Materiel Base at Langar, Notts, North Luffenham (Rutland) and Gros Tenquin in France. They operate as part of No. 127 Flight, R.C.A.F., commanded by S/L F. Jolicoeur. A.V-M. Hugh P. Lloyd—who then held that rank, A.O.C. Malta—performed the same role in the film. Naval Appointments IN the appointments of Flag Officer Second - in - Command Mediterranean Fleet and Flag Officer Air (Mediterranean), Rear-Admiral W. W. Davis, C.B., D.S.O., R.N., has relieved Vice-Admiral R. A. B. Edwards, C.B., C.B.E. Capt. T. G. C. Jameson has become Director of Air Operational Training, Admiralty, and Capt. E. P. Hinton, D.S.O., M.V.O., is in command of H.M.S. Indefatigable. Capt. J. A. levers, O.B.E., is the new commanding officer of Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth. New Australian Naval Squadron A THIRD fighter squadron is being formed this month for the Royal Australian Navy. Designated No. 850 (Fighter) Squadron, the new unit will be based at Nowra, New South Wales. Like the other two Australian naval fighter squadrons, No. 850 is being equipped with Hawker Sea Furies, but eventually all three will have de Havilland Sea Venoms. The formation and training of this new unit probably coincides with the com missioning of the aircraft carrier Vengeance, which left Plymouth for Australia on January 7th. The Vengeance is being lent to the R.A.N, for four years until another carrier, now building in Britain, is completed. R.A.F. Half-Yearly Promotions THE following half-yearly promotions have been announced by the Air Ministry :— GENERAL DUTIES BRANCH. Air Com modore to Air Vice-Marshal—S. O. Bufton, C B., D.F.C., H. H. Brookes, C.B.E., D.F.C., L. W. Cannon, C.B., C.B.E., W. H. Merton, O.B.E., H. P. Fraser, C.B.E., A.F.C., J. H. Edwardes-Jones, C.B.E., D.F.C., A.F.C., A.D.C. „ , „ _ Group Captain to Air Commodore.—L>. L. Thomson, D.S.O., D.F.C, EL S. Ward, D F C, H. M. Pearson, C.B.E., G. Bearne, C. D. C. Boyce, C.B., C.B.E., R. C. Mead, CB.E., D.F.C., A.F.C., A.D.C., R. B. Lees, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C., A.D.C., A. M Rodgers, E. C. Bates, C.B.E., A.F.C., D. G. Moms, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C., A.D.C., K. B. B. Cross, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C. Wing Commander to Group Captain.—S. G. Birch, O.B.E., J. H. Giles, D.S.O., D.F.C., J. L. Barker, C.B.E., D.F.C., G. K. Bucking ham, O.B.E., D.F.C., J. H. D. Chappie, A. V. Rogers, A.F.C., J. F. Newman, D.S.O.,D.F.C., T. W. Piper, O.B.E., A.F.C., M. Wyatt, D.F.C., E. G. Watkins, A.F.C., S. L. Ring, D.F.C., F. C. Griffiths, D.F.C., A.F C, P. W. D. Heal, A.F.C., R. D. Williams, D.F.C., A. C. Stewart, D.F.C., R. K. Cassels, D.F.C., A.F.C., J. H. Searby, D.S.O., D.F.C., D. H. Lee, D.F.C., J. L. Crosbie, O.B.E., G. A. Richmond, M.B.E., H. E. C. Boxer, O.B.E., P. W. Townsend, C.V.O., D.S.O., D.F.C., P. T. Philpott, O.B.E., T. B. de la P. Beresford, D.S.O., D.F.C., G. D. Garvin, J. B. Tait, D.S.O., D.F.C., F. E. Rosier, D.S.O., O.B.E., S. W. B. Menaul, D.F.C., A.F.C. Squadron Leader to Wing Commander.— E. C. S. Fewtrell, D.F.C. (sen. Jan. 1st, 1952), J. O. Barnard, J. B. J. Boardman, D. W. Edmonds, D.F.C., A.F.C., J. I. Kilmartin, O.B.E., D.F.C., P. R. W. Wickham, D.S.O., D.F.C., P. W. Cook, A. M. G. Lywood, D.F.C., W. A. Smith, D.F.C., B. Drake, D.S.O., D.F.C., A. J. Douch, E. R. Bell, M.V.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., G. W. Garton, D.S.O., D.F.C., A. P. Dart, D.S.O., D.F.C., L. H. Bardett, D.S.O., H. G. F. Larsen, D.F.C., A. L. Winskill, D.F.C., C. F. Bradley, D.S.O., G. McKenzie, D.F.C., A. K. Furse, D.F.C., R. A. G. Ellen, M.B.E., C. W. S. Thomas, A.F.C., W, Surtees, D.F.C., R. B. Fleming, D.F.C., A.F.C., G. Frain, M.B.E., J. Biain, A.F.C., D. F. Rixson, O.B.E., D.F.C., B. G. F. Drinkwater, N. H. Elliot, E. Q. Moody, E. Garrad-Cole, M.C., G. F. Morley- Mower, D.F.C., A.F.C., M. C. Adderley, A.F.C., B. Lewin, D.F.C., R. W. Oxpring, D.F.C., A.F.C., H. W. Harrison, L. T. Bryant-Fenn, D.F.C., B. C. Bennett, A.F.C., F. B. Sutton, D.F.C., C. A. Alldis, D.F.C., F. D. Hughes, D.S.O., D.F.C., A. A. N. Nicholson, H. A. C. Bird-Wilson, D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., C. L. W. Stewart, D.S.O., A.F.C., C. C. M. Baker, O.B.E., D. B. Fitz-patrick, A.F.C., R. N. H. Courtney, D.F.C., D. E. Hawkins, D.F.C., K. J. Sewell, A.F.C., D.F.M., W. G. G. D. Smith, D.S.O., D.F.C. Flight Lieutenant to Squadron Leader.— J. A. A. Gibson, D.S.O., D.F.C., A. E. Bull, T. L. Higgins, H. Shannon, D.F.C., H. J. McRae, A. J. Ogilvie, D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., P. P. Villa, P. D. W. Chappell, W. J. Hunter, T. N. Staples, D. N. Shepherd, D.F.C., J. P. Trant, R. H. Steel, O.B.E., J. A. Atkinson, R. S. Kerby, P. A. Knapton, D.F.C., H. K. Rees, S. R. Dixon, O. L. Hardy, D.F.C., R. F. H. Martin, J. G. Mejor, D.F.C., D. K. Allport, D.S.O., D.F.C., B. S. Martin, D. R. Howard, D.F.C., G. E. Booth, J. Garden,
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