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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0827.PDF
821 The left-hand photograph shows ground-crew of No. 77 Squadron tucking up one of their Meteor 8s for the night. On the right, LA/C.s Glen and Andre reveal a stock of H.E. rockets for our camera, (below) A light flak emplacement at an advanced Korean base. J. W. Price, and F/O.s J. A. Rosser, D. A. Arnott and B. M. Burley. Babst (whom we had already met at Iwakuni), Rosser and Burley were from Middle East, Arnott and Price from 2nd T.A.F., and Whitworth-Jones from Fighter Command. The CO. told me that he was very happy about them, that they fitted in well and showed aggressive spirit. The "street" in which the pilots live has a serviceable pavement of R.P. boxes. The tents are variously identified; thus, on one door a trophy of the chase nutters silkily, and a few doors up the block the "Far Eastern Agents for the North-Rhine West- phalian Destructisn Co., Ltd." proclaim themselves. The house-pride of the occupants was a revelation. Many made their own cupboards, wardrobes, clothes driers, and even beds—and the parachute section, I gathered, could usually be persuaded to run up a pair of curtains for a chap. In the show- tent, formerly the residence of F/L.s Johnny Mellors and Martin Chandler, and occupied when I looked in by F/O.s Arnott, R.A.F., and Sugden, R.A.A.F., one found becoming lamp-shades; run ning-water from a Mustang fuel tank (F/L. Hill, R.A.A.F., went one better with his thermostatic hot-water system and sink); curtains; wardrobe; coffee table; and a springy bed, devised from aircraft tyres. Dak inner tubes were considered the thing, though F/L. Price got a good night's rest on interlaced metal strips. No paint being to hand the wood panels had been grained by blowlamp. Electric light was laid on to each tent and a good deal of cooking went on, especially before an early sortie. The Dakotas of 30 Transport Unit brought over eggs and other tasty additives to the camp diet (140 dozen oysters from Hiroshima were not around for long) as well as regular mail—7-10 days from U.K., 4-5 from Australia. So what with the cinema; an occasional con cert party; Vagabond—the American broadcasting station at Seoul; the club; two days' leave at Iwakuni every month, in addition to mid-tour leave a". "Iwak." and Tokyo, the pilots managed to keep themselves amused. One or two I met were keen aero-modellers, and I saw a smooth job being done on a miniature Twin Mustang. ,,, J.,,,,..,,,;..,-^ The pilots make a point of maintaining themselves in good voice for renderings of Let's have a party, which is the squadron song and dates from Mustang days ("We are the joy-boys of old Japan"); Flying down the Yalu ("Throw a penny on the grass and you'll be saved"); K-9 Blues (in the Shaibah tradition); and —very touching, this—All I want for Christmas is my wings swept back. Funds towards the maintenance of the vocal standard are contributed over the bar at the following rates: 100 missions, £3; promotion, £3; birthday., £3; birth, £5; night before going home, £5. And because 77's wings are not swept back, someone clearly deserves to have his ears pinned back. With that amiable thought I ascended to an upper bunk in Whitworth-Jones' tent long after the first-light recce, detail had tucked itself in. I supposed that recurrent gunfire in the night came from B-26S, (Continued on page 829) Korean terrain, the hazards of which are among the greatest of those faced by the pilots of No. 77 Squadron on their ground-attack sorties. This photograph was secured from an Auster of No. 1913 Light Liaison Flight. An account of the work of the Flight, and of No. 1903 Independent Air O.P. Flight, will appear next week.
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