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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0540.PDF
252 FLIGHT, 26 February 1954 SERVICE AVIATION . . . R.A.F. Appointments '"THE following are among a number of *- recent appointments announced by the Air Ministry: G/C. A. H. Donaldson, D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., and G/C. C. J. Mount, D.S.O., D.F.C., are now serving with 2nd T.A.F., as S.A.S.O. No. 2 Group and Group Captain (Plans) respectively, In command, G/C. D. S. Wilson- MacDonald, D.S.O., A.F.C., has gone to Sylt, G/C. R. W. Christmas, O.B.E., to No. 32 Maintenance Unit, G/C. R. S. Sweet, O.B.E., to R.A.F. Record Office Unit, Act. G/C. F. G. Metcalf to No. 93 Maintenance Unit, W/C. I. J. Spencer, D.F.C., to London University Air Squad ron, W/C. R. G. Dutton, D.S.O., D.F.C., to Seaton Snook and Act. W/C. P. M. Gosse, M.C., to No. 1 (L.A.A.) Wing, R.A.F. Regiment. For air staff duties, G/C. S. G. Morgan has gone to Fighter Command H.Q. and G/C. E. L. J. Rowe, O.B.E., to H.Q. Far East Air Force. G/C. H. G. Blair has been appointed to Watton for technical duties as has W/C. R. A. Harding, to Luqa, Malta, and Act. W/C. W. Goodridge to Scampton. G/C. D. I. Coote, C.B.E., as Group Captain (Organization), is now at Bomber Command H.Q. For flying duties, W/C. D. E. Bennett has been posted to Fayid, W/C. G. McKenzie, D.F.C., to Driffield and Act. W/C. K. C. Giddings, D.F.C., A.F.C., to Waterbeach. W/C. W. M. Collins, D.F.C., is now with No. 1 Air Navigation School as an instructor. On the administrative staff, W/C. G. B. Blacklock, D.F.C., D.F.M., is now at Moreton-in-the-Marsh, W/C. G. L. Lister at No. 21 Group H.Q., W/C. E. G. Rands at Jurby and W/C. W. W. Watson, O.B.E., at Weeton. The McGill Fence A NEW early-warning network called the McGill Fence is being set up in Canada to fill the gaps inevitably left by the financial and performance limitations in the present system. The equipment is described as new, secret, complex and effective and yet cheap enough for quan tity production inside Canada. All radar chain locations facing northwards in Canada's Arctic defence system are as NORTHERN DEFENCE: The personnel operat ing the McGill radar warning across Canada have been installed in comfortable permanent quarters. On the right is one of the new accommodation sites, built on the shores of a lake. Below is on external view of one of the massive radar domes, housing the rotating antenna. The interior shows a team of con trollers at work. They are: F/0. L D. Roche, Cpl. R. M. Twissell, F/0. R. A. Henry and, at back, L.A/CW. E. M. Watson. secret as the type of equipment used there, but it is revealed that the McGill Fence sets are particularly efficient at low altitude and at long range. A 24-hour "identify or intercept" watch is main tained. No. 6 Squadron Base A NEW runway 2,700 yd long, at R.A.F. Amman, was inaugurated recently by King Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The King himself, at the con trols of a Dove of the Arab Legion Air Force, made the first landing during the ceremony; then he reviewed a fly-past and aerobatic display by Vampires of No. 6 Squadron. Present at the ceremony were members of the Jordan Cabinet; Glubb Pasha, Officer Commanding the Arab Legion; the British Ambassador; A.V-M. J. G. Hawtrey, A.O.C. Iraq; and G/C. J. H. Giles, commanding R.A.F. Amman. No. 6 Squadron has been associated with Jordan for many years, and has in fact been stationed in the area for some 35 years. The new runway, which entailed the removal of two small hills, and the filling of several wadis, will provide Amman with facilities for both jet-fighter operation and the handling of large commercial aircraft. No. 6 Squadron will be based there and the major airlines will also use the field instead of Mafraq, some miles away. Con struction was begun in November 1952 by two British contracting firms employing 2,600 local labourers, and only 30 Euro pean technicians. The work was supervised by the Directorate-General of Works, Air Ministry. The site of the new runway was first used as an airfield during the First World War, when it was built by the Germans for the Turks and bombed by the R.A.F, It was in the late 1920s that it was first developed as a permanent R.A.F. base, but it has, up to the present, been too small to accommodate anything but light com munications aircraft. R.N.V.R. Summer Training CIUMMER training plans for die air ** squadrons of the R.N.V.R. have been announced. The units spending their 14 days' training in Malta are Nos. 1840 and 1842 Squadrons of the Channel Division, based at R.N.A.S. Ford (May 9th to 23rd); No. 1831 and 1841 Squadrons of the Northern Air Division, based at R.N.A.S. Stretton (August 22nd to September 5th); and No. 1833 Squadron of die Midlands Air Division, based at Bramcote (Septem ber 5th to 19th). It is hoped that these squadrons will have deck landing training aboard a carrier of the Mediterranean Fleet. Nos. 1832, 1835 and 1836 Squadrons from R.A.F. Station Benson and No. 1834 from R.N.A.S. Yeovil ton, all of the Southern Air Division, will probably visit Germany. Squadrons of the Scottish Air Division will be training in the United Kingdom from July 10th to 24th. Reunion THE 6th reunion dinner ("stag party") -*- for officers of H.Q. and Stations of No. 44 Group is to be held on Friday, March 19th.. Particulars from C. A. Rice- man, Jasmondene, River Ash Estate, Shep- perton, Middlesex.
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