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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0468.PDF
FLIGHT, 8 April 1955 SERVICE AVIATION . . . Mau Mau emergency until last August, F/L.Edge harried terrorists seeking to use the air- field as an escape route and hideout. Thenight of July 21st-22nd, 1954, produced a typical example of his work. At very shortnotice he and his available men surrounded the isolated station sewage-farm, after whichhe advanced alone to investigate, and in doing so surprised some 30 to 40 Africans about tohold a Mau Mau oath-taking ceremony. Twenty-two suspects were captured. F/L. Edgar commanded No. 66 (Field)Squadron Detachment in Kenya from February to May 1954, his responsibility being to protectthe airstrip at Mweiga from which Harvard* of No. 1340 Flight were operating. When,in March, the operations were moved to Nanyuki, he was responsible for planning andconstructing the defences. With skill, and despite difficulties over supplies and equip-ment, his detachment completed the task quickly. After this he led many patrols,sweeps and ambushes against Mau Mau gangs, co-operating with police. SECOND BAR to DJ.C. W/C. G. G. St. David Jeffries, D.F.C andBar. On October 31st, 1953, W/C. Jeffries assumed command of No. 1340 (Harvard)Flight in Kenya. For the next eight months he led the Flight from advanced landing fields onanti-Mau Mau strikes. By September 30th, 1954, W/C. Jeffries had personally completed410 strikes in the Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya areas, where violent and unpre-dictable w«ather often prevails. He carried out flying investigations of dangerous down-draughts in the area. In September 1954 his Flight, with eight aircraft and an average ofseven pilots, flew 508 sorties and 577 flying hours. W/C. Jeffries personally led 89 strikesand flew 95 hours. R.C.A.F. Station, Cold Lake TTHE new R.C.A.F. station at Cold Lake,•*• Alt., is now almost complete (the last 500 married quarters are just being built)and the All-Weather O.T.U. for CF-100 crews is being moved there. The move hasbeen occasioned in large part by the now increased requirements for range facilitieswhich have arisen with the introduction of the new aircraft, and for this purpose somethree million acres of land have been rented from Alberta and Saskatchewan. This areais adjacent to the new base. Trainee crews carry out all-weather practice interceptionof Mitchells and T-33 Silver Stars and of other CF-lOOs. Technical training unitsfor CF-lOOs and operational squadrons are remaining at North Bay, Ontario.In addition to training, the new range is being used for a series of tests of air-to-airguided missiles for the Defence Research Board by the Central Experimental andProving Establishment Detachment. Work is being carried out in close contact withthe Canadian Armament Research and Development Establishment at Valcartier,P.Q. Tests were previously carried out in Eastern Canada. Reunions CJERVING and retired officer aircrew of^ the Royal Navy and its reserves, who might be interested in a projected reunionat Lee-on-Solent during early August, 1955, are invited to write to the wardroommess secretary, H.M.S. Daedalus, giving details of their service. This year's H.Q. Flying Training Com-mand Officers' (1939-45) reunion is being held at the R.A.F. Club, Piccadilly, Lon-don, on April 29th. Air Marshal Sir Philip Babington and Air Marshal Sir LawrenceF. Pendred are both expected to be present. Particulars from S/L. A. C. Howell, 19Bramley Road, Cheam, Surrey. No. 47 SQUADRON . . . THE HISTORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 457 Mosquitoes, one of the most successfulbeing that carried out on the telephone exchange. The rockets of the Beaufightersmaking the attack caused extensive damage to the building, which was left in flames.Towards the end of April the remaining Beaufighter flight converted to Mosquitoesand on the 28th the squadron moved to Kinmagon, whence attacks were made oncoastal defences south of Rangoon as a preliminary to the Allied sea-borne inva-sion, which was due to take place at the beginning of May. In co-operation withother Mosquitoes of 221 Group the squad- ron carried out "cab rank" patrols, bomb-ing and strafing during the operation. After the fall of Rangoon attacks weremade on villages north of the city and on Japanese troop concentrations at Hmawbiand Mockpalin. Strikes were also made to cut enemy escape routes, continuouspatrols being flown over these areas. It was during an attack on the Japanese-occupiedvillage of Lagunbyo on May 15th that the commanding officer was lost: W/C. Filson-Young, D.F.C., who led the attack, was seen to crash, and both he and his navigatorwere killed. Until the Japanese surrender, operationswere continued against a variety of targets over a wide area. Railway bridges on the Moulmein-Bangkok line were destroyedand Moulmcin was the object of attack on several occasions. On August 16th the squadron moved to Hmawbi and onNovember 24th eight aircraft were detached to Kemajoran in Java for operational work against the Indonesian Nationalists.Attacks were made on radio stations and gun emplacements and tactical reconnaissances were flown over the battle area. Aircover was also provided for road convoys and troops. In January 1946 the squadron moved its headquarters toButterworth in Malaya; but operations in Java continued, the detachment earning for itself an excellent reputation for opera-tional efficiency. On March 21st, 1946, the detachment returned from Java and the squadron was disbanded. No. 47 was re-formed on September 1st, 1946, when No. 644(Airborne Support) Squadron was re-named. The unit was then located at Qastina under the command of W/C. W. H. Ingleand was engaged in dummy paratroop drops and glider towing exercises; but by the end of the first month of its new life thesquadron returned to England, where it was based at Fairford, Gloucester. For the next two years training formed the greater part of theflying programme, with some ferrying trips to the Middle East; and on September 14th, 1948, a move was made to Dishforthfor conversion to Hastings 1 aircraft—the first squadron to be so equipped. On November 1st the unit joined the Berlin airlift—Operation A Fairey Gordon of No. 47 Squadron escorting the first Handley Page 42 on the Cairo-Kisumu stage of the Capetown service in 1932. Plainfare—its main task being the flying of coal from Schleswig-land, near Kiel, into the blockaded city. For nearly a year No. 47 performed this work, making 3,000 flights and carrying 22,000tons of supplies. As well as being flying coalmen, the squadron also helped to carry some of the 33ft girders required for thereconstruction of the West Berlin power station. On July 20th, 1949, a Hastings of No. 47 Squadron carried the half-millionthton of supplies flown into Berlin by the British air hit force. On their return to Britain the squadron moved to Topcliffe,Yorkshire, and started their present role of route flying and airborne support. Perhaps the most famous exploit since thenwas the dropping of supplies to the British North Greenland Expedition, on the ice cap in October 1952. During this opera-tion a Hastings was lost through a misjudgrnent of height. It struck the snow-covered ground, but remained intact. The rescueof F/L. "Mike" Clancy, and his crew by a ski-fitted Dakota and Grumman Albatross will be remembered. Since then, based at Abingdon, the squadron has flown Trans-port Command trunk routes from the United Kingdom to Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. Originally the squadron badge showed a rising sun over theSaqqara pyramid, but in 1938 a crest symbolizing the squadron's history was devised. It shows a demoiselle crane (a denizen ofthe Sudan and Russia) and a fountain. The fountain commemor- ates the squadron's amphibious role. The motto, Nili NomenRoboris Omen, may be translated as :"The name of the Nile is an omen of our strength."
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