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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1612.PDF
FLIGHT, 4 November 1955 729 Here climbing aboard a Dragonfly at West- land's helicopter school is A. Cdre H. J. Kirkpatrick, Director of Operational Require- ments at Air Ministry, who has taken a heli- copter course. A.V-M. T. N. McEvoy took the course last year. All R.A.F. helicopter pilots are trained by Westland. SERVICE AVIATION Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm News Secretary of State on TourL AST week Lord De L'Isle and Dudley, ' V.C., Secretary of State for Air, and Lady Dudley, left West Mailing to visit R.A.F. squadrons and ground forces in the Middle and Far East, and particularly those in the Aden Protectorate and Malaya. At the invitation of the Austra- lian government Lord and Lady De L'Isle will also visit Australia; and Lord De L'Isle hopes to visit the Woomera range. CF.E. Visits Australia EARLIER this week two CanberraP.R.7s left West Raynham for a seven week tour of the Far East and Australia. A. Cdre. Grandy, C.F.E. Commandant, is leading the team and piloting one of the Canberras. With him will be S/L. C. K. Cooke and S/L. R. D. Coleman. The other machine is flown by W/C. R. B. Cole, S/L. K. L. Charney and F/L. B. de Iongh. Two other officers are flying out by transport aircraft to join the team in Australia. This is one of the routine Commonwealth visits carried out at inter- vals by C.F.E. personnel. The flight out will be via Abu Sueir (Egypt), Karachi, Colombo, Singapore and Darwin. The team is to return on December 12th. H.M.A.S. "Melbourne"A T Barrow-in-Furness last Friday the • Australian carrier Melbourne was named by Lady White, wife of Sir Thomas White, High Commissioner for Australia. The ship was originally launched ten years ago as H.M.S. Majestic, but after the war work was virtually discontinued until a modernization programme was begun, culminating in the present vessel. She was defined by Admiral Sir Charles Lamb, Second Sea Lord, who spoke at the ceremony, as being "as up to date as any ship in her class in the world." H.M.A.S. Melbourne will be com- manded by Capt. G. C. O. Gatacre, R.A.N., and will have a complement of 109 officers and 1,120 ratings, including the personnel of the Gannet and Sea Venom squadrons which have been work- ing up at R.N.A.S. Culdrose. R.N.Z.A.F. Appointment '"THE government has placed at the dis- •'- posal of the Government of New Zealand the services of G/C. G. C. Eveleigh, O.B.E., for appointment as deputy chief of staff of the R.N.Z.A.F. G/C. Eveleigh has been commanding R.A.F. North Weald, and was before that chief signals officer at H.Q. Bomber Command. Trans-Antarctic' ExpeditionT HE part to be played in the trans- Antarctic expedition by the R.A.F. was outlined in an article in these columns on October 21st dealing with the Austers to be used for reconnaissance and trans- port during the preliminary expedition this winter. In April the present party will return, leaving behind Sgt. Williams, who will continue as radio operator for the expedition throughout its two-and-a-half year stay in the Antarctic. S/L. Claydon will return to New Zealand to lead the R.N.Z.A.F. detachment which will operate Beavers from other side of the Antarctic in conjunction with the expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary. F/Sgt. Weston, F/L. Haslop and S/L. Lewis will return to the Antarctic next year after six months in the U.K. During this time they will collect and fly over the The final stage of the journey to a jungle bandit hideout begins for a stick of bombs. They are falling from the bay of one of the Australian-built Lin- colns of No. 1 San., R.A.A.F., which is based in Malaya. Atlantic a D.H. Otter which will be used in an attempt to fly across the Antarctic during the period of the land crossing. The ferry flight will be in the nature of a training operation for this venture. The Otter will also be useful for carrying stores up to the advanced base, some 300 miles inland from the initial British land- ing point, from which the surface crossing will start. The main parties will come home via New Zealand in April 1958. F/L. Haslop served with Transport Command during the Berlin Airlift and held a short service commission in the R.N.Z.A.F. before rejoining the R.A.F. F/Sgt. Weston has been in 2nd T.A.F. since taking part in previous expeditions, while Sgt. Williams trained as a wireless operator and fitter in 1940, and served in the Middle East. New Boy Entrants' School THE first entry of recruits from civil life -*- has now begun training at the new R.A.F. school for the training of boy entrants at R.A.F. St. Athan. Full facili- ties for training, education and sport are available, together with a special staff of instructors. No. 1 F.T.S. History PHOTOGRAPHS and material to illus- •*• trate a history of No. 1 F.T.S., which is now being compiled by the Education Officed at R.A.F. Syerston, are being sought. All descriptions, anecdotes and other material will be gratefully received and promptly returned if desired. A.O.P. Efficiency TrophyF OR the fourth time No. 663 Air Obser- vation Post Squadron, R.Aux.A.F., based at Hooton Park, Cheshire, has won the Inter-Squadron Efficiency Trophy. Previous successes were in 1951, 1952 and 1953, a hat-trick for which the unit received a small replica of the trophy. Each year points are awarded to all A.O.P. squadrons in the British Isles for such items as flying hours, accident rates and recruiting figures. This year, for the first time, artillery fire direction was included. The A.O.P. squadrons are mixed units, the pilots being artillery officers and trained gunners, while the groundcrews are R.Aux.A.F. personnel. No. 663 Sqn. is commanded by Maj. H. B. Warburton.
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