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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0208.PDF
206 FLIGHT Canberra; flying over Christiansborg Castle (Government House), Accra, during a demon- stration on February 4th. Operation African Tour The Canberras of No. 9 Squadron Continue Their Demonstrations Accra, Gold Coast, Thursday, February 2nd ..... i ..;•:••','.'-"'.-.'': "..:T HE highlight of the tour was the inspection of the Force bythe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Lagos Airport just before the royal visitors left for Kaduna in a Viking of theQueen's Flight. The busy programme had made rehearsal difficult, but both No. 9 Squadron and the No. 24 (Commonwealth) Squad-ron detachment looked exceedingly smart. The parade was under the orders of W/C. A. A. M. Nicholson, the Deputy Force Com-mander. The Queen was greeted by the Force Commander, A. V-M. J. R. Whitley. Her Majesty spoke to several officers,including F/L. S. W. Pattinson (the engineer officer), F/L. Desmond Hall ("A" Flight commander), F/L. Gordon Dickie(navigation leader), F/L. Peter Thomas (pilot), and a Hastings captain, F/L. C. M. Graham. Both the Queen and the Dukeshowed the greatest interest in the Force. They already knew much about it, for A. V-M. Whitley had earlier sat at the Queen'sright hand at an informal dinner at Government House. Ninety minutes after the gleaming royal Viking had taken offfrom Lagos for Kaduna, six Canberras left to salute the Queen there just after her arrival. Their flight time was less than 50minutes against the Viking's 2 hr 20 min. On the following day, six Canberras and one Hastings flew to Accra for a three-day visitto the Gold Coast. The remaining Canberra and Hastings were despatched to Kano. Despite some servicing troubles due to the humidity all the flyingprogramme so far has been carried out on schedule and timing has been of the split-second variety. Kano, Nigeria, Monday, February 6th - The Gold Coast could not have given the Force much morehonour than it did. Whereas in Nigeria the Force had been in some degree just another piece in the tapestry of pageantry woven WE give here notes based on further dispatches from an Air Ministryofficer who flew out to Nigeria with No. 9 Squadron's Canberras, whose fly-pasts and demonstrations have been one of the most spectacularfeatures of the royal tour. for the Royal visit, Accra was ready with a State welcome for theRoyal Air Force alone. The Prime Minister, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and most of his Ministers were at the airport on February 2nd togreet A. V-M. Whitley, who had flown independently ahead of the other five Canberras to "beat up" the airfield before landing. S/L.L. G. Bastard, O.C. No. 9 Sqn., then led in the other five aircraft in a yic-formation, breaking off to left and right with the CO.standing his aircraft on its tail to do a roll off the top. Dr. Nkrumah, one of the most popular and certainly one of the most controversialfigures in West Africa, showed the keenest interest in the Canberra and its performance. After a visit to the University College of the Gold Coast, thePrincipal of which is Mr. D. M. Balme, C.M.G., D.S.O., D.F.C., officers of the Force attended a presentation of medals to GoldCoast Police Forces, and this was followed by the ceremony of beating the retreat, in which the exotically garbed mounted lancersof the Police Force put up a brave show. Cocktails with the Commissioner (Maj. M. K. Collens, O.B.E.) and officers of thePolice Force followed. The next day, after a morning of servicing, the Canberras wereon view to officers and other ranks of the Gold Coast Military Forces. The evening sherry party given by H.E. The Governor,Sir Charles Arden-Clarke, G.C.M.G. at his historic and pic- turesque Christiansborg Castle was (apart, of course, from theinspection by the Queen) the most impressive moment so far. The police lancers lined the courtyard and the great stairway, with itsancient cannon in a blaze of floodlit glory, to provide a somewhat intimidating welcome; but all was cordiality within. A small section of the vast crowd who watched the low-alti- tude display by No. 9 Sqn., along the Accra sea front. Warned he- forehand about the noise, they appeared to. delight in it. -;-:
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