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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0516.PDF
516 FLIGHT, 27 April 1956 SERVICE AVIATION Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm News Libya's ruler, King Idris El Senussi, accompanied by W/C. D. M. H. Craven, Sta- tion Commander at El Adem, inspects the ceremonial parade which marked his visit to the station on April 11th. He watched formation aerobatics by No. 208 Sqn. Meteor F.R.9s and rocket firing by Venoms of No.73 Sqn. Trophy Winners T^HE Dacre Trophy for the day fighterA squadron achieving the best results in air gunnery has been won by No. 64 Sqn.,based at R.A.F. Duxforxi, for the period 1954-1955. The trophy was presented tothe Commanding Officer, S/L. J. Garden, last Friday. The Duncan Trophy, 2nd T.A.F.'saward for proficiency in air firing has been won by No. 87 Sqn. based at Wahn, Ger-many. No. 87 Sqn. flies Meteor N.F.I Is and is the first night fighter squadron everto win the award. The trophy was origin- ally presented to the R.A.F. by Gen.Gervasio Duncan, then Chief of Staff of the Brazilian Air Force, when he visitedR.A.F. units in 1947. It was presented to No. 87 Sqn. on April 13th by Air Marshalthe Earl of Bandon, A.O.C.-in-C. 2nd T.A.F. No. 87 Sqn. is commanded byW/C. L. W. G. Gill. -. . • - Freedom of Aylesbury NEXT Tuesday R.A.F. Halton is to re-ceive the freedom of Aylesbury at a large parade. More than 600 of the stationpersonnel are to march through the town with colours flying, bayonets fixed andbands playing, and the Commanding Offi- cer, A. Cdre. G. N. E. Tindall-Carill-Worsley, will receive the Deed of Freedom in a casket from the mayor, Councillor W.Fewkes. The parade will include squads from allsix units based at Halton and the Appren- tices' pipe band will be led by their goatmascot, Cpl. Lewis III. The Queen's Colour for the R.A.F. in the United King-dom and the Queen's Colour of No. 1 School of Technical Training will beparaded. Canal Zone EvacuationT HE last airfield to be operated by theR.A.F. in the Suez Canal Zone, Abu Sueir, was evacuated on April 14th. Thiscompleted the R.A.F.'s withdrawal from all airfields and their supporting installa-tions, but a small party was left at Port Said to supervise the last transit move-ments. Abu Sueir was formally handed over to the Egyptians. "Medflex Dragon" CompletedT HE major NATO sea/air exercise,called "Medflex Dragon," the largest yet held in the area, ended on April 20th.The main operations were convoy protec- tion. Canberras from Binbrook, Lines,and Neptunes from Topcliffe, Yorks, went to the Mediterranean to fly with otherNATO aircraft. The R.A.F. Neptunes operated from Gibraltar with Shackletonsand Portuguese Harpoons. The exercise ended with a steam-pastand fly-past off Malta Grand Harbour on April 20th when 50 allied shipss in twoeight-mile-long lines, passed the dis- patch vessel Surprise in which was Gen.Gruenther, the retiring SACEUR. The fly- past of some 70 allied aircraft was led byAir Marshal G. E. Nicholetts, A.O.C. Air H.Q. Malta, flying a Meteor 7 of No. 39Sqn. Following him were French torpedo bombers, Neptunes and Aquilons, ItalianHarpoons, Vampires and Mustangs, U.S. Navy Neptunes and R.A.F. Shackletons,Meteors, Venoms and Canberras. The U.S. Navy Neptunes operated froman advanced base in southern Sardinia and were supported there by an advanced basesupport ship, the L.S.T. Alameda County. Malayan Air Supply T\ROPPING supplies to forces operating-•-' in the Malayan jungle is to become the responsibility of No. 41 Sqn.R.N.Z.A.F. The squadron's Bristol Freighters have moved up to KualaLumpur to begin operations. Atlantic Exercise AIR and naval units of the U.S.A.,•** Canada and Great Britain will take part in a six-day NATO anti-submarineexercise in the Atlantic. Called "New Broom V," the exercise will begin onMay 1st with the sailing of a convoy from Norfolk, Virginia, to Gibraltar. Hunter/killer groups will protect the convoy from submarines. Operations will be controlledby NATO commanders. Senior Appointments -:.-,,- "THE Air Ministry announces the-*- appointment of A. Cdre. D. J. P. Lee as secretary of the Chiefs of Staff Com-mittee and of A. Cdre. G. F. A. Skelton as Air Attache in Bonn, Western Germany. A. Cdre. Lee formerly commandedR.A.F. Scampton. During the early part of World War 2 he was with Hampdensquadrons operating against German naval targets. He then served two tours of dutyat the Air Ministry and, in May 1945, com- manded No. 904 Wing, flying Thunder-bolts in India and Java. In 1950 he became Deputy Director of Air Staff Policy. A. Cdre. Skelton joined the R.A.F. in1930, flew fighters and bombers and served as a test pilot at Martlesham Heath beforebeing shot down in a Defiant and taken prisoner in May 1940. He was repatriatedin 1943 and, in 1946, commanded No. 51 Sqn., Transport Command. In 1949-50he was Air Attache in Prague and for the past two years has been Command Intelli-gence Officer at H.Q. 2nd T.A.F. Royal Iraqi Air ForceN OW operating Vampires and Venoms and modern training aircraft, the Royal Iraqi Air Force is 25 years old. It was formed when five D.H. Gipsy Moths, flown by Iraqi pilots, arrived at Baghdad on April 22nda 1931. About 30 skilled R.A.F. officers and airmen are seconded to give advice on tactical and technical mattersand G/C. P. W. D. Heal is Air Advisor to H.M. King Feisal. Iraqi personnelattend courses in Britain. Under treaty agreements the bases formerly operated bythe R.A.F. have been handed over to Iraq and R.I.A.F. personnel will operate alltraffic control facilities as soon as they have gained sufficient experience to deal withthe wide variety and intensity of traffic. Good Shooting "COR the tenth year in succession the*^ R.A.F. has won the inter-Services rifle match promoted by the National SmallBore Rifle Association. Their score of 7,950 points out of a possible 8,000 is a newrecord, and also breaks the scoring record for the fourth year in succession. Runners-up were again the territorial army, with 7,927 points. Regular Army, R.N., R.M.and R.N.V.R. teams also competed. R.A.F. Sailing THE R.A.F. Sailing Association's cham-pionship meeting for 1956 will be held at the Welsh Harp, Hendon, from October3rd to 7th. Trials for the selection of teams for the inter-Services meeting in Julywill take place at Seaview on June 20th and 21st. Agreement has been reachedwith the Army and Navy for the holding of an annual inter-Service dinghy meeting.The R.A.F. will be host for the first meet- ing, to be contested by Fireflies at theWelsh Harp early in October. Medical History 'T'HE second volume of Royal Air Force•*• Medical Services, edited by S/L. S. C. Rexford-Welch, has been publishedby H.M. Stationery Office. Its price is £3 15s. The work deals with many aspectsof the aeromedical research carried out in the Service during World War 2, includingthe development of night vision, the investigation of aircrew efficiency, "flyingdoctors" in Bomber Command, prevention of suffering from cold during transatlanticferry flights, blood transfusions, parachute training and the beginning of the R.A.F.'smountain rescue teams. The work of individual R.A.F. medical officers in manytheatres of war and in many curious circumstances gives the work a particularinterest. Reunions THE annual reunion of No. 619 Sqn. is A to be held in the "Magpie and Stump/ 18 Old Bailey, London, E.C.4, on May 12th. Details from P. S. Osborne, A. R. Heath- cote and Co., Ltd., Bernard Works, Sylvester Gardens, Sheffield 1. No. 43 (F) Sqn. is holding an all-ranks annual reunion dinner at the Paviour s Arms, Page Street, Westminster, to- morrow. Details from J. Beedle, 69, Ox Lane, Harpenden, Herts.
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