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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1380.PDF
532 FLIGHT "Flight" photographs Following steady development the Hunter is to be seen in a number of new forms. The FA, above left, will carry four 100 gal tanks without performance limitations—or offensive stores—and the T.7, ordered in quantity for the R.A.F., carries two pilots and two guns. SERVICE AVIATION . . . CF-lOOs for Europe FOUR CF-100 squadrons will soonmove from Canada to join the Cana- dian 1st Air Division in France. InNovember No. 445 Sqn. will fly from Uplands, Ontario, to Marville, base of No.1 Fighter Wing, where it will replace one of the three Sabre squadrons now basedthere. The other three squadrons will make the crossing during next year andone of them will be based at each of the Canadian airfields in Europe. About halfthe ground crew of each squadron will accompany the fighters in North Startransports, the remainder being drawn from personnel already in Europe. Codename for the ferry flights is Nimble Bat. As each Sabre squadron is disbandedin Europe a new CF-100 squadron will take over its number in Canada so that thenumber of CF-100 squadrons in Canada will at no time be diminished. The firstof the new all-weather squadrons is already forming and working up. In addition, afurther three CF-100 squadrons will be formed to raise the Canadian total to 12. Helicopter Paratroops A NEW task for Whirlwinds of No. 155•**• Sqn., at Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, is the dropping of Special Air Service para-• chutists into the jungle. When the tech- nique was being developed, initial dropswere made with 200 1b dummies and live jumps were then made by troopers of No.22 S.A.S. from 800 to 1,000ft at 10 to 15 kt. On operations each Whirlwind willcarry two pilots, a dispatcher and three or four paratroopers. NATO Minesweeping Exercises POR one month, ships of the British,A Belgian, French, Netherlands, Nor- wegian and United States navies are work-ing together in a prolonged minesweeping exercise in the North Sea. Last weekvessels began assembling in British east- coast ports. Dummy minefields are being laid in Belgian, French and Netherlandswaters and in open sea routes, and the minesweepers will attempt to maintainthe flow of shipping. Forces will be harassed by attacks from fast patrol boats,Netherlands and British maritime aircraft and aircraft of 2nd A.T.A.F. Anamphibious assault will be mounted by Netherlands marines on one of the Dutchislands. No. 6209 Bomb Disposal Flight TOURING the last three years No. 6209•*-* Bomb Disposal Flight, based at R.A.F. Biickeburg, has "immobilized" noless than 1,000 tons of bombs. The unit works for all NATO forces in Germanyand runs training courses for Americans, Canadians, Dutch and Belgians. It hasbeen consulted by the Germans and has assembled a museum of bombs and otherlethal devices totalling over 200 exhibits. There are 72 types of British bomb, 51American, 68 German, 13 miscellaneous objects—some of Russian origin—and 20varieties of booby trap. Unique items include Russian explosive devices andelectronic and radio-proximity equipment used in later types of German and Alliedaircraft bombs. The flight is commanded by F/L. J. E. Moore. In the past year operations haveincluded the removal of a live German 500 lb bomb from beneath a British Armyworkshop, removal of a stick of 11 live H.E. bombs from beside a runway, theclearance of a live minefield next to an aerodrome, search and clearance of a Ger-man battle area pitted with unexploded mortar bombs, and the removal of an anti-tank missile from a fuel tank. Members of the unit, some of whom did this workduring the London blitz, are all volunteers. Senior AppointmentsI T is announced that A.V-M. W. H.Merton is appointed A.O.A., H.Q. Bomber Command, and that A.V-M. J. G.Elton is to be Chief of Staff to the Head of the British Joint Services Mission inWashington with effect from November. A.V-M. Merton was most recentlyC.A.S. of the R.N.Z.A.F. Before that he was A.O.C. No. 63 Group, Home Com-mand, and A.O.C. No. 22 Group Technical Training Command. During the war heserved in the Middle East for two years, first as a squadron commander and after-wards at H.Q. No. 257 Wing. In 1943 he commanded R.A.F. Luqa, Malta, and thenbecame Assistant Commandant of the R.A.F. Staff College before going to AirMinistry as Director of Organization in 1946. He later commanded R.A.F.Mildenhall and Upwood, was Air Attache in Prague, Deputy Director of Air ForeignLiaison at Air Ministry, and head of the R.A.F. delegation in Greece. A.V-M. Elton has been A.O.A. at H.Q.Bomber Command since 1953, and was before that Air Attache in Paris. He wascommissioned in 1926 and served with Nos. 11 and 101 Squadrons at home,before going to Singapore in 1932 to serve with No. 36 Sqn. In 1939 he was aflight commander with No. 70 Sqn. in Iraq and then commanded No. 47 Sqn. inthe Sudan. During 1942 he commanded Nos. 242, 238 and 248 Bomber Wings inNorth Africa before joining Coastal Com- mand in this country. In 1947 he tookthe Imperial Defence College course and in 1948 became Deputy Director of Opera-tional Requirements at Air Ministry. He was later Commandant of No. 1 Schoolof Technical Training, Halton. Reunions 'THE tenth annual reunion for all mem--1 bers of No. 219 Sqn. and Nos. 6219 and 6029 Servicing Echelons, whooperated with the Squadron, will be held at the Monarch Hotel, Bridlington, Yorks,on October 13. Tickets, price £1 5s, from F/L. P. Gillian, R.A.F. Driffield, E.Yorks. The aircrew reunion of the Banff andDallachy Strike Wings (Coastal Com- mand) will take place at the Queen's Head,Denman Street, Piccadilly Circus, London, on November 24. Details from GeoffreyMayhew, Autumn Cottage, Kettlewell Close, Woking, Surrey. Like this brand-new production Victor, all V-bombers may in future be glossy white. The example seen here shows tail-warning radar, parallel-chord fin and rudder, single- piece leading-edge flap and extra windows in the cabin roof.
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