FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1657.PDF
FLIGHT, 8 November 1957 745 No. 5 SQUADRON A History of the "Fighting Fifth1 By JOHN YOXALL PART 3 THE squadron was now (March 1944) flat out against theJapanese. Each day the diary records all available aircraft atreadiness and operations going on throughout the 24 hours. Night Rhubarbs, day and night interceptions, low-level attacksOD Japanese positions, interdiction and "Pintails" (the last-named dropped at the request of the Army). Flying hours totalled 855for the month, including 715 operational. At the end of March two moves were made, first to Wangjing and then to Lanka. Despite the intensive fighting at the time, casualties were low;but a good man was lost on April 25 when F/O. Boyes, who was attacking a Japanese staff car, rolled on to his back and crashed.Air fights were very few but operational flying hours alone for April amounted to nearly 1,000. In June 1944 came another move, this time to Dergaon, whereoperations continued at the same intensity until the 23rd, when the squadron moved back to Vizagapatam for a rest period. Thejourney, which was very trying for the ground party, took 11 days. There were other moves—to Yelakanka, Cholavaram, Trichino-poly and Kajamalai—and a change of commanding officer, S/L. J. M. Cranstone, a New Zealander, succeeding S/L. Hogan. TheHurricanes, too, had been superseded by Thunderbolts. The next operational flight was not until the day after Christmas.It was an uneventful escort to DC-3s dropping supplies in the Mayu valley. The squadron was now at Nazir. The diary records that "the morale of the squadron personnelcontinues to be seriously affected by the very evident misappre- hension on the part of units and H.Q.'s, including A.C.S.E.A.,that No. 5 Squadron with its low identity numeral is an Indian Air Force squadron." The people who made this mistake are ingood company, for the Air Ministry's Air Historical Branch has made the same error.Although there had been so many changes, operational duties remained the same though not at quite the same intensity. Opera-tional flying for January 1945 amounted to 703 hours. A blow the squadron suffered was the replacement of the Mk 2 Thunder-bolts by some worn-out Mk Is, which gave a good deal of trouble with engine failures. Since the Arakan Yomas mountains had tobe crossed to get to the targets these failures were very disturbing. By March 1945 monthly operational hours were back againto near the 1,000 mark—this with an average aircraft availability of only 13.7. The news of successes on all war fronts put thesquadron on its toes. A majority of the sorties were "cab ranks" for the army, who found the targets and called the aircraft in toattack. When V.E. day came, No. 5 was at Kyaukpyu under 24 hours' "Flight" photographs notice to move back. Victory in Europe was duly celebrated by anextra issue of beer, and a move back to Bobbili for a rest. V.J. day found them still at rest, with all their Dominion aircrew goneand, by the end of August, expecting shortly to be on their way to an unknown destination. It was not, however, until December, after months of boredom,that any move was made, and then when half of the echelon was on its way to Sumatra news came that the squadron was to bedisbanded. In January came more welcome news. The disband- ment was off and a conversion to Tempest 2s authorized. Thebig trouble then was to get back all the personal kit, which had gone to Sumatra and Malaya, for it was now decided that thesquadron should stay in India, at Bhopal. Duly on March 5, 1946, the first three Tempests arrived, oneof which was piloted by S/L. Murphy, the Hawker test pilot who stayed with the squadron until conversion was complete.The new aircraft were received with terrific enthusiasm and all pilots had flown them by the 20th. But in common with every other Service unit at the time therun-down through demobilization and "end of war" outlook began to be felt. By July 1946 established strength was down to onequarter. The unit was now at Poona. It was a difficult period, especially for S/L. Rothwell, who tried his utmost to keep the oldNo. 5 Squadron spirit going. Detachments went to various stations, including the familiarMiranshah; but so short of men was the unit that all training flying had to be stopped. Eventually in July 1947 all the aircraftwere handed over to Nos. 1 and 9 Squadrons of the Indian Air Force and the squadron set sail for England and was disbanded.The official disbandment date was August 1, 1947. On February 11, 1949, No. 595 Squadron, commanded byS/L. D. H. L. Farmer, D.F.C., A.F.C., and stationed at Pembrey, Wales, was re-numbered No. 5 Squadron and, as the official recordstates, applications were sent to the appropriate authorities for No. 5 Squadron's history, silver, trophies, etc. On charge wereHarvards, Oxfords, Martinets, Spitfires and a Moth. The main duty of the squadron comprised flying for the School of Anti-Aircraft Artillery at Manorbier, Pembroke. It was not a very exciting period and, like its predecessor, the new squadron wassuffering from the run-down which every unit experienced after the war. During October 1949 a move was made to Chivenor in Devon-shire and co-operation with the R.A.F. Regiment at Watchet was added to the Manorbier duties. Christmas was spent in thetraditional fashion—but it is recorded that a few airmen, by Above, 44 years of No. 5 Sqn.—members representing its early, middle and late periods who attended the final parade. Left to right are Col. L. A. Strange (1913). A.V-M. H. J. Kirkpatrick (1934) and S/L. T. P. Fargher (1957). Below, a massed start by the squadron's Venoms at Wunstorf in Germany, No. S's home, at the time of its latest disbandment—on October 72.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
