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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0447.PDF
FLIGHT, 4 April 1958 463 Hunter F.6s of No. 208 Sqn.—subject of the special article below—which recently re- equipped at Tangmere and is now based at Nicosia as a day intercepter squadron. It has operated Meteor F.R.9s since early 1951. SERVICE AVIATION Flight photograph No. 8 Sqn., R.N.A.S.—No. 208 Sqn., R.A.F. IN No. 208 Squadron—which has recently re-equipped with Hawker Hunter F.6sand returned to the Middle East, and which in 1918 (as No. 8) was one of the R.N.A.S. squadrons that physically became part of the new R.A.F.—is epitomized the passing ofthose forty years which are the splendid and proud life-span of the Royal Air Force. Many of the men who flew and fought in the R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. are still active ineither Service or civilian life today, forty years on—"shorter in wind as in memory long," as the great Harrow school song says. One of them is Maj. Christopher Draper,D.S.C., who was in command of No. 8 Sqn. when it became No. 208 in April 1918, and is sprightly enough in 1958 not only to cross his bridges before he comes to them butalso to fly under them if need be. He contributes the following personal reminiscence, which is succeeded (after a brief historical note on the squadron) by a message from thepresent CO., S/L. John Granville-White, who took over command during last month. "18th October 1916: The Admiralty havedecided, on the urgent representation of The Army Council, to detach at once a Squadronof eighteen fighting aeroplanes from the Dunkirk Command for temporary duty withThe British Expeditionary Force." THIS is an extract from an Admiraltyletter to the Admiral commandingthe Dover Patrol, and it was respon- sible for the birth of No. 8 Naval Squad-ron, which became one of the most famous units and helped to form the foundationof the present Royal Air Force. So successful was this initial experimentof co-operation between the R.N.A.S. and R.F.C. that by December 1916, on stillmore urgent appeals from the Army Council, the Admiralty had agreed to theraising of four additional single-seater squadrons at Dunkirk to be lent to theArmy. This very thorough co-operation was no doubt responsible for hastening thecreation of the R.A.F. It has been said that we in the R.N.A.S.had at that time more aeroplanes than we knew what to do with; but the fact was thatno squadron at Dunkirk had anything like the number which formed the standardR.F.C. squadron. Consequently it was only possible to form No. 8 by taking a Flightfrom each of the three Naval Wings com- prising the Dunkirk Command. Theseconsisted of six Sopwith Pups (80 h.p. Le Rhone rotary engines), six Nieuports (also80 Le Rhone) and five Sopwith l^-Strutters (110 Clerget). All these were eventuallyreplaced by the Sopwith Triplane and then the Camel. On the fateful April 1, 1918,we were entirely Camel-equipped. But what we did have was superiorquality—I mean in aeroplanes, not pilots. It was a curious fact that aeroplanes likethe Triplane and Camel designed and built by the Sopwith Company should have beenin so many respects (not only performance) superior to those built by sub-contractors.At one period "Naval Eight" had to do a great deal of escort work for No. 16 Sqn.,R.F.C., whose unfortunate pilots and gunners were condemned to struggle longdistances over enemy country in R.E.8s. Writing to me in October 1947, Marshalof the R.A.F. Viscount Portal of Hunger- ford said: "I well remember your squadronbeing neighbours of mine in 1917-18 and looking after our R.E.8s very well." Hewas then a major in the R.F.C. in com- mand of No. 16 Sqn. Let me say at oncethere were one or two of the S.E.5 squad- rons of the R.F.C. which did some magnifi-cent work, but there never could be any comparison between the factory-designed- and-built fighter and ones from contractors.This slight superiority in material and the feeling that we belonged to the seniorservice may have contributed in a subcon- scious way to the spirit and teamwork thatearned for Naval Eight a reputation second to none and justified it becoming a per-manent squadron as No. 208 in the R.A.F. In November 1955 it was the first of theold Naval squadrons to receive its Standard. The position of a Naval squadron work-ing with the R.F.C. in the field was rather unique; but I took the fullest advantage ofa situation which enabled me to plead "urgent Army Requirements" when I re-quired new machines or stores from our headquarters at Dunkirk. Though byreversing these tactics any R.F.C. or Army Staff officer who tried any funny businesswith the administrative or executive side of the squadron could be firmly put in hisplace. On the other hand, there was the closest co-operation between the personnelof the individual squadrons. In addition to No. 16, which has already been men-tioned, we made many sorties with other well-known R.F.C. squadrons such as 54,18, 22 and 103. On the job, both on the ground and in the air, no squadron couldhave been more full out or one hundred per cent, and the same may be said of ourleisure moments. We prided ourselves on showing Naval hospitality and I believewe were gayer than most. I trust there are still many left who remember some of theground-sorties when we raided other messes. Watch-keeping, liberty-men, a duty P.O.who would report to the officer of the watch "Liberty boat alongside, sir," the ship'sbell, complete with snow-white turk's head clanging-rope, and the chaps asking for"permission to go ashore, sir"—such (Left) Sopwith Camels of No. 8 Sqn., R.N.A.S., in December 1917, two months after Maj. Draper took over command from Sqn. Cdr. G. R. (now A.V-M. Sir Geoffrey) Bromet, the squadron's first CO. (Right) Officers of No. 208 in 1918, Maj. Draper (with dog) in the centre.
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