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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1531.PDF
FLIGHT, 19 October 1961 635 SERVICE AVIATION Air Force, Naval and Army Flying News Visiting SkyshieldAT Colorado Springs last Saturday, in the headquarters of North AmericanAir Defence Command, the AOC-in-C Bomber Command, Air Marshal Sir Ken-neth Cross, was to watch progress of the joint air defence exercise, Skyshield II,from the combat operations centre. A force of Vulcans from his command, from27 and 83 Sqns at Scampton, was taking part. Force commander was Gp CaptH. Burton, CO of the station. Sir Kenneth had routine discussions dur-ing his visit to the US with the Commanders- in-Chief of Strategic Air Command andNORAD, respectively General Thomas S. Power and General Lawrence S. Kuter.Accompanied by the C-in-C Technical Training Command, Air Marshal SirWallace Kyle, he was also visiting SAC headquarters at Offutt, Nebraska, beforereturning home to the UK. The air marshals and their staff flew in a Britannia ofTransport Command. 208 to KhormaksarN OW that facilities are available at RAF Khormaksar, Aden, for operating two Hunter squadrons, 208 Sqn is moving there from Nairobi, Kenya, in December to join 8 Sqn. An Air Ministry announce- ment says that this move "will greatly improve the operational efficiency of the Air Forces Middle East since the two squadrons will be able to operate as one within the existing wing structure at RAF Khormaksar; while, from a maintenance point of view, the problem of having to provide spares for two Hunter squadrons stationed so far apart will be overcome." Commanded by Sqn Ldr M. R. Good- fellow, 208 has been at Nairobi since early 1959 and while there has earned a con- siderable reputation as an aerobatic squad- ron. It is equipped with Hunter FGA.9s. Farewell to GeeD ISBANDMENT this month of the last remaining Canberra squadron in Bomber Command—No 35, at Upwood— marks also the withdrawal from service of the medium-range radar bombing and navigation equipment known as Gee-H. Introduced in 1943 and used initially by tactical aircraft, it was extensively employed after D-day when mobile ground stations were moved to the Continent. By October 1944 it was installed in many of the Lancasters of 3 Group, these aircraft being used for target-marking duties by night or as formation leaders in daylight attacks. In one daylight raid 120 aircraft, bombing through cloud, completely devastated an industrial area of Coblenz covering 250 acres. A developed version of Gee-H has been used in Canberras as a precision high- level bombing instrument. Mr Ken Hayes, who recently travelled out to Singapore to present 60 Sqn with their original signed crest (this page, last week), pictured at Tengah. With him are, left, AVM Ramsay Roe, AOC 224 Group; and right. Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway, C-in-C Far East Air force New Squadron Standards FOUR more RAF squadrons with 25 ormore years' service have been awardedstandards. They are Nos 42, based at St Mawgan and equipped with Shackletons;52 of the Far East Air Force, based at RAAF Butterworth, Malaya, and equippedwith Valettas; 213, a Canberra squadron based at Bruggen in Germany; and 214, aValiant squadron'at Marham, Norfolk. Old warriors, new mounts: Lightning F.ls of Treble-One Squadron, led by their CO, Sqn Ldr K. A. C. Wirdnam RAF in Aden ARECENT report in The Times, afterreferring to the energetic Services' housing programme which is going on atAden (see photograph below), describes current activities at RAF Khormaksar."In the first four days of the recent crisis," the paper's special correspondent reports,"its transport wing lifted 4,300 men and 1,400.0001b of freight from Aden to Kuwait.More traffic passes through here than any other RAF base—3,500 aircraft and 6,000passengers a month. No 8 (Hunter) Sqn [to which is being added 208 Sqn.See news-item in Col 1] and No 37 (Shackletons) defend Aden and the Protec-torates from external attack and maintain law and order, the Hunters making almostdaily sorties against troublesome tribes in the hill country. Sycamore helicopterscarry out search and rescue work. Twin Pioneers, Valettas, and Beverleys of 78,233 and 84 Squadrons maintain scheduled air services within the command fromBahrain to Eastleigh (Kenya) and supply ground forces in remote up-country bases.An extensive medical and casualty evacua- ation service is manned by the RAF andArmy, whose 'flying doctors' can reach any point in the command." Writing of the system of overall com-mand of the three Services, the correspon- dent remarks: "Over 5,000 men of theArmy, Navy and RAF are now jointly commanded by Air Marshal Sir CharlesElworthy, whose domain covers the Ara- bian peninsula, Kenya, Tanganyika, Ugan-da, and vast ocean areas. From the inte- grated headquarters in Aden are controlledBritish Army units of the colony garrison (at present the Queen's Own Surreys),the Aden Protectorate Levies, the RAF at Khormaksar, Steamer Point, and in EastAfrica, and HMS Sheba—the Naval establishment soon to become a pivotalpoint as headquarters of Flag Officer (Middle East). The joint command hasachieved all-round economies, especially in manpower. An ASR Sycamore from RAF Khormaksar seen over Maala Straight, the mile-long Aden thoroughfare flanked by blocks of flats housing British Servicemen and their families. These were built as part of the Protectorate's housing programme, the build- ings on the right standing on reclaimed land. See "RAF in Aden," Col 3 above
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