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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0114.PDF
102 FLIGHT International, 17 January 1963 Airborne sustenance for Devon cattle during recent wintry conditions: hay being loaded into a Transport Command Beverley from RAF Abingdon at Exeter Airport for dropping at Habdown Farm, ten miles from the airport Javelin Squadron Mobility A JAVELIN SQUADRON—12 FAW.9s of 23 Sqn, based at Coltishall, Norfolk—flew from their base to Singapore (8,700 miles) from last Wednesday and Thursday on wards as part of a routine flight-refuelling exercise. Eight aircraft left on Wednesday and four on Thursday. Longest leg of their flight was the first, from the UK to Akrotiri in Cyprus (2,190 miles). The Javelins com pleted this in an approximate flying time of 4hr 20min. From there thev went on to the Persian Gulf (1,800 miles),' Karachi (1,035 miles) and Gan (1,810 miles), making a night stop at each place. Final leg was to Tengah, Singapore (1,865 miles), where the first Javelins arrived last Sunday. The air craft were flight-refuelled by Bomber Com mand Valiants of 214 and 90 Sqns. Leading the Javelins was the 23 Sqn CO, Wg Cdr A. J. Owen, with Sqn Ldr J. K. Palmer as navigator. In October last year they led a non-stop flight by three of the squadron's aircraft to Khormaksar, Aden, covering the distance of 4,150 miles in 8hr 34min—the longest nonstop flight ever made by Javelins (this page, October 25, 1962). AOC 25 Group STRONG ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS dis tinguish the career of AVM P. D. Holder, DSO. DEC. who last Monday took up a new appointment as Air Officer Commanding No 25 Group, RAF Flying Training Com mand. Before joining the RAF as a uni versity entrant in 1935, he had been con ducting post-graduate research at the Uni versity of Illinois on a Robert Blair Fellow ship, having previously graduated BSc at Bristol University at the age of 19 and later gone on to his MSc and PhD degrees. A South African, AVM Holder was based at Habbaniya at the start of the last war and during the 1941 Rashid Ali revolt commanded a makeshift bomber wing of training aircraft, being awarded the DFC for these operations. Later he commanded a Stirling squadron, No 218, at Marham. and was awarded the DSO for leading it on various raids, including a daylight attach on Lubeck. Until recently he has been Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Training) and before that was AOC Hong Kong. His predecessor as AOC 25 Group, AVM H. J. Kirkpatrick CB, CBE, DFC, MA, is retiring from the RA.F Pitreavie to Reading AVM R. B. THOMSON, CB, DSO, DFC, is moving from Pitreavie, where he has been AOC 18 Group and Air Officer, Scotland, since June 1960, to Shinfield Park, Reading, to become Air Officer Administration, Flying Training Command, from March 1. He is being succeeded as AOC 18 Group (from February 15) by AVM K. V. Gar- side, CB, DFC, MA, at present Senior Air Staff Officer at Coastal Command head quarters. Both officers joined the RAF in 1937, AVM Thomson in 612 (County of Aberdeen) Sqn, AAF, and AVM Garside from Oxford UAS, and both served with Coastal Command during the war. FAA Promotions FLEET AIR ARM OFFICERS promoted in the provisional Royal Navy list published at New Year increased their ranks as follows: Commander to Captain C. J. Cunning ham, DSC; and I. G. W. Robertson, DSC. Lieutenant-commander to Commander A. G. B. Philip, W. Hawley (Centaur), F. D. Stanley (formerly Centaur; 893 Sqn), P. B. Reynolds (766 Sqn), G. A. Rowan-Thomson; and A. F. Brown, MA (A/ER; RNAS Yeovilton). New CFS Commandant GP CAPT H. A. C. BIRD-WILSON, CBE, DSO, DFC, AFC, is to be AOC and Commandant of the RAF Central Flying School at Little Rissington from February 4 with the acting rank of air commodore. He has been Deputy Director of Intelligence (B) at the Air Ministry since December 1961. Aged 43, Gp Capt Bird-Wilson had a distinguished career as a fighter pilot during the war, completing four fighter tours, in volving some 600 missions. His post-war appointments have included the position of officer commanding, tactics, at the Central Fighter Establishment (1952-54) and com mand of RAF Coltishall (1959-61) at the time of the introduction of the Lightning into service. SERVICE AVIATION Air Force, Naval and Army Flying News THE AOC-IN-C BOMBER COMMAND, Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross, KCB, CBE, DSO. DFC, is to lecture to the Royal United Service Institution on Wednesday, March 6. His subject is Bomber Command, 1963. THE RAF AND WRAF OCTU (officer cadet training unit) at RAF Jurby, loM, is to be transferred to RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, in the autumn and Jurby will be closed. Felt- well is a former Thor base (this page. December 20,1962). THIS YEAR'S 92 SQN REUNION, for all officers and aircrew, is being held on Saturday, February 23, at the Officers' Mess. RAF Kenley, Surrey. Those wishing to attend should contact the Adjutant, No 92 (F) Squadron, RAF Leconfield, Beverley. E. Yorks. TWO RAAF HERCULES transport aircraft will be used to convey three Rolls-Royce cars, baggage and equipment during the Royal tour of Australia in February and March. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and the 36 members of their staff, are to travel in two Convair Metropolitans and two Dakotas. A NEW YEAR HONOUR which gave pleasure in Scottish university air squadron circles was the appointment of the Glasgow UAS secretary, Miss Margaret Sinclair, as an MBE (Flight International, last week). She has been secretary since the squadron was formed in 1941, when the present CO, Wg Cdr Ian Bolton, was a student and one of the initial applicants. Cpl David Readman, recently named RAF "Driver of the Year," seen during a visit to the Triplex Safety Glass Co factory in Birmingham —where windscreens for British civil and military aircraft are mode—with "Miss Triplex" (Mrs Norma Wood). Cpl Readman is based at RAF Caydon
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