jabberwock jabberwock - Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm

Transcription

JABBERWOCK
The Journal of the Society of Friends of
the Fleet Air Arm Museum
IN THIS EDITION:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
News from NMRN
Operation Judgement
A Special Reunion
An Appeal for Volunteers
Airship Incident
The Unknown Fleet
A Minor Mystery
PLUS ....
All the usual features, news from the
Museum, letters to the Editor, nippets from
Council meetings, monthly talks programme,
latest membership number.
No. 75
May 2014
Published by The Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Jabberwock No 75. May 2014
Patron: Rear Admiral A R Rawbone CB, AFC, RN
President: D S Moxley JP
FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM
RNAS Yeovilton
Somerset BA22 8HT
Telephone: 01935 840565
SOFFAAM email: [email protected]
SOFFAAM website: fleetairarmfriends.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 280725
1
The Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Vice Presidents
Captain K A Leppard CBE, RN
Rear Admiral R C Dimmock CB, RN
Rear Admiral A R Rawbone CB, AFC, RN
F C Ott DSC BSc (Econ)
Lt Cdr Philip (Jan) Stuart RN
Squadron Leader Maurice Biggs RAF
David Kinloch
Chairman
Richard Hufton
[email protected]
Admission
Members are admitted to
the Museum free of charge,
on production of a valid
membership card. Members may
be accompanied by up to three
guests (one guest only for junior
members) on any one visit,
each at a reduced entrance fee,
currently 50% of the standard
price. Members are also allowed
a 10% discount on goods
purchased from the shop.
Vice Chairman
Mike Strang
[email protected]
Secretary
Malcolm Smith
[email protected]
Treasurer
Gordon Johnson
[email protected]
Membership Secretary
Robert Heath
8B Cecil Road
Weston-Super-Mare
BS23 2NQ
[email protected]
Note: These concessions are
provided at the discretion of the
Museum Director and could be
removed at any time.
Talks and Events Organisers
Rosanne Crowther, Ian Mackinnon
Editor
Malcolm Smith
T: 01935 478304, M: 07765 950806
[email protected]
Printed by: Remous Limited, Milborne Port
2
CONTENTS
CONTENTS...................................................................3
EDITORIAL...................................................................4
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.........................................5
MEMBERSHIP...............................................................9
SNIPPETS FROM COUNCIL MEETINGS................10
NMRN...........................................................................11
NEWS FROM THE MUSEUM....................................12
MONTHLY TALKS PROGRAMME - 2014...............17
RECENT MONTHLY TALKS.....................................18
OPERATION JUDGEMENT........................................23
A SPECIAL REUNION...............................................26
AIRSHIP INCIDENT...................................................28
THE UNKNOWN FLEET............................................34
A MINOR MYSTERY..................................................40
Cover Pictures:
Clockwise from the main picture:
Veterans of the Arctic convoys at the presentation of
the Arctic Star at the Museum on 10 January 2014.
HMS Vindex, a US-built Escort Carrier, one of many
HM vessels that protected the Arctic convoys. The
flight deck party of HMS Vindex, dressed for Arctic
weather early in 1945.
The Arctic Star, a long-awaited recognition of the
bravery of these men.
All the photographs in this publication, unless
otherwise credited, are Crown Copyright and
reproduced by kind permission of the FAAM.
3
EDITORIAL
It
is pleasing to report that
the Society’s membership
is steadily increasing, as
reported in the minutes of the recent
Council meeting. This may be due to
the power of advertising, because,
as pointed out by our Membership
Secretary,
applications
have
come from a variety of sources,
including as downloads from
the website. We have recently
started to distribute posters to
many aviation-related societies
across the country and hope that
this will increase interest and help
to swell membership numbers.
In this edition of the Journal,
you will find news of the Museum’s
50th Anniversary celebrations, also
coverage of the recent ceremony
for the award of the Arctic Star to
veterans of the Arctic convoys. We
include an article on the “Forgotten
Fleet” of Merchant Aircraft Carriers,
otherwise known as MAC-ships,
written by a veteran of those vessels.
Another veteran, SOFFAAM
Vice President Captain Keith
Leppard, contributes a desription
of Operation Judgement, one of the
last offensive actions carried out by
the Fleet Air Arm in 1945. Articles
of this nature are always popular
among our members and we
welcome such contributions warmly.
The SOFFAAM talks evenings are
continuing to be a rousing success,
usually attracting a capacity crowd.
See the programme of future talks
on page 17. The new on-line
booking system is working well and
those who use it can be assured of
a seat! Details can be found on the
website at fleetairarmfriends.org.
uk, which now also carries links
to a variety of other naval aviation
organisations. The website will
soon include a new page: “From
the Archive” and members should
feel free to comment on this and
any other features of the site.
On the subject of the talks
evenings, please see the request
for more volunteers to help with the
refreshments. This convivial service is
probably taken for granted, but relies
on loyal volunteers to keep it going.
The Museum will be presenting
another Film Night on 16 May, see the
advertisement on page 16. Another
selection of archive films from the
priceless Museum collection will be
shown at this always-popular event.
SOFFAAM members may be
interested in the new membership
scheme for the National Museums
of the Royal Navy (NMRN). In
this scheme, a single annual
subscription will give access to
the four major Museums and
also to various other attractions.
Note that our own membership
scheme
remains
unchanged.
4
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Malcolm,
any thanks for the
superb magazine,
which I read from
cover to cover every time.
When Germany
surrendered and the war in
Europe was over, on May
8, 1945, I was exactly 14
years and three weeks old,
living in Bergen, Norway.
after five years of German
occupation. The following
weeks disappeared into a
blurred mess of jubilation,
celebration, relief, wild hopes
M
Taken on the quayside. The sailor in the middle is
Ralph Butler, from Leicester. Tony corresponded with
him for many years. Photo: Tony Fauske
HMS Vengeance alongside in Bergen in May
1945. Photo: Tony Fauske
and expectations, but I seem
to remember that the first two
Royal Naval vessels that came
to Bergen were the two cruisers
HMS Suffolk and HMS Norfolk.
A little later the aircraft carrier
Vengeance (which took me a long
long time to pronounce properly)
arrived. She was small enough to
come alongside, and she docked
at exactly the same spot as where
the German cruiser Königsberg
had stopped on 9 April 1940 when
Germany invaded Norway – and
where she was sunk on 10 April by
Blackburn Skuas from Hatston in
the Orkneys.
The attached photographs were
taken by me, borrowing my father’s
old 6X9 box camera. And that’s
about it.
Regards,
Tony Fauske
Cheltenham
5
Dear Malcolm,
have been following the recent
articles about the early RN
Hoverfly operations with interest
and dug out
the enclosed
rather poor
photos taken
from my
scrapbook.
They were
I
taken aboard HMS
Searcher at anchor
in Scapa Flow
between January
and late April 1945.
At the time I was
a pilot embarked
with 882 Squadron
(Wildcats) and remember my first
ever sighting of a Hoverfly helicopter
doing “courier” duty around the
Home Fleet Anchorage, where
we returned between operations
against German naval targets in
northern Norway. It was probably
in late April 1945 when the sailing
orders referred to were in regards
to Operation Judgement in May
1945, believed to be the last major
air strike of the European war. I
enclose what I have been able to
dig out about this operation. My
account of the operation was from
the 882 Squadron point of view. The
bombing of the Avenger squadrons
was superb – seven direct hits and
four near misses on the depot ship
which blew up and U711 and a
tanker sunk.
In 2008 I was approached
by Lieutenant-Colonel
Harold Isachsen, a retired
Norwegian army officer, who
was writing a book on the
Fleet Air Arm attack on the
U-boat base at Kilbotn near
Harstad
in the
Lofoten
Islands
where
he lived.
I helped
him
with his
6
research, which was unusual in
that it covered the points of view
from the British Norwegian and
German perspectives. The account
of the attack and some of my
photographs in the book published
in November 2008, were included,
but unfortunately only in Norwegian.
Yours sincerely,
Keith Leppard
By the Editor: The photographs from
Captain Leppard’s album are entitled
“Helicopter arrives with sailing orders”.
Read his account of Operation Judgement
on page 23.
Dear Malcolm,
he accompanying little
anecdote probably is too
tenuous a FAA connection to
be of present-day interest but is sent
nevertheless.
On page 35 of November’s
excellent Jabberwock, Keith
Chadbourn’s interesting article
arouses other memories from the
mists of time. Another flying student
of the “Tiny Tyrant”, Joane Hughes,
was Miss Sheila Van Damm. From her
father, she had inherited the Windmill
Theatre (which famously never closed
during Hitler’s London blitz). Sheila
also was a successful, international
rally driver for the Sunbeam-Talbot
team. She generously offered her
services for the 1956 SSAFA Military
Tattoo, which in those times, was held
annually in the White City Stadium.
T
For the act, my FAA Whirlwind Mk
1 was based at Northolt. For a week,
every evening and twice on Saturday,
responding to a Verey light signal, it
would descend into the arena and
come to a brief hover whilst members
of a Royal Marine Commando went
down the dangling rope. Their duty
was to rig and noisily execute a
spectacular ambush of an enemy VIP
(acted by Capt John Lovell RM). He
was driven into the arena by a “double
agent”, acted by Sheila Van Damm
at the wheel of Hermann Goering’s
preserved Mercedes staff car.
After the action, the captured VIP
and driver were bundled into the
hold of the chopper which had been
recalled by another Verey light. We
flew off to Northolt where the chopper
was exchanged for my Morris Minor
Mk 1 (of the low power, side valve
engine and split windscreen). The little
car made what speed it could along
the Great West Road and back to the
arena. On arrival, if we could hear the
rousing notes of “Westering Ho!” from
the RM band, we knew we were in
time. We mounted the Mercedes for
a triumphal circuit of the arena before
coming to rest before the Royal box.
Sheila remained at the wheel, John
Lovell and I dismounted on opposite
sides of the car, the drums rolled and
we came to the salute for the closing
anthem.
It was stirring stuff!
All good wishes for 2014
Roy Hawkes
Teignmouth, Devon
7
Dear Mr Heath,
Further to my application for
SOFFAAM Life Membership, my
application is most probably the
only one you have received from
somebody who spent three years
on 771 Squadron when it was
a Mosquito squadron based at
RNAS Ford. During my 22½ years
valuable service in the air in my last
Squadron (847) for the “Ennerdale
Incident” in the Seychelles in 1970.
All this detail is my assurance that I
was in the Fleet Air Arm and not an
imposter.
Mike McSorley
Newport, Isle of Wight
BH7 Hovercraft of the Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit
service as a Naval Airman, Pilot’s
Mate, Petty Officer Mechanic, Air
Mechanician 1st class (the latter
as a watch chief for 12 years) I
worked on Sea Hawks of 802 and
806 Squadrons, Sea Furies of 738
Squadron, BH7, SRN6 and SRN5
Hovercraft with the Inter-Service
Hovercraft Trials Unit and Wessex
Mk 5 helicopters with 848 and 847
squadrons.
My only award over this period
was the Queen’s Commendation for
Dear Malcolm,
With reference to the letter from
Richard Doherty concerning lack
of information about MAC ships, I
wonder if the enclosed article might
be of some interest.
Best wishes
Jack Thomas
Ex Sub Lt (A) RNVR, pilot in J Flight 836
Squadron [MV Alexia] and Batsman in V
Flight [MV Empire MacKendrick].
By the Editor: See the article on page 34
8
MEMBERSHIP
Annual membership is still £12!
Bankers Standing Order Membership cards enclosed for May, June and
July 2014. (Please note that receipt of a card does not confirm receipt of
payment).
Welcome to the new Members who have joined us since the last
magazine issue.
3336 - Mr E. Chandler
3337 - Mr J. Whale
3338 - Mr C. Burton
3339 - Mrs R. Gourlay
3340 - Mr G. Gourlay
3341 - Mr B. Henshaw
3342 - Mr G. Baker
3343 - Mr W. Morley
3344 - Mr J. Whitfield
3345 - Mr R.D. Bannister
3346 - Mrs S.E. Clapp
3347 - Mrs L.Hadley
3348 - Mr G.P.Howard
3349 - Mr M.E. Clothier
3350 - Mr L.Wise
3351 - Mr R. Love
3352 - Mr N. Mingo
3353 - Mr V. Southan
3354 - Mr D. Tucker
3355 - Mr J. Gleeson
3356 - Lt Cdr H.C. Lewis
3357 - Mr A. Manickam
Draycott, Somerset
Marnhull, Dorset
Sherborne, Dorset
Taunton, Somerset
Taunton, Somerset
Brent Knoll, Somerset
Amesbury, Wiltshire
Gillingham, Dorset
Langport, Somerset
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
East Coker, Somerset
Worle, Somerset
Wyke, Dorset
Bradford Abbas, Dorset
Yeovil, Somerset
Butleigh, Somerset
Bishops Hull, Somerset
Bayford, Somerset
Nailsea, Somerset
Dublin, Eire
Martock, Somerset
Ilchester, Somerset
Total Members: 1037.Life Members: 231.Pay by Standing Order: 634
Members who have made a Gift Aid Declaration: 676
Members who pay by cheque are reminded to post their renewal fee to the Membership
Secretary (see page 2 for his contact details) when it is due. To save on postage, we do
not routinely send out reminders. To save this annual task, members are encouraged to
pay by standing order.
9
SNIPPETS FROM COUNCIL MEETINGS
From the March Meeting:
We will revise our bid and resubmit
later in the year. Even if the bid
he meeting was held in the is successful, it will be the end of
FAAM on 10 March 2014.
2017 before the new build will be
complete. Membership of NMRN
• Minutes of the previous
means that the Museum will be
meeting:
able to take advantage of their fund
Two actions are still
raising expertise.
outstanding. In a discussion of
Installation of the World War 1
leaving presents for departing
exhibition is now underway and is
members, It was generally agreed expected to open in June.
that Society funds should not
be used to buy leaving presents
• The Chairman reported:
for anybody, regardless of the
As confirmed at the January
contribution they may have made meeting, the NMRN Membership
to the Society. On the subject of
scheme is to go ahead. Once
wreaths for deceased members,
the scheme is in operation, we
opinions were divided. It was
will consider giving it publicity in
generally agreed that in some
Jabberwock and on our website.
circumstances, the provision of a
To support the commemoration
wreath by the Society could be a
of the 50th anniversary of
dignified and welcome gesture.
the Museum, he had offered
to provide some material to
• The Director reported:
illustrate the contribution made
The Museum had used a
by SOFFAAM. He would like to
Groupon promotion from November highlight the contribution made
to January. This had received a
by Group 1 to engine and aircraft
phenomenal response, followed
restoration and preservation and
by strong performance over the
he asked members to consider
half term weekend. Total visitor
providing relevant material.
numbers could reach 110,000 by
The Secretary volunteered to
the year end, even though anxiety
coordinate any such material.
in the public about access to the
The Film Night had been most
Museum because of the floods had successful. This was the first
somewhat affected attendance.
occasion at which tickets could
The Museum did not get the Stage be pre-booked. 52 tickets had
One pass for funding from HLF.
been bought online, and 13 more
T
10
bought in the shop. The advanced
information given by pre-booking
would enable a decision to be
made as to moving the venue to the
Swordfish Centre.
• The Secretary reported:
He had gained sufficient
experience in updating the
SOFFAAM website to be able to
introduce new information. There
was now an additional page
entitled Useful Links, and this had
already been populated with links
to other organisations, such as the
Fleet Air Arm Officers’ Association
and the RN Submarine Museum.
• The Membership Secretary
reported:
Overall membership has
increased by five since the January
meeting. For the record, of the 13
application forms received since
the January meeting, three are
from ‘Join’ leaflets held by libraries,
four downloaded from the web site,
five are from the ‘Join’ leaflets in
the FAAM and one is a letter.
I have hundreds of other
addresses of flying clubs and
flight training schools, plus model
making clubs, but unfortunately
only e-addresses. They all need
to be searched to find the mailing
address. I do not have the time to
do this. The meeting agreed that
we should advertise for clerical
assistance for Robert in the next
Jabberwock.
NMRN
New Membership Scheme for
the National Museums of the Royal
Navy
s reported elsewhere on
this page, the Membership
Scheme of the National
Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN)
is to go ahead. Writing in “Scuttlebut”,
the magazine of the NMRN,
Commodore Peter Wykeham-Martin
RN, the organisation’s Chairman,
writes: “... the Chairmen of the Friends
of the four major constituent Museums
... have reached a pragmatic way
forward, which will allow each of us
to retain our independence whilst
working in concert with the National
Museum. The new Membership
scheme [provides] ... the opportunity
to visit the Museum’s various
sites. An added bonus is that as a
Friend, you are entitled to a reduced
membership fee. By working with the
National Museum ... we are able to
take advantage of their professional
marketing expertise.”
embers of SOFFAAM
can be reassured that
our terms of membership
remain unaltered. As an independently
registered Charity we will continue
to maintain our original aims and
objectives set up when the Society
was formed in 1979. There is a
link to the NMRN website on the
SOFFAAM site “useful links” page.
A
M
11
NEWS FROM THE MUSEUM
STARS OF THE ARCTIC
SHINE BRIGHT AT MEDAL
PRESENTATION
V
eterans in their 90’s
alongside families of
veterans were honoured
at the Fleet Air Arm Museum for
their role in the Second World
serving north of the Arctic Circle.
Medals by the Commanding
Officer of Royal Naval Air Station
Yeovilton, Commodore (Cdre)
Jock Alexander OBE, with David
Laws MP, Mayor Manny Roper
and Mr Graham Cole, Chairman of
AgustaWestland, to acknowledge
their unparalleled contribution.
The Arctic Star medal was
commissioned earlier this year to
David Laws MP addresses the Arctic Veterans. Also in the picture are Commodore Jock Alexander
(centre) and Vice Admiral Terry Loughran (next but one to the Commodore’s right). Photo FAAM
Six Veterans between the ages
of 86 and 96 years old and three
families representing those
veterans recently deceased
met on 10 January 2014 to be
presented with their Arctic Star
recognise the outstanding bravery
of the servicemen who delivered
vital aid to the Soviet Union
between 1941 and 1945. These
men were under constant threat
from enemy submarine, air and
12
surface ship attacks. Additionally, (92) from Chard in Somerset who
they had to deal with terrible
served with the Fleet Air Arm and
weather conditions
dedicated a chapter
and glacial arctic
in his book ‘Golden
temperatures –
Wings and Navy
these were truly
Blue’ to the Arctic
perilous journeys.
Convoy Experience.
Cdre Alexander
Roderick
addressed the
Raymond (87)
Veterans and their
years of age from
families and said;
South Cadbury
“A pilot by trade,
Somerset said:
I was the Captain
“You had to chip
of a small ship for
ice off the deck
a short time doing
and the guns by
fish protection
hand!” He added
duties, so I know
“I remember
what rough weather
one particular
is all about.
engagement
However, I can’t
with the German
comprehend the
battleship
weather you went
Scharnhorst on
through north of
26th December
the Arctic Circle!
The Arctic Star is a six-pointed bronze 1943. We fired on
I’d like to thank
star similar in appearance to the other the Scharnhorst
Campaign Stars awarded for service with the HMS Duke
you for allowing
in World War II. The obverse has a
me the honour of
of York and escort
central design of the Royal Cypher
presenting you with
destroyers. I was
of King George VI surmounted by a
this medal.”
part of the torpedo
crown.
crew at the time
and still have the signatures
from the Scharnhorst survivors
who were picked up by the HMS
Gordon Smart (94) completed
Jamaica.”
10 Arctic Convoys to Murmansk
Joyce Bentley was at the FAA
and Archangel in HMS Beagle.
Museum to accept the medal on
When asked if he could sum up
behalf of her late husband Herbert
his experience, he said: “Blasted
Bentley, who sadly passed away
cold!” A sentiment echoed by the
on Christmas Eve 2013. For Joyce
other five surviving veterans at the it was understandably emotional,
presentation, including John Fay
so soon after losing Herbert, but
“Blasted
cold!” he said
13
The veterans pose with pupils from Year 6 of Huish Primary School, Yeovil. The children are
dressed as World War 2 evacuees, as they are studying rationing during the Second World War.
she felt that it was important to be
there for him. Joyce said;
“Although I am so very sad, I
am here for him. He had been
so excited about coming to the
presentation too.” She added “it’s
been a lovely thing, I’m so glad I
came with my family”.
stranded and starving on an island
close to Norway.”
Rear Admiral Terry Loughran
CB, Chairman of Fly Navy
Heritage Trust, opened
proceedings at the presentation
for the veterans and their families,
while David Laws MP summarised
their outstanding contribution and
the debt we all owed them.
Seaman on two convoys in 1944
and 1945. He went to radar school
and was involved in the use of the
ship’s radars. He said;
“On the way back from Russia
I was involved in a rescue mission
to help save 200 people who were
The instigator of the
presentation, when he encouraged
veterans and their families last
year to contact him, David Laws
said:
‘It is really important that we
take a moment to recognise the
Joined the Royal Navy
at just 15 years old... They performed a heroic
At 89 Cyril Tolchard was just
duty in frightening
15 years old when he joined the
Royal Navy and served as an Able conditions...
14
astonishing bravery of these men.
They performed an heroic duty
in truly frightening conditions
and we should never forget their
contribution to Britain’s war effort.
It is about time that contribution
was formally recognised.”
Others receiving medals were
Thomas Warden (86), Cyril Small
(89) from Yeovil who was a
torpedo operator and Roy Young
(96) of Yeovil. Roy said ;
“I am no hero, I just survived.”
Also at the presentation was
Andrew Jones, who represented
his late Father William George
Charles Jones, and Katharine
White was presented with
the medal on behalf of her
The Arctic Star is
awarded for operational
service of any length
north of the Arctic Circle,
defined as 66° 32’ North
Latitude. The inclusive
qualifying period of
service is 3 September
1939 to 8 May 1945
Grandfather Gordon Mason. Year
6 from Huish Primary School,
was invited to the ceremony as
they are studying rationing during
the Second World War. The
children, dressed as World War 2
evacuees, had the opportunity to
meet the veterans and hear their
recollections.
Surviving families
can also apply for the
Arctic Star...
The medal is awarded to
members of the British Armed
Forces and the Merchant Navy
who served north of the Arctic
Circle during the Second World
War in Arctic Convoys to help
the Russians. It is thought that
there are between 200 and 400
surviving sailors who endured
this perilous journey, whilst the
families of those no longer alive
can also apply for the Arctic Star
to commemorate their loved ones’
service.
Thanks to Tracey Clempson, Public
Relations Officer for RNAS Yeovilton.
It’s our Birthday!
Calling all past employees of the
Fleet Air Arm Museum.
It’s 50 years since the Fleet Air
Arm Museum in Yeovilton first
opened its doors to the general
15
public.
M NIGHT
L
I
F
A
TT
M
The Museum was formally
opened on 28th May 1964 by HRH
The Duke of Edinburgh. Over the
ensuing years, the Museum has
expanded to become the largest
Naval Aviation Museum in Europe
and the second largest worldwide.
In 1964 when the museum was
first opened, its single hangar
contained eight aircraft. Four
years later there were ten and
by 1973, there were 18. Today, we
have over ninety aircraft, 2 million
documents, 800,000 photographs
and 30,000 artefacts and the
Museum is one of the leading tourist
attractions in the South West.
The Museum has seen many
milestone events during the last
half century, from visits from the
Royal Family, Prime Ministers and
politicians to the flying-in of Britain’s
first Concorde and the opening
of the award winning Aircraft
Carrier Experience. The Museum’s
conservation work has become
recognised around the world as
leading the way in conservation
techniques.
As part of the Museum’s 50th
Birthday celebrations all staff and
previous employees are invited to
reunite at a celebratory gathering
which will take place on Wednesday
28th May commencing 3pm.
If you worked at the Fleet Air Arm
Museum and would like to attend,
please contact Sue Wilson 01935
842624 or [email protected].
H E M US E
U
As part of the national campaign
to open museums at night, the
Museum is screening some rare
films from the Museum’s Archives
of Fleet Air Arm activity from
the 1930s through WW2 to jets
and helicopters.
The Film Night will take place in
the Museum’s Swordfish Centre
on Friday 16th May and will
commence at 7.30pm.
(Note that these will be
different films from those shown
at the recent SOFFAAM film
night!)
Tickets available on-line, in person from the Museum Shop or on
the door on the night at £5 for
Film only or £12.50 for Film &
Supper.
Bar and food available.
Restaurant opens from 5.30pm,
Bar opens at 6pm.
16
MONTHLY TALKS PROGRAMME - 2014
Talks are held in the FAAM Auditorium on the last Thursday of
each month at 19.30. Entry price is £5, pay at the door. To be sure of
a place book your tickets on-line in advance at www.fleetairarm.com/
events, or buy from the Museum shop. Non members are welcome.
The price includes light refreshments, including a glass of wine.
29 May
Col. Steve Ladd DFC - USAF (Retd.)
‘Flying the mighty F4 Phantom’
Combat operations during the Vietnam War
2 6 J une
S q n L dr Colin Pome r oy - RAF (Retd .)
‘ T h e Royal A ir F or ce in Dorset’
A u t h o r of ‘ Wings O v e r Weymouth ’
31 July
Wg Cdr Phil Burton MBE AFC - RAF (Retd.)
‘The Kipper Fleet’
RAF Shackletons and the RN
25 Sept
Alec Ayliffe - QinetiQ
‘RPAS operations’
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Programme correct at the time of printing
Both the Auditorium and the Swordfish Centre are now
equipped with inductive loops for the hard of hearing.
17
RECENT MONTHLY TALKS
Summarised by Robert Heath
JANUARY TALK – ‘The
Development Process - from
Concept to Replacement’ by
David Gibbings MBE
L
ike most of our speakers,
David has been in aviation
all his life, starting as an
RAF Apprentice. This was followed
by a career as an engineer and
navigator, plus Flight Test Engineer
in the RAF. After the RAF, David
started a new and long flight testing
career with Fairey and Westland,
flying in most of their aircraft,
including the Rotodyne and the
Lynx. David learned a great deal
about the lengthy development of
an aircraft from its original concept
to entering service. As an example,
the ‘new’ Merlin helicopter design
originated in the 1970s and the
aircraft entered service in 2000.
Cost becomes king ...
David’s talk covered just about
every element of the process.
Once the requirement is drawn up,
cost becomes king, which is why
international programmes are now
so commonplace. This spreads the
financial and engineering load, but
adds enormously to bureaucracy
and timescales. A critical feature
of military aircraft is their electronic
systems, which provide a multitude
of functions, from controlling its
flight path to aiding self-defence.
Long before an aircraft flies, new
concepts are tested on other
aircraft, e.g., the Lynx rigid rotor,
which was first trialled on a Scout.
The good old Wessex carried out
endless icing trials - helicopters
previously avoided any risk of icing;
and a modified Sea King trialled
the complex radar and electronic
systems used in the Merlin.
Additionally, ground rigs for just
about every aspect of the aircraft
are built to stretch components
and systems to their limits. When
the aircraft finally flies, it is unlikely
that there will be any significant
surprises or major modifications
necessary. From David’s talk, it was
easy to see, but hard to believe,
how the hours of labour turned into
decades before the product entered
service.
FEBRUARY TALK – ‘Society
Film Night’ presenting rare
footage from the FAAM Curatorial
Archive.
I
t fascinates me that we now
live in a world of instant visual
access: endless TV channels;
computer searches on any subject
you can imagine; and now the same
18
access via your mobile ‘phone
while you are walking down the
street – and yet, two magic words
can still grab your attention and
whet your appetite ‘Film Night’.
Why? Atmosphere has to be one
reason, we all there by choice on a
subject of common interest, plus of
course we are in the rare position of
being able to see archive film, not
normally accessible.
This was a real treat ...
drills, and training in seamanship,
gunnery and signalling. This
probably came as quite a shock
for many. The remainder of the film
programme was flying, much of it
very exciting, for example in 1945,
Corsairs, Barracudas and the dear
old Walrus (stately as a galleon)
flying off and back on to HMS
Venerable in 1945. I particularly
loved seeing the ‘barn-door’ flaps
hanging below the Corsairs and
Barracudas as they landed on.
By contrast, ‘Hands to Flying
Stations’ took us into the jet age of
1975 on board HMS Ark Royal. Here
the camera captured the almost
hyper-activity and buzz of preparing
the aircraft, preparing the ship
and detailed crew briefings prior
This was a real treat. Once
again the programme covered most
aspects of naval aviation operations.
The seven different titles were a
mix of old projection film (chattering
and juddering, just like the good old
days) and film digitally transferred
for computer
projection. The
earliest film
was ‘Raising
Sailors’. This
was produced
during WW2
and showed
us how raw
recruits off the
street were
transformed
into sailors,
following
everything done
en-masse,
e.g. medicals,
shedding
The Colossus-class HMS Venerable underway in 1945. Two Barracudas
civilian clothes
are visible on deck. Venerable had a brief career in the RN, just missing
and donning a
hostilities in the Pacific. She then went to the Netherlands and subsequently
uniform, then
served with the Argentine Navy as the Vienticino de Mayo.
19
to the day’s operations. In quick
succession off went the plane guard
Wessex, then the Gannet, followed
alternately by the roar and dash of
Buccaneer and Phantom launches.
After the flight exercises, organized
mayhem returned with the aircraft
landing back on. Darkness brought
no respite as the night launches
commenced.
Helicopters were the
feature of ‘Jungle Bird’
After this excitement,
helicopter operations were the
feature of ‘Jungle Bird’ with
848 Sqdn in Borneo flying the
Wessex in the 1960s, followed
by ‘Highlands Emergency’, a
modern day documentary showing
771 Squadron Sea King SAR
operations from HMS Gannet on
and around Ben Nevis. Finally,
after a flight safety film, we were
treated to ‘HMS Heron flies
South’, a reflection on the part
played by RNAS Yeovilton, in
supplying aircraft and personnel
at extremely short notice for the
Falklands Conflict. Narrated by
the then captain of the Air Station,
this showed the enormous and
successful achievement of the
Station in supporting hostilities in
the South Atlantic.
This was our first event where
you could pre-book your ticket to
guarantee a seat and it worked
well, with about two-thirds prebooked. The remaining seats were
soon filled by those paying at
the door. Thank you to the FAAM
archivists Barbara and John, plus
the SOFFAAM backroom team for
a lively, enjoyable evening.
MARCH TALK – ‘The new
generation of maritime
helicopters Wildcat & Merlin
Mk2/Mk4’, by Commodore Andy
Lison RN.
‘Very
exciting, very
exciting’ – two
words repeated time and again
throughout this lively talk by
Commodore Andy Lison. In
fairness, I am inclined to agree.
Did you know that worldwide, no
other helicopters can match the
specified capability of these two
aircraft? Wrongly, I tend to think
of Britain today as being a poor
relation to just about anywhere
you care to name, but listening
to what is being successfully
achieved is most invigorating.
Andy speaks with first-hand
knowledge of his subject. He is
‘Head of Helicopters 1’, which
makes him responsible for the
acquisition of Wildcat and Merlin
Mk2/Mk4.
Andy started his
career as an Artificer
Apprentice ...
Andy’s RN career as an Air
Engineer started in 1985 as an
20
Artificer Apprentice. Following
time at sea; at Westland on Merlin
Mk1acquisition; then NATO; then
involvement with the new aircraft
carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth,
Andy renewed his relationship with
Westland for these new aircraft
projects.
Merlin Capability Sustainment
Programme (MCSP) is reaching
its conclusion at AgustaWestland,
with the incorporation of entirely
new and powerful technology, from
wiring, to hardware and software.
‘Open Systems Architecture’
has also been a key element to
ensure that systems can now be
updated as required, whereas in
the past this has been a problem.
At the same time the Mk 2 has
Merlin Mk1 has been in service been engineered for flexibility and
for around a decade and although versatility, so that anti-submarine
Merlin Mk1 systems
are now outdated ...
Merlin Mk 1 in flight with its undercarriage extended. The radome under the nose, which protects
the 1-metre wide radar scanner, is clearly visible
a magnificent aircraft, its avionics
and systems are now outdated.
The demise of the highly-capable
Maritime Reconnaissance Nimrod
means that an upgrade to the
Merlin’s search radar and antisubmarine systems is urgently
needed. Consequently, the
warfare is just one of its roles.
Project ‘Crowsnest’ will provide
in addition, Airborne Surveillance
and Control (ASAC) to replace the
aging Sea King Mk7. Two major
suppliers are competing for this
contract and all 30 Merlin Mk 2s
will incorporate the capability. The
21
total budget for this upgrade is
a significant £850m. In parallel,
all 28 ‘Green’ Merlins, currently
operated by the RAF, are to be
upgraded from Mk 3/3A to Mk
4/4A and transferred to the RN as
utility helicopters. The upgrade
will include navalising them so
that the cockpits will be identical
‘all-glass’ computerised panels
as in the Mk2, new avionics and
in due course, powered-folding
main rotor blades and tailcone - a
further £330m investment.
Wildcat is a completely
new aircraft ...
Meanwhile, also in parallel
is the development of Wildcat,
which, as Andy strongly
emphasized, is not an updated
Lynx, but a completely new
aircraft. The requirement for
Wildcat is ‘find, target and attack’.
From the outset, it has been a
digital design – no drawings. The
only recognizable items carried
over from the Lynx are its latest
rotor hub and blades, although,
obviously, legacy knowledge from
Lynx has also been incorporated.
The Army took its first delivery
in 2012 and three are now on
trials service at sea with the RN.
Avionics improvements are very
similar to those of the Merlin,
with modern cockpit touch-screen
instrument panels and radar
systems. In all, Wildcat is an
absolute step change from the
Lynx, with a budget of £1.6 billion
– big money!
The safety and airworthiness
of these aircraft is being assured
by the Military Aviation Authority
(MAA) which governs all aspects
of military aviation, including
authority for issuing a Release to
Service (RTS). The Commodore
briefly mentioned the report by
Charles Haddon-Cave QC into
the loss of Nimrod MR2 XV230,
whose recommendations led to
the introduction of the MAA.
Other significant gains
emanating from these projects are
much closer integration of industry
and military project teams (sharing
offices and facilities); and new
contractual arrangements whereby
the RN operates the aircraft, but
the manufacturer provides a much
higher degree of ground support
and back-up.
The new simulators are
the best in the world
Finally, for both projects very
advanced simulators (‘best in
the world’) have been installed
at RNAS Culdrose to provide
full aircrew training and similar
facilities to instruct on all aspects
of engineering.
Thank you Commodore Andy
Lison for a splendid evening and
to the back-room boys for feeding
and watering another near fullhouse.
22
OPERATION JUDGEMENT
By Captain Keith Leppard CBE, RN
bombing, strafing, rocket firing,
fighter cover and bombardment
spotting. The commanding officer
was Lt Cdr “Dickie” Bird DFC, RN
with Lt Hugh Morrison RNZNVR,
as Senior Pilot, one Chief Petty
Officer pilot, three Lieutenants and
21 Sub Lieutenants RNVR. (The
average age of the Squadron air
crew was 21.)
The squadron flew on
board HMS Searcher ...
In January 1945 the squadron
flew on board HMS Searcher
(Captain J. W. Grant RN) off the
Orkneys without incident. The
ship was a Ruler class escort
carrier, built in the United States
The author, as a Sub Lieutenant in 1945
and launched in 1942. It carried
fter wartime carrier
24 Wildcats and two Fairey
operations in the
Firefly night fighters. With several
Mediterranean, 882
other escort carriers the ship
Squadron returned to the UK and
was assigned to the 1st Cruiser
was disbanded. It re-formed with
Squadron, an offensive Home Fleet
mainly new personnel in autumn
force under the command of Rear
1944 at Long Kesh in Northern
Admiral R. R. McGrigor, DSO,
Ireland (later to become the Maze
with the task of attacking German
prison). The rest of the year was
coastal shipping and bases in
spent working up in preparation for northern Norway. The attack on
offensive carrier borne operations
Kilbotn was the culmination of
with the Home Fleet based at Scapa strikes during the first five months
Flow. The Squadron was equipped of 1945 by 882 Squadron, during
with single-seat Grumman Wildcat
which time they shot down three
fighter/bombers, aircraft well suited Messerschmitt 109s.
to the multiple roles required –
As the 1st Cruiser Squadron,
A
23
with Admiral McGrigor flying his
flag in HMS Norfolk, with the
carriers Searcher, Trumpeter and
Queen and seven escorting warships
turned into wind to launch the airborne
attack, snow-capped mountains were
including Harald Haarfagre, an exNorwegian warship commandeered
by the German Navy. Each Wildcat
was armed with four 0.5 calibre
machine guns. A further four Wildcats
provided top cover against any
Wildcats in HMS Searcher, about to launch an attack on German shipping
visible low on the Norwegian horizon
some 40 to 50 miles away. The
weather was fine with some broken
cloud and excellent visibility.
The task was to provide
flak suppression ...
intervention by German fighters.
Green flight was allocated the antiaircraft cruiser as its target, led by the
Squadron second-in-command Lt
Morrison, with myself as his wing man,
plus Sub Lieutenants Ecob and Lock
in the other section.
Our target was sighted
without difficulty ...
The task of the squadron was to
provide flak suppression whilst the
Avengers of 846 and 853 squadrons
were in their bombing approaches. 16
Passage from Searcher to landfall
Wildcats were allocated to this duty in was below 500 feet to minimise the
flights of four aircraft, spread among
chance of early radar detection,
the known anti-aircraft locations
aircraft then climbing to about 8000
24
882 Squadron aircrew in 1945. On the left, the CO, Lt Cdr “Dickie” Bird, DSC. Then left to right,
the other three members of Green Flight, Sub Lt Ecob, Lt H. Morrison and Sub Lt P. Lock
feet. Our target was sighted without
difficulty and Green leader winged
over into a steep strafing dive. It
was immediately clear that the
target ship had been alerted to our
saw the whole of his right wing
blown off at its fuselage root. I
didn’t see the aircraft hit the water
but the exact location was revealed
subsequently from a photograph
HMS Searcher in Norwegian waters in 1944. The merchant-ship hull design is clearly visible.
approach and flashes and smoke
were clearly visible. I was flying
on the starboard side and slightly
rearward of Lieutenant Morrison,
some two or three wingspans away.
Halfway through our firing run, I
taken by one of the Avengers.
Aircraft recovery to Searcher was
quite straightforward but it was
a relief to find out that only one
Wildcat was lost.
25
A SPECIAL REUNION
A report from the “Dereham
Times” of 23 January 2014:
They survived the fall thanks to
their silk parachutes and instinctive
actions. And now 50 years later the
hey both agree they
pair have reunited to celebrate the
shouldn’t be alive today after anniversary and remember their lucky
both the engines failed on
escape.
Mr
the Fairy Gannet they were
T
Jones, who
lives in LItcham, near Dereham,
flying on a training said “I just crossed my legs and
exercise, pilot John Middleton and
jumped out. We could have been
Observer Oboe Jones made the split ashes and dust. I have had 50 years
second decision to bail out, jumping
of life – 100 years between us –
1,000 feet.
which we might not have expected.”
26
Based at RAF Watton and part
of the Royal Naval Air Station
Culdrose, Mr Middleton, now 74
and Mr Jones, 75, thought their
jamming radar and radios exercise
near Newquay was routine. But
once one engine went, the crew
a parachute to bail out of a failing
aircraft. Mr Middleton, a former
training pilot for British airways,
who now lives in Somerset, was
responsible for the crew.
He said “I quickly realised we
were going to have to jump because
John Middleton and “Oboe” Jones celebrate with friends and family. They are eating “Gannet pie”.
from 831 Squadron knew there was
no time for a Mayday call and they
leapt from the plane. The crew,
which also had a third man on board
– lofty Nash – who has since died,
believe they are the only crew to
have bailed out successfully from a
Gannet. The model they were flying
was a rare ECM Mark 6. All three
were awarded the Caterpillar badge,
which honours those who have used
there was no way of landing safely.
Our only chance was to jump –
there was no time for anything
else. It was just a case of making a
decision and doing it. I said ‘bail out,
bail out, bail out’, it was instinctive.
Because it was so close, every 23
January I open a bottle of something
or other and think ‘I really shouldn’t be
here’.”
27
AIRSHIP INCIDENT
By Wilfred E Jones
(Originally published in Jabberwock 25)
I
n October, 1917, I enlisted in
the Royal Naval Air Service
as an aircraftsman. After a
preliminary training at the Crystal
unbroken land within a few miles
of the Lizard and Land’s End.
The country is, for the most part,
open and bare but about half
Control car of the SSZ airship. The scoop behind the propeller directs air into the ballonets.
Palace and Fort Tregantle,
Cornwall I was drafted to one
of the largest airship stations in
the country, Goonhilly Downs,
a dreary and desolate tract of
a mile from the camp there are
dense woods, admirably suited
for the purpose of mooring out the
smaller type of airship when no
accommodation can be found for
28
them in the main sheds.
On the night of 15 December
1917, I was one of a party of six
detailed off as “gas guard” to
the airship SSZ 15. The weather
for some time previously had
been on its very worst behavior
and consequently the ground
surrounding the woods was
nothing more than a quagmire.
The airship was positioned in a
large hollow, six feet deep, to
allow the car to rest in, leaving
the envelope just above the
surrounding ground
the trees, and that the car is well
weighted down with ballast bags.
The method of keeping up the
pressure is as follows. A small
hand-blower is fixed some few
yards away and connected to the
envelope by means of a fabric
hose twelve inches in diameter;
so that when the pressure is
decreasing, the blower is started,
thus pumping air into the proper
chambers inside the envelope
which is duly registered by the
manometer. We came off duty at
eight p.m., and tried to get “forty
winks” in our bell tent, but it was
too cold to sleep, and we were
not sorry when the time came
to relieve our companions. All
The pit was fully a foot deep in went well during the night, there
being scarcely a breath of air,
slimy, sticky mud, and it was no
but towards three o’clock on the
unusual thing to find one of your
Sunday morning the sky became
gumboots missing when walking
or, rather, paddling through it. The overcast and threatening and a
two coxswains in charge arranged slight breeze sprang up, which
necessitated re-securing the guy
for us to work in watches, two
ropes. Our fears and anxiety as to
hours on and two hours off. My
the condition of the weather were
companion and I took the first
not without reason, and when my
watch and everything went well,
companion and I went on watch
the pressure being maintained
at six a.m., a stiff breeze was
without any difficulty at all. Here
blowing which caused the ship to
I might add that the first and
toss and roll about like a vessel in
foremost duty of a “gas guard”
a stormy sea.
is to see that the air pressure in
the envelope is maintained at
a certain figure, registered by a
clock-like instrument fixed in the
car, known as a manometer. He is
also responsible for the wellbeing
In addition to this, the pressure
of the airship, seeing that the
was now going down very rapidly,
guy-ropes are firmly secured to
which so alarmed the coxswains
... deep in slimy, sticky
mud ...
The pressure was now
going down rapidly ...
29
in charge that they decided to
report matters to the duty officer
at the camp. At first we put the
decreasing pressure down to a
leakage in the valves, but learned
afterwards that the rolling of the
ship had gradually torn a hole in
the bow of the envelope - a fact
which I was to be very thankful for,
few yards away on the bank
whilst I occupied the pilot’s seat.
I installed myself in the car, which
was sunk down into the pit below
the surface of the ground; but,
what with the intense cold and wet
(it was now raining steadily) and
the continual rolling, dipping and
plunging of the ship, my position
SSZ airship in flight. Although these craft were slow and unwieldy, with their crews very exposed
to wind and weather, they provided a vital service in anti-submarine patrols.
as the following events will show.
Before going, one of the
coxswains said that one of us
should sit in the car and keep
an eye on the manometer
continually, as the pressure was
fluctuating so considerably, and
also to make additional ballast. I
agreed with my companion that
he should work the blower some
was far from being an enviable
one. But still worse was in store.
Suddenly, without any preliminary
warning, a terrific gale burst upon
us. I learned afterwards that in
scientific terms it was known as
a “cyclonic suction”, blowing at
over sixty miles an hour and its
occurrence in this country is very
uncommon. The first effect it had
30
upon the airship was to uproot the
car and dash it wildly against the
sides of the pit, which were luckily
in an extremely soft and muddy
condition, thus leaving the sides of
the car undamaged.
by the car striking the ground,
mercifully without exploding the
two one-hundred -pound bombs
with which she was armed), and
the next minute I found myself
thrown into the mud, clear of the
car.
My mind was in a very confused
state, but it did not take me long
to decide to get away from the
Almost simultaneously she
wreckage. I struggled to rise but
shook herself like huge dog
could not, as when I was thrown
and shot upwards, ripping the
out of the car I had caught my legs
guy rope attachments off the
and feet in the wire suspensions,
side of the envelope like paper.
and was now held captive by
Imagine, if you can, my horror.
the monster. Misfortunes never
Here was I, quite a novice of the
come singly, and in a few seconds
service, alone in an uncontrollable the gale again increased in fury
leviathan of the air, and absolutely causing the airship to career off
helpless. I raised myself from the wildly across the open ground,
dragging me with it. Over and
bottom of the car, where I had
been thrown after the first jolt,
over I was tossed like a cork in
and looked over the side. Never
a raging storm, helpless. The
to my dying day shall I forget the
terrific thuds and bumps as I came
sickening sensation that went
in contact with the ground were
through my whole system. It was something cruel, nearly driving me
still dark and raining very heavily, to distraction.
so that I had great difficulty in
discerning my position. A terrific
crackling and tearing told me that
we were dragging our way through
the trees. No sooner were we
Never in all my life shall I forget
clear of the branches than another that journey. Every now and again
sudden gust caught us in its grip, I would find myself engulfed in the
and the next minute we were
folds of the envelope, and to this
dashing headlong for the ground. day I still have a remembrance
The realisation of this proved too of the horrible stench of the stale
much for me and I swooned off
gas in my nostrils. Gradually I
into unconsciousness. I have a
could feel my strength ebbing
very faint recollection of feeling
away, and I felt that surely the end
a terrific thud (probably caused
must come soon. Trivial incidents
She shook herself like a
huge dog ...
The horrible stench of
stale gas in my nostrils ...
31
during my youthful career came
crowding through my brain with
hideous distinctness and rapidity.
I could even picture the salvage
party from the camp hunting
about among the wreckage for my
mutilated remains. I felt myself
floating away into space, where,
I knew not. A sudden gust of gas
from the envelope overwhelmed
me, and I remembered no more.
When I regained consciousness I
found myself lying on my back in
a field, and upon looking round I
could see, although but dimly, my
late captor, some hundred yards
distant, being carried away rapidly
with the wind. My thankfulness
knew no bounds, at last I was
free. Although these happenings
could only have occupied a
few minutes, to me it seemed a
veritable lifetime. I tried to get up
on to my feet, but stumbled down
again, the very effort causing me
excruciating pain. I lay still for a
few minutes trying to collect my
scattered wits, but my brain was
in a hopeless jumble and I could
scarcely bear to think. Eventually
I managed to get up, and tried
as well as I possibly could to
crawl away from the scene of my
misfortune.
I was in a pitiable
condition ...
Truly I was in a pitiable
condition. What with my clothes
badly torn, my face and head
bruised, and caked all over with
mud; I must have cut a grotesque
figure. I would have rivalled a
scarecrow of the raggedest order.
I felt numb and stiff in every joint,
and could have sworn that every
bone in my body was broken; but
a rough survey soon eased my
mind considerably on that score.
It was now pouring in torrents,
so I commenced to make my way,
feeling more dead than alive,
towards a light that I could faintly
see in the distance, and great was
my joy when I discovered that it
belonged to my fellow gas guard.
Never was a meeting
more hearty and
welcome ...
Never was a meeting more
hearty and welcome. He had
seen the ship become uprooted
from the pit and carried away on
the wind, and had immediately
secured a lantern and followed in
the same direction, as he jokingly
said, “to pick up the pieces”. With
his very necessary assistance I
eventually succeeded in reaching
the camp, and was very quickly
installed in hospital.
The other gas guards had
given notice of the unfortunate
happenings, so that things were
prepared for our arrival. I was
sobbing and trembling all over as
though I had the ague, and the
hospital orderly told me afterwards
that my language almost set their
32
water afire. I was cleaned up and
fitted out with dry clothes, so that by
the time the doctor arrived on the
scene I was feeling slightly better.
He was a thorough hard-headed
Englishman, not easily roused as
a rule, but I shall never forget the
excited way in which he subjected
me to a most careful and minute
examination. He could scarcely
believe it possible for anyone to
have undergone the knocking about
that I had and still be alive, or at
least sound in wind and limb.
The doctor prescribed
absolute rest and no
food ...
He prescribed absolute rest and
no food of any description for a
few hours. But I am afraid that the
former part of his prescription was
not strictly adhered to, because I
received visits during the morning
from all of the officers on the station,
and they made me feel as though I
had done something great. To me
it was not a case of having done
something - it was a case of having
been sadly done.
Later on in the day I was able to
leave the hospital looking a perfect
study in bandages, and a few weeks
later, save for feeling a bit shaky,
had completely recovered from
the shock, though the sight of an
airship even now sends a shudder
through me, as I recall that awful
experience.
One of the highlights of our talks
evenings is the convivial break for
wine and cheese. It is easy to take
this for granted, but as our Chairman reminded us at the March talk,
we rely on volunteers to provide this
welcome service.We very much need
to swell the numbers of these willing
people, as there are relatively few of
them and they need more help.
If you are willing to give a little of
your time to help out, please contact
the Chairman or the Editor.
If we cannot provide this service
ourselves on a voluntary basis, we
are left with the choice of paying
for it or (even worse)
giving it up altogether.
CROSSWORD No. 3 – The Korean War
Solution
ACROSS
DOWN
3. Oriskany
1. Sikorsky
6. Kim Il Sung 2. Armed
8. Radar
3. Oiler
10. Seen
4.. Single
12. Kimpo
5. Yalu
14. Panther
7. Banshee
16. Ocean
9. Amp
17. Self
10. Seafire
18. Oars
11. Firefly
19. Sea Fury
13. Meteor
15. One
16. Oro
33
THE UNKNOWN FLEET
By Jack Thomas
W
inston Churchill once
said that the only thing
that frightened him
during World War II was the fear
of losing the Battle of the Atlantic.
Aided by the breaking of the U-boats’
communication codes and the work
of the Hunter/Killer escort groups,
together with the deployment of longrange aircraft of Coastal Command,
the Allied tide had begun to turn
against Doenitz’s “Wolf Packs” by
early 1943. Because of this, it is
sometimes assumed that the U-boat
1942 there were 320 U-boats in action
in the Atlantic and after VE Day 156
surrendered at sea and 226 scuttled
themselves in their home ports.
There was always the
problem of the “Atlantic
Gap” ...
There was always the problem
of the “Atlantic Gap” – the space in
mid-Atlantic beyond the range of
land-based aircraft. Here the only
satisfactory solution was the provision
MV Empire MacKendrick at her maximum speed of 12 knots. She was a converted grain-ship with a
small hangar capable of stowing four Swordfish. The very small island structure is noticeable.
menace had been overcome. In fact
the sinkings continued: the last British
merchant ship being sunk just a few
days before VE Day in May1945. In
of permanent air cover, provided by
aircraft carriers accompanying the
convoys. Large numbers of Escort
Carriers were being built in the
34
United States, some of which were
earmarked for RN use under Lend
Lease arrangements, but for various
reasons the first of these did not enter
RN service until late 1943. Early in
the War, a member of the Ministry
of War Transport had a bright idea.
Why not take suitable merchant ships
and convert them into “mini” carriers
by removing the top-hamper, fitting a
flight-deck and island bridge. Suitable
ships were tankers and grain-ships
both of which carried cargoes which
could be pumped ashore.
Eventually, six grainships and 13 tankers were
converted.
Eventually six grain-ships and 13
tankers were converted. (See the
list at the end of this article.) Coming
into service from early 1943, these
vessels displaced between 8,000 and
l0,000 tons and their flight decks were
about 400 feet long by 55 feet wide.
The tankers had four arrester wires
and a barrier, but no hangar, while the
grain-ships had a small hangar but
no barrier. Because these ships were
slow, with a maximum speed of about
twelve knots, the only aircraft that
could operate from them safely was
the Fairey Swordfish.
The Swordfish Mark II was
armed with either four 250 lb
depth charges or eight 60 lb
armour-piercing rockets. These
could be fired in pairs, ripple or as
a salvo. Later the Mark III came
into service with its advanced Air to
Surface Vessel (ASV) radar, fitted in
a radome between the undercarriage
legs. The extra drag caused by these
additions necessitated the fitting of
a fine pitch propeller to assist the
take-off from the short flight deck, but
this cut the normal cruising speed to
about 70 knots. In addition rocket
assisted takeoff gear (RATOG) was
used. Two squadrons, based at
HMS Shrike, RNAS Maydown in
Northern Ireland, were set up. 860
Squadron of the Royal Netherlands
Navy, which operated from the
Gadila and Macoma, and 836
Naval Air Squadron, which became
the biggest squadron in the world
servicing the other seventeen MAC
ships – as these Merchant Aircraft
Carriers were called. In the end there
were 83 aircraft in 23 flights with
450 aircrew and 400 maintenance
ratings. The whole enterprise was
actually commanded by a Lieutenant
Commander!
Being merchant ships, flying the
Red Ensign, they were operated
by merchant seamen, with a MN
Master who was given a six weeks
carrier handling course before taking
command As the naval personnel
on board were sailing under the Red
Ensign, for legal reasons , all officers
signed on as “Supernumerary Deck
Officers” and all ratings signed articles
with the Master. All were issued with
Merchant Navy badges to be worn
with their naval uniforms. Some of
the flights broke international law
by painting out the words “Royal
Navy” on the side of the aircraft and
35
substituted “Merchant Navy” instead.
This meant that, technically, that they
were operating as pirates! The Naval
contingent on board consisted of the
Air Staff Officer (ASO) who was a
Lieutenant Commander Observer,
a Deck Landing Control Officer, or
“Batsman” as he was known, the
crews of three Swordfish in a tanker
or four in a grain-ship; in each case
a pilot, observer and Telegraphist
Air Gunner and the
maintenance and
deck-handling ratings.
Having broken the U-boats’
communication codes, the Admiralty
could inform the Senior Officer Escort
(SOE) and the convoy’s Commodore
where the U-boats were lurking. The
ASO could then direct the Swordfish
to the U-boats’ position. This caused
the U-boats to dive when (their
underwater speed being slower than
that of the convoy) they were left
behind. So although no U-boats were
actually sunk by MAC ship aircraft, by
“preventative medicine” 323 convoys
were successfully escorted between
the UK and Canada by May 1945 with
the loss of only two merchant ships
- one tanker and one ammunition
s h i p .
Patrols
were
usually
about two
hours in
duration,
and
were
given
code
names
like
“Mamba”,
“Viper”, “Cobra” and “Crocodile”.
Mambas were directed flights to
known positions of U-boats and
could be up to 70 miles in range,
while Cobras were patrols circling
the convoy. Another valuable activity
was rounding up ships which
had strayed during the night and
shepherding them back to the convoy.
There was a special relationship
36
between RN and MN crews on board
a MAC ship. The Master was very
proud of his role as the Captain of an
aircraft carrier and took great care of
his Fleet Air Arm people. One Master
even had gold “A”s sewn onto his
sleeves above his Merchant Navy
rings and signed official documents
“Master (A) MN.” The Merchant Navy
Chief Engineer was responsible for
operating the arrester gear, the barrier
and the lift, while the Air Staff Officer
service dress and “civvy” rig was often
worn. When flying of course, aircrew
would wear at least a battledress top
as part of their dress, to offer legality
in the event of being shot down and
captured by the enemy!
In preparation for a sortie, the ASO,
taking orders from the SOE, briefed
the aircrew about the type of patrol,
weather conditions etc. The Batsman
and the deck-handlers ranged the
aircraft for takeoff and ran up the
MV Miralda, a converted Rapana class oil tanker of 16,000 tons deep load. The typical low
freeboard of the tanker is evident. With no space for a hangar, the three Swordfish aircraft had to
be maintained on deck.
was in command of all the Royal
Navy personnel, each of whom took
a pride in their particular areas of
work, whether it was flying, aircraft
maintenance or deck-handling. Off
duty MN crew members were frequent
spectators when aircraft were landing
or taking off. There was a relaxed
attitude to discipline, with no formal
parades and the acceptance of
personal responsibility for the work
in hand. The attitude to uniform was
also very informal and a mixture of
engines ready for the crews to board.
The Master took control on the bridge
to turn the ship into wind and the
Batsman with a pair of red and green
flags, or at night with red and green
“lucite” wands, took charge of the
take-off.
Every effort was made
to gain as much speed as
possible ...
Every effort was made to gain
37
as much speed as possible and by
judging the pitching motion of the ship,
the Batsman could take advantage of
a “downhill run” culminating with an
upward lifting of the bows.
Patrols normally lasted about two
hours and were flown often at about
800 feet, searching both by radar and
visually. The Observers’ navigational
skills in the open cockpit Swordfish
were essential in the wide expanse of
the Atlantic. Unpopular patrols were
those astern of the convoy, particularly
in strong wind conditions. An engine
failure ahead of the convoy might
possibly mean being picked up in the
aircraft dinghy by an approaching
vessel but ditching astern of the
convoy was not a happy thought. At
the end of a patrol the appearance of
the convoy on the horizon was always
a very welcome sight.
next aircraft would land. In the case
of the grain-ships, after the hook was
released the aircraft would be pushed
back on to the lift. The wings would be
folded, the lift would take the aircraft
down to the hangar and then return to
deck-level ready for the next landing.
With practice, surprisingly quick
landing times were achieved.
Flying often took place in extreme
weather conditions and with the ship
rolling and pitching, good rapport
between pilot and Batsman was
essential. In one case at least, an
Escort Carrier, also with the convoy,
reported to the SOE that conditions
were too bad for flying but the MAC
ship present actually carried out
its flying programme. The greatest
accolade of all must be given to the
maintenance crews who serviced
the Swordfish.
The batsman’s job was
vital ...
Servicing had to take
place on the open deck ...
In landing on after the sortie the
Batsman’s task was vital. Because
the MAC ship’s deck was so narrow,
in the final part of the approach all
the pilot could see was the Batsman
on his platform, whose signals were
mandatory. Landing procedures for
tankers and grain-ships were different,
particularly if more than one aircraft
was airborne. On the tanker, the first
aircraft would land with the barrier
raised. The deck crew would release
the deck-hook from the arrester wire
and the pilot would taxi forward. Up
would go the barrier again and the
On the tankers in particular, where
there was no hangar, servicing had to
take place on the open deck, with very
little protection from the North Atlantic
winter weather, other than folding
metal “palisades”, which when raised
gave only minimal deflection of the
bitter winds.
In total, the MAC ships spent 4,447
days at sea: 836 Squadron flew 1,187
days in convoy, altogether 9,016 flying
hours. Aircrew losses were 6 pilots,
5 observers, and 8 Telegraphist Air
Gunners. And very little was ever
mentioned in the media about this
38
“Unknown Fleet”.
The MAC Ships:
Empire Class Grain Carriers:
Approximately 8,000 tons deep
load, 12 knots, 4 aircraft, crew 107,
launched December 1942-January
Rapana Class Oil Tankers:
8,000 tons standard, 16,000 tons
deep load, 12 knots, 3 aircraft, crew
118 (64 RN plus 54 MN), converted
1942-44. Anglo-Saxon Petroleum
Company tankers. No hangar and lift;
Members of the air party and two Fairey Swordfish aircraft on the snow-covered flight deck of the
British Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC) ship MV Ancylus. Photo: Wikipedia Commons
1944. Equipped with hangar and lift.
MV Empire Macalpine, MV Empire
MacAndrew, MV Empire MacAllum,
MV Empire MacDermott, MV Empire
MacKendrick, MV Empire MacRae.
Empire Class Oil carriers:
Approximately 9,000 tons deep
load, 11 knots, 3 aircraft, crew 122,
launched May–July 1943. BP tankers.
No hangar and lift; aircraft maintained
and stored on deck.
MV Empire MacCabe, MV Empire
MacColl, MV Empire MacKay, MV
Empire MacMahon.
aircraft maintained on deck.
MV Acavus, MV Adula, MV Alexia,
MV Amastra, MV Ancylus, MV
Gadila, MV Macoma, MV Miralda, MV
Rapana.
Ancylus operated Swordfish II of ‘O’
Flight, 860 NAS
Gadila operated under the Dutch
ensign with Swordfish of ‘S’ Flight, 860
NAS
Macoma operated under the Dutch
ensign with Swordfish of ‘O’ (later ‘F’)
Flight, 860 NAS.
39
A MINOR MYSTERY
By the Editor
T
he photograph, from the
FAAM archive, is of armoured
cars of the Royal Naval Air
Service (RNAS) possibly in Northern
France early in the First World War.
I say “possibly” because the picture
has no caption. The mystery (at
least to me) arises because I cannot
identify what vehicles these are. The
RNAS used armoured Rolls Royce
Silver Ghost cars early in the war and
also procured cars from Talbot and
Leyland. None of the photographs
that I have seen of those vehicles
resemble the ones in this picture.
We can be reasonably sure that they
are operated by the RNAS – they all
have spurious HMS names and the
accompanying crews wear (admittedly
not very smart but recognisable) naval
uniforms.
I would welcome any information
from our readers that throws some
light on this picture. It will, in due
course, appear in the forthcoming
book “Voices in Flight - the Royal
Naval Air Service” to accompany
previously unpublished anecdotes,
including diaries from people of the
Royal Naval Armoured Car Division.
The history of naval armoured cars is
perhaps not as well known as other
RNAS activities, so I hope readers will
find much to enjoy in this new book.
40
No. 75
May 2014
Published by The Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum

jabberwock jabberwock - Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm

Transcription

Similar documents

Wherever you are. Whenever you need it.

PIONEERS AND DRIFTERS, COWBOYS AND INDIANS

Memberships from Coast to Coast and Everywhere In Between

jabberwock jabberwock - Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm

Worksheet - Deciphering Jabberwocky

Saturday, June 16th 2:00 to 5:00 pm Tickets: $15

KING AIR C90GTx - Beechcraft

1965 American Champion – 7ECA Citabria

`Oshkosh` in the German pine forests near Munich

airmens fbx poster.indd - Alaska Air Show Association