Historical Aircraft

April 1941

 

Saturday, April 1, 1941

Dull weather, visibility poor.  Little flying was done during the day.

Sunday, April 2, 1941

Dull cloudy day, little flying.

Monday, April 3, 1941

Overcast during morning.  Three Tomahawks to Audley to be tested.  F/L Trevena flew to Eastleigh in a Tomahawk.

Tuesday, April 4, 1941

Fine.  F/L Trevena back from Eastleigh.  Some formation flying during the afternoon.

Wednesday, April 5, 1941

Dull, visibility very poor.  No flying.  S/L Morris gone on two days leave.

Thursday, April 6, 1941

Cold overcast day.  P/O Carter and Sgt Pelton in Magister to Eastleigh; P/O Carter returning with another Tomahawk and Sgt Pelton with Magister.  Squadron did some searchlight co-operation and cross-country flying.

Friday, April 7, 1941

Cold and overcast.  P/O Carter and F/L Trevena in Battle to Eastleigh.  Sgt Pelton and Sones follow in Magister.  P/O Carter and Sgt Sones return with two more Tomahawks.  Local formation flying was done by the Squadron during the day.

Saturday, April 8, 1941

Local formation flights and cross-country flights to Hereford.  F/L Trevena to Eastleigh in Lysander to bring back another Tomahawk.
Sunday, April 9, 1941

Heavy blitz on Coventry again during the night.  F/L Trevena and Sgt Wood leave two Tomahawks at Eastleigh for modifications and return with two more.

Monday, April 10, 1941

Fair in the morning.  All pilots did a high climb to 26,000 ft.  During the afternoon, three aircraft to Bramcote for siting at butts.  One marksman shot a hole through his prop.  Another Blitz on Coventry and Birmingham during the night.

Tuesday, April 11, 1941

A blitz on Coventry again during the night for the third time running.  Nine craters on the aerodrome near our dispersal points; a suggestion is noted to start a Squadron golf course but craters are filled in before decision is reached.  The C in C inspected the Squadron during the morning.  Practice attacks were carried out during the afternoon as well as general flying.

Wednesday, April 12, 1941

Quite night.  Dull overcast morning.  General flying.

Thursday, April 13, 1941

Dull and overcast all day.  The AOC accompanied by GP C Oliver visited the Squadron during the afternoon.  Little flying done.

Friday, April 14, 1941

Raining all the morning, cleared up in the afternoon.  S/L Morris with F/L Gillen and Sgt Sones did some low altitude attacks and dive-bombing.  Sgt Sones and Wood did some formation flying.

Saturday, April 15, 1941

Fine sunny morning.  Sgt Pilots Pelton and Walker, both Canadians, posted to Uxbridge.  Cross-country flying.

Sunday, April 16, 1941

Fine morning, clouding a little during the afternoon.  Formation flying.  The following pilots, posted to the Squadron, arrived at Henley at 3:30 PM: P/Os Fannon, Colvin and Murray, Sgts Wickham, Thomas, Rogers, Tomlinson, Morrison and Griggs.  With the exception of P/Os Fannon and Colvin, and Sgts Wickham and Thomas, they are all Canadian.

Monday, April 17, 1941

Fine day.  F/L Gillen, P/O Carter, Sgts Wood and Sones did practice flights.  P/O Carter made a forced landing in a field near the aerodrome.

Tuesday, April 18, 1941

Cloudy and dull all day.  Mostly local flying.  Sgt Sones flew at various times to Bassingbourne and returned.  Sgt Tomlinson made a forced landing at Bassingbourne, damaging the plane slightly in doing so, but without injury to himself except for the extra spell of duty pilot which he collected as a reward for his performance.

Wednesday, April 19, 1941

Raining all the morning.  No flying.  In the afternoon, F/L Trevena took off for Digby but returned owing to the weather.  Very little flying.

Thursday, April 20, 1941

Sgt Sones made a battle climb to 15,000 ft.  P/O Colvin in a vectors flight, landed at Upper Heyford owing to the weather.  Mostly vectors and cross-country flights.

Friday, April 21, 1941

Fine day, mostly formation flying.  P/O Carter and Sgt Sones flew to Eastleigh and back.

Saturday, April 22, 1941

Misty all day.  Little flying during the morning due to fog on aerodrome.  P/O Carter flew to Bramcote and back.  S/L Morris to Bramcote and back after lunch.  Lt Allison and two Sgts of the United States Air Corps arrived today, his mission being to watch for points from the maintenance angle – and of the actual combative possibilities of Tomahawk aircraft.  Some Air Corps buttons and several tips on maintenance have already been exchanged.

Sunday, April 23, 1941

Cloudy and cold.  Six aircraft from the Squadron gave a display for the Forest of Arden War weapons week and in the words of the Station Commander, ‘rang a bell’ with the onlookers.  Pilot Officers Anthony, Ball, Ford, Gilbertson, Gubb and Waldon, all Canadians arrived from 52 OTU Debden for general duties.

Monday, April 24, 1941

Fair but cold.  Squadron got in about 23 hours of flying today, mainly formation attacks and sector recco’s.

Tuesday, April 25, 1941

Fine.  S/L Morris did an air-firing test above 20,000 ft.

Wednesday, April 26, 1941

Fine and windy.  P/O Reynolds, the Squadron Intelligence Officer, posted to Speke.

Thursday, April 27, 1941

Cold and fair.  Both flights to Speke for air firing.  P/O Barr has arrived for service as Squadron Engineering Officer.  P/O Murray made a forced landing near the golf course at Waltham.  Pilot uninjured, plane slightly damaged.

Friday, April 28, 1941

Fair and calm.  Jamboree day.  Two pilots form a committee to welcome the new Engineering Officer.  First member, Sgt Morrison, overshot on landing at Bagington and hit a gun post, damaging the starboard wing and undercarriage.  The second member, P/O Anthony, also overshot but improved on the first performance by colliding with another Tomahawk and mounting his machine on top of it; the result being slightly suggestive and a rumour has now gone about that production of aircraft is being speeded up by breeding planes.  The Squadron Engineering Officer is very gratified with the welcome.  Both members of the committee uninjured – as yet.

Saturday, April 29, 1941

Overcast and cold.  Some flying, mainly formation and attack practice.  P/O Gubb and Sgt Rogers to Brize Norton for night visual test.

Sunday, April 30, 1941

Fine.  Lt Allison of USA Corps off to London today.  Anglo-American relationship stock very high.  Sgt Tomlinson went into a spin while doing a battle climb and bailed-out.  Plane written off and Sgt Tomlinson suffering from slight concussion.