Historical Aircraft

December 1941

 

Monday, 1 December, 1941

Weather misty with 8/10ths cloud overcast clearing to fine later in the morning.  F/L (Timber) Wood carried out a weather test.  Sergeant Ryckman and F/L Wood went on cannon test firing.  Sgt Crawford and F/L McColl went up on a weather test, the latter also doing some local flying.  In the afternoon, the Squadron Soccer team beat the AA Flight by 3 goals to 2.  The game was keenly contested and, at times, extremely robust.  Although rather weak in finishing in front of the goal, at least two occasions which should have produced two certain goals were spoilt, the Squadron team was undoubtedly the better side of the two.  Given further games in which to develop complete understanding between the individuals, they should make a really good team.  NCOs and airmen of the RCAF were lectured to by F/O Davies in the evening on the subject of ‘Disclosure of Official Information’.  S/L Douglas was away at 11 Group HQ.  P/O Hall and Sgt Wiseman attached to PDC Padgate pending posting wef today.  Hall hailed from New York.  Wiseman was a native of Moose Jaw, Sask.

Tuesday, 2 December, 1941

Weather misty clearing to a fine day.  The CO returned from London.  Convoy patrols.  P/O Colvin, Sgts Rainville, McDonald, and Belcher carried out cine-gun practice.  F/L McColl, P/O Magwood, P/O Dick, Sgts Collinson and Smith did some formation flying.  F/L Wood on weather test.  F/S Sones and Sgt Collinson did some cine-gun practice.

Wednesday, 3 December, 1941

Weather misty, 810ths to 9/10ths cloud and dry.  Compass swinging and rearming practice carried out.  The CO, F/O Davies (IO), and F/O Morris (Assistant IO) attended a conference today with W/C Wilkinson (Station Commander) to receive instructions regarding ‘QO’ operations.

Thursday, 4 December, 1941

Weather dull 10/10ths cloud with mist.  No flying.  The Armoury Soccer team (7 aside) beat 25 Works Flight in the Station Knockout Competition by 1 goal to nil.  Signing up of orders done by pilots in the morning and practice rifle firing on the Station rifle range.  Film shown in the afternoon.  P/O McPharlin returned from his trip on a Destroyer on convoy escort.  The voyage was uneventful and most enjoyable.  The crew showed him extreme hospitality.

Friday, 5 December, 1941

Weather dull, 10/10ths cloud again today.  Convoy patrols.  F/L McColl did a weather test.  F/S Sones and Sgt Schmitz did cloud flying, Sgt Crawford aerobatics and cloud flying.  P/O Magwood did some local flying while P/O Dick did some low-level flying.  P/O Gillespie went on leave as well as F/L Wood and Sgt Somers.  In the semi-final of the Knockout Competition, Armoury beat Sussex LI by one goal to nil.  They now play the Ground gunners in the final.

Saturday, 6 December, 1941

Weather 9/10ths to 10/10ths cloud.  ‘QO’ operations commenced today.  S/L Douglas, P/O McPharlin, Sgts Grigg and Schmitz took off at 0850 hours on QO operations, returning at 1025 hours.  The CO and Sgt Grigg were Blue Section and P/O McPharlin and Schmitz, Green Section.  They picked up the flotilla of approximately 10 Minesweepers about 2 miles east of Harwich.  The flotilla was heading in an ESE direction.  Blue and Green Sections patrolled as escort cover from 800 to 1,500 feet until recalled.  Apart from sighting southbound convoy ‘Arena’, there was nothing to report.  Convoy patrols during the day with nothing of interest to report except that a strong wind approaching gale force out at sea caused at least four barrage balloons to break their moorings from ships in the convoy.  Sgt Crawford and P/O Colvin carried out aircraft tests.

Sunday, 7 December, 1941

Weather windy with 7/10ths high cloud.  Bright intervals.  Cold with frost overnight.  S/L Douglas, P/O Colvin, F/L McColl, P/O Dick, P/o McPharlin, F/S Sones, Sgts Schmitz, Rainville, Munn, Ryckman, Crist and McDonald did some practice Squadron formation flying.  The Squadron is changing from the old non-weaving formation to the new formation of three lines of four aircraft, line astern, with all the pilots, except the leader, weaving.  This formation is considered to be more flexible than the old formation and nearly all No 11 Group Squadrons have adopted it.  P/O Colvin and Sgts Sones, P/O Magwood, and Sgts Crawford and Smith carried out camera-gun practice and F/S Sones and F/L McColl a practice dog fight.  In the afternoon, the Armoury was beaten 7 to nil by the Ground Gunners in the final of the Station Soccer Knockout Competition.

In view of the memorandum today received from the RCAF Headquarters, containing suggestions as a general guide to the selection of subject matter which should be included in the Operations Record book, the following information has been collected and is appended hereunder.

Date
RCAF Officers
RCAF Airmen
RAF Officers
RAF Airmen
Other Personnel
Officers
Other Personnel Airmen
1941    Air
Crew    Ground
Crew    Air
Crew    Ground
Crew    Air
Crew    Ground
Crew    Air
Crew    Ground
Crew    Air
Crew    Ground
Crew    Air
Crew    Ground
Crew

31.3.41
1

2
2
3
3
2
166



1.4.41
1

2
2
3
3
2
166



30.4.41
7

4
2
5
3
4
164



1.5.41
7

4
2
5
3
4
164



31.5.41
10

3
2
4
4
4
193



1.6.41
10

3
2
4
4
4
193



30.6.41
10

4
2
5
4
1
194



1.7.41
10

4
2
5
4
1
194



31.7.41
10

10
2
4
4
1
135



1.8.41
10

10
2
4
4
1
135



31.8.41
7

9
2
4
4
2
134


1*

1.9.41
7

9
2
4
4
2
134


1*

30.9.41
7
1
9
4
4
3
1
138
1*

1*

1.10.41
7
1
9
4
4
3
1
138
1*

1*

31.10.41
4
2
14
26
5
2
2
148
1*

1*

1.11.41
4
2
14
26
5
2
2
148
1*

1*

30.11.41
5
3
12
62
4
2
2
137


1*

1.12.41
5
3
12
62
4
2
2
137


1*

*New Zealander

Date
Total Hours Flown
Aircraft on Charge

1941
Operational
Training
Number
Types

31.3.41

68.10
5
Tomahawk

30.4.41

406.00
15
Tomahawk

31.5.41
27.00
472.00
19
6
1
Tomahawk
Spitfire Mk I
Magister

30.6.41
42.00
461.00
18
2
1
Spitfire Mk I
Tomahawk
Magister

31.7.41
32.00
587.00
20
1
Spitfire Mk IIA
Magister

31.8.41
469.00
198.00
16
2
1
Spitfire Mk IIA
Magister
Tiger Moth

30.9.41
203.00
407.00
16
4
1
1
Spitfire Mk VB
Spitfire Mk IIA
Magister
Tiger Moth

31.10.41
480.00
244.00
21
1
1
Spitfire Mk VB
Magister
Tiger Moth

30.11.41
452.00
113.00
19
1
1
Spitfire Mk VB
Magister
Tiger Moth

Monday, 8 December, 1941

Weather cold, overnight frost. 7/10ths to 8/10ths cloud at 1,500 to 2,000 feet.  Bright intervals.  Uneventful convoy patrols.  Sgt Smith posted to 607 Squadron, Manston today.  Sgt Smith hailed from Bristol and was a member of ‘B’ Flight.  The echelon Soccer team played the Royal Suffolk Regiment this afternoon and drew 3-3.

Tuesday, 9 December, 1941

Weather 10/10ths cloud at 1,000 feet.  Dull.  A Squadron Soccer Committee meeting was held in the morning.  Sgts McDonald and Belcher did some cloud flying.  F/S Sones carried out a weather test.  P/Os Dick and McPharlin went on a scramble – patrolled the cloud base with nothing to report.  Uneventful convoy patrols.  F/L McColl was posted to No 1 RAF Depot, Uxbridge, pending posting overseas.  He hailed from Waterdown, Ontario and was an experienced pilot having previously served in the near East.  McColl’s ‘bag’ consisted of one Caproni 132 destroyed.  P/O Magwood was attached to No 2 School of Air navigation for 6 weeks Instructor’s Course at Grange wef today.

Wednesday, 10 December, 1941

Weather dull 10/10ths cloud with a base at 500 feet.  P/O Colvin and Sgt Crist went on the weather test.  Uneventful convoy patrols and a scramble.  P/O Dick also went on a weather test.  Sgts Collinson and Crawford did cloud flying.

Thursday, 11 December, 1941

Weather 7/10ths cloud with a base varying from 1,000 feet.  Bright intervals.  Sgts Belcher, Rainville and Munn and F/L Wood carried out cine-gun practice.  P/O Colvin and Sgt Menserez went on cloud flying formation practice.  F/L Wood did GCI test at Debden and an air test.  Sgts Crist, Cairns, Grigg, Schmitz and P/O Dick did some cine-gun practice.  Sgt Collinson went on a weather test.  Further cloud flying and cannon firing practice was carried out during the day, also Squadron formation practice with the CO leading.

Friday, 12 December, 1941

Weather dull, 10/10ths cloud and raining.  It improved towards noon, cloud 8/10ths.  Sgt Cairns and Crawford did weather tests.  Drogue firing carried out off Orfordness.  Cine-gun practice by Sgts Rainville, Munn, Crist, Monserez, Belcher, F/L Wood and P/O Colvin.

Saturday, 13 December, 1941

Weather very dull 8/10ths cloud all day.  Drogue firing off Orfordness.  Cine-gun practice by Sgts Rainville, Belcher and Monserez.  Convoy patrols and one abortive scramble were also done today.  F/Sgt Sones went on a weather test.  Sgt Collinson, F/S Sones, Sgts Schmitz and Crawford went on air firing and cine-gun practice.  P/O Colvin and F/O Davies went on a convoy trip.

Sunday, 14 December, 1941

Weather 10/10ths cloud.  Dull all day. Rain in the morning and the afternoon.  F/L Wood went on weather test, otherwise no flying.

Monday, 15 December, 1941

Weather cloudy with 9/10ths in the early morning improving later.  Clear day from late morning onwards.  Sgt Crawford went on a weather test.  Drogue firing off Orfordness.  One scramble by ‘B’ Flight which was uneventful.  Sgts Crawford and Schmitz went on cine-gun practice.  Further 10 airmen today commenced a 7-day course of training as ‘backers up’.  Course includes rifle and bayonet drill and hand grenade throwing.

Tuesday, 16 December, 1941

Weather 3/10ths to 4/10ths cloud, fine and sunny.  F/S Sones and Sgt Somers did a practice dogfight.  Two Squadron formation flights were carried out.  Sgt Collinson did an aircraft test flight.  Sgt Somers did cine-gun practice with P/O Dick.  Sgts Ryckman, Crist, McDonald and Monserez also carried out cine-gun practice.  P/O Colvin and F/O Davies returned from their convoy trip.  Sgt Monserez did some local flying and aerobatics.  Sgt Beurling reported today from 57 OTU Howarden, posted wef 9.12.41.

Wednesday 17 December, 1941

Weather 8/10ths to 9/10ths cloud at 1,000 feet.  Sgt Hubbard posted to Squadron from 123 Squadron, Castledown, wef 15.12.41.  F/L Wood went on Sector Recco.  P/O Colvin did some aerobatics.  Sgt Crist went on aircraft and cloud test.  Various flying training including Squadron formation practice carried out during the day.  Squadron Soccer team lost by 4 goals to 3 against Army Liaison team.  Sgt Olmsted posted from 412 Squadron, arriving today.  Posting wef 15.12.41.

Thursday 18 December, 1941

Weather dull in the early morning with 9/10ths cloud, clearing later.  Afternoon bright and sunny with 6/10ths cloud.  Sgt Rainville went on an aircraft test.  Two uneventful scrambles, one over Claxton at 10,000 feet and the other over the base.  Various flying training during the day.  Formation flying, aerobatics and cine-gun practice.  A sports meeting was held to discuss the general organization of the various sports in the Squadron.

Friday 19 December, 1941

Weather thick ground mist all day.  No flying.  The pilots attended at the Photographic Section to see their cine-gun films and two films on aircraft recognition (ME 110 & JU 87).  The AOC, 11 group (Air Vice-Marshall Leigh-Mallory) visited the Squadron this morning.  P/O McPharlin went on 7 days leave today.  Weather prevented air to air firing at Alderton Range allotted to the Squadron today and tomorrow.

Saturday, 20 December, 1941

Weather thick ground mist again preventing flying.  A Squadron Association Football Committee meeting was held this morning.  A signal arrived this morning concerning the Squadron’s move to North Weald to take place on the 22nd.  This afternoon, all the pilots attended at the Photographic Section to see films of the German Navy and Italian aircraft.

Sunday, 21 December, 1941

Weather ground mist, but bright and clear overhead.  F/L Wood carried out circuits and landings with Sgt Hubbard.  F/L Walker posted to the Squadron as ‘A’ Flight Commander from 402 (Canadian) Squadron.

Monday, 22 December, 1941

Weather – dull, heavy mist.  Ground personnel of the Squadron today moved to North Weald.  Weather unfit for the pilots to leave.  F/L Wood went on leave.  P/Os Cawsey and Hurst posted to the Squadron from 61 OTU Heston.  During the course of the removal, one of the Squadron lorries was run into by an Army lorry at Martlesham and, as a result, AC Nattrass sustained injuries that proved fatal.

Tuesday, 23 December, 1941

Weather Dull in the morning.  Fine later in the day.  Pilots still unable to leave Martlesham owing to the unfavourable weather conditions.  P/O Zoochkan posted to the Squadron from 53 OTU Llandow.

Wednesday, 24 December, 1941

Weather fine all day with 3/10ths cloud.  The pilots were able to leave Martlesham today and arrived at North Weald at 11:30 hours.  Sector Recco during the day.  P/O Dick and Sgt Rainville flew to Hunsdon.

Thursday, 25 December, 1941

Weather dull, 7/10ths to 8/10ths cloud.  Sector Recco and convoy patrols were carried out during the day.  F/L Walker did an aircraft test.  The airmen were given a five-course Christmas dinner and ample beer, which was provided by the Officers and the NCOs.

Friday, 26 December, 1941

Weather heavy mist and dull.  Sgt Crist did an aircraft test at Brize Norton.  P.O Colvin carried out a weather test.

Saturday, 27 December, 1941

Weather 7/10ths to 8/10ths cloud.  Dull day with rain at intervals.  F/S Sones, P/O Gillespie and P/O Dick did an aircraft test each.  Air firing at Sutton Bridge was carried out.  F/L Walker did some local flying.  Sgt Collinson crash landed – overshot.  Aircraft washed out but fortunately he was unhurt.

Sunday, 28 December, 1941

Weather heavy frost overnight.  Fine all day. Wispy cloud of 2/10ths to 3/10ths thickness.  Sgt Grigg posted to 79 Squadron Bagington.  F/O Davies posted to 418 Squadron, Debden wef 15.1.42.  Convoy patrols but nothing of interest to report.  Sgt Rainville went to Hunsdon in a ‘Spit’, the CO, P/O Gillespie, Sgts Ryckman and Crist following by car.  Owing to the extent of the activity on the Station, it was impracticable for the party to carry out any night flying practice.

Monday, 29 December, 1941

Weather thick mist, after heavy overnight frost.  No flying.  Gas lecture was given to the pilots by P/O Pratt.  P/O Dick went on leave.

Tuesday, 30 December, 1941

Weather heavy mist prevented flying again today.  A lecture on ‘the use of Anti-gas clothing’ given to the pilots.  The Squadron was visited by the Under Secretary for Air (Capt Balfour) accompanied by the Station CO, G/C Pain, and W/C Nove DFC (W/C/ Flying).  The CO lectured on ‘Formation flying’ and ‘Flying accidents’.  In the afternoon, the pilots were shown films on the ‘HE 111’, ‘The us eof Oxygen in high flying’ and ‘Records of Combats’, the latter film proving of exceptional interest by reason of its factual character.  P/O Colvin went on leave.  F/L Wood returned from leave.

Wednesday, 31 December, 1941

Weather overcast and misty again.  No flying today.  In the evening an ENSA concert and a Station dance were visited and thoroughly enjoyed.

RCAF Officers – Aircrew 8            RAF Officers – Aircrew 4
– Ground crew 3                      – Ground crew 2

RCAF Airmen – Aircrew 15            RAF Airmen – Aircrew 1+1 Can in RAF
– Ground crew 73                     – Ground crew 118 – 2 Can

One RNZAF Sgt Pilot (Sgt Cairns) on strength

Operational flying time – 197.50
Training flying time      – 240.10

18 Spitfire Mk VB on Strength