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211 Squadron Operations Record Book: 1939 A transcript of the Squadron’s surviving formal record for the year 1939, compiled on Forms 540 in long-hand until October 1939 and by typewriter thereafter. Despite the declaration of war on 3 September, it appears that no Forms 541 or other Appendices were submitted in 1939. A retrospective nominal roll of officers plus NCO aircrew at 3 September 1939 was included at the end of that month, the CO signing the record each month from then on. The Form 540 records are held at the UK National Archives, on microfilm and digitised, at reference AIR 27/1302. Rather than make the text conform to modern usage or site style, what follows is a transcript as written, bar the bulk of the heavy use of capitals. It is not practical to exactly reproduce the original column layout of the paper forms. These are as shown in the illustration: Place, Date, Time, Summary of Events, References to Appendices. The frequent abbreviations and usages are explained in the Glossary. Form 540, 1939 HELWAN 1.I.39 ISMALIA [sic] 31.I.39 TOTAL HRS FLOWN 252hrs ‘A’ 84hrs ‘B’ 81 ‘C’ 87 ISMAILIA 9.II.39 10.II.39 A French Potez bomber a/c visited the station to convey General Weyland to Beirut & left 13/2. ISMAILIA 11.II.39 14.II.39 Aircraft of the Sqdn co-operated with the Egyptian Army Observer post in N Sinai to train spotters in reporting & recognising aircraft movements. 27.2.39 S/Ldr JWB Judge took over command from W/Cdr SH Ware. 28.II.39 Normal training carried out month ending this date. TOTAL HRS FLOWN 267 ‘A’ 93 ‘B’ 90 ‘C’ 82 ISMAILIA 6th-9th III.39 III.39 Normal training carried out month ending this date. A number of flights made during the month in co-operation with the 4th AA Regiment over Alexandria for training, also for HMS Egret at Suez. & HMS Achilles at Ismailia. A Number of flights were made to visit desert landing grounds at Mersa Matruh, El Daba, Bir Obeid, Ras Zafaraka & Um Shihn (Alexandria & Cairo Intern 1/100,000) 27° 15’ E 31° 20’ N, 28° 27’ E 31° 05’ N, 32° 22’ E 29° 44’ N, 32° 38’ E 29° 07’ N & 34° 28’ E 30° 55’ N [sic—in reversed order from the conventional notation] A formation of a/c flew over Port Said on 28th on arrival of the new AOCinC Air Marshall Sir [...] Mitchell [Air Marshal Sir William GS Mitchell KCB CBE DSO MC AFC, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Middle East wef 23 March 1939] TOTAL HRS FLOWN 332 ‘A’ 137 ‘B’ 94 ‘C’ 101 ISMAILIA 1-14 IV.39 20. IV. 39 The Squadron moved to its war station at El Daba (Alex Int 1/100,000 N[...] E[...]) in view of the political situation after the seizure of Albania by Italy. Mock Raids were carried out in formation on Alexandria full war load being carried & bombing results being recorded photographically. Interception was carried out by 80 (F) Sqdn on information supplied by Egyptian Army Observer Posts, camera guns being used in attack and defence. IV.39 The Squadron CO collected the first Blenheim a/c of squadron re-equipment. EL DABA 27.IV.39 30.IV.39 Restricted flying carried out month ending this date on instruction from HQ Middle East. TOTAL HRS FLOWN 324 ‘A’ 138 ‘B’ 120 ‘C’ 66 ISMAILIA 1.V.39 31.V.39 Month ending this date, 18 Blenheim a/c have been received in the squadron from RAF Depot Aboukir, erected there and collected by Sqdn pilots. Restricted flying was carried out, as the squadron has been employed servicing a/c of Blenheim Delivery Flights from England. A third of the squadron personnel have been away practically consistently through out 1/2 the month on ferrying duties between Ismailia & Aden. On 19th 6 a/c left for Aden & arrived on the 20th, a further 3 a/c left on 25th & arrived on 26th at Aden. The crews in each case returned by fast packet boat. The air route followed being Ismailia—Wadi Halfa—Port Sudan—Perim—Aden. TOTAL HRS FLOWN 182 ‘A’ 55 ‘B’ 79 ‘C’ 48 ISMAILIA 30.VI.39 TOTAL HRS FLOWN 287 ‘A’ 115 ‘B’ 48 ‘C’ 124 ISMAILIA 31.VII.39 [hand-ruled pro-forma] TOTAL HRS FLOWN 237 ‘A’ 83 ‘B’ 88 ‘C’ 66 S 13.2 u/s 4.8 ISMAILIA 1-10/VIII/39 EL DABA 10/8/39 EL DABA 31/8/39 HRS FLOWN 225 ‘A’ 75 ‘B’ 61 ‘C’ 88 S 14.3 u/s 3.7 31st DEC 1938—3rd SEPT 1939 ROLL OF OFFICERS & N.C.O. PILOTS No 211 (B) SQUADRON
EL DABA 1/9/39 EL DABA 2/9/39 EL DABA 3/9/39 EL DABA 4/9/39 F/O Burnett EL DABA 5/9/39 6/9/39 Nothing to record. 7/9/39 The AOCinC paid a visit to the Squadron (Air Marshal Sir William Mitchell) 8/9/39 Nothing to record. 9/9/39 Nothing to record. 10/9/39 Squadron low level bombing exercise on Suez Road target. Four 250lb bombs were carried by each aircraft. 11/9/39 Flying Officer Boehm took over duties of Squadron Adjutant. Flying Officer Boehm carried out a close support exercise in co-operation with 208 Squadron, by night. 12/9/39 Squadron low level bombing exercise on local bombing range using 112lb RL bombs [The RL series were World War I stock]. 13/9/39 Flying Officer Farrington took over ‘A’ Flight from Flight Lieutenant Mills. Flight Lieutenant Barrington was posted to the Squadron for cypher duties. 14/9/39 Three Command IR [Immediate Reserve] aircraft transferred to aircraft pool Abu Sueir. 15/9/39 Flight low level bombing practice on local bombing range using 112lb RL bombs. 16/9/39 Nothing to record. 17/9/39 Low level Wing formation bombing exercise in conjunction with 45 Sqdn & 113 Sqdn. The Sqdn aircraft carried 2 250lb bombs & 2 containers of 25lb incendiary bombs. The Suez Road target was used, and petrol was drained from all aircraft on their return to Daba. The result of this showed that 211 Sqdn’s endurance was noticeably less than that of either 45 or 113 Sqdn. 18/9/39 Nothing to record. 19/9/39 Captain Mortimer, Northumberland Fusiliers, transferred from duties as ALO in 211 Sqdn to similar duties in Advanced Wing. 20/9/39 Nothing to record. 21/9/39 Flight Lieutenant Gordon-Finlayson posted to 211 Sqdn from temporary attachment to 113 Squadron. 22/9/39 Flight Lieutenant Mills posted to No 45 Sqdn. 23/9/39 AOC 202 Group, Air Commodore Collishaw, visited Daba. Squadron low level bombing practice on local bombing range. 24/9/39 Nothing to record. 25/9/39 Intelligence communication exercise directed from Middle East HQ. 26/9/39 Flight low level bombing practice on local target using 250lb bombs. Flight Lieutenant Barrington promoted to Squadron Leader and posted to No 4 FTS Iraq. 27/9/39 Sgt Pearson of ‘C’ Flight 211 Sqdn accidentally manipulated the undercarriage retracting gear instead of the flaps on Qasaba aerodrome. This is the first accident to a Blenheim in 211 Sqdn. [The closely grouped layout of the hydraulic controls in the Blenheim I cockpit was apt to result in this sort of error]. 28/9/39 Nothing to record. 29/9/39 Flying Officer Boehm carried out close support exercise in co-operation with 208 Squadron, by night. 30/9/39 Nothing to record. General The severe dust storms are beginning to affect the serviceability of electric-magnetic releases of the bombing gear. Another defect has been the tearing way of the keel member by excessive airflow at speed when the bomb doors have been removed [a necessity for some variatiants of armament loading]. The ASP Fuka and the Maintenance Section Fuka have come into operation. [signed] JW Judge S/Ldr EL DABA 1/10/39 [From this date the Operations Record Book entries are by typewriter] 2/10 Squadron training. 3/10 A photographic exercise designed by Headquarters, RAF Middle East, to test the speed at which photographic sections in the desert were able to work, was attempted. The prevalence of low cloud over the areas to be photographed prevented its successful completion. 4/10 The photographic exercise was successfully carried out. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant RH Spencer left the ground at 08.25 hours, took photographs of the allotted objectives and landed at 10:30 hours. The films were handed in to the Photographic Section at once and the finished prints produced for distribution to the various authorities by 13:35 hours. Group Captains Wigglesworth and Brown, and Wing Commander Greenlaws, brought a staff Captain of the French Army in Algeria to have a look at the Western Desert. He was particularly interested in our gas proof shelters, and in an exhibition of bombing up a Blenheim aircraft. A close support exercise was carried out in co-operation with No 208 Squadron. Flying Officer DG Boehm carried out the exercise, returning to land at night. 5/10 6/10 Squadron training. 7/10 Squadron training. 8/10 Squadron training. 9/10 Group Captain Brown borrowed an aircraft and pilot from the Squadron for two days. 10/10 Squadron training. 11/10 Our new bombing target is ready and a full day’s bombing was carried out. Squadron leader JW Judge went on leave for a week. 12/10 Squadron training. Bombing practice. 13/10 Squadron training. Bombing practice. 14/10 Squadron training. Bombing practice. 15/10 Squadron training. Bombing practice. 16/10 Close support exercise again carried out by Flying Officer Boehm. 17/10 Six pilots went to Qasaba for instruction in Army Reconnaissance work. 18/10 The AOCinC visited Daba during the afternoon, on his way back from Mersa Matruh 19/10 Squadron training. 20/10 The Weekly Intelligence Conferences were instituted at Ma’aten Bagush, 253 Wing HQ. 21/10 Squadron training. Bombing practice. 22/10 Squadron training. Bombing practice. 23/10 Bombing practice. Command exercise began. This does not concern the Squadron until the 28th October. A lecture on the exercise was given by F/Lt Gordon-Finlayson. 24/10 Bombing practice. 25/10 Bombing practice. 26/10 Bombing practice. 27/10 Bombing practice. 28/10 Command Exercise No II Phase I. The Squadron represented by 3 aircraft led by F/Lt GD Jones carried out a raid against Mersah Matruh, held by Eastland forces, in accord with an operation order issued the day before. A low level raid from NW was carried out against two targets, the Barracks and the Ordnance Area inside the Matruh defences. The attack was repeated and it was not until the repeated attack that the Gladiators of 33 Squadron made any effective attack upon our aircraft. 29/10 The AOCinC had lunch in the Mess - afterwards flying on to Amiriya. 30/10 Squadron training 31/10 Ten aircraft left for Ma’aten Bagush at 05:25 hours and carried out their first attack from this operational base at 07:30 hours. Four low level attacks in Squadron formation were carried out against El Kheir area. The Squadron returned to Daba in the afternoon. Seen: JW Judge [own hand] 1939 NOVEMBER
The following Corporals were promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the trades shown against their names
2 Formation flying practice was carried out by all Flights. 3 Navigational training, a successful reconnaissance by air and road for an auxiliary landing ground, and photographic training was carried out by both ‘B’ and ‘C’ flights. 4. During the last of the three Commands exercises held between October 24th and November 5th, the Squadron moved up to Ma’aten Bagush at dawn. From here, No 253 Wing co-operated directly with a force, Eastland, engaged in attacking the Wadi Gerawla which was defended by Westland. During the day, four low level attacks were successfully delivered against Westland positions. Two of these were directed against Hill 70 where a force of approximately a battalion including several machine guns and a quantity of transport were destroyed or immobilised. NOVEMBER 6 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by all flights. 7 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by all flights and front and rear guns were fired into the sea by pilots and crews. 8 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by all flights and front and rear guns were fired into the sea by pilots and crews. Navigational training was carried out by ‘C’ Flight. 9 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by ‘B’ Flight today. 10 No flying was carried out today owing to bad weather. 11 No flying was carried out today owing to bad weather. 12 No flying was carried out today owing to bad weather. Pilot Officer KCVD Dundas proceeded to Abu Sueir for Gas Course. 13 The handling of Gun Turrets was practised by personnel of ‘B’ Flight, and navigational training by all flights was practised. Captain RAB Mortimer of Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was attached to the Squadron for duties as ALO. 14 Formation flying practice was carried out by ‘B’ Flight and navigational training was carried out by all flights 15 Formation flying practice was carried out by ‘B’ Flight and navigational training was carried out by ‘A’ Flight. Flying Officer AM Gofton ceased to be attached to this Squadron ex-BDF. 16 Infra-red photographic training was carried out by both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights. Turret drill and navigational training was carried out by ‘C’ Flight. 17 Formation flying practice was carried out by ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights. Navigational training by ‘A’ Flight. Infra-red photographic training and navigational training by ‘C’ Flight. 18 Navigational training by both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights was carried out today. NOVEMBER 20 A “timed” climb to 16,000’ was carried out by ‘A’ Flight. Navigational training was carried out by ‘B’ Flight. Photographic training was carried out by ‘C’ Flight. 21 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by all Flights. 22 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by both ‘B’ and ‘C’ Flights, also navigational training and local night flying. Pilot Officer LS Delaney was posted to the Squadron this day. 23 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ and local night flying was carried out by all Flights. 24 High level practice bombing from 10,000’ was carried out by all Flights. 25 Navigational training was carried out by ‘A’ Flight. Formation flying practice was carried out by ‘B’ Flight. 26 No flying. 27 Night formation reconnaissances were carried out by all flights. Rear gun training and navigational training was carried out by ‘C’ Flight. 28 Navigational training was carried out by both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights and infra-red photographic training by ‘C’ Flight. 29 Navigational training was carried out by both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights and infra-red photographic training by ‘B’ Flight. A night X country flight was also carried out by two machines of ‘C’ Flight and one of ‘A’ Flight. One ‘B’ Flight machine carried out local night flying practice. Pilot Officer KCVD Dundas returned to the Squadron on completion of Gas course at Abu Sueir. 30 Navigational training was carried out by ‘B’ Flight. DECEMBER 1939 2. Navigational training was carried out by ‘B’ Flight. P/O CPR Collier left for Abu Sueir for Short Gas Course. 3 Navigational training was carried out by all three Flights today. 4 High level bombing was carried out by all Flights, front and rear guns being fired. P/O E Garrad-Cole was posted to the Squadron from No 70 Squadron. 5 High Level bombing was carried out by all Flights, ‘B’ Flight also carrying out a survey for a satellite landing ground. 6 High level bombing was carried out by all Flights. P/O WWT Ritchie and P/O RD Campbell left for Helwan for instruction on Courts Martial. 7 High level bombing was carried out by all Flights, front and rear guns being fired. ‘B’ Flight also carried out a road reconnaissance. 8 High level bombing and navigational exercise was carried out by all flights. 9 Navigational training was carried out by both ‘A’ and ‘C’ Flights. 10 A road reconnaissance was carried out by ‘A’ Flight and navigational training by ‘B’ Flight. ‘C’ Flight carried out a reconnaissance on Observer Post line. 11 No flying was carried out by the Squadron in preparation for the Operational exercise. 12 Three aircraft from the Squadron took part in a photographic bombing attack on Alexandria and Cairo in the Coast and Air Defence of Egypt Exercise. 30 and 55 Squadrons operated from this aerodrome which is their advanced war station. Experience was gained in dispersal refuelling, re-arming and accommodating affiliated Squadrons. DECEMBER 14 Navigational training was carried out by all Flights. 15 Navigational training was carried out by all Flights. 16 Navigational training was carried out by ’A’ Flight. 17 High Level bombing was carried out by all Flights. ‘B’ and ‘C’ Flights firing both front and rear guns. 18 Air Firing and bombing was carried out by ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights. ‘B’ Flight also carried out a Meteorological climb. 19 ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights carried out high level bombing and navigational training. A Met climb was carried out by ‘C’ Flight. 20 ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights carried out both high level bombing and Met climbs. ‘C’ Flight carried out high level bombing. 21 Bombing was carried out by all Flights. ‘A’ Flight carried out a Met climb. 22 Navigational training was carried out by all Flights, ‘C’ Flight also carrying out a Meteorological climb. 23 A Met climb was undertaken by ‘A’ Flight. Navigational training was carried out by ‘B’ Flight. 24 Three aircraft from ‘A’ and ‘C’ Flights took part in a search for a missing aircraft. 25 No flying [sic: administrative cool of true Yuletide depth.] 26 No flying. 27 Navigational training was carried out by all Flights. DECEMBER 29 Navigational training was carried out by all Flights. 30 No flying. New Year Grant of Leave commenced. [31] No flying. New Year Grant.
Sources
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