The Magazine of RAF High Wycombe Winter 2017 Winter · PDF file ·...

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2015 Wycombe

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The Magazine of RAF High Wycombe Winter 2017

A S C E N T | A L I F E T I M E I N AV I AT I O N | E X E R C I S E C A R O U S E L

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OIC: Plt Off Adam South Ext 6748Editor: Sophie Sheldon Ext 5414Deputy Editor: WO Claire Old Ext 5251Sports Editor: Cpl Daniel Phillips Ext 4526Distribution: Sgt Steve Monks Ext 4172Mailbox: [email protected]

Distribution TeamSgt Steve Monks Ext 4172Cpl Julian Frost Ext 3337Cpl Adrian Catnach Ext 4071SAC Sebastian Marziano Ext 6311

All articles are to be in ‘Word’ format with separate JPEG images.

Designer: Holly DanielsTel: (01536) 526671 Email: [email protected]

Advertising: Tammie RidlerTel: (01536) 526667 Email: [email protected]

Published by: Lance Publishing Ltd1st Floor, Tailby House, Bath Rd, Kettering, NN16 8NL Tel: (01536) 512624 Fax: (01536) 515481Email: [email protected]

Printed By: Lance Print LtdTel: (01733) 390 564

Editorial Team

SubmissionDeadline...

ForewordStation Commander’s

Group Captain Rob Woods OBE MA BEng (Hons) RAF

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2015 Wycombe

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The Magazine of RAF High Wycombe Winter 2017

A S C E N T | A L I F E T I M E I N AV I AT I O N | E X E R C I S E C A R O U S E L

WelcomeEditor’s

All articles for the SPRING ISSUE 2018 Edition to be sent to the Editor no later than 6th February 2018 to HWY-Editor WycombeWorld. Please send files as word documents with separate photos in the Jpeg format with highest possible quality to [email protected].

WW: 4WYCOMBE WORLD WINTER 2017

W elcome to the Winter Edition of Wycombe World.

With RAF 100 on the horizon, this edition commemorates past achievements and looks forward to future challenges. We also welcome the new Station Padre, Revd Kevin

Capelin-Jones, who provides his first reflections here.

I would like to draw particular attention to this edition’s feature piece, ‘A Lifetime in Aviation’, which chronicles the World War II flying history of John Hickox, a navigator in Bomber Command. Recounted by his nephew, Bob Hickox, who works at Air Command, it is a fascinating read - Look out for a further instalment in a future issue.

As I leave to join another base, after over a year of

editorial involvement with this publication, I would like to say thank you to the entire Wycombe World Team, to Lance Publishing for designing each issue so splendidly, and to you the readers for taking the time to contribute - It has been a privilege reading your stories. I wish the new Editor, Cpl Daniel Phillips, and my Deputy Editor, WO Claire Old, all the very best, and hope that you will support them in keeping your Station Magazine as lively and as engaging as ever.

Sophie Sheldon

By the time you receive this edition of Wycombe World, the countdown

to Christmas will be well underway. Like me, I’m sure you’ll be looking forward to the festivities and spending time with family and friends. But before you do, it’s worth reflecting on what has gone on here at RAF High Wycombe during the summer and the autumn – there’s been much to enjoy, celebrate, as well as reflect on. As ever, this edition is packed full of articles from a wide spectrum of people across the Station.

Charity fundraising has been at the forefront over the past few months, with

a 24-hour football match, a London to Brighton cycle ride for the RAF Benevolent Fund, the RAFA Wings Appeal in September and the High Wycombe Ladies Choir performance at ‘Sing it Out!’ in October. Finally, in November, I accompanied other personnel from across the unit to Kings Cross Station to support the RBL Poppy Day where we raised over £22,500, the most at any location in London. Other significant events have included an Annual Reception on possibly the finest evening of the summer, the Naphill Music Festival on the Crick, Battle of Britain commemorations, fireworks night and of course most recently the Remembrance Parades in High Wycombe and elsewhere in the local area. Some of these activities are covered in more detail here, but they were all successful because of the contribution of some remarkably dedicated individuals. I would like offer a very public

‘thank you’ – you should be justifiably proud.

As we approach the end of one year and look forward to the start of another, one that will be particularly significant for the Royal Air Force, I would like to reiterate my vision for the Station: Ready, Balanced, Smarter. At a time when it is traditional to reflect and make new resolutions, I would ask you all to take some time to re-evaluate what these words mean to you and how you could take positive steps in respect of all three of them.

I will conclude by thanking each and every one of you for your service, determination and tenacity during 2017. It has been busy year, both at home and in support of operations across the globe. Next year will bring a new set of tasks but, by continuing to work together, I am confident that the people at RAF High Wycombe will be capable of meeting the challenges and achieving success.

The views expressed by the contributors to the Wycombe World are not necessarily those of the Editor, MoD, RAF or the publishers and do not reflect Station policy. All precautions are taken to ensure accuracy. Advertisements are accepted on the understanding that they conform to the British Code of Advertising Practice. This magazine is published by kind permission of the Station Commander.

Contents Winter 2017

6 Padre’s Pause

10 RAF Benevolent Fund

11 Ascent

14 Wings Appeal

16 Dental Centre Update

16 Ladies Choir

17 Charity Wi-Fi Project

18 A Lifetime in Aviation

24 RAF Rowing Club

25 CO’s Cup Report

26 Princes Risborough School Awarded Grant

30 Exercise Carousel

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Padre’s PauseI’ve been spending much time meditating on Lego Batman recently – my son, who’s just turned four, loves it. His birthday party was Lego-Batman themed, and he insisted on a Batman cake. Which is fine by me, as I got to build the Lego Batmobile and call myself ‘Batdad’ a lot. Which is cool.

I won’t put any spoilers in and tell you what happens (although I’m sure you can guess). But there is one point when Batman and Robin get into the Batmobile together for the first time. And it ’s cosy. Robin: Why did you build this thing with only one seat?

Batman: Uh, ‘cause last time I checked, I only have one butt.

And when Robin enquires where the seatbelts are, Batman replies in sardonic tone: “Life doesn’t give you seatbelts.” Which is true. And something we can probably all agree with from our experiences of life.

Looking back from year to year, there are frequently things that make us feel

that our lives don’t have seatbelts. Be it bereavement, estrangement, illness, issues with relationships, finances, workmates, addictions, the list is endless.

And yet, as Batman wistfully looks at the family photographs in Wayne Manor, he mutters: “Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. I. . . I saved the city again today. I think you would’ve been really proud.”

There is always the opportunity to overcome the hurdles that life throws at us. And, as Batman finds, it ’s the relationships with those closest to us which often provide the seatbelts for life. And, as a backstop, there are always those of us from the Station Welfare Team willing to give you the support for any situation. To be completely honest, one of the main reasons I love the movie is that Robin spends the whole film calling Batman ‘Padre’. In reality we are one and the same! You can call me Batman.

There was an illegitimate child, born in inappropriate lodgings that would have failed any Social Services inspection, who became

Christmas Services in the Station Church:Thursday 14th December, 16:00-17:00. Station Carol Service with Mulled Wine & Mince Pies.

Saturday 23rd December, 16:00-16:45. Christingle and Crib Service.

Saturday 23rd December, 23:30-00:15. Christmas Eve Midnight Communion.

Everyone welcome.

an immigrant on the run, attempting to avoid capture by the authorities, and who spent his life as a political activist against the occupying establishment. And it ’s His story that we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus wasn’t born with all the advantages of royalty ; he wasn’t born into a life with seatbelts. Yet he overcame all those disadvantages to serve those around him and to become a seatbelt for all.

I pray that you’ll have the time to reflect on the Christmas story this season, to watch the Lego Batman movie, and know that while life doesn’t give you seatbelts, God does. Sometimes, if nothing else, in the form of a Padre.

Batman

Padre Kevin Capelin-Jones.

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Wycombe we are committed to developing our strong and rewarding relationship, allowing us to support even more personnel who need us.

If you would like to give something back to the RAF Benevolent Fund, please do get in touch with us. Whether helping us raise awareness through volunteering activities or support at events, or generating funds through challenge activities or station occasions, we are always immensely grateful for the support we receive.

As the year draws to a close, Air Vice-Marshal David Murray – Controller

of the RAF Benevolent Fund – looks back on the support the RAF’s leading welfare charity has given to RAF personnel nationwide during 2017.

“The past twelve months have seen the RAF family face new challenges, both at home and overseas and as the RAF’s leading welfare charity, we are incredibly proud to have supported more than 50,000 members of the RAF community so far this year. Whilst many of those that we support are older veterans, we are equally devoted to helping those who currently serve, and their families.

During the first half of 2017, the RAF Benevolent Fund were proud to spend over £646,000 at RAF High Wycombe. Through this support, 21 personnel received Individual Grants. With our help, the Station were also able to continue their Airplay sessions and maintain their Relate services. And, through our enduring commitment to RAF Station Families Days, we awarded RAF High Wycombe with a significant grant, enabling the entire RAF family to come together on a momentous occasion. In 2018 at RAF High

Our relationship with the RAF family is constant, genuine and unwavering. Without support from the serving RAF, we would not be able to offer the spectrum of care that we do to the entire RAF family, and for that I thank each and every one of you.

I very much hope to see some of you over the coming weeks and months during my visits to RAF stations, but in the meantime I wish you all an enjoyable festive period and a very happy New Year.”

The team from High Wycombe who cycled from London to Brighton for the RAF Benevolent Fund in September 2017. Led by Fg Off Gareth Davies from BSW, the team were Laura, Andrea, Gareth, Erin, Courtney, Mark and Tom.

RAF Benevolent Fund at RAF High Wycombe


A former air traffic controller has reignited her links to the Royal

Air Force by setting up a new company which is supporting the RAF Benevolent Fund.

After a career in the Royal Air Force spanning 30 years, the last 14 of which were mostly spent at High Wycombe, Wg Cdr Trish Preston-Whyte decided to leave full-time employment last year to embark on a new venture. In 2016, she set up the Chiltern Candle Company, where she developed her hobby of making luxurious candles into a business.

Trish, who is married with two teenage children and lives locally, makes all the candles herself using

traditional methods. In September, she created a new design, drawing inspiration from her long association with the RAF to help a good cause. She explained:

‘With RAF 100 coming up, I thought that I would like to celebrate my own service, which amounts to almost a third of the existence of the RAF, which seemed quite an amazing achievement. I therefore created ‘ASCENT’ that I specifically designed for the RAF Benevolent Fund who have endorsed the product and will receive 10% of the profits. ‘ASCENT’ is a unisex fragrance that is light, fresh and will appeal to many.’

An active member of the Chiltern community, Trish is the manager of her son’s football

ASCENT team and the producer of a local amateur production. In addition to her work with the RAF Benevolent Fund, she volunteers with the ‘Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’ charity and

is still serving part-time as an RAF Reservist at Air Command.

‘ASCENT’ can be purchased from www.chilterncandle.co.uk and the RAF Museum.

EARN WHILE YOU LEARN–APPRENTICESHIPS FEATURE

The Spring edition of this Wycombe World will include an A4 supplement focusing on

apprenticeship opportunities, aimed at the families of RAF serving and civilian personnel.

This will look at a range of choices from FE and HE bodies as well as private and public sector

employers. We offer options for employer profiles and recruitment opportunities; to advertise, please contact Tammie on 01536 526667

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RAF High Wycombe

Wings Appeal

On Friday 8th September 2017, seven members of the High Wycombe

RAFA Committee braved the rain to support the Wings Appeal Collection in the City of London. An early start at 05:15 saw the team safely into London to the muster point at Guildhall ahead of the traffic, and in plenty of time to grab a good pitch. Unfortunately, the rain shower which started as they left the car park at the Honourable Artillery Company’s Barracks did not abate, and those that were without an umbrella bore the continued downpour with stoicism. A complimentary hot drink from Costa was a welcome relief from the miserable conditions. All personnel reported a positive

WW: 15WYCOMBE WORLD WINTER 2017

reaction from the commuters, with many taking the time to pause in the rain to chat or just offer their thanks for our service. The High Wycombe contribution raised was £1,765.52, part of an overall total of almost £17,000.00 raised on the day by the South-East Area. Top scorer for High Wycombe, for the second year running, was Sqn Ldr Ady Morris; his combination of charm and guile netted £420.98 on the day.

The London event marked the end of a busy month of fundraising for RAF High Wycombe. In ones, twos and in groups, they toured Buckinghamshire and parts of Oxfordshire in support of the RAF Wings Appeal. Sqn Ldr Ady Morris, and his wife Tracy, set up a stall at the Rebellion Brewery at Marlow Bottom, raising £120. Sgt Roy Jameson had a very profitable few days in Marlow and Henley-on-Thames, collecting

£1,753.62. WOs Claire Old and Kev Swift, FS’ Li Smith and Wilky Wilkinson, Sgts Terri Cambell and Matt Ridsdale and SAC Huw Pateman laid siege to the entrance gates and coffee shops of Air Command, raising £561.02, two buttons and a trolley token.

All of those involved were heartened by the generosity of those they met, and the positive view held by the public of both the service and of RAFA. It was a month of hard work, fun and positive engagement that saw RAF High Wycombe raise a total of £4,080.16. We continue working to make sure all are aware of the good work RAFA does, but there is also fun to be had in fundraising. New and old members are welcome, and the High Wycombe committee has vacancies for an Events Co-ordinator/Web Manager and

Fundraiser. Please contact either FS Li Smith on ext. 4313, or FS Wilky Wilkinson on ext. 6840.To join RAFA, go to www.rafa.org.uk

RAFA is a service charity that aims to support all serving and former service personnel and their families. To be eligible, it is necessary to have served for only one day in the RAF.RAFA recognises that RAF personnel dedicate their lives to the country and tries to ensure that their sacrifice does not result in suffering, poverty or loneliness.

With 540 welfare officers making 102,200 welfare visits and calls per year, RAFA tries to help with life’s challenges and also help homeless veterans rebuild their lives.From providing advice on

pensions and compensation, breaks for carers and the cared for, to access to welfare houses, RAFA aims to smooth out life’s wrinkles for the youngest recruit to the oldest veteran.

The Wings Appeal is the RAF’s fundraising campaign for serving and former RAF men and women. It runs throughout the year and culminates in Wings Week, which commemorates the Battle of Britain, in September.Commencing in 1951, the focus of the appeal is on fundraising, of which some £1.8 million is collected and distributed annually.Fundraising events range from: Brew for a Few, stalls, sponsored events, the Wings Lotto and bucket collections.

Pictured in the dry warmth of the Guildhall after the collection are (from left to right) Sgt Phil Matthews, Sqn Ldr Ady Morris, Cpl Aimee Andrews, FS Paula Murray, Sgt Lori Armstrong, Cpl Rob Shields and Sqn Ldr Chris Morrill.


RAF High Wycombe

Ladies

O h What a Night!As you will be aware if you read the last edition

of Wycombe World, the RAF High Wycombe Ladies Choir took part in the ‘Sing it Out!’ charity concert on 8th October 2017 to raise money for the ‘Hear Their Roar’ project. It was the first time that most of the ladies had performed on stage with professional lighting and sound engineers, as well as taking part in technical rehearsals. This, coupled with singing alongside professionals from the West End in front of a fee paying audience, can create a lot of pressure for amateur performers, but the ladies were brilliant, taking it all in their stride and supporting other members of the cast.

We had to be there for a 13:30 technical rehearsal, which went very smoothly, and then we spent most of the afternoon rehearsing the ‘all cast’ numbers which we had never sung together before. In addition to us, there were two other community choirs, some amateur soloists and five professional performers, and we had all learnt our parts for the three songs in isolation. Our Musical Director was overjoyed when her arrangements worked and we all sang together for the first time (she is a clever lady!)

Eventually the audience started to arrive and it was lovely to

see that a handful of people from RAF High Wycombe/Air Command had come to support us, as well as some of our previous members who had travelled back from their new postings especially. The hall was packed, with all the tickets having been sold, and the audience was amazing. The whole evening was designed to be a fun and relaxing evening of entertainment, and the audience were encouraged to show their appreciation in whichever way they preferred, so there was whooping and cheering, as well as applause! From our point of view, the concert went by in a bit of a blur as before we knew it, it was all over and we were finally allowed to attack the cake stall (no dairy before singing as it is bad for the vocal chords!!!)

The whole day was such a lovely mix of fun, hard work and camaraderie between groups of people who had never even met each other before, never mind performed together. Every member of the cast gave their all and, if the audience’s reaction was anything to go by, produced a concert to be proud of; I will be able to tell you more when I have watched the DVD of the night. At the time of writing, we do not know how much money was raised, but I hope to be able to update you in the next edition of Wycombe World.

Dental Centre Staff visited the Dental Showcase in Birmingham’s NEC

Arena for a Training Day on 19th October 2017. Dental companies and suppliers come together here to promote new techniques and products to thousands of dental professionals over the three-day event. This provides us with invaluable updates on new developments in the Dental world. This year, the move towards digital impressions and scanning was significant, and all the electric toothbrush manufacturers had interesting new products to show. Sqn Ldr Streete, Cpl Robinson and SAC Reeves all gained invaluable essential Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and were also able to gather lots of product samples and patient information, as well as having their pictures taken in the photo booth and catching up with old friends from DPHC (Dental), both on the stands and visiting the exhibition.

We attended briefs from:

Colgate on tackling sensitivity – Did you know that if you have a sensitive tooth, you can apply sensitive toothpaste as a

topical cream throughout the day to help ease the pain? For this to work effectively though, you have to rub the toothpaste into the area for at least one minute, as it’s the friction motion which helps achieve the results!

A lecture on Periodontal Disease by a leading specialist – Did you know that brushing alone only cleans 60% of your tooth surface. To stop gum disease and bone loss, you MUST clean interdentally with floss or brushes every day.

And a brief from Oral B about the benefits of Fluoride in toothpaste - Did you know that you should spit out excess toothpaste after brushing your teeth, but not rinse, to allow the Fluoride to linger and strengthen the teeth against sugar attacks?

Sqn Ldr Streete also managed to remain conscious throughout the entire Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection lecture. This should be a great help when the CQC come along to inspect the Dental Centre in the future.

It wasn’t all work though – there were plenty of interactive stalls and games to play… who said Dentistry was boring?

Bridging the Gap

Dental Centre Update


A third of serving RAF personnel can now benefit from free communal

wi-fi provided by the RAF Association. The charity has made a £1.2million investment to keep serving airmen and women connected to their friends and loved ones and it is proving a huge success. Studies show that workplace loneliness leads to poorer performances in tasks and lesser contributions to team roles¹. The ability to stay connected digitally helps to avoid some of those issues for people stationed away from home.

16 RAF stations and more than 11,000 personnel can now benefit from the free wi-fi. The project came about when the Association was told of the social isolation that many new recruits feel on commencing their service life. Security considerations often prevent access to military wi-fi for personal use and the cost of extra infrastructure to reach the more remote RAF bases is usually prohibitive.

For those housed in single person accommodation, the opportunities to socialise and engage with peers are reduced. Parents are also affected if they are working away from their families. Now the Association’s wi-fi hotspots are set up in communal areas on station to encourage new bonds and to build up relationships that are key for the working environment. The wi-fi also helps personnel to stay in contact with their existing support networks – family, friends, partners and children at home.

Rory O’Connor, Director of Welfare and Policy, RAF Association says: “In this age, we are reliant on digital technology to stay in touch with friends and family, but also to manage our online presence and daily tasks. This is particularly true when it comes to the armed forces community, who are often away from loved ones and pressured to find time

If you still wish to contribute, then the details for ‘Hear Their Roar’ are in the box below and details of how you can buy the DVD of the concert will be on the From Vision to Voice Facebook page (we will link it from our page once the details are announced).

The RAF High Wycombe Ladies Choir is open to serving Ladies, Civil Servants and contractors working on RAF High Wycombe as well as partners and daughters (16yrs and over) of all three groups. We rehearse in the Station Church on 3 Site from 1900hrs to 2030hrs on a Wednesday evening and we return from the summer break on 6th September.

We are always looking for new members; no previous singing experience is required, and there are no auditions, so come along and give it a go!For more information search for RAF HW Ladies Choir on Facebook, email [email protected], or contact the Secretary, Flt Lt Sam Broderick, [email protected] the Deputy OIC, Flt Lt Anne Nicholson, [email protected]

Hear Their Roar is a charity that has been set up by our MD, Megan Tanner and her associate Sarah Cuthbertson to facilitate young people who have experienced trauma to express their experiences and feelings through the arts. The aim is to allow them to explore their issues and situations in a safe space, and to support those who care for them in understanding their experiences. The pair’s focus is currently around London, but they are also planning their first project in East Africa. More information can be found at www.heartheirroar.co.uk or search for Hear Their Roar on Facebook.

Charity Wi-Fi Project Reduces Isolation for RAF Personnel

within the working day to manage personal affairs. It is vital that when personnel are away from home that they are able to stay connected and alleviate isolation.

“We are dedicated to providing a programme of digital support to all serving personnel, whether they are newly arrived in the service or they are a seasoned professional away from their friends and family on another tour. The free communal wi-fi project allows us to continue to be there for the serving RAF community.”

The Association is also working to connect RAF welfare contact houses to this free wi-fi. The charity has so far refurbished 73 contact houses on 32 stations, ensuring that separated families are able to have somewhere on station where they can reunite in a homely environment. These facilities will be enhanced by the addition of free wi-fi to more than 70 of these houses.

¹ Work loneliness and employee performance, Barsade and Ozcelik, 2011


If the name “Johnny Head-in-Air” from the poem in the wartime film ‘The Way to the Stars’ could

be applied to anyone, then it could certainly be applied to my Uncle John, as I used to call him. Of course, his crewmates would inevitably call him Bill, as I have been called myself.

He once said to me that he considered a day wasted if he wasn’t in the air, and he proved this by flying for over 22,000 hours in his 50-year flying career from 1941 to 1991. He sadly died a few years ago, but not long before, he had been talking to me about taking him to some reunions with his flying mates.

John, as I will call him, knew long before age 18 that he wanted to fly and, if it hadn’t been for his headmaster’s refusal to sign his papers, he would have joinedthe RAF at age 16. An amusing anecdote he mentioned to me was that he was so keen to buy and read aviation books before the war, that he bought a book called‘Sky Pilot’ without looking inside. When he got home and opened it up, he found to his horror that it was about a vicar. Whether he got his money back for it I do not know.

When he joined the RAF in 1941, his eyesight was not quite good enough to be a pilot, so he trained as a navigator with 15 OTU (Officer Training Unit) at Harwell on Avro Ansons and Blackburn Bothas. In 1942, he was posted to No.70Squadron on Wellington 1C’s, where operations began after the squadron flew out to North Africa, bombing the Germans as they advanced eastwards towards Egypt and being based at a number of Desert Landing Grounds, including Kabrit and Abu Sueir, and ending up at Cairo West.

At that time crews required 40 trips to complete their tours, which John had completed by 24th June 1942, but was back on the battle order two nights later. German night fighter activity in the region was increasing, but the allies weren’t fully aware of the Luftwaffe’s growing capability in the area and crews still thought that the chances of being intercepted by night fighters was negligible.

John and his crew, flying out of Cairo West, were spotted by an aircraft which the rear gunner misidentified as a Beaufighter. The colours of the night were fired off twice. But the aircraft veered off, returned, and fired at the port engine which burst into flames. The order to bail out was given by the Captain. Only four of the crew managed to leave the aircraft, the front gunner bailing out into the good engine and the Captain going down with the flaming aircraft.

According to John’s log book, he was on operations to Benghazi to attack the Barrani to Matruh road from LG (landing ground) 224 on the night of 26th June 1942. They were attacked at 01:30, 40 miles SE of Matruh by a Ju.88, and port engine set on fire and forced to bail out. The Captain, Sgt Clayton, and the front gunner were missing.

A reliable source has since discovered that he was shot down by Lt Heinz Rökker of 1./NJG 2 SW

Mersa Matruh at 2345 hrs flying a Ju 88 C-6. It was Rokker’s third kill of a total of 64 by the war’s end, and he would be awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves). He survived the war, and may be still alive.

Luckily, John landed without mishap by parachute in the darkness of the desert. And, by calling out, the four surviving crew members were able to reestablish contact with each other. They concluded afterwards that the aircraft that attacked them was a Junkers Ju.88, which looked similar to a Beaufighter in the dark.

Navigating by the stars, and being careful to avoid nasty clanking noises nearby as they did not know which side of the enemy lines they had landed, they progressed slowly in a northeasterly direction. With the coming of daylight, they finally came across some British infantry on a reconnaissance having a brew next to their lorry, and were rescued. They each got a certificate for joining the “Late Arrivals Club” when they got back to their home base at Cairo West long after their due ETA.

After a period of leave in Palestine, John was posted home on a BOAC Short Empire flying boat “Corsair”, via Central Africa and the Congo. At Lagos, he boarded a Boeing 314

flying boat “Bangor” and flew to Poole Harbour via Bathurst, Lisbon,

and Shannon (Foynes). It was this long trip which showed him the future

potential of civil aviation.

His close call with death was enough to adversely affect anyone’s nerve and chain smoking and trembling hands were symptoms of this, as his younger sister observed when he was at home on leave. However, after a period of rest and recuperation, he was ready to go back on active service.

Although in 1943 his eyesight was good enough when he volunteered again for pilot training, John’s navigating skills were of too much merit to be lost.

From March 1943, he instructed at various OTUs (Officer Training Units) on Wellington III’s, Lysanders, Oxfords, Whitleys and Miles Martinets. In September 1943, he volunteered to join the Pathfinders as a navigator in night bombing raids in a two-crew D.H. 98 Mosquito, a wooden aircraft so fast that it did not need defensive armament and could, in exceptional circumstances, carry a bomb load almost as much as the Boeing B-17 Fortress with an eight-man crew, which was used in daylight bombing raids by the U.S. 8th Army Air Force.

Wellington 1C

A Lifetime in Aviation The Flying Life Of A.J.L. ‘Bill’ Hickox

John in peaked cap with his pilot Jack ‘Benny’ Goodman in front of their Mosquito Mk B.IV DZ484 “G George” of No.627 Sqn at Woodhall Spa early in 1944.


The Pathfinders were an elite bomber force created and headed by the then Wing Commander Don Bennett, who was a hard-working, no nonsense individual, who would get things done by cutting through red tape. It was said that he had written the first definitive text book on Air Navigation whilst cruising on a ship on his honeymoon with his new Swiss wife before the war, not wishing to waste time. What his new wife thought of this I do not know. But at that time, wives generally had to put up with things they would not put up with now. At that time, Bennett had begun experimental transatlantic flights in a four-engined floatplane aircraft, ‘Mercury’, taking off piggy-back style on top of a larger flying boat ‘Maia’, the Short-Mayo S.20/S.21

Composite, to conserve fuel for the long Atlantic crossing. This led to his pioneering flying at the start of the transatlantic Air Ferry Command in 1940 which, by the end of the war, had ferried thousands of American aircraft across the Atlantic, to contribute to the war effort against Fortress Europe.

He also developed FIDO (Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation) for the clearing of fog from runways by burning barrels of petrol each side of the runway, creating enough heat to disperse the fog to enable returning bombers to land at night on certain FIDO equipped runways, when all other airfields were closed down by fog in winter weather. As this procedure used up much valuable petrol, it was only limited to a few airfields on especially foggy winter nights.

At the first experimental trial of this new system, when a large number of petrol-filled barrels were lit to create enough hot air above the runway to disperse the fog, Bennett had failed to warn the local fire brigade who, seeing a large red glow in the sky, thought that there had been a terrible accident at the airfield and raced there at top speed. Bennett had to apologise for not letting them know. But at least there was no terrible emergency. He became an Air Vice-Marshal and after the war founded, and was Chief Executive of, British South American Airways, an airline pioneering routes to South America.

The Pathfinders needed excellent navigators and pilots as they had

the task of pin-pointing targets with different coloured flares, so that the main bomber force could then aim their bombs at the flares. Technological advances based on radar included the blind bombing device ‘Oboe’, whereby an aircraft could be controlled by stations in England but was limited by the curvature of the earth, and demanded extremely precise flying. Each pair of ‘Oboe’ stations could serve only one aircraft at a time and its best application was therefore to the high-flying Mosquitoes which dropped the marker flares.

H2S, a ground mapping radar which could distinguish between land and water, built-up areas and open country, was fitted to the Main Force bombers, which, from 1943 onwards, were mostly Lancaster and Halifax heavy bombers, to help their navigators to find their approximate position over Germany, particularly when the target city was on the coast or a river ran through it.

Initially on 1655 Mosquito Training Unit at RAF Marham, John teamed up with his pilot Flying Officer Jack ‘Benny’ Goodman where they trained together on a Mosquito Mk B.IV and then were posted to No.139 (Jamaica) Squadron at RAF Wyton, flying the same mark of Mosquito. John and his pilot together flew some very dangerous missions during their 40-operation tour. Their night bombing operations included visits to Cologne, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Berlin, and Gelsenkirchen.

A new Pathfinder squadron, No.627, was formed at RAF

Oakington and John and his pilot, as members of ‘C’ Flight, No.139 Squadron, formed part of the nucleus of the new squadron. They moved to Oakington in November 1943, again operating the Mosquito B Mk.IV. The Bomber Command offensive against Berlin was beginning, and they took part in seven bombing missions against the ‘Big City’, operating as part of No.8 Group Light Night Striking Force.

For one operation, Nos. 627 and 139 Squadrons were briefed for an all Mosquito attack on the ‘Big City’. John and ‘Benny’ took off for an uneventful trip, except that they returned to bad weather over the airfield with a cloud base of 500 feet and heavy rain, which made landing tricky. At debrief, they learned that they had been the only RAF aircraft over Germany that night. Operations had been cancelled at a very late stage and the other Mosquito that had taken off turned back with engine trouble. No wonder that the mission had been so peaceful.

The Pathfinder Mosquitoes had another navigational aid called ‘Gee’. This used three widely-spaced ground radar transmitters which sent radio pulses in a set order. The aircraft receiver enabled the navigator to measure the difference in time between the reception of the various pulses, and by referring these to a special ‘Gee’ map of Europe, covered with lattice lines, the position of the aircraft could be determined with considerable accuracy, although this deteriorated with distance, but was good enough for aircraft at distances as far as the western half of Germany.

However, ‘Gee’ could be easily jammed by the Germans, which reduced its effective range to an arc running along the Dutch coast. This meant that navigators had to work very quickly to calculate an accurate wind speed and direction before heading into Germany. On long trips to Berlin or Munich for example, they were sometimes helped by a route marker put down halfway to the target, and possibly another even closer. These were laid either by Pathfinder Lancasters or No.139 Squadron Mosquitoes equipped with H2S.

The only other navigational aid in the Mosquito was a VHF radio set, from transmissions of which it was possible to take a bearing on the position of the transmitting aircraft and give it a course to steer for home base. This was a life saver, and stopped many an aircraft from flying off in the wrong direction

In 1942 John was given this “Late Arrivals Club” certificate

by No.70 Sqn after walking back to Allied lines when shot down

over the Western Desert.

A line up B Mk.IV Mosquitos at RAF Marham; late 1942.

Part One – Wartime Flying


and ending up force-landing in enemy territory, or in the North Sea or Channel, on running out of fuel.

The Mosquito had no defensive armament and, on one mission, John and ‘Benny’ lost the starboard engine over Germany due to a loss of oil pressure and their speed and height was reduced to that of the heavily-armed Lancasters. As their only generator was powered by the failed engine, they had to turn off internal lights, the Gee box and their VHF radio set to conserve power in their internal battery. When they reckoned they were over the Dutch coast, John switched the Gee box back on with the power left in the battery and was able to plot a fix. Turning the VHF set back onto the distress frequency, they were able to transmit and were given a course to steer for the nearest airfield at RAF Coltishall, where they landed without further trouble on an unfamiliar airfield in the dark.

They had been shadowed by a Beaufighter from over Holland when its crew realised they were in trouble. They had been completely unaware of its benign presence, which would have been needed if they had been attacked by a German night fighter. People looked after each other in those days. They had to when it was a matter of life and death.

Before one mission, they were stood down in favour of a new crew. John and his pilot had air-tested the aircraft that morning and found it was fully serviceable. When the new crew took off that night, both engines failed when just airborne and, in the dark, the crew were killed in the resulting crash. Fate had looked kindly on John and ‘Benny’ that day. They flew further bombing missions over Germany to Dusseldorf, Franfurt, Kiel, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Kassel, Duisberg, Hanover, Essen, and Osnabruck.

In the spring of 1944, a standard Mk IV Mosquito flew in, which had been modified to carry a 4,000 lb bomb, the ‘cookie’. The bomb bay had been strengthened and the bomb doors re-designed, and the belly had been expanded to look markedly rotund. John and ‘Benny’ were to fly the cookie-carrier as much as possible, as the most experienced crews were to take her on normal operations. The pregnant Mosquito was sluggish on take off and climbed sedately. But when they dropped the bomb over the Ruhr, the

Mosquito shot up like a lift at least 500 feet and performance overall improved greatly.

However, this was their only ‘cookie-carrying’ mission as, in April 1944, they moved to Woodhall Spa,

alongside No.617 Squadron, to take part in specialised target marking operations for No.5 Group. These were under the direction of Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire, who was later promoted to Group Captain and awarded the Victoria Cross for successfully completing 100 missions over enemy territory, and for his sustained courage and contribution to the effectiveness of Bomber Command. After the war, he founded the Cheshire Homes, initially for disabled servicemen, but later for any disabled people.

The operations from then on comprised low-level target marking for which the Mosquito was best suited. The Lancaster Pathfinder Squadrons were to identify the target areas on H2S and were to lay a carpet of flares over a given target, under which No.627 Squadron would locate and mark the precise aiming point. The target would then be destroyed by No.5 Group Lancaster Bombers.

The Lancaster Pathfinders were to lay a concentrated carpet of hooded flares, the light from which would be directed downwards onto the target, making it as bright as day. A small number of Mosquitoes, four or six, would orbit, find the aiming point, and then mark it in a shallow dive with 500 lb spot-flares. Marker Leader would assess the position of the spot-flares relative to the aiming point and would pass on this information to the Master Bomber in one of the Pathfinder Lancasters. The Master Bomber would then take over and direct the Main Force Lancasters onto the target. This was a system which would bring unheard of accuracy to night bombing.

An intensive period of dive bombing practice was therefore undertaken at the Wainfleet Bombing Range. It was found that diving from 2,000 feet straight at the target was the best method to obtain the necessary accuracy and, with practice, this was achieved. But doing this while flying against the enemy would be a very different matter.

Due to plans for Operation Overlord and the necessity of crippling the French transportation system before the invasion, accurate bombing of French railway marshalling yards had to be undertaken. But French loss of life had to be minimised at all costs. Thus, the low-level marking Mosquitoes were employed to try and ensure accuracy, and John and ‘Benny’ took part in the attack on the Juvisy railway marshalling yard outside Paris, which proceeded with excellent results. The railway yards were marked at each end with red spot-flares and the Main Force Lancasters bombed between the target indicators. The bombing was concentrated, the yards were destroyed, few French lives were lost and all aircraft returned safely to base.

Other targets they marked in missions over Germany included Brunswick, Munich and Schweinfurt in April 1944. In the case of Munich, 90% of bombs fell on target, doing more damage in one night than had been achieved by Bomber Command and the US 8th Army Air Force together in the last four years of war. The superiority of the new marking system was clearly shown, but the irony was that the German Flak was almost all of the heavy variety, for use against relatively high-flying aircraft. There was not much light flak, which was concentrated in France and the

Netherlands, and made these targets much more dangerous

for the low-level markers than the German ones.

In April 1944, both John and ‘Benny’ were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), which were the first decorations awarded to members of No. 627 Squadron. The wording of John’s award was as follows : -

“Now on his second tour of operational duty, Flying Officer Hickox has served both in the European and Middle East theatres of war. During his first tour of duty in the Middle East, he was navigator in an aircraft which was shot down in flames. He succeeded in landing by parachute. Since this hazardous experience, this officer has participated in many successful sorties, invariably evincing exceptional skill, enthusiasm and unflinching determination to complete each mission successfully.”

The now decorated crew then undertook a further successful

marking mission with three other Mosquitoes against the Usine Lictard engineering works outside Tours in France. This was then flattened by accurate bombing when, previously, the US 8th Army Air Force had dropped most of their bombs on open fields.

On the next mission they nearly met their maker or, if luckier, would have had to walk back from the Continent. The target was Mailly-le-Camp, a German tank depot near Epernay in eastern France. Wg Cdr Leonard Cheshire led the low-level marker aircraft and eight Mosquitoes of No.627 Squadron were at a slightly higher level to dive-bomb the light flak positions known to be around the depot. Although the target was marked accurately and Cheshire gave the order to bomb, the first wave did not receive the instruction and began to orbit the target. This was because of interference from an American broadcasting station in England, which should not have been on the same frequency. This caused the unnecessary loss of many British lives as the German night fighters moved in and began to shoot down the Lancasters. Eventually the situation was sorted out and the depot was bombed, but the cost was high, 46 of the 362 attackers being lost. This just shows that in wartime a seemingly small, but totally avoidable, mistake can have the most serious consequences causing many lives to be lost.

John and Benny could see bomber after bomber coming down in flames towards them and had a difficult time as they dived on the light flak batteries, dropped their bombs singly on them, avoided light flak and burning Lancasters and managed to keep out of harm’s way. After they had dropped their bombs, Benny called Marker Leader and was told to go home. John gave him a course to steer for the French coast, and they should have climbed to 25,000 feet. But, because of the mayhem at a higher altitude in the target area, they decided to stay at low level.

On their way back at high speed at 500 feet, a searchlight suddenly shone directly on them, followed by two or three more. Light flak came up and exploded all around. They could not lose height nor climb as this would have been a gift to the German gunners. With John shouting “watch your instruments”, Benny turned steeply to port, leveled out and turned steeply to starboard and repeated the performance. Although held by searchlights and flak for some


time, they were not held by one searchlight and one gun for very long and were able to zigzag their way towards the coast. Luckily they were not hit and, as they cleared a low hill, they saw the sea before them. The final group of searchlights shone through the trees at the top of the hill they had just flown over, and were above them and lighting them on their way. They roared over a river estuary, passing the lighthouse at Le Treport, and then were away over the sea, climbing to safety andhome. A lucky escape indeed.

The Germans were always very quick to take advantage of any mix up or mistakes in an attack, which usually resulted in a disproportionate number of casualties. The German defenses were always very sharp. It did not do to underestimate them, as you could be caught with the flick of a searchlight switch and they were very reluctant to let you go without shooting you down. The same applied if you were caught by one of their night fighters, although Mosquitoes were able to outrun these, unless taken by surprise, until almost the end of the war.

In March 1945, the Germans had made their deadly Messerschmitt Me.262 jet fighter operational with 10/NJG11 night fighter wing in northern Germany. The version used was the Me.262B-1a/U1 with a tandem cockpit to include the radar operator. This aircraft could fly nearly 100 mph faster than the Mosquito, and its jet turbine engines and advanced design represented a revolutionary new technology, which would power the next generation of fighter and bomber aircraft. The tables had been suddenly turned against the Mosquito, and a number of them were lost before the war ended.

On May 28 1944, John and Benny were briefed to attack a heavy German gun on the coast of the

Cherbourg Peninsula. This gun was supposed to cover the approach to Utah Beach on D-Day. Being well camouflaged, it was difficult to find. But when found, they were able to mark it, and it was straddled with armour piercing bombs from 100 Lancasters. After several direct hits, the casemate burst open and collapsed, so that it was just a heap of rubble on D-Day and no threat to the Americans.

After one more successful trip to the railway yard at Saumur, their tour ended and John and ‘Benny’ Goodman had flown together against Fortress Europe 38 times. But they would not fly together again. John had flown a total of 81 operations, the balance of the total in North Africa.

John was posted to No.1655 MTU (Mosquito Training Unit) at Warboys in July 1944, instructing on Oxfords and Halifaxes. Both John and

‘Benny’ were awarded a Bar to their DFC’s in October 1944, recognising their brave contribution to the war effort. The wording to this award stated of my uncle the following : -

“During his long and successful record of operations Flt Lt Hickox has attacked many of the most strongly defended targets in Germany and on numerous occasions his aircraft has been heavily engaged by enemy defenses. He has recently undertaken many hazardous sorties

and has consistently displayed great ability and skill. His imperturbable coolness in dangerous situations has been highly commendable.”

John was then summoned to the Air Ministry and offered a job as an aide de-camp, a sort of ‘on the run’ organiser, for a senior officer. This was the way to promotion. But John declined the offer as he “just wanted to fly”. Staying mostly on the ground was not his way, promotion or no promotion. He was therefore sent to Hendon with No.510 Met.Com.(Metropolitan Communication) Squadron in November 1944, flying on Dominies (Dragon Rapides), Ansons, Hudsons, Lockheed 12A, and Dakotas. He was then posted to No.6 LFS (Lancaster Flying School) Ossington in November 1945, flying on Yorks and Dakotas.

On secondment to BOAC at Whitchurch in December 1945, John flew as navigator on Dakotas around the Mediterranean and West Africa. In April 1946, he was seconded to BEA based at Northolt, again on Dakotas, flying as navigator around Europe. But with the war over, and having seen the potential of civil aviation, John decided to leave the RAF and seek a future with civilian airlines.

During the war, John’s Commanding Officers wrote their comments in his logbook on his performance in the role of navigator. The C.O. of 15 O.T.U wrote in November 1941, when John was new to his trade : -

Average. A capable navigator who keeps a very neat log. There is room for improvement in his navigational ability, however.

The C.O. of No.70 Squadron wrote in July 1942: -

Above average. Has improved, is now a very good navigator but is inclined to be carefree on the ground.

The C.O. of No.627 Squadron wrote in July 1944 : -

Exceptional. A thorough and extremely efficient navigator in Mosquitoes.

I am not sure whether the comment that John was carefree on the ground was much of a criticism, as it was surely better to be like that than continually worrying about one’s mortality. Such worry could undermine morale and job efficiency in a bomber crew, which had to work well as a team and, whilst the Mosquito had a crew of two, a Lancaster would have a typical crew of seven. If one member of the team was not working up to scratch, it would endanger the rest of the crew. In the Mosquito, the two crew were directly dependent on each other to carry out their mission successfully, and to avoid being shot down.

The Mosquito’s escape hatch was in the lower side of the cockpit. In an emergency, in favourable circumstances at high altitude, the two crew might have 45 seconds in which to escape. After disconnecting tubes, plugs and seat belts and jettisoning the hatch, the navigator had to clip on his chest parachute and manoeuvre his way through the hole where the hatch had been, which was scarcely big enough to get through even without a parachute. The pilot then followed him, wearing the parachute attached to his backside. John and Benny both failed to get out in time in a practice drill and decided it was best not to have to try. Luckily, they never had to leave their aircraft in a hurry.

Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC summed up the bombing campaign as follows :

“If when the bomber offensive and the whole war is analysed, it is decided we had lifted the lid on Fortress Europe just enough to let the Allied armies in, then by God that was enough. And that is what we did do. The bomber offensive was absolutely necessary and we could never have won without it. I think people are beginning to come round to the idea that perhaps we did have to do what we did.”

CREDITS:

Mosquito in Action (Parts 1 & 2) - Gp Capt. J.R.Goodman (dec’d),Five of the Many – Steve DarlowFlypast magazine 1986Staff Magazine No.3 - Birmingham European AirwaysWartime Logbook of A.J.L.Hickox (dec’d)Chris Goss – Author of a number of books about the Luftwaffe

BOB HICKOX

Messerschmitt ME 262B-1a/U1 Night Fighter

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Welcome to the Ultimate Team Sport

On a bright autumn morning, as the mist lifts from the River

Thames, and our coxless four zips effortlessly away from the bank, you pinch yourself as you remember how lucky the RAF community is to enjoy the Central Fund facilities at Danesfield near Medmenham. As well as canoeing and force development, Danesfield hosts the RAF’s Home for Sport for rowing.

In addition to twice weekly meetings for rowers from throughout the Thames Valley, Danesfield provides a terrific and homely base for three 4-day Learn to Row courses every year. The latest of these courses, at the end of September, saw 40 rowers from complete beginners to GB trialists, engage in the ultimate team sport. The course culminated in the athletes competing against the Navy and the Army in the Joint Services Regatta at Reading; Novices with only a few days on the water won silverware alongside our more experienced crews such as the Senior Men’s Eight.

The RAF Rowing Club represents all disciplines within the sport. In addition to the sliding-seat fraternity, we support Cornish pilot gigs at RAF St Mawgan and send several contestants to the British Indoor Rowing Championships. Rowing is an incredibly inclusive sport; we arrange overnight trips down the Thames for recreational rowers and much of our fleet can be converted for adaptive rowing to accommodate para-athletes who might be prevented from participating in other sports. You are never too old to row, British Rowing offers Veterans’ classes from age 27 to over 85. Don’t think you have to be a 6’6” gym monster to row, lightweight events are popular for those under 72.5 kg (men) and 59 kg (women). And while we are on the subject of slender participants, we are always looking for people to squeeze into the coxing seat.

If you are an existing rower, or are interested in trying out the sport for the first time, you can email us at [email protected], or contact our Development Officer, Paul MacDonald on 01494 497496.

RAF Women’s squad boating for the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race

RAF Women’s squad race under Barnes’ Bridge

RAF Women’s squad row to the start of the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race


CO’s Cup ReportOn Wednesday 13th

September 2017, personnel from around

the Station met at MT for what was planned to be a great day down at the Robson Resilience Centre, Danesfield. The day began with individuals being issued with wetsuits and attempting to familiarise themselves with each individual piece of watercraft, ranging from paddle boards, canoes, kayaks and coracles. After some capsizing, and some poor navigation ending in multiple collisions, everyone was content.

The group was then split down into four teams of six and prepared for the first event: canoe racing, but with a slight twist. Three individuals were to be used for this event, two of which would be paddling whilst blindfolded, with the third in charge of navigation. This went as well as you can imagine, with teams paddling in the wrong direction, into other canoes and away from the centre; thankfully, with some gentle guidance from the Staff in the water, teams eventually managed to return to the side of the river unharmed and dry.

The second event was the kayak relay race, where teams of four took it in turn to paddle until they were in line with the buoy, before turning round and returning to swap with a team mate. Although there were a few wobbly moments with the changeovers, once again all teams returned unscathed.

Event three saw the coracles introduced, with each team providing their best paddler. With some questionable techniques, some individuals just ended up in a spin, drifting downstream rather than to the specified route of the buoy and back, much to the delight of onlookers.

The Penultimate event saw the paddle boards come into use, as the race involved an individual going to the buoy and back, before two people got onto the boards: one to navigate and the second to paddle whilst blindfolded. The first leg of the race saw a few individuals shine, with some good paddle boarding technique and balance,

others who lacked some of the abilities required to stay upright and, more importantly, onto the board. This brought the water staff into play, intervening to help people back on their boards on numerous occasions. The second leg was even more eventful, as the blindfolded individuals had definitely drawn the short straw, having to step onto the boards or, in some cases, not onto the boards at all, but straight into the water instead.

The final event was the giant paddle board, where every member of the team was to get onto the board before paddling out to the buoy and back, and disembarking the board as fast as they could. Fastest time wins. Apart from a few wobbles, and one individual missing the board when stepping on, the water remained pretty undisturbed with all teams making it back in quick time.

After all events were complete, the Station Commander, Group Captain Woods, delivered a speech thanking all participants for what was a great event. He gave particular thanks to the RRC Danesfield Staff, Sgt Crawford and Cpl Hobday, for leading the event and ensuring that everyone enjoyed their day out. The trophy was awarded to the overall winning team, which was the Yellow Team.


Princes Risborough School (PRS) Awarded Grant from the Ministry of Defence Education Support Fund

Princes Risborough School recently welcomed Group Captain Rob Woods, the

Royal Air Force High Wycombe Station Commander, to assist in opening a Ministry of Defence funded (MOD) project.

The Ministry of Defence Education Support Fund was created to assist publicly funded schools, to help mitigate the effects of mobility or deployment on their Service communities.

Although its primary focus is toward Service children, one of the key criteria of the Fund is that the Bid should benefit all students. So, in September 2016 the school placed a ‘tentative’ bid to redevelop a barren area of land, to provide not only a ‘covered area’ for pastoral and restorative purposes, but also to regenerate the surrounding landscape with a ‘multi-purpose’ surface.

In January 2017, we received the amazing news that PRS had been awarded £33,300 to achieve this task! Preparatory clearance work started in early June – to show ‘value for money’ and to ensure this project was an organic process, our Construction students were involved from the outset ensuring the area was cleared before our contractors started work in late July. On behalf of the MOD, Group Captain Woods was invited to commemorate this event and to show our appreciation to the MOD for providing the funds.

This is a fantastic project and one that I’m pleased to endorse – the fact that the kids have also had an input from the beginning and that the plaque was designed and produced by PRS is a brilliant initiative! I’m really pleased that the MOD has been able to support the school in this way.

- Group Captain Rob Woods

Pete Rowe welcomes Group Captain Rob Woods to PRS, to officially open our new pastoral and sheltered area.

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Day 1 - Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-Le-Ferne

Leaving early after the Bank Holiday, the SCT mounted the MT battle bus and headed to the Battle of Britain Memorial, sited on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, on the coast of Kent. Stopping briefly on the 3-hour journey for a quick comfort break, the team arrived in time to be welcomed by the trustees and for a spot of lunch in the new visitor centre called, The Wing. Built in the shape of a Spitfire wing, it was opened in 2015 and is home to the exciting Scramble Experience, as well a viewing platform for the Memorial.

The Memorial is a monument to aircrew who flew in the Battle of Britain. It is most notable for the hill figure formed of a large white propeller-shaped base, with the figure of a seated pilot at the centre, and

which appears on many Battle of Britain documentaries. The central statue of a lone pilot is complemented by the Memorial Wall, which features the names of the almost 3,000 fighter aircrew who flew in the Battle, some with interesting stories and many recognisable household names.

Also on the site are replicas of a Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, where people can get up close to the life-sized models. After the tour by the trustees of the Memorial, the team entered into the Scramble Experience. The Experience includes a large interactive touchscreen, where you can download almost anything relating to the aerial battle, including diary entries and flying records. Despite being a qualified commercial pilot, OC SCT failed to get off the ground whilst playing on the fighter pilot simulation,

Ex Carousel RAF Service Complaints Team (SCT) Staff Ride

whereas other members of the team joined the fighter aces ranks on their first attempts.

The day was wrapped up with two stands. The first delivered by Flt Lt Ian Cummings and Flt Lt Masters was “compare and contrast the influences that senior officers (in the Luftwaffe and RAF) had on the tactics of the aerial battle fought and the political and public opinion of these leaders”. This provided a clear outline of the Battle of Britain and the events leading up to it. The stands highlighted the importance of the IADs, and the Battle of France and Lowlands. Poor planning was a huge factor in the Axis failure, as well as over-commitment. But the resolve and determination of the British people were underestimated too. The strategy of winning ‘hearts and minds’ is of huge importance to modern Operations. These lessons

were instrumental in how the RAF conducts operations in the Air Environment today.

This was followed up by Sqn Ldr Saunders and Mr Scott Coleman “examining the tactics and resources used by the RAF and Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain”. This was related to the previous stand, primarily because it provided further context and detailed the tactics used by each side during the Battle of Britain. The debate highlighted the perceived differences, and the historical inaccuracies reported at the time, to intentionally mislead the opposition into surrender. Whilst both were very broad topics to open the week of activities, it was agreed that it was a good starting point for the activities to come later in the week, as we sat on the gun embankments, in the sun looking out over the cliffs towards France, quietly reflecting.

During the summer, and an unfortunate period of JPA unavailability for

essential upgrades and post a MODNet migration, members of the Service Complaints Team (SCT ) embarked on a series of visits to various Battle of Britain sites, in order to provide the participants with exposure to research-

led military activities. More specifically, the Staff Ride would discuss the use of Air Power during the Battle of Britain and the vital role played by civilians working with the military. The various stands throughout the week would provide an insight in to how the air power roles developed and evolved.

This was an opportunity to allow personnel to soak up history, using the lessons learnt in order to progress with individual and collective ‘Whole Force’ leadership training, for future application. Many of those attending the Staff Ride had waived the CAS’s directive for attendance many times

due to work pressures; individuals nominated had, in some circumstances, never undertaken any Staff Rides in their entire careers.


This place was a poignant reminder of those who gave their lives fighting in the air. It is a quiet, special place, yet enjoys far reaching views across the English Channel. With France only 23 miles away, and within eyesight of the Memorial, you gained a sense of how perilous the Battle of Britain was. The enemy planes came from across the water with very little warning, and it was the grave responsibility of the multi-national pilots to defend the air and Britain. You can never appreciate what some people have given for their country until you visit a place like this. Quite an experience.

Day 2 – Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire

Day 2 saw the SCT back on the Battle Bus and heading north, this time to Duxford in Cambridgeshire. The site is a branch of the Imperial War

Museum and one of Britain’s largest aviation museums. However, at the outbreak of war in September 1939, Duxford was home to three RAF squadrons engaged on coastal patrol duties. From July 1940, Duxford saw considerable action during the Battle of Britain as a sector station of RAF Fighter Command’s No.12 Group which played a prominent role during the Battle of Britain.

The stands started immediately on arrival in the Airspace hangar with Flt Lt Ainsworth and Miss Casey Algar “recognising the 4 Air Power Roles articulated in JDP 0-30, relating one of them to the Battle of Britain and the RAF”, which followed the previous day’s stands nicely. It firstly provided understanding and context to stage long / close range operations from the UK. Radar (originally a German invention but first utilised effectively by the

British) was employed early on, and was significant in giving early warning to attacks. However, the RAF were very ineffective in the early days due to lack of aircraft, aircrew positional reporting and the lack of belief in Radar and other advances in technology.

Amongst the bustle of the museum and the rain falling on the roof, the team were nestled amongst some of Duxford’s larger exhibits including Concorde and some of the technical advancements of the modern military. This provided Ms. Gail Moxon and Ms. Maria Stone with an opportunity to “examine how technological advancement developed through conflicts to the present day”, making reference to many of the aircraft and weapons in the exhibition hall, such as the Avro Lancaster which took pride of place amongst the static displays, whilst the Hawker

Harrier was suspended in a dynamic pose high above us all. The group highlighted how advances in technology have enabled UK forces to attack and defend much more effectively, and thus prevent the large loss of life that occurred during World War II. It provoked debate on modern LOAC and whether the actions during the Battle of Britain would be acceptable today: a deep topic of conversation for so early on in the day. Following a brief talk on the Lancaster by the museum staff, the team explored the other collections of material such as film, photographs, documents, books and artefacts.

Duxford was later used by United States Army Air Forces fighter units in support of the daylight bombing of Germany: it was therefore a fitting site for the prize-winning American Air Museum and for the final stand of the day. Sqn Ldr Atherton


“examined the role of the RAF in the partnership of nations during the Battle of Britain comparing it to today’s partnerships”. This was a moving stand, which highlighted that many other nations were involved in the Battle of Britain, including those classed as deserters in their country (France) and those who denounced their own nationality (USA) in order to assist. It provided a telling backdrop when discussing the number of Non-UK nationals fighting during the Battle of Britain and how these numbers have increased with partner operations. In particular, we covered the non-national contribution (Czech and Polish Sqns) at the time. Lt Col Gillman, the SCT USAF Legal Exchange Officer, provided further clarification on many of the US exhibits and individuals showcased, including many of the aircraft used during World War II by

the US and the formation of the USAF after the war.

In keeping with the site’s history, many of Duxford’s original buildings, such as hangars used during the Battle of Britain, are still in use. Many of these buildings are of particular architectural or historic significance and the day was rounded off with a visit to the 1940’s Operation Room. The Operations Room was the nerve centre of Duxford’s Battle of Britain. From here, the men and women who worked on the ground at Duxford directed the station’s pilots into combat. The room was laid out as like any Operations room from the summer of 1940 with equipment, charts and plans mapping the movements of the aircraft in battle overhead. Over the audio commentary were sounds of a German air raid, which gave a real insight to how the room operated

during the heart of the battle. During the previous stands we discussed at great length the “Dowding System” and the significant technological advancement it represented during the Battle of Britain was highlighted by everyone. Seeing how it all came together in the Operations room was a good point to reflect, and soak up the atmosphere and surroundings of the airfield and exhibits.

With a fantastic mix of aeroplanes, including the Vulcan and Concorde, as well as vehicles and tanks, the museum showed how people lived, worked and fought for our country. Duxford’s pioneering and inspiring aircraft, military vehicles and exhibits, from the iconic Spitfire to the record breaking Concorde, form part of its unmatched collection of aviation and military history, in the unique setting of a frontline Battle of Britain

station. Unfortunately, due to the poor weather, we were unable to see any aircraft flying from the working airfield.

Day 3 – Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes

Day 3 saw a smaller team depart on the Battle Bus for Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire. Once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers, following significant investment, books, films and TV documentaries, it is now a vibrant heritage attraction. It housed the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), which regularly penetrated the secret communications of the German Enigma ciphers. According to the official historian of British Intelligence, the “Ultra” intelligence produced at Bletchley shortened the war by two to four years and without it, the outcome of the war would have been


uncertain. Key cryptanalysts recruited by the British War Office included linguists, chess champions and top solvers of cryptic crossword puzzles, as these individuals had strong lateral-thinking skills. Amongst them was local hero Dillwyn “Dilly” Knox, a papyrologist.

Arriving at the main gate opposite the train station like all those codebreakers 70 years ago, we were introduced to the concept of Bletchley Park with a short introductory video at the visitor centre. The aim of the day’s stands was to “examine the contributory role of the Cypher School to the war effort”. In January 1945, at the peak of codebreaking efforts, some 10,000 personnel (civilian and Service) were working at Bletchley. About three-quarters of these were women, and meant Bletchley Park was able to read huge numbers of German Luftwaffe messages.

Deciphering German Luftwaffe messages was Bletchley Park’s first substantial contribution to the British war effort, and helped predict the targets and routes of the Luftwaffe bombers, which ensured that RAF fighter aircraft could ambush them on their way to their targets. It also ensured that the authorities on the ground could anticipate and prepare for the raids, limiting the number of deaths and the amount of damage, so far as was possible. Later in the war, decrypts made a significant contribution to the Allied bombing offensive over Germany, with the interception and analysis of transmissions from the German air defence network minimising losses. False broadcasts were also made to confuse the enemy system. Due to the lower numbers on the day, Flt Lt Bridge led the solo stand, discussing the “factors that led to the formation of the specialist units

at Bletchley Park during World War II and their contributions to the Air Campaigns and overall war effort”. This rounded off the series of stands. The civilian contribution from Bletchley Park has long been underestimated, and only the recent films and release of protected information has enabled a wider understanding of the units established at Bletchley during that time.

The stand highlighted that from an initial 2,000 people at the start of the war, “Bletchley Park was growing faster than the rabbits could breed”.

Day 4 – Hughenden Manor, Buckinghamshire

Following three full days of travelling and Staff Rides, it was decided that the wash up would incorporate a leisurely walk to Hughenden Manor, the former country house of Prime

Minister, Benjamin Disraeli and during World War II, home to an RAF intelligence base code-named “Hillside” that carried out vital mapmaking for crucial raids including the sinking of Tirpitz and bombing the Eagles Nest.

Walking from Hurricane block, past 3 Site, everyone reflected on the activities of the week. Detouring down a country track, the group soon reached Hughenden in time for the café to open. Basking in the sun, everyone was able to look back at specific moments during the week and reflect. Notwithstanding increasing morale and welfare of those participating, the Staff Ride also brought to life a better understanding of Air Power during the Battle of Britain, which will no doubt lead to an increase in output and a bonding of the SCT in the coming year.

The House that Jack Built (Day Nursery) Limited has been awarded “Outstanding” at two of our nurseries and is amongst one of the few childcare providers

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As the world’s oldest horse charity specialising in providing respite and retirement for working horses, The Horse Trust has cared for many military veterans for over 130 years; from Roger and San Toy after The Great War to recent arrivals like Daniel from The Royal Mews - a firm favourite of HM The Queen, and Viscount, the longest ever serving horse in the British Army. These handsome boys caused a stir when they arrived this Autumn and both of their retirements from service made the newspapers and television all around the world.

Alongside retirement Police heroes like mighty Caesar and Huntsman they provide sanctuary to horses, ponies and donkeys that need a second chance at life after suffering unspeakable cruelty and terrible ordeals. Their Home of Rest in Speen is a haven, a place where some of the UK’s hardest working dedicated equine public servants get to see out their twilight years in tranquillity and where those who were badly treated can feel safe and loved again.

The Home of Rest for Horses is a beautiful spot with some of the finest views in the area and a great place to visit. For ten months of the year they are open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 2pm - 4pm, but not in December and January.

The Trust run lots of events throughout the year that offer fun for the whole family. While many of the activities are geared towards the younger members of the family you can be sure there’s always a little something for the grown-ups to enjoy.

If you love all things Christmas, it’s just a shame you couldn’t join us on Sunday 26th November for the Neddy Noel event where you might have met Father Christmas! There was a host of festive treats to enjoy; sadly, that was the last day of opening for 2017 but the gates will be open again to visitors on Thursday 1st February.

That first day of a new year is always special; many of the horses enjoy meeting visitors, after spending their working lives surrounded by large crowds performing their duties on State occasions and ceremonies like Royal Weddings, Trooping the Colour, The State Opening of Parliament and Royal Ascot. You can find all the details on the Events page of the website www.horsetrust.org.uk or by following them on Facebook www.facebook.com/HorseTrust

With the festive season just around the corner why not visit their online shop where you will find a host of stocking fillers and inexpensive gifts. One of the most popular is our fabulous new calendar which this year features stunning images of some of our best loved residents. You can see the full range available at https://helping-the-trust.horsetrust.org.uk/gifts/ and of course you can order online although with you being ever so close by it might be even easier to telephone the order hotline on 01494-488464 and we can arrange for you to collect.

We are proud of our long working relationship with the UK’s armed forces and to attract many visitors from all around the world but we really enjoy seeing new faces and it’s always a pleasure to welcome our friends and neighbours from RAF High Wycombe.

The Horse Trust, Home of Rest for Horses, Speen, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 0PPTEL: 01494-488464 WEB: www.horsetrust.org.uk EMAIL: [email protected]

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RAF Benevolent FundChristmas cards are on sale now!

Help us to support the RAF Family. Order online at www.rafbf.org/shop or call 0300 770 1350The RAFBF is a registered charity in England and Wales (1081009) and Scotland (SC038109).

RAFBF Xmas Card A4 27 Sept.indd 1 27/09/2017 12:48

The Magazine of RAF High Wycombe Winter 2017 Winter · PDF file ·...

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