Sunday 28 December 2008



The photograph here appears on the opposite page of the diary entry. The photograph is titled: Officers of No.63 Squadron in May 1939 and prior to outbreak of War.
The following margin notes were found next to this photograph:

P/O Coventry missing 1:12:39.

P/O Ing missing from "ops" in France in Battles.

P/O Blom Went through "ops" in France OK. Was blown up by a bomb explosion on an airodrome in England in summer 1940.

F/O Fowler missing off P.R.O sortie November presumed killed 1940.

F/O Corbishley prisoner of war in Italy after flying a Spitfire to Malta. December 1940.

F/O Lawson missing off night "ops" with 9 squadron in Wellington February 1941 Probably ran out of petrol.

P/O Henderson missing off night ops with 149 Squadron. Mildenhall in Wellingtons February 1941. Probably shot down.

P/O Savage missing from night ops in G 1 Group Squadron Wellingtons. May 1941.

F/O Rogers missing off night ops with 99 Squadron Waterbeach in Wellington 19/06/41

P/O Broadsmith missing from "ops" in Middle East-

War poster featuring Squadron Leader L.V. James.

Summary of Events from September to January 1940 (This being the first entry)



On 22nd August 1939 we were recalled from leave at Stubbington and returned to Upwood late that night. By the 2nd September married quarters had been evacuated and all married officers and NCO`s were called into camp. Alexander drove Jana to Salisbury and the flat in Huntingdon was let fully furnished.
A state of war against Germany was officially declared by Mr Neville Chamberlain on Sunday morning September 3rd 1939. ( I well remember and always will, hearing this broadcast at 11am in the ante room of the mess and wondering how many of us there would be in a years time. Sent an icy feeling down the spine) The Squadron stood by in dispersed positions concentrating upon 100% serviceability for several days. Many of our aircraft were handed over to units of the Advance Air Striking Force.

On 7th September the complete squadron moved to RAF Station Abingdon to form with No52 Squadron a Group Pool Station. We did very little flying at first as there were no pupils. I procured at this time a Coventry Eagle 198cc motor cycle, commonly known as the 'Frantic Bastard', from the airman in the flight. (Living out war permitted but very difficult - tried to share a house with Simmonds and Phillipsens-failure!)

On September 16th I was informed by the C.O. that we were to move to the following day to Benson. I immediately phoned Jana who was driven up early the next morning by Alexander to find the nearest and best pub at which to stay.

On 17th September the Group Pool Station moved RAF Station, Benson in place of the Group Pool for Whitley aircraft which had found the aerodrome there too small and with too much slope. The moves were operated simultaneously the aircraft passing each other en route ( except S/Ldr Simmonds who set a course 8 miles but red on South and landed at Brize Norton very surprised to learn he was not wanted there!) between Benson and Abingdon. I found Jana installed at the London Road Inn about 300 yards above the camp on the Oxford-Henley road.
Group Captain C.W. Mackey assumed command of the station and was later posted to command Boscombe South G/C Sorley stayed as C.O. of Abingdon. After arrival at Benson a syllabus of training was drawn up and pupils began to arrive. The course was to last six weeks (later prolonged to nine weeks during winter months) and the pupils were to spend half their time with each squadron: coming to No.63 Squadron first for initial training in all forms of the work and then to No. 52 Squadron for operational training. The pilots were to be trained in Battle (Merlin II Rolls Royce) aircraft and the observers in the Avro Anson (Two Cheetah IXs Armstrong-Siddeley) and Battle aircraft. The pupil pilots and observers were to be trained by "A" and "B" flights and the wireless operator, air gunners by "C" flight, the latter flight undertaking all detachments for training at gunnery camps. The squadron was then brought down to the minimum scale of screened personnel allowed for instructional purposes, this consisted of :- C.O. W/C P.J.R. King. P/O W.S. Herd A F/Lt. L.V.James, "A" flight Commander. A F/Lt. B.J. Rogers "B" flight Commander P.O. I.S. Henderson, P.O. H.G.L. Lawson, Sgt/Pilot W. Burden, P.O. K.P. McKenzie Squadron Navigation Officer, P.O. W.A. Foster, Sgt/Pilot A. Fletcher, A F/Lt Corbishley "C" flight Commander, F/O J.G.W Swain, P/O H.E. Broadsmith, P.O. C.R. Coventry, P.O. J.C. Martin, Sgt/Pilot R.V. Barr Squadron Link Trainer Instructor.
In addition each flight had two "screened" instructor observers, in "A" flight these were Sgt E.N. Nancarrow, and LAC W.K. Norledge.
Of the remainder of the officers F/O. Blow was posted direct to the A.A.S.F in France; F/O Fowler, P/O Savage, P/O Ing, P/O Watts to No.98 Squadron at Hucknall which was the reserve squadron for the A.A.S.F.
In The middle of October Jana and I moved to the Bucklands Hotel Wallingford as the London Road Inn had become too unpleasant. Later on in the month an A.M.O. was promulgated giving all unqualified married officers a marriage allowance of 3/- per day from September 11th 1939. We were told that we were to be re-equipped with Bristol Blenheim (Two Mercury VIIIs) aircraft towards the end of that month, and an expedition was made to Bicester to learn as much as possible about them. A few days later aircraft arrived from that station to give us dual and I actually was waiting with parachute harnesses on for dual instruction when word came that they were to go to Cranfield first of all.

On 3rd November one pupil (P/O G.Barwell) was killed after losing formation and flying into the hills behind Benson, another from the same formation force landed there at the same time. A week later Sgt. Price, a pupil, landed with an open throttle and finished up across the road to Benson village aside the aerodrome boundary. The weather during the whole of November was extremely bad, only 16½ flying days.
The station worked seven days a week and each flight had one day off in seven and three days leave every seventh week. Jana and I spent three days at Sailisbury.

On December 1st P/O C.R. Coventry flying an Anson aircraft failed to return from a cross country navigational exercise for observers which took them out to sea from Bude in Cornwall. The weather was very bad there at the time and another aircraft engaged in a similar exercise returned. P/O Coventry probably flew into the sea. Pieces of an Anson aircraft were later washed up along that part of the coast. There were four passengers in the machine. The next day six Ansons set off at 09:00 hours to search, Exmoor, Dartmoor Bodmin Moor, the Quantock and Brendon Hills, and the tracks to Bude and from Trevose Head back to Benson. I accompanied the C.O. on the search and we landed at St. Eval before searching Bodmin Moor to find out if the reconnaissance squadron there had any luck.
Thick fog made flying impossible for several days before the Christmas Leave, but before that set in I managed to get over to Abingdon and scrounge two flights in a dual Whitley (Armstrong-Whitworth, two Siddelay Tigers) and successfully took one off and landed again.

On 21st December a cocktail party was held in the mess which proved a good party ending in the George Hotel, Dorchester. The following day all officers sat down to Christmas lunch in the mess before going on leave until 28th December, Lord Nuffield stood all drinks. We spent five days leave at Bucklands Hotel visiting our respective parent's at Shrivenham and Runslip on the 24th and 25th December. The hotel held an impromptu dance on Boxing Day which "Bloggs" (Rogers) and"Daddy" Swain attended with considerable success.
Returning to work on December 28th we were greeted by snow and the accompanying low visibility. For several days the weather suddenly closed down about 12.00 midday and visibility became well under 1000 yards. On these occasions there was always a good firework display for the fellows still up.