80 Years ago from the Archives - April 1945

Wing Commander A. C. Stewart remains as Commanding Officer for R.A.F. Station Harrowbeer.          The Station Operation Record Book for the month of April was signed by Squadron Leader Keith Martin on behalf of Wing Commander A. C. Stewart.

Visitors  to  R.A.F.  Harrowbeer  included :-

          Squadron Leader B. W. Salt  -  No.10 Group Equipment Officer

          Lieutenant J. Hassel  DSO,  MC,  -  No.10 Group Defence Officer

          Group Captain The Right Honourable Viscount Stansgate  DSO,  DFC,  -  Lecturer

          Brigadier C. R. Britton  MC,  -  Command Defence Officer

          Squadron Leader A. E. R. Gilligan  -  Area Welfare Officer

          Air Vice Marshal Izcyld  -  Polish Air Officer Commander in Chief

Weather :-

          1st April     Heavy rain and cloud all day.

          2nd April     A fine weather day.

          4th April     Another fine weather day.

          5th April     Today started with low cloud which lasted until around mid-morning and cleared to a reasonable day.

          7th April     Mist and low cloud closed in on the airfield and did not improve all day.

          8th April     A day of mixed weather, mostly bad with patches of good now and again.  A no flying day for pilots.

          9th April     A fine weather day today.

          10th April     Strong winds with clear spells throughout the day.

     11th April     A fine weather day.

          12th April     Low cloud in the area all day.

          14th April     Heavy rain with strong winds

          16th April     Weather fine throughout the day.

          17th April     An excellent day weather wise.

          18th April     The weather was perfect today, everything a pilot could wish for.

          19th April     Another fine day.

          20th April     Again the weather is very good.

          21st  -  27th April     There are no accounts of the weather conditions noted in any of the O.R.B.'s.

          28th April     Thunder showers, very heavy at times, there were also a few snow-storms recorded during the morning.

          29th April     The weather closed in with a small amount of snow falling.

          30th April     More snow-storms throughout the day.

          3rd April     No.26 Squadron arrived from R.A.F. North Weald.

          6th April     Squadron Leader B. W. Salt  -  No.10 Group Equipment Officer visited the Station.

          7th April     Squadron Leader K. Marti posted from R.A.F. Biggin Hill to R.A.F. Harrowbeer as Senior Medical Officer.

          9th April     Lieutenant Colonel J. Hassel  DSO, MC,  -  No.10 Group Defence Officer visited the Station.

          15th April     No.691 ( A.A.C. ) Squadron were operating with pilotless gliders which unfortunately finished up in the sea.

         16th April     Night Flying exercises carried out by No.691 ( A.A.C. ) Squadron.

          18th April     Group Captain The Right Honourable Viscount Stansgate  DSO,  DFC,  visited the Station to give a lecture on ' Current Affairs '.          Brigadier C. R. Britton  MC,  -  Command Defence Officer visited the Station.

          19th April     Squadron Leader A. E. R. Gilligan  -  Area Welfare Officer visited the Station.

          20th April     Flight Lieutenant Atkinson ( No.691  A.A.C.  Squadron ) assumed Command of the Station vice Wing Commander A. C. Stewart went on leave.

          23rd April     Air Vice Marshal Izcyld  -  Polish Air Officer Commander in Chief arrived by air to visit No.19 Group.

          24th April     Squadron Leader K. W. Martin visited R.A.F. Bolt Head to arrange the closing down of the Station.

          25th April     The Satellite Station R.A.F. Bolt Head is reduced to ' Care and Maintenance ' status.        Squadron Leader Brice ( retired ) arrived at R.A.F. Harrowbeer as a Civilian Accounts Officer.

          27th April     Flight Lieutenant G. N. Anderson, the Station Adjutant was awarded the " Bowler Hat ".

          28th April     Wing Commander A. C. Stewart returns from leave and re-assumes Command of the Station.

No.26  Squadron :-

          3rd April     Part of No.26 Squadron flew to R.A.F. Harrowbeer from R.A.F. North Weald in two formations of eight aircraft  ( Mustang I )          Squadron Leader Roberts and Major East ( ALO ) had left earlier for R.A.F. Harrowbeer in the Squadron Proctor aircraft.

          4th April     The Squadron spent the day settling into their new Dispersals, Offices, etc.  There was no flying carried out today.          The Squadron Medical Officer  ( Flying Officer Thornton ) arrived at the airfield by train from R.A.F. North Weald.

          5th April     There was a detachment of No.26 Squadron at R.A.F. Coltishall which flew to R.A.F. Harrowbeer to join the rest of the Squadron.          Two pilots from each Flight carried out R/T tests with ' Dousquesne ' and ' Lorraine ' ( two French ships in Plymouth Harbour.          The Squadron were told to ' stand by ' for " Operation Venerable ".  This operation entails co-operation with French ships for Naval bombardment of the Atlantic Pockets.

          6th April     Sixteen sorties were flown by No.26 Squadron throughout the day on co-operation flights with ' Dousquene ' and ' Lorraine ' carrying out dummy shoots and perfecting R/T procedures.  The results were satisfactory, but some R/T difficulties were experienced because reception was often very distorted.

          7th April     Another day of dummy shoots had been laid on for the Squadron.  The leader of the first pair of Mustang I aircraft just after take-off disappeared into a cloud at two thousand feet and all other Mustang I aircraft were stopped from taking-off,  The missing Mustang aircraft was eventually homed to R.A.F. Colerne after a very dicey flight and returned to R.A.F. Harrowbeer during the evening once the weather had improved.          Squadron Leader Roberts flew to Cognac ( France )  and back to make arrangements for the Squadrons arrival there on ' Operation Venerable '.

          8th April     A no flying day due to bad weather.

          9th April     Eight sorties flown by the Squadron carrying out dummy shoots.        A small amount of local flying was also carried out by the Squadron.

          10th April     An ' Advance Party ' of four personnel flew to Cognac in a Dakota aircraft.          At R.A.F. Harrowbeer two pairs of Mustang aircraft carried out dummy shoots with the French ships.

          11th April     All the aircraft of No.26 Squadron are being worked on so that they are in top condition for the forthcoming " Operation ".          Only two lights during the day were flown from R.A.F. Harrowbeer which were air tests.          At Cognac the day was spent in conference by the Advance Party.

          12th April     There was no flying today by the Squadron as the aircraft are being conserved for tomorrows move to France.          At Cognac a conference was held between Squadron Leader Roberts, Major East ( A.L.O. ) with General Cornignion-Melier  -   Commander of the Western French Air Forces.

          13th April     Twenty pilots flew in formation to Chateau Bernard, the airfield at Cognac, led by Flight Lieutenant Pope.  One of the Mustang I aircraft experienced engine trouble and had to land back at R.A.F. Harrowbeer, therefore remaining behind.          Flight Lieutenant Griffin and Flying Officer Thornton flew to Chateau Bernard in a Dakota aircraft with No.6026 Servicing Echelon.

          14th April     At Chateau Bernard the Squadron spent the day settling in at Dispersals, Billets, etc.          The Mustang aircraft that had returned to R.A.F. Harrowbeer on the 13th April with engine trouble was taken up on an air test which was not very successful, so it remains unserviceable.

          26th April     From Chateau Bernard a Dakota aircraft flew to Brest taking Lieutenant Cardale  R.N. to visit ships and to deliver some radio equipment.  The Dakota flew to R.A.F. Harrowbeer to pick up mail and supplies before returning via Brest to Chateau Bernard in the evening. 

                     The Squadron O.R.B. for the month of April was signed by :- 

                  Squadron Leader J. F. Roberts  and Squadron Leader K. Martin.

No.691  ( A.A.C. )  Squadron :-

          2nd April    A small  programme was requested and carried out by the Squadron.

          3rd April     A full programme was put on and completed, including D.F.A.'s in the morning and afternoon.

          4th April     All co-operation requests were carried out.          The Squadron's first Vengeance aircraft arrived today and was passed serviceable, being flown by Flight Lieutenant Atkinson.

          5th April     Flying was delayed due to low cloud early on in the morning. It was around mid-morning that the flying exercises began and were carried out successfully including D.F.A.'s for French ships,          Training flights on the Vengeance aircraft began.

          6th April     Today there was a full flying programme laid on for the Squadron which did not include Breakwater Fort as thee was fog in the Plymouth Sound area throughout the morning.          The first drogue towing exercises were carried out using the Vengeance aircraft at Picklecombe.

          7th April     Early trips were planned for  C.A.T.C.   These were attempted but had to be abandoned due to mist and low cloud, The weather failed to improve so the programme was cancelled.

          8th April     The only co-operation requests today were D.F.A.'s on French ships which were carried out successfully in good weather.          The pilots and air-gunners of No.691  ( A.A.C. ) Squadron completed their conversion to Vengeance aircraft by carrying out practice target streaming.

          9th April

                            More  to  follow  shortly  -   many  thanks  MICHAEL