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February 1943 The Airborne Lifeboat February 1943 saw the first of RAF Davidstow Moor's Air Sea Rescue [ASR] operations with the arrival of a detachment from 279 Squadron RAF. The Squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 at Bircham Newton and carried out trials and test drops of the new rigid airborne lifeboat designed by Uffa Fox. The lifeboat was a fully equipped vessel powered by two 4hp two stroke engines. It carried emergency rations, warm survival suits, drinking water, chocolate, first aid kits, distress signals, paddles, fluorescene, telescopic mast, a sail, balers, plugs to stop leaks, a signal whistle and a radio transmitter. This was a great improvement on the earlier Lindholme dinghy as it enabled the downed aircrew to make their own way back by the use of on board motors and sails. If they ran out of fuel they could make sail. These Mk1 lifeboats were 22ft 6ins long and weighed 1700lbs. Six parachutes opened automatically on release from the aircraft. As the boat settled in the water all sorts of devices came into action. The sea water set up a chemical reaction which sent out a drogue from the bow and held the boat into wind. Two lines, each 300ft long, were ejected at opposite angles of 45 degrees to the boats heading. At each end of the line was a drogue which automatically inflated and floated. Exhausted or injured men could grab the lines and gradually pull themselves aboard. The parachutes were released from the boat and drifted away. Equipped with Hudson aircraft 279 became the first squadron to carry the airborne lifeboat operationally. They operated over the Bay of Biscay and the Western Approaches from April 1942 to December 1943. The squadron carried the code OS during it's detachment at Davidstow. Hudson OS S/279, with the first airborne lifeboat to be carried operationally, flew from RAF Davidstow Moor on 17 February 1943. Another first for Davidstow was that it received it's first air raid warning this month. 01-02-1943 Weather heavy rain and wind at gale force all day. Anti Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment was formed on 1 February 1942. 02-02-1943 Weather very heavy showers low cloud sunny periods. 03-02-1943 Weather short sunny periods, heavy showers of sleet with strong winds. 04-02-1943 Weather sunny periods. A member of 279 Squadron's ground crew, Harry Pollard of Plymstock, said that when they arrived at Davidstow the airfield was still incomplete and that he remembers the runways lined at the side with piles of earth from the construction. 53 Squadron Hudson PZ-X/53 arrived from Canada. 05-02-1943 Weather dull with rain and wind. S/Ldr Elphick had been wounded in WW1 and between the wars became vicar of Hewelsfield in the Forest of Dean in 1930. At the outbreak of WW2 he went back as chaplain to the forces. 279 Squadron Hudson OS-Q/279 took off 1651hrs and a search was made in the neighbourhood of the Scilly Isles but was recalled to base before sortie was completed. Received a message from Davidstow whilst on route to the Scillies that an aircraft was in distress. Sharp lookout kept but nothing seen. Whilst circling over Scillies received message to return to base. Landed 1818hrs. 279 Hudson OS-Q/279 (click for crew list)
Sgt Passlow J C [P]
F/O Whitten V W [N] Sgt Clifford H [WO/AG] Sgt Niels J [AG] 06-02-1943 Weather showery am heavy rain and hail showers with thunder later. RAF Uxbridge was part of 11 Group and was one of the airfields responsible for the defence of London. It became well known as one of the airfields where Lawrence of Arabia served. 53 Squadron Hudson PZ-F/53 arrived from Canada. 07-02-1943 Weather fine with bright sunshine all day. W/Cdr J C Archer. 407 'Demon' Squadron, a general reconnaissance squadron had converted to Wellingtons in January 1943 for anti submarine patrols in the Western Approaches. At this time they were based at Skitten, Scotland. 08- 2-1943 Weather fine bright morning, slight frost overnight. Gale warning, showers pm. 09-02-1943 Weather showers strong wind low cloud. Hail later. RAF Templeton, 1943-45. It's role was to defend the oil installations at Milford Haven. Hudson OS-F/279 (click for crew list)
Sgt Smith W A [P]
Sgt Wrigley J [N] Sgt Ralston P [WO/AG] Sgt Hadley E J [AG] Sgt Barry O [AG] Took off at 1032hrs. Carried out search. Nothing sighted apart from coastal shipping. Recalled to base 1235hrs. 10-02-1943 Weather heavy showers with low cloud and mist. Visibility nil. 11-02-1943 Weather heavy mist, visibility nil. Hudson OS-F/279 (click for crew list)
Sgt Mogridge A H [P]
F/Sgt Smith J W [N] Sgt Rushy E W [WO/AG] Sgt Kidd C [AG] Sgt Whitty W T [AG] Took off at 0827hrs on ASR search. Nothing sighted. Landed at St Eval 1258hrs. Navigation error due to compass problems. 12-2-1942 Weather heavy mist, rain, visibility nil. Gale warning later. 13-02-1943 Weather fine bright sunshine. 53 Squadron Hudsons PZ-G/53 & PZ-O/53 arrived from Canada. 14-02-1943 Weather heavy mist and drizzle, visibility nil. 15-02-1943 Weather cloudy, bright periods, strong winds reaching gale force at times. Thunder with hail later. 16-02-1943 Weather sunny all day. Otterham Station, on the Southern Railway line from Waterloo to Padstow, was one of two stations used by personnel travelling to Davidstow, the other being Camelford Station. 17-02-1943 Weather heavy ground mist all day, visibility nil. 279 Squadron Hudson OS-S/279 made history by carrying a rigid airborne lifeboat on an operation for the first time. The airborne lifeboat carried the equipment and supplies needed for survival and communication until a rescue could be affected or they were able to make their way home under their own power. Aircraft S took off at 2240hrs on a night search for a dinghy. Only 50% of the search area was covered due to difficulties in navigation and heavy fuel consumption. They experienced problems with modifications to the Pitot head [air speed indicator]. Nothing was sighted. It returned to base at 0355hrs. Hudson OS-S /279 (click for crew list)
F/O Crawford C G [P]
Sgt Postle L J [N] F/O Peters H G [WO/AG] P/O Godfrey A [AG] Sgt Jackson A S [AG] 18-02-1943 Weather ground mist, bright sunshine later. Sgt Chris Thomas told me that Air Raid Warnings were received by telephone message from St Eval. The warning gave intelligence of an imminent raid by enemy aircraft. Air Raid Warning GREEN informed that the danger was over. 53 Squadron Hudsons PZ-Z/53 & PZ-W/53 arrived from Canada. 19-02-1943 Weather overnight frost, bright sunshine all day. 20-02-1943 Weather bright sunshine all day. 21-02-1943 Weather early morning mist, sunny later. 22-02-1943 Weather early morning mist until noon, dull later. 23-02-1943 Weather dull early, showers, sunny later. 24-02-1943 Weather dull early, bright periods later. Hudson OS-Q (click for crew list)
F/O Crawford C G [P]
Sgt Postle L J [N] F/O Peters H G [WO/AG] P/O Godfrey A [AG] Sgt Jackson A S [AG] The aircraft took off from Predannack at 1041hrs and carried out search. Nothing sighted. Landed at Davidstow at 1710hrs. 25-02-1943 Weather showers and bright periods. 26-02-1943 Weather bright sunshine all day. Hudson OS-F (click for crew list)
F/O Sherwood A M [P]
Sgt Mouland T C [N] F/Sgt Saunders P R [WO/AG] Sgt Groome W T [AG] Sgt Silverside E J [AG] The aircraft took off from Davidstow at 2128hrs. A night search was carried out for crew of missing aircraft. Sighted pyrotechnics in position 40 miles south of Lands End. Flame float dropped and D/F fix obtained. dinghy not sighted when parachute flare was dropped. Further pyrotechnics seen, fired intermittently until 0030hrs. Aircraft set course for base at 0113hrs. Landed at Davidstow at 0206hrs. 27-02-1943 Weather bright sunshine all day. Hudson OS-Q (click for crew list)
F/O Crawford C G [P]
Sgt Postle L T [N] F/O Peters H G [WO/AG] P/O Godfrey A [AG] Sgt Jackson A S [AG] The aircraft took off from Davidstow at 0123hrs and continued search for dinghy believed to have been located when F/279 sighted pyrotechnics. Sighted destroyer in search area and exchanged messages by Aldis. No sign of dinghy. Square and creeping line ahead searches carried out. Nothing seen. Landed Predannack 0642hrs. 28-02-1943 Weather dull with low cloud. Summary 53 Squadron continued to arrive from Canada to reform at Davidstow. The Squadron left on 16 February 1943 for Docking, Norfolk where they re-equipped with Whitleys. The Air Sea Rescue role at Davidstow was now in action with the arrival, on detachment, of 279 Squadron from Bircham Newton. Their Hudson aircraft were suited for the long range deep search work they were to carry out. The Spitfire, Walrus and Lysander aircraft of 276 Squadron at Portreath had sufficient range to operate as far as the north coast of France. The Hudsons were now able to carry operations to the Bay of Biscay. 279 squadron were detached to several airfields in the south west at different times, Portreath, St Eval, Predannack and Harrowbeer as well as at Davidstow. They were covering areas of sea where crippled aircraft might have ditched. Group operations usually had a good idea where they might have come down from sightings of other aircraft or from SOS signals. At night it could be from reports of lights seen momentarily flashing in the sea below them. It could be a burst of tracer fire from an E- boat or the moon reflecting on the water but these reports all had to be investigated. Often it meant a long and fruitless search but it could also lead to the sighting of a dinghy and lives saved. These flights from Davidstow lasted for up to five hours and were flown at about 300ft. Any higher and the dinghy might not be spotted and there was the added risk of German radar picking them up. They were long and arduous and often fruitless but to ditched aircrew they were essential. |
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