Tiger News 28

No 74 (F) Tiger Squadron Association

Tiger News No 28

Compiled by Bob Cossey

See us on the Internet at www.74squadron.org.uk

Your Contributions...

It is a continuing feature of Tiger News that we include items of Members news. This also encompasses, of course, stories and anecdotes which you may wish to share with us - I know from personal experience that you all have a wealth of these! I look forward to hearing from you. I may not be able to include all of them immediately but rest assured they will find a place in time......

In this issue

Annual General Meeting - the Minutes: Association Accounts 2001/2002: Reunion Attendance List: Membership Matters: In Brief: Pilot Officer Douglas Hastings: Golden Jubilee Medal: Duxford 2002: Short, But Eventful!: Warrant Officer Denzel Beard: Middle East Dining: Sailor at Coltishall: Phantom Cockpit

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the 74(F) Squadron Association

(The Falcon Hotel, Stratford Upon Avon March 2nd 2002 at 1700 hrs)

Apologies were received from our President, AVM Boz Robinson, who is currently in the Far East. Also from David Jones, Ray and Jill Morrell, Doreen Haselwood, John Gill, Henry Lether, Tony Alderton, David Nall, Ian Wright, Mike Rigg, Clive Mitchell, S A Dickson, Mike Cook, Robin Birtwistle, Peter Clarke, Colin Hales, Peter Carr, Sarah Doidge, Stan Ralph and Ian Hargreaves.

1. The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming members of the Association and went on to summarise the Minutes of the previous AGM. Adding to the apologies received as noted above, Dave mentioned the holding of a Tengah pilot's reunion which has some effect on attendance at Stratford.

2. There were no matters arising from last year's meeting not covered in the present agenda.

3. Dave Roome asked whether anyone would be willing to take on the job of Chairman. Given that he had been in the post for several years he felt that if anyone else wanted the opportunity to do it then he would be willing to stand down. There were no offers!

It was agreed therefore (with Trevor McDonald Bennett proposing and Graham Clarke seconding) that the Committee should continue as previously

President - AVM Boz Robinson

Chairman - Mr Dave Roome OBE

Treasurer - Sqn Ldr Iain Walsh

Secretary - Mr Bob Cossey

4. Membership currently stands at 202 and is slowly rising and that is despite the sad loss of a few of our senior members during the past twelve months. The Chairman reiterated the need to continue to publicise the work of the Association. The creation of the 74 Squadron website has proved, as anticipated, to be an extremely useful recruiting tool and most new members that have been added to our list have come to us this way.

5. The Treasurer's Report is enclosed with these minutes. Projections for the coming year continue to confirm the current financial viability of the Association at the current subscription level of £5.00. The accounts were adopted by those present with John Crow proposing and James Brook seconding.

6. Any Other Business.

[i] Thanks were offered to Iain Walsh for all the work he has done in the creation of the new Squadron Association website. All agreed that this is a first class site which has received a lot of deserved praise. Iain asked that any members with any photos/information/news etc which they felt might be worthy of inclusion should send them/it directly to Iain or via John Crow or Bob Cossey. Iain was able to show the site to those present who are not on line via his lap top.

[ii] Dave Roome asked the membership to consider the possibility of holding a joint reunion with 19 and 92 Squadrons given their very similar operating history and parallels with aircraft types flown. This would NOT replace our own annual reunion but would be a supplement to it. Sid Simpson suggested that 23 Squadron should be added to list. The meeting gave its approval for Dave to contact the Secretaries/Chairmen of the relevant Squadron Associations to see whether the idea could be taken forward.

[iii] Hugh Rees made members aware of a joint 74/245 Sqn Reunion which is organised by Vic Dabin and which is now a regular feature. This celebrates the Horsham Wing and Gloster Meteors and this year is being held at The Falcon on the 1st and 2nd November.

[iv] Mike Shaw asked whether there was any news about the possible reformation of 74 Squadron on Eurofighter. Dave Roome underlined the way in which choices were being made i.e. on historical precedent and, that being the case, there were squadrons which stood in better stead than the Tigers. However, we remain optimistic that we may have friends in the right places who may be able to influence a choice on the Tigers` behalf although there is little doubt that this would be down to luck were it to happen.

7. The Association now has a range of sales goods on offer (as reflected in the accounts) and Bob brought a selection along which, after the meeting, sold out! Bob will look at additional items requested by members e.g. lapel badges, mugs and sweatshirts to see whether it would be viable to add them to our sales list.

8. Date of next AGM. 1700 hrs, Saturday 1st March 2003. The Falcon Hotel Stratford upon Avon.

Attendance List 2002 Reunion Weekend

Membership Matters

Air Cdr Martin Routledge is now Station Commander at Leuchars and Air Officer Scotland.

New member David Ketcher was the photographer with the Tigers at Tengah in 1969 and 1970 having already served, after photographic training at Cosford, with 230 OCU (Vulcans), 31 Sqn (Canberra PR7) and 229 OCU (Hunters). Post 74 David went on to the Changi Photo Section then back to 229 OCU before completing his RAF career with 4 Sqn (Harrier) and 41 Sqn (Phantom).

Ron Rose spent thirty nine years in the RAF, retired as a Chief Technician, was with 74 Squadron at Horsham St Faith and Coltishall on Hunters and Lightning F1s and we are now pleased to welcome him to the Association.

Andrew `Nails` Nailard was a Tiger at Wattisham from January 1985 to October 1987 where he served as a Nav. Interestingly after his tour on 74, Nails spent over five years seconded to the Royal Saudi Air Force at Dharhan as civilian aircrew during which time he had to eject following a mid air collision between two Tornado ADVs. Sadly that put an end to his flying career.

Robert Johnstone of 28 Woodend Road, Cardenden, Fife, KY5 0NE served from 1966 to 1969 as an SAC on line maintenance. He was involved in the squadron deployment with the Lightning F6 from Leuchars to Tengah and was still on the Squadron at the time of the famous python incident. Robert completed his career with 43 Sqn.

We have two new Associate Members. Craig Brandon has been researching the life of Pilot Officer Douglas Hastings. Douglas was with the Squadron in 1940 and was sadly killed in a training accident. I have included a summary of Craig's work in this newsletter. Colin Musson is a member of the Battle of Britain Historical Society. He lived at Hornchurch during World War II and took a particular interest in 74 when they flew from there with Demons, Gauntlets and Spitfires.

In Brief

David and Pat Mumford, who now live in Perth, Western Australia, would like to make contact again with a couple of old mates from their days at RAF Coltishall where David served with 74 but then stayed on when the Tigers moved north to Leuchars. The pair they are looking for are Wally Carr and `Ginge` Cousins. Do any of our Lightning fraternity remember them or know where they might be now? If so perhaps you could contact David and his wife Pat on patmford@rock.upnaway.com.

Staying with the Lightning era, the Lightning Preservation Group at Bruntingthorpe Airfield in Leicestershire, have (as many of you will know) two F6s which are regularly fast taxied at just below take-off speed and are a huge attraction to those who remember fondly the performance of this much missed aircraft. The Group have a project underway which involves the reconstruction of the former RAF Wattisham QRA Hangar at Bruntingthorpe and have instituted a fund raising appeal to help defray the costs of doing this. Any financial help would be very welcome (Richard Norris, 2 Springhill, Little Staughton, Beds. MK44 2BS: Tel No 01234 378827 would be pleased to receive donations). Why not visit Bruntingthorpe itself if you are in the area to see what is being done there - this too would make a useful contribution to their efforts.

Pilot Officer Douglas Hastings

Douglas Hastings was born on 6th December 1915 - writes Craig Brandon - the youngest of the two sons of Francis and Mary Hastings of Hartlepool, a busy fishing and shipping port in the then County Durham. Douglas was actually born on the opposite side of the country at Barrow in Furness in the house of what seems to have been a relative of the family. We cannot be sure of the reason he was not born at home but it is very likely it followed the famous bombardment of Hartlepool in December 1914 by the German Naval Fleet when a great deal of damage was caused in the vicinity of the Hastings` residence. There was a large loss of life and the family may have decided that the west coast of England was then a much safer place. Douglas's brother Frank had been born in 1911 and he went on to join the Merchant Navy. He was lost in December 1942 when his ship was torpedoed off the coast of Trinidad.

Douglas attended the Henry Smith School in Hartlepool and had a fine record of achievement before leaving in 1933 to go into his father's fish business. In the mid 1930s he moved to North Shields to manage a new branch of the business which had opened at the town's Fish Quay. It was here that he met his future wife, Wilhelmena Hails. The couple were married in North Shields on 7th October 1939. At the time Douglas was training at Little Rissington. He moved to Sutton Bridge in April 1940, leaving there in May. He was then in France with Association member Arthur Smith and (perhaps) James Young. They were all on a train that was bombed and their kit was destroyed.

After training Douglas joined 74 at Rochford on 24th May 1940, still in company with Young (who was later killed) and Arthur. He went on to take a very active part in the Battle of Britain until his death on 8th October. He was credited with two enemy aircraft destroyed, including a Dornier on the morning of Eagle Day which may have been the first enemy aircraft shot down on that day.

On 28th September 1940 Pilot Officers Buckland, Chesters and Peace joined 74 which by now had moved temporarily to Coltishall. Douglas and Ben Draper had taken on the training and familiarisation of new pilots and it was during one such session that a mid air collision occurred between Douglas (in Spitfire IIa P7373) and Frank Buckland (in Spitfire IIa P7329) took place - a year and a day after Douglas's wedding. On Christmas Day 1940 a daughter was born. Douglas was buried on Sunday October 13th in North Shields. This was the first Sunday funeral to be held in the town for twenty years and there was a large turn out. Men from 74 attended.

Val Grimble of the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum visited the crash site in 1981 and filed a report from which the following is an extract. "A Mr Hemnant lived at Ivy House Farm at the time of the mid air collision where one of the aircraft came down. His sister recalls the incident. The Spitfire (Buckland`s) crashed to the rear of the farm narrowly missing a herd of milk cows. She recalls her father being badly shaken by the aircraft's `unexpected` arrival. The Spitfire struck an area of well trampled ground and disintegrated, throwing wreckage over a wide area. The farmhouse was largely undamaged. Brother Ray Hemnant was working in a field away from the farmhouse and he saw the second aircraft (Hastings`) come down.....he had been facing towards the Spitfire which was falling in a flat spin. He rushed to the spot it impacted upside down. It barely penetrated the ground and remained almost intact apart from damage to the tail section. The pilot was hanging in his harness but sadly was obviously dead. There was no fire. An enquiry into the accident revealed that Buckland had struck the tail of Douglas Hastings` Spitfire - the latter was simulating a target aircraft - and had lost control. The aircraft flicked over onto its back and fell to the ground from an estimated 800ft. Douglas Hastings` aircraft had kill markings painted under the cockpit, representing his two victories during the Battle of Britain....."

The Golden Jubilee Medal

The Bigbury Mint are producing a commemorative medal for all those men and women who have served their country during the fifty year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (not to be confused with the official medal which is being produced). The obverse was inspired by Pietro Annigoni`s popular depiction of a youthful Queen painted in 1955 and the reverse the Queen's armorial shield and motto. The medal costs £30 (plus œ2 p&p) and includes a spare ribbon. Full details of this as well as options for engraving and miniatures can be obtained from The Bigbury Mint, River Park, Ermington Mill, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 9NT. Tel No 01548 830717.

Duxford 2002

If you are thinking of attending an airshow this year which feature our older aircraft as well as the best of the rest, there are two to be recommended. Biggin Hill are holding a Jubilee Show on Sunday 2nd June and Monday 3rd June whilst Duxford have a series of shows throughout the year, beginning on Sunday May 5th with their Jubilee Show, followed by Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July for the famous Flying Legends Show, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September for the Duxford 2002 Show and finally the Autumn Air Show on Sunday 13th October. If you do attend any of these, or indeed any other airshow this year, watch out for our own Cliff Spink and Dave Roome who may well be flying! For Duxford, www.iwm.org.uk has all the details.

Short - But Eventful!

Ray Racy was interested to see the photos in the last Tiger News of Antwerp Duerne and Schijndel. `I was only a very short time with 74,` he writes, `but I remember most of the faces of the group at Duerne, many of whom I met at Schijndel where I was posted in March 1945.` Here Ray describes his brief association with the squadron and his previous experience with the Mk V11 Spitfire....

Before joining the Tigers I had previously been posted to 154 Squadron. This was a brand new squadron flying Mk VII Spitfires based at Biggin Hill. Only about 140 of this variant were built. They were designed for high altitude operations and were fitted with extended wingtips and a fully pressurised cabin. The controls, I were told, were encased in rubber. They certainly handled differently from the Mk Vs I had been used to at OTU. Whereas most other models would give an instant response with fingertip control, there was a certain sluggishness in response with the Mk VII, not from the engine but from the controls themselves. This was not difficult to get used to in ordinary flying but it could become less predictable in close formation. Designed as it was for high altitude, I took it up to around 40,000ft on one of my familiarisation flights. I remember feeling quite lonely up there and hoped I would not be jumped by some predatory Luftwaffe enthusiast!

On one occasion immediately after take off, thick oil began to spew from the spinner straight back onto the windscreen. I could see absolutely nothing ahead. `This won't do,` I thought to myself - so I released my harness, slid back the hood and somehow managed to more or less lever myself upright. I must have found a piece of rag somewhere and was just able to get my arm far enough round to clear some of the oil from the screen. As I had barely reached 1,000ft there was nothing for it but to complete the circuit and make a landing as best I could. One of the groundcrew seemed quite surprised that I had been able to clean the glass at all.

Unfortunately I caught a dose of `flu just before Christmas and found myself in hospital for several days. When I came out shortly afterwards I found I had been posted to 84 Ground Support Unit at Lasham to train for air to ground firing and diving attacks as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Here of course I was flying clipped wing Mk IX and Mk XIV Spitfires which had a much more sensitive response. The air to ground firing was over the Welsh coast. Although it involved a few pleasurable cross country flights and appeared to be easy, I don`t think I made a particularly good marksman. I enjoyed the dive bombing practice near Newbury and I like to think I got marginally nearer the target!

It was after this that I joined 74 at Schijndel and in the short period I was there four events in particular stand out in my memory. One was the evening briefing on 24th March when we were told that our job was to help cover the Rhine crossing the following morning. Thousands of aircraft, gliders and paratroops would be swarming over. Our job was to silence the AA guns on the opposite side. I remember reflecting briefly that this sounded like a suicide mission as no doubt everyone else in the Squadron felt, but also no doubt like everyone else I put it to the back of my mind. I do not recall having slept any worse than usual. Next morning we had another briefing. The programme had been changed. Our task now was to fly at 12,000ft above the battle zone and keep off any enemy aircraft that might venture forth to mix it with this aerial armada. In point of fact, nothing whatever happened. I looked down at the Rhine and the fields below and could not believe a war was going on down there. It looked like any landscape on a sunny day in Spring. No sign of gunfire, smoke, explosions or anything. I could not help thinking of the men down there fighting for their lives. It is remarkable how, apart from relatively brief encounters, the fighter pilot is mercifully distanced from the long drawn out torment of the men on the ground.

Another memorable event was our Squadron escorting Winston Churchill's Dakota after his tour of the Rhine crossing. It too was relatively uneventful except for a couple of things. Maybe I thought I was giving him extra special protection but I was told off for flying too close to his aircraft. The other was that after two and a half hours flying, by the time we reached Northolt I was, in Air Force parlance, breaking my neck to get to the loo! In my anxiety I had made a somewhat cramped approach but I was determined to get down first go. Thankfully I managed it just in time.

My third recollection was bombing our own airstrip at Schijndel. I knew nothing about it until I returned from an armed recce to be met by an extremely irate sergeant who asked me what the hell I thought I was doing. I had no idea what had happened. Apparently as I took off one of the bombs I was carrying dropped onto the runway. I could offer no explanation as to how it happened. I had carried out all the pre-flight checks normally and touched nothing to do with the bomb release mechanism. I can only guess that one of the bombs had not been securely locked on and simply fell off but in spite of my protestations I don`t think the sergeant believed a word I said. However I was relieved to hear it had not exploded. Since then my prowess as a fighter pilot has been seen by my family as being successful in bombing my own airfield!

My final recollection with 74 was running out of fuel on the 5th April 1945. I had taken off on an early morning armed recce over the Lingen area with Fl Off Peet as my No 1. We were on long range tanks. When he advised me to transfer to the main supply I carried out the usual procedure. But nothing happened. I suspected an air lock and pumped the plunger to free it. Still nothing happened. The engine cut and the prop started windmilling. I also noticed some white substance streaming back from the spinner. I assumed it was glycol. After several more attempts to get the engine going I decided it was time to bale out or make a forced landing. At 8,000ft I had enough time to consider the options - and opted against baling out (contrary to all my instincts and training) as being too risky over enemy territory. I therefore prepared to make a forced landing, not a difficult choice in the flat terrain of Holland. I dropped the long range tank, did a circuit of what appeared to be a suitable field, cut the switches and hopped over the hedge just in time and came to a grinding stop halfway across. I briefly radioed back to Fl Off Peet that I was OK and thought the least said the better to avoid giving my position away.

That was, regrettably, my last flight with 74 Squadron. I was shortly afterwards taken prisoner at Meppel, an account of which was serialised in Tiger News Nos 6, 7, 8 and 9.

My one regret was being made redundant aircrew when the war in Europe ended and the Tigers were re-equipped with Gloster Meteors at RAF Colerne near Bath. It was with great sadness that I also learned that Taffy Rees had been killed on a low level flypast at Colerne on 24th July. In my brief time with the Squadron he had become a good mate of mine.

Table Tennis & Bridge!

Warrant Officer Denzel Beard did his flying training in what was then Rhodesia and from there was posted to Egypt in September 1943 where he served in Transport Command until March 1946. He flew twelve aircraft types in the process, including Hudsons and Ansons. After an extended disembarkation leave due to contracting yellow jaundice Denzel was sent to 9 PDC in Hertfordshire and then was called to Bentley Priory for an interview. The result of this was a posting to 9 (Nigeria) Squadron at Duxford, flying Spitfire XXIs. The day after he arrived, the Squadron CO gave a lecture to the assembled crews explaining the dangers of jet flying and then asking for a volunteer to go on a jet course. The old adage of never volunteering for anything held good and nobody did! As soon as the CO left the room he sent for Denzel and promptly sent him to Molesworth for a jet course! Ah well!

Denzel arrived at 1335 Conversion Unit on May 9th 1946 where he did a 7 hour 20 minute course and was then posted to 74 Squadron which at that time was based at Colerne. There he flew 32 hours before moving to Horsham St Faith in the August. Denzel recalls there was hardly any groundcrew and consequently he did not fly again until the 14th September and that was when the Squadron moved to Bentwaters to participate in the Battle of Britain flypast. His last flight was two days later and lasted an hour. The CO at the time, Jim Cooksey, tried to persuade Denzel to sign on but he saw `no future in playing table tennis and bridge day in day out` and so was demobbed on September 20th.

Dining en route to the Middle East......Dining in the Middle East.....

Lynda Franks has sent me these menus which she inherited from her father, Donald Henderson-Hamilton, who was part of the advance party sent out on the SS Rangitata when 74 was posted to the Middle East in 1942. That on the left is self explanatory - but just what is Supercharged Turkey and Undercarriage of Lamb! That on the right is actually the reverse of the 1942 Christmas Menu, signed by Squadron members. Amongst the recognisable names are Graham Jenkins (top left), the Squadron Adjutant whose diary we featured in early editions of Tiger News, Squadron CO at the time Peter Illingworth (sixth down in the right hand column) and Brian `Titch` Harris (bottom left). Titch is a member of the Association and will be able to fill us in on other details I`m sure............

Sailor at Coltishall

Sailor Malan returned to the United Kingdom in July 1959 to see specialists about the onset of Parkinson's Disease and then visited his old Squadron at Coltishall - 74 had just moved there with their Hunter F6s from Horsham St Faith. Ted Nance flew a solo aerobatic display for his benefit and a Spitfire arrived from Martlesham Heath to commemorate the occasion. Hunter and Spitfire were placed side by side and Sailor signed the fuselages of both. The photograph shows him with the Spitfire, over which can be seen the famous tiger. This was to be 74`s last personal contact with their wartime CO as he died a few years later in South Africa. Association member David Jones was involved with the arrangements for the day and clearly recalls the pride with which 74 were able to show their old CO the latest in British fighter technology. It's a pity that Sailor could not have been at Coltishall just twelve months later as the Lightnings started to arrive!