During the summer of 1942 a number of Spitfire equipped RAF Squadrons spent one week detachments at RAF Ipswich (ref: Air Britain’s “The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth”).
It would appear from the ORBs of the four Polish squadrons involved (found online) that their visits were for “Air Firing Practice”, and I strongly suspect that this was the reason for the following visits:
340-Sqn 20/07/42 to 26/07/42
611-Sqn 27/07/42 to 01/08/42
154-Sqn 10/08/42 to 15/08/42
131-Sqn 24/08/42 to 31/08/42
616-Sqn 01/09/42 to 07/09/42
If any anyone has access to the ORBs for the above squadrons, could they confirm the purpose of the detachments between the specified dates.
Many thanks
Goldilocks
By: Goldilocks - 1st June 2014 at 08:16
Edgar
Many thanks for that confirmation.
David
By: Edgar Brooks - 31st May 2014 at 23:36
I checked all the ORBs, today, at Kew, and all squadrons were involved with air firing, at Ipswich, on the dates you listed..
Edgar
By: Goldilocks - 24th May 2014 at 10:50
Steve
Thank you once more.
David
By: steve611 - 24th May 2014 at 09:35
Goldilocks
The ISBN is 095111133-7 “Beware! Beware!”
611 went to Martlesham on 13.7.42 for a week, then Ipswich on 27th “the aerodrome is rather small and very rough”!
Steve
By: Goldilocks - 24th May 2014 at 09:22
Steve
Thanks for the lead, I’ll order Aldon Ferguson’s book from the Library. Did the downloaded ORB specify Ipswich or Martlesham for the 27/07/1942 detachment ?
Regards
Goldilocks
By: steve611 - 23rd May 2014 at 15:53
Thanks.
Duly downloaded.
Some air firing, but a lot of the time taken up with police about a vehicle crash and a “damaged civilian” hit by a stray 12 bore shot.
By: antoni - 23rd May 2014 at 15:04
You can download the ORB from the NA. %40 and 541 are separate, £3.30 each for one month.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res/5?_col=2&_dt=SQ&_no=611&_ser=AIR%2027&_srt=3
Click on the blue headline that starts Squadron Number and it will take you to the page to download those records.
By: steve611 - 23rd May 2014 at 14:29
Goldilocks
Sorry to disappoint- I hold what I thought was a full set of Forms 540 and 541 on behalf of the 611 Squadron Association. I have nothing from 23.7.42 until 1.8.42 in the 540 pages and nothing at all for 451 in July.
As mine is one of several obtained by the 611 Squadron Association I suspect that they will all be missing that bit, so you will have to go to the original source for the details. If you get any information about this can you please let me know, because obviously I would like it too. If anyone else happens to be going anywhere near the PRO and fancy doing me a favour I would happily recompense any costs involved in getting me a copy of the missing bits.
Aldon Ferguson’s book on 611 confirms that they went to Martlesham Heath on 13 July 42 for a week’s air firing practice. Weather and unserviceability prevented much from happening although they did score several hits on the Lysander towing the drogue! Your date of 27.7.42 is confirmed, with 8 Mk V and 9 shiny new Mk IX Spitfires and 15 ground personnel (mainly armourers).”Early on 28 July air firing of the Mk IXs cannons at all altitudes up to 40 000 feet began”.
They clearly didn’t do well and the ORB for August puts this down to lack of flying time from unserviceability.
Steve
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May 23, 2014 at 1:33 pm