大象传媒

GIBRALTAR 233 SQUADRON.

Having experienced some exposure to the electrical storm on the way from Portreath, we decided to do a compass swing on 27th December to make sure that the compass was reading correctly and then on the 28th we did our first anti sub sweep out into the Atlantic. Four aircraft usually took part and we fanned out to double visibility distance apart at 3,000 feet heading westwards and directing along any course which Naval Intelligence thought might be the possible track of a U-Boat. These patrols were nicknamed 鈥渒ipper鈥� patrols. Rarely did you see anything. In those early days eyesight was the means of identifying U-Boats. Usually long before you saw one it had seen you and would dive, which meant that there might be only the 鈥渇eather鈥� wake of a periscope to look for. Rather like looking for a needle in a haystack; but this was not a waste of time because, the very fact that the U-Boat had dived, meant that it had to go on to its batteries which had a limited life; requiring them to surface at some time, usually at night, to recharge them. These patrols were usually of just over three hours outward duration, our fuel capacity giving us approx eight hours flying time. The next day we did another six and a half hours patrol followed by a break over the New Year and a chance to see the town of Gibraltar. It was teeming with members of the Royal Navy and large numbers of Army personnel. The soldiers lived almost entirely within the Rock which was honeycombed with quarters.
On January 2nd, 4th and 6th 1943 we did more Atlantic sweeps of well over seven hours each but sighted nothing! Continuing during January we flew most days, doing nine anti-sub sweeps and one Convoy Escort from Gibraltar towards Malta as the convoys came through the Straits from the Atlantic. Convoys were protected by Naval Force H, which included the 鈥淪heffield鈥� and the 鈥淲arspite鈥�. On taking up position with a convoy the drill was to make Aldis lamp contact with the Senior Naval Officer, (SNO) and receive instructions from him as to what form of escort he wanted. It may be at close range near the convoy or in some other direction where he thought there might be a submarine threat. If the 鈥淲arspite鈥� was on escort care always had to be taken to give the 鈥渓etter of the day鈥� every time you approached or they were liable to take a pot shot at you. Similarly as you returned to Gibraltar it was wisest to give the signal to the Naval Duty Crew base at the southern tip of the Rock near the Base Hospital.
During all the time we were operating from Gibraltar work was under way in extending the runway out into Algeciras Bay to the west. The initial runway, which we were using was simply the width of the isthmus across the original Gibraltar racecourse, and across which ran the road from Gibraltar to La Linea. There was a constant stream of traffic along this road which meant that traffic lights were operated when an aircraft was landing. In practice this was usually alright but there were occasions when a donkey did not understand that it should stop when the red light showed. I have no knowledge of one having collided with an aircraft but I am sure that was due more to luck than anything else! Most takeoffs and landings were from the west; anyone who overshot went straight into the Mediterranean and it was suggested that, in due course, there would be so many aircraft wrecks off the east end of the runway that we would be able to walk to Malta!
January 30th 1943 was a day to remember. It was my 21st birthday. We had a bit of a party in the squadron crew room and did not fly, mainly because there had been little activity for a couple of days. In the evening all hell was let loose as one of the petrol bowsers was not properly earthed and a spark ignited the petrol dump which was south of the runway towards Algeciras Bay. This was high octane
aviation fuel stored in 44 gallon metal drums, (which could be rolled over and rolled away from the fire) but also large quantities were in four gallon cardboard containers which had to be picked up by hand and moved away. Everyone on camp was called to immediate duty, irrespective of rank, and three long chains were made passing these cartons away from the fire. (One wonders what 鈥淗ealth and Safety鈥� inspectors in the twenty-first century mollycoddled age would have said in these circumstances!). To say the least it was a bit hairy. But no aircraft caught fire from this incident. The evening was not yet over. Just before midnight, as we moved to our Nissen huts for bed the sky lit up again. One of our Hudsons, taking off to go back to Gosport for service, and leave for the crew, swung at the east end of the runway as a result of a strong wind eddy just as it was about to lift off and crashed in flames into the Med. This was our first loss since arriving on Christmas Day.
Every Sunday night in most service messes there was usually a bit of a boozie party, with the result that on most Monday mornings there were many sore-heads. A sore-head and an aircraft do not mix well. On 233 squadron there were 2 teetotal aircrews, ours and one other. (Remember CO had said he was not going to drink alcohol again until he arrived back in England; he kept his word so our crew was dry). The result was that on alternate Monday mornings we would be on call for the 鈥淪tand by for the Cat鈥�. If the sea was too rough for the Catalina Flying Boat to take off then we must go. This meant being up at about 4.00am; having a good breakfast, going to briefing, preparing the flight schedule, run up the engines and be ready to go. On all but one occasion we heard the Cat take off, fly overhead, and then we would stand down, go back to bed and be ready for an afternoon escort.
Several sweeps were to the East to keep any Italian subs under control as convoys began to try to relieve Malta. The American First Army were now making their way along the North African coast and on two occasions we were able to make a longer flight across the Mediterranean and land for refuelling at Tafarroui (Oran) and Blida (Algiers) before returning back to Gibraltar.
On February 13th we sighted our first submarine but by the time we got down to sea level it had dived. Two depth charges were dropped but there was nothing other than a massive gush of water; however we were able to report the existence of the sub and that it was underwater and using up its batteries.
Due to the tremendous loss of shipping the Kaiser shipyard in America had started to build 鈥淟iberty鈥� ships, produced by welding the plates rather than the time honoured, and slower, method of riveting the steel plates. It was anticipated that a Liberty ship could survive no more than three, at the best, of any severe Atlantic storm, even if they survived the U Boat threat.
On February 21st we carried out a seven hour convoy escort in the Atlantic. The convoy we picked up had had a bad mauling and several vessels had been lost. One Liberty Ship was lagging far behind the convoy as it had been damaged and was in danger of breaking its back. We were able to fly to it, and, from a position as we circled over this stricken ship, we signalled by Aldis Lamp to a destroyer at the rear of the convoy to locate this vessel as they could not see it from sea level. With relief we saw the destroyer come back to take off the crew of the Liberty ship before it sank.
The next day we went again on convoy escort, the same convoy as the previous day. It was much closer to Gibraltar than we had expected and we were almost circling around over the straits. No radio work was needed and Jack Reid was just fiddling around with little to do; he took the Verey pistol and pressed the trigger, expecting the safety catch to be on. It wasn鈥檛. The cartridge fired with a fiery red ball blazing right on top of the petrol primer cover. Usually we left the cover open but, fortunately, that day we had closed it. The compass glass cracked, airspeed and altimeter glasses cracked and the cockpit was filled with dense white, choking smoke. Roy opened his window, I shot to the back to collect the fire extinguisher, CO saw the smoke rushing past the gun turret and he shot out of the turret straight into the Elsan toilet which had not been closed. The cartridge burned itself out. This occurred just off the southern tip of the Rock. Ashore they thought we must have been hit by something and they ordered an Air Sea Rescue Launch out from the harbour. Roy had to fly now by the feel of the aircraft, speed was not known but, fortunately, the visibility was clear so we could manage without the altimeter. We turned into Algeciras Bay and, using the Aldis Lamp, I asked for urgent authority to land. We hit the runway somewhat faster than was good for the aircraft but the brakes held and we pulled up just a few feet from the end and with the sea looming up fast. Jack got a real rollicking, the armourer also was disciplined for not noticing that the Verey pistol was faulty and Roy and I were cautioned to see that the Radio Operator and Gunner were to be better controlled!
During this period in Gibraltar, 100 squadron, equipped with Wellington bombers, powered with two Bristol Pegasus engines, were our night time partners. They were fitted with naval Leigh lights in their bomb bays to provide a searchlight for illuminating a submarine at the time of attacking. They were very heavy and, indeed, proved to be too heavy for the aircraft with the result that, over a period of three weeks all the aircraft were lost with all their crews. As the aircraft tried to pull up out of a dive, after attacking, the tail would sweep into the sea stalling the Wellington. Morning after morning we woke to find four more empty beds and no one returning to them. Those were traumatic days but you just had to get on with the job in hand and prepare for your next flight.
By the end of February 1943 the American First Army was well established along the North African Mediterranean coast and the Free French Forces in French Morocco were ready to give a hand. There was concern that U Boats were operating off the Northwest African coast and it was believed that Spain was giving assistance by providing maintenance and fuelling facilities in the Canary Islands.
For reasons of security only the official base photographer was allowed to take photographs so none are available to include in this autobiography. However in September 2004, under the auspices of the Lottery funded 鈥淗eroes Return鈥� Connie and I had the opportunity to make a return visit to Gibraltar. We were very well received by the Commanding Officer and Adjutant and were able to note the complete change in navigation procedures, now entirely managed for the ground base via satellite contact. No more the use of sun and star shots or sights on lighthouses but all is now so 鈥渉igh tech鈥� that the mind boggles.
Walking around Gibraltar in 2004 brought back a few memories in the narrow main street of those days in 1943 when the Navy and Army Land Rovers and Jeeps drove along with the constant banging of hands on the side of the door by the driver as he made his way down the narrow streets.
All the area of the North Front where aircraft used to be parked is now developed with blocks of apartments and commercial premises and was quite unrecognisable. The R A F Base,which still control the Airport, now incorporates a small Civil Terminal on the north side of the runway which was, in 1943 a 鈥渧erboten鈥� area; that was were the 鈥淣azi Duty Pilot鈥� was based passing back to Germany all details of aircraft movement during those wartime days! Photographs of Gibraltar in 2004 show a completely different picture to those times of 62 years earlier.

The next part of this story can be found at: a5402954

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