大象传媒

THE WOODPECKERS 鈥� 136 FIGHTER SQUADRON 鈥� 1942
Consolidating at Alipore, after the final retreat from Aqyab, the return of the six pilots from Ceylon and new recruits bringing the Squadron to full strength; one of the important coalescent elements was the adoption of a Squadron Insignia. Because of their song and their usual R/T call-sign the Squadron was already known as 鈥淭he Woodpeckers.鈥� Nana (Ian) designed a rampant woodpecker in an aggressive pose with glinty eye - defiant and ready - with helmet and battledress. The emblem started to appear on everything the Squadron owned or was able to acquire: aircraft, motor transport, beer mugs ,the lot. It was engraved on small silver badges in the shape of an arrow-head and worn on the left pocket of the uniform. By it Squadron members were readily recognized by the civilians of Calcutta.

About this time a Squadron Magazine was started. It was titled 鈥淥ASIS鈥� (On Active Service Inter Squadron). The cover was painted by Nana, and of course always featured a Woodpecker. It was a great friendly success, but a financial no-show. One thank-you note from Amarda Road stated: 鈥淲e distributed your magazine to a most appreciating readership, only to come to your invoice at the bottom of the package, that we were supposed to sell it! We opened the wrong end, sorry!鈥� Fortunately, the magazine was printed through the kindness of Mr. J.F.Parr at Thackers Press Directories Ltd. a staunch Woodpecker friend who received friendship as his sole reward 鈥攂ut heaps of it! He was one of the mounting number of civilian friends of Calcutta.

Some time later at Chittagong, Tony Ridler, the current C.O. and Ian designed the official Woodpecker Squadron Badge. Ian to the disgust of the other Woodpeckers who could actually write English, devised the motto 鈥淣othing too Tough.鈥� First the spear, then the shield, as for the spirit, it was there from the beginning. The first version was painted above the bar in the Officers鈥� billet, where it was underlined by a lengthening line of Rising Suns as the Squadron score mounted.

A few years after the war Ian, now a Captain with Argentine Airlines, on a stop over in London, went to see the Chester Herald and Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J.Heaton-Armstrong, at the College of Arms, who mentioned that he remembered the case. Usually, he said, volunteer wartime were not granted badges, but since the 136 Squadron case was so forcibly presented it was decided to record it. However, the motto was rendered as 鈥淣ihil Fortius鈥�. The 鈥渇orce鈥� behind the presentation was thus:

THE WOODPECKER
鈥淭he adoption of the 鈥淲oodpecker鈥� in the proposed crest for this Squadron, was brought about by the association of this bird with the Squadron鈥檚 earliest days, after its formation in August 1941; at first more or less unintentionally but it has now grown to such proportions that it is an intimate part of the Welfare and Spirit of the Unit.

The first connection with the 鈥淲oodpecker鈥� was in a popular song of that name which was always sung whenever the pilots of the Squadron were gathered together. Then the ground crew learned it and the Unit became known to its neighbours as 鈥淭he Woodpeckers鈥�, so that when the Squadron was posted overseas, the name persisted, to the extent of becoming our R/T callsign. Whilst on the ship coming out, a caricature 鈥淲oodpecker鈥� was developed which rapidly became the Unit鈥檚 unofficial badge.

Now after two and half years as a Squadron, the greater part of which has been spent in India, we have found the name and caricature 鈥淲oodpecker鈥� have become a vital part of the Squadron鈥檚 personality and are emblems of which every member of the Unit is justly proud, to such an extent that it is desired that this bird be the 鈥渟ubject鈥� for our crest and badge in the forms shown.鈥�

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The Woodpecker Badge is now forever embedded halfway to the altar in the aisle of St. Clement鈥檚 Dane, the Royal Air Force Church, Aldwich, London and forever too in the apse of St.Andrew鈥檚 Church, Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

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