Bird - Separate Little War: The BANFF Coastal Command Strike Wing Versus the Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe 1944 - 1945

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This revised and updated edition first published 2008

Copyright 2008 Grub Street London
Text copyright 2008 Andrew D. Bird

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bird, Andrew D
A Separate Little War: The Banff Coastal Command Strike Wing
versus the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe in Norway, 1944-1945
1. Banff aerodrome History 2. Great Britain Royal Air
Force. Coastal Command History 3. World War, 1939-1945
Aerial operations, British 4. World War, 1939-1945 Aerial
operations, Norwegian
I Title
940.544941

ISBN 978-1-906502-13-3
EPUB ISBN: 9781909166707

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

To have been a member of the strike wings was an unforgettable experience. They were momentous days, over sixty years ago. I was greatly honoured when asked to contribute a foreword to this book. It was such a privilege as a young flight lieutenant to be led into battle by experienced wing commanders of the highest order and to fly with fellow airmen of skill and great courage that I readily agreed. This book commemorates the men and women who served with the multi-national squadrons, which formed the RAF Coastal Command, Banff Strike Wing at RAF Banff, known locally as Boyndie between September 1944 and May 1945, and our neighbours the Dallachy Strike Wing. Sometimes elements of the two wings operated together.

The Banff wing, under the command of Group Captain the Honourable Max Aitken DSO DFC, made up of mixed Mosquito and Beaufighter units, mounted concentrated attacks on German surface vessels and U-boats in the North Sea and along the Norwegian coast. Their success in the closing months of World War II was significant in the defeat of Germany and strike wing aircraft operating from the aerodrome inflicted heavy damage on enemy shipping and supply routes. Many thousands of tonnes of vital iron ore and other supplies were lost to the German forces as a result of rocket and cannon attacks carried out by this gallant strike wing. Losses amongst RAF commonwealth and Norwegian squadrons were high. More than one hundred aircrew gave their lives flying with the RAF Banff Strike Wing. Nevertheless, with resolution and courage we carried on Per Ardua .

Group Captain Angus McIntosh DFC
Formerly of No. 248 Squadron.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am indebted to the survivors of the anti-shipping squadrons, all exceptional people, who have contributed their time and expertise and above all, generosity. A large selection of scarce photographs and material, mainly from personal collections, have surfaced since the first publication of this book six years ago, including two exquisite diaries of survivors from the anti-shipping strike campaign, making this edition one of the most comprehensive books on the Banff anti-shipping strike wing based in 18 Group Coastal Command. It would be wrong to assume that their strikes were a mere side-line. All have a story to tell a story of courage, camaraderie and endurance and a team spirit which made them feared by the enemy coastal convoy men but casualties were often severe. My object is to give the reader a feel of what it was like as events were unfolding, even if this has meant that regretfully I have had to exclude some actions for want of space and others for dramatic accounts. Perhaps readers whose relations took part in anti-shipping strikes that have been omitted will send me their accounts, thereby enabling me to cover them in subsequent editions of the book. The following survivors delved into their memories I hope I have remembered all of you:

18 Group Coastal Command: LAC John Peck (235 Sqn), Wt Off Alex Coggie Cogswell CdeG (235 Sqn), Cpl Joyce Sherlock (ne Trovey) WAAF, LAC Ron Brooks (248 Sqn), Flt Lt Alec Williamson (235 Sqn), Flt Lt Des Curtis DFC (248 Sqn), Wt Off Jim Hoyle (248 Sqn), Flt Lt Aubrey Hilly Hilliard (248 Sqn), Wt Off Ron Ginger Burton (235 Sqn), Sgt Tom Wilkinson (235 Sqn), Cpl Les Taylor MID (235 Sqn), Flt Lt Jimmy Rogers DFM (235 Sqn), Flt Lt Lawie Shields DFC (235 Sqn), Flt Lt David Jack Frost DFC & Bar, Flt Lt Basil Quelch DFC (235 Sqn), Agnes Shayler WAAF, Sqn Ldr George Lord DFC CdeG (235 Sqn), Flg Off Ray Hall (235 Sqn), Flt Lt Norman Carr (143 Sqn), LAC Ray Tucker (Armour), Sqn Ldr Norman Jacko Jackson-Smith DFC & Bar (235 & 248 Sqns), Air Chief Marshal C. Foxley-Norris KCB, CB, DSO & OBE (143 Sqn), Sqn Ldr Bill Clayton-Graham DFC (235 Sqn), Flt Lt Ken Ginger Webster (235 Sqn), Flt Lt Tom Armstrong DFC (235 Sqn), Sqn Ldr Paddy Wright DFC (235 & 248 Sqns), Flt Lt Pat Ross DFM (235 & 248 Sqns), Flt Lt Ron Hawkins (143 Sqn), Flt Lt Paddy Tuhill (143 Sqn), Flt Lt Geoff Mayhew DFC (235 Sqn), Flt Sgt Bryan Woodier (235 Sqn), Flg Off Geof Hinde (235 Sqn), Flg Off Sid Saeer (235 Sqn), Grp Cpt Angus McIntosh DFC (248 Sqn), Flt Lt Brian Beattie (248 Sqn), Flt Lt Wallace Woodcock DFC (248 Sqn), Sqn Ldr David Pritchard DFC & Bar (143 Sqn), Flt Lt Arthur General Jackson (235 Sqn), Flg Off George Quinton (235 Sqn), LAC Jobby Jobson (235 Sqn), LAC John Jock Raymond MID (Armour), Wg Cdr Tony Gadd DSO DFC (144 Sqn), Flt Lt Charles Corder CGM CdeG (248 & 404 [RCAF] Sqns), Flt Lt Geoff Rouse (235 Sqn), Plt Off Tom Scott (248 Sqn), Wt Off Harold Corbin CGM (248 Sqn), Sqn Ldr Don Rogers (144 Sqn), Sgt Joan Lewis (WAAF), Wt Off Andrews (144 Sqn), Flt Lt Bill Puppy Calder DFC (235 [RCAF] Sqn), Wg Cdr Bill Sise DSO DFC (248 Sqn), Flt Lt Raymond Price (248 Sqn), Flg Off S.T. Faithfull (404 [RCAF] Sqn), Flg Off Norman Earnshaw (248 Sqn), Flt Lt Ron Simmons (143 Sqn), Flg Off Les Parker (143 Sqn), Flg Off Bill Knight (143 Sqn), Flt Lt Ken Jackson (235 [RAAF] Sqn), Ray Hannaford (143 Sqn), Flt Lt Raymond Holmes (248 Sqn), Flt Lt John Bell DFC, CdeG (58 Sqn), Group Captain Raymond Price (248 Sqn).

Great Britain: Wg Cdr John Yonge (daughter Charlotte Leadbeater and Ian Yonge), Flt Lt Richard Young (248 Sqn relative Richard G Young), Flg Off Syd Hawkins (235 Sqn widow Grace Mayne), Wg Cdr Roy Orrock DFC (248 Sqn widow Anne Orrock), Wg Cdr A. H. Junior Simmonds DFC (235 Sqn widow Mrs H Filton and daughter Susie Burrows), Tony Craig, Air Marshal Ian Macfadyen CB OBE, Lady Joan Foxley-Norris, Paul Hutchinson, Colin Jeffery, Flt Lt Wally Webster (235 Sqn son Martyn Webster) Maureen Quelch, Dr David Findlay Clark, Sydney Legg, Alex Crawford, Chris Goss, Vicki Morgan Aberdeen City Archive assistant, National Archives Kew, London.

RAF Peterhead: Flt Lt Dan Nowosielski DFC AFC (315 Polish Sqn), Flt Lt Peter Banks (65 Sqn), Flt Lt Arthur Doley (19 Sqn), Wt Off Bronislaw Skladzien (315 Polish Sqn).

Coastal Command Air Sea Rescue Fraserburgh: Plt Off Duthie (279 ASR Sqn), Wt Off Don Mabey (281 ASR Sqn), Tom Jackson RAF (HSL 1210 Fraserburgh).

Overseas: Alan Scheckenbach who interviewed Bill Herbert (445 [RAAF] Sqn), Flt Lt Ken Beruldsen (235 Sqn brother Jim Beruldsen), Klaas Timmer U-843 & Dolfijn researcher (Netherlands), David Burrowes, Karen Parkinson, Sqn Ldr Bill Mullen (RAF Dallachy son Gerry Mullen) (USA), Lt Frederick Alexandre (143 Sqn sister Mathidle Zara) (USA).