NO 93 SQUADRON - Form 540 July 1953

F540 Operations Record Book July 1953 NO 93 SQUADRON. PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2636 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71 from Duncan Curtis
PLACE	DATE	TIME	SUMMARY OF EVENTS COMPILING OFFICER Plt.Off. W.E. Bell.	REF. TO APPENDICES

JEVER.	JULY 1st	1953	The weather today was excellent. Battle Flight flew two sorties. The first interception was good though during the second interception Welfare Controllers R/T was u/s. The second sortie, the first interception was good, though height transgressions were poor, and often as much as 2000 ft. out. Fg.Off. Sturman flew to Fassburg and P/O Sanderson had the only remaining serviceable a/c for practice Q.G.H.S.
	JULY 2nd	1953	The squadron were firing on Meppen range today with R/P, results proved quite fair. Fg.Off. Sturman returned to Jever from Fassburg having been on a courier flight. Battle Flight flew 5 sorties the majority of interceptions being good, though some tended to become long drawn out tail chases. Fg.Off. Sturman has now been promoted to Flt.Lt.
	JULY 3rd	1953	Battle Flight flew 5 sorties again today. Battle Flight consisted of 8 a/c with a further 8 a/c from 4 Squadron as a second Battle Flight. All interceptions were good with the exception of the fourth where large ????? interfered with the radar. P/O Boulton flew an air test.
	JULY 4th	1953	Station parade in the morning after which the station was stood down for the weekend.
	JULY 6th	1953	The C.F.E. Team arrived yesterday, and today was spent in lectures 112 Squadron left Jever today for their new station at Bruggen.
	JULY 7th	1953	F/O Wood flew the C.F.E. teams Meteor 8 to Oldenburg the team having gone to Oldenburg by road. The Squadron were using Meppen Range today for R/P practice. Night flying was attempted but as the weather was poor F/O Wood was the only pilot to carry out a successful sortie. Sqn.Ldr. Allen and F/Lt. Pearch both went up for weather checks.
	JULY 8th	1953	The Squadron spent the morning doing practice cine parallel ranging and tracking. Sgt. Knight flew to Wahn and back in a courier sortie. The station stood down after 12.00 hours for a sports afternoon.
	JULY 9th	1953	Simulated R/P attacks by the Squadron in the low flying area. Later in the morning R/P attacks were made on the a/f for the benefit of the R.A.F. Regt. Bofors guns. Flt.Lt. Wallace went to Wunstorf and returned later in the day. P/O Sanderson and P/O Revnell did low level X country navigation trips. This afternoon the Squadron did R/P attacks on Meppen Range, scores were fair to good. Weather was fair with occasional showers.
	JULY 10th	1953	Squadron again had the full use of the range today and R/P practice was continued, due to spares situation the a/c serviceability state is getting low. Flt.Lt. Pearch and P/O Revnell flew the Meteor to Meppen Range for demonstrations of R/P attacks. The weather was quite good though there was considerable amount of cloud about base 3,500' then did not interfere in any way with the rocketing programme.
	JULY 11th	1953	Five a/c from the Squadron today left for West Raynham in U.K. for air to ground demonstration attacks. The pilots were Flt.Lt. Paterson, F/O Bates, F/O Wood, Flt.Lt. Sturman, and F/O Standish. There was a practice A.O.C.'s parade in the morning after which the station stood down for the weekend.
	JULY 13th	1953	93 Squadron are on Battle Flight this week. The weather was very poor with thunderstorms over the area. A/F were released for local flying due to local radar control being u/s.
	JULY 14th	1953	Weather again very poor with frequent thunderstorms, because of this A/Flt. were released to do local flying and one sortie of two a/c were flown on low level sorties the other two B/F a/c being unable to start. After the return of the two a/c both were found to be u/s.
	JULY 15th	1953	Weather today is still the same with large Cunim in the area. B/F were released for flying. The 5 a/c from West Raynham returned in the afternoon and pilots report that the demonstration went off very well. Afternoon was sports.
	JULY 16th	1953	The Squadron again used Meppen Range today for R/P attacks. B Flight flew 2 sorties the first being simulated R/P attacks in low flying area, the other general formation flying. Night flying consisted of X countries and Q.G.H.'s with local flying for the new pilots.
	JULY 17th	1953	Battle Flight flew 5 sorties, 2 of which were Battle Flights in preparation for Exercise "Coronet". F/O Wood acted as the hostile to give practice in breaks and reforming of the eight. No other flying was done due to unserviceability.
	JULY 18th	1953	No flying today. Rehearsal for A.O.C.'s parade. Station stood down for weekend.
	JULY 20th	1953	Two new pilots joined the Squadron, F/Sgt. Shrubsole and P/O Ridgeway. No flying today, all aircraft being prepared for Exercise "Coronet". There was a detailed briefing of the Wing in the afternoon for the exercise.
	JULY 21st	1953	Squadron Commander flew to Wahn and back for a recce of our proposed base for the exercise. F/O Standish flew to Buckeburg to collect maps for the exercise.
	JULY 22nd	1953	Sgt. Knight and Sgt. Thomas did two air tests. Afternoon devoted to sport and organisation of minor details of movement. The advance party left Jever for Wahn at 06.30 hours.
	JULY 23rd	1953	P.F. 80 was observed photographing base. As weather was favourable at 18.00 hours, 8 a/c took off at 18.15 hours for Wahn. Bowser trouble held second 7 a/c until 1900 hours. All Squadron pilots arrived at Wahn by 20.30 hours. Pilots erected tents as they were not expected until Friday 24th.	No. 93 Squadron Operation Order No. 3/53 attached.
	JULY 24th	1953	Aircrew settled in at Wahn. Things in general running smoothly.
	JULY 25th	1953	21 Ground attack sorties. Two abortive low level sweeps over Bittburg, providing top cover for 83 Squadron.
	JULY 26th	1953	36 sorties, 26 ground attack, 10 on air defence. Strikes against Bittburg. 2 a/c at readiness at end of runway for airfield defence.
	JULY 27th	1953	42 sorties flown, 40 ground attack, 2 airfield defence. Low level attacks against radar sites and Mambachel. Special attention payed to ground camouflage.
	JULY 28th	1953	16 sorties flown. 4 ground attack and 10 air defence. Radar sites attacked Airfield repeatedly attacked by F.80's, but successfully defended by "Terriers".
	JULY 29th	1953	26 sorties flown. 8 ground attack, 18 air defence. Radar site on Ifle Ridge attacked. The whole Squadron took part in the airfield ground defence exercise in the evening.
	JULY 30th	1953	16 sorties all ground attack against Bitburg. 8 a/c attacking dispersals 8 for anti flak.
	31st JULY	1953	Exercise "Coronet" ended. Squadron packing up. Two formations set course for Jever at 10.30 hours. Flew back at 1,000 feet due to bad visibility.
			SQUADRON MONTHLY FLYING HOURS DAY HOURS295.45 NIGHT HOURS13.25Total309.10 hoursSorties 436
			MOVEMENTS F/O WALLACEattached from O.A.T.S. Course 28th July. F/O SPEARMANleave 5th - 19th July. P/O RIDGEWAYposted from O.C.U. 26th July. P/O COUCH) P/O BALFOUR)posted from O.C.U. 26th July. P/O MACKNISH) P/O SHRUBSOLEposted from U/K 18th July.
			ADMINISTRATIVE Main event of the month was the movement of the Squadron to Wahn for Exercise "Coronet".
			STRENGTH Sqdn.Ldr Allen "A" FLIGHT"B" FLIGHT Flt.Lt. Paterson Flt.Lt. Pearch Fg.Off. Sturman Fg.Off. Spearman Fg.Off. Wood Flt.Lt. Wallace Fg.Off. Wallace Sgt. Thomas Fg.Off. Standish Fg.Off. Bates P.O. Bell Sgt. Knight P.O. Hannah P.O. Revnell P.O. Couch P.O. Ramsay Flt.Sgt. Telfer P.O. Sanderson Flt.Sgt. Shrubsole P.O. Ridgeway P.O. Macknish [Signature Block Missing from Film]