RAF-Lincolnshire.info - the home of Royal Air Force and airfield history in Lincolnshire, including allied and other air services.

 

Sgt (P) Carl Hobbs, 61 Sqn and Flt Lt Colin Richards


Home
RAF Stations & Bases
Aircraft types
Forum and Bulletin Boards
Search site
Links
Books
Abbreviations
People Finder
About

Contact us

> Units and Formations

Flying Squadrons
5 Sqn
6 Sqn
8 Sqn
9 Sqn
10 Sqn
11 Sqn
12 Sqn
15 Sqn
18 Sqn
21 Sqn
22 Sqn
23 Sqn
25 Sqn
27 Sqn
29 Sqn
33 Sqn
35 Sqn
39 Sqn
41 Sqn
43 Sqn
44 Sqn
46 Sqn
49 Sqn
50 Sqn
51 Sqn
54 Sqn
56 Sqn
57 Sqn
61 Sqn
64 Sqn
65 Sqn
68 Sqn
69 Sqn
70 Sqn
71 Sqn
73 Sqn
75 Sqn
81 Sqn
83 Sqn
85 Sqn
88 Sqn
90 Sqn
92 Sqn
97 Sqn
100 Sqn
101 Sqn
103 Sqn
104 Sqn
106 Sqn
109 Sqn
110 Sqn
111 Sqn
112 Sqn
113 Sqn
116 Sqn
121 Sqn
133 Sqn
136 Sqn
139 Sqn
141 Sqn
142 Sqn
143 Sqn
144 Sqn
148 Sqn
149 Sqn
150 Sqn
151 Sqn
153 Sqn
154 Sqn
166 Sqn
170 Sqn
189 Sqn
198 Sqn
199 Sqn
203 Sqn
206 Sqn
207 Sqn
209 Sqn
210 Sqn
211 Sqn
214 Sqn
222 Sqn
227 Sqn
228 Sqn
229 Sqn
235 Sqn
236 Sqn
248 Sqn
249 Sqn
251 Sqn
253 Sqn
254 Sqn
255 Sqn
256 Sqn
264 Sqn
266 Sqn
280 Sqn
288 Sqn
300 Sqn
301 Sqn
302 Sqn
303 Sqn
305 Sqn
307 Sqn
309 Sqn
310 Sqn
349 Sqn
350 Sqn
401 Sqn
402 Sqn
404 Sqn
407 Sqn
409 Sqn
410 Sqn
411 Sqn
412 Sqn
415 Sqn
416 Sqn
420 Sqn
421 Sqn
430 Sqn
438 Sqn
439 Sqn
441 Sqn
442 Sqn
443 Sqn
452 Sqn
455 Sqn
460 Sqn
463 Sqn
467 Sqn
486 Sqn
503 Sqn
504 Sqn
527 Sqn
528 Sqn
532 Sqn
538 Sqn
542 Sqn
550 Sqn
576 Sqn
601 Sqn
609 Sqn
613 Sqn
616 Sqn
617 Sqn
619 Sqn
625 Sqn
626 Sqn
627 Sqn
630 Sqn

Heavy Conversion Units
1654 HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
1667 HCU
1668 HCU
21 HGCU

Advanced Flying Schools
201 AFS

Advanced Flying Units
12 AFU
15 AFU

Flying Training Schools
1 FTS
2 FTS
3 FTS
6 FTS
7 FTS
12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School

Operational Training/
Conversion Units
(Fighter)
6 OTU
53 OTU

56 OTU

(Bomber)
228 OCU
230 OCU

Air Armament Schools
1 AAS
2 AAS
Empire Central AS

Other schools
1 Gp Aircrew School
1 Ground Defence School
1 Air Observers School
Central Gunnery School
5 Gp Anti Air School

Other units
Bomber Command
Coastal Command
Fighter Command
HQ No 5 Group
HQ No 23 Group
1485 Gunnery Flight
2782 Defence Sqn
178 Support Unit
399 Signals Unit
Nationality based Sqns

Updated: 11 May 13

61 Sqn lost its first aircrew during an attempted landing at RAF Digby on 8 Mar 1940 when Handley Page Hampden Mk1 bomber, number L4111, piloted by Fg Off (P) Derek Clinkard, crashed in a nearby field. The crew included Sgt (P) Carl Hobbs. The full account of the crew and the event are on a separate page.

I was contacted in 2013 by a son of a close friend of Sgt Carl Hobbs, the later Flt Lt Colin Gane Richards, born 22 Sep 1916. Carl had been Colin's best buddy. They they learnt to fly together, as teenagers. Before the war they had spent a holiday together at St Hellier Jersey in 1936 or 37.

picture of Colin Richards on his Norton motor bike in 1936
Colin Richards on his Norton motor bike in 1936

Colin and Carl were both at 501 (City of Bristol) Squadron at RAF Filton, Bristol, from their joining the RAFVR in 1937. He and Carl took their pilot's licence at the same time and were both from Clifton in Bristol. Their reports and CO's recommendation led to them going on to No 2 RAF Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School (ERFTS) at Filton and where Colin gained his wings in 1938, also operating at Whitchurch and St Athan.

Sgt CG Richards RAF-VR

Sgt CG Richards RAF-VR went on from 2 ERFTS to 1 Air Armament School at RAF Manby and from there to No 1 Sqn 31 OTU at Debert Nova Scotia under the Empire Training School. He was at Manby for 12 months from Nov 1939 to Nov 1940 during which he amassed 25 pages of flights in his logbook on a variety of aircraft, including of course the detail of first and second pilots, route, duration and task. He remained in Canada as a navigation instructor and on pilot conversion on Hudsons from Jan 1941 to Jan 1944, gaining his commission in May 1943.

Photograph of 1 Sqn, 31 OTU shortly after May 1943 click for enlargement
Photograph of 1 Sqn, 31 OTU shortly after May 1943

Andy, Colin's son, recalls stories his father told about No 1 AAS Manby, going out on the motorbikes at night to Mablethorpe and around the area. He also recovered fuel from a crumpled pre-war bomber at the end of the runway to fuel these visits, and it took 2 to do it; one with the can and one in the cockpit to open the cocks. The recovered fuel was stored it in petrol cans under the bed, in his billet. They used this to run their bikes for about 8 months; it was low octane as it had been a low altitude aircraft, and they never got sussed or caught. Well, only once at night, by a guard post on a long Lincolnshire road with dykes either side when in the black of night 3 of them were rattling along and well drunk, and intercepted by Coldstream guards.

In Colin's archive there was a letter from a friend stationed at the Sgts' Mess RAF Hemswell dated 11 Mar 40 to let him know that Carl was killed as pilot in the crash near Digby. It was probably the most significant and meaningful loss to him in his wartime career and on return to the UK.

click for full-size image of letter relating to 61 Sqn Hampden crash Handley Page Hampden Mk1 bomber, number L4111, piloted by Fg Off (P) Derek Clinkard

He lived to a grand age of 88, retaining his multi Licence until he retired in 1980, passing away in Feb 2005.

With thanks to Andy Richards who retains the copyright over the photographs and correspondence reproduced in this article. (May 2013).






 

61 Sqn history on RAF site

Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire
(Tourism)

Follow RAF Lincolnshire:
Visit RAF-Lincolnshire.info's facebook page. Like our page and stay up to date with our posts on facebook! Follow us on twitter and stay up to date with our frequent news items

Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com

Google+

powered by blueconsultancy