RAF-lincolnshire.info :: Digby - A history 1917-1978 by Sqn Ldr GI Gilson

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RAF Digby - RCAF Digby
A history : 1918 - 1978

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Updated: 3 Mar 08

CHAPTER 2 - BETWEEN THE WARS

b. 1926-1937

1926

In 1926 the unit gained another ‘first’; this time two sergeant pilots, Snaith and Lowdall, became the first airmen pilots in RAF history to obtain A1 categories as qualified flying instructors. Incidentally, Sergeant Snaith, in 1927, as if to point out that he was not just a flier, also won the RAF ½ Mile Championship in record time.

During 1926 the unit expanded and Vickers Vimys were added to the other aircraft. It had become so large that it now split into 5 flights: A and B Flights had AVRO 504s, C Flight Bristol Fighters, D Flight DH9s and E Flight Vickers Vimys. Later Armstrong Whitworth Atlases were added.

1927

Crazy flying was to reappear at the RAF Pageant in 1927, after an absence of three years. The old Avro 504K had been phased out of the act and replaced by the Avro 504N. That year saw the introduction of the crazy flying duo which was to be repeated at subsequent Pageants. Participants were the winners of competitions between the Flying Training Schools of the Home Establishment. Flt Lt H T Lidford AFC and Flt ILt F J Fogarty DFC from No 2 FTS, Digby, delighted and horrified the Hendon crowds, with a hair raising display, supposedly each flying a simultaneous programme at each end of the aerodrome. ‘Flight’ remarked, “They, however, seemed to be simultaneously all over it - at least one of them (we think it was Flt Lt Fogarty) flew most of the time on the aerodrome. He was evidently working out a scheme for aerial Lawn mowers, while his colleague seemed to be practising some new steps for the Charleston. The former’s evolutions consisted of banked turns, straights, and serpentines with wheels of wing-tips actually touching the ground, varied occasionally with a game of hide and seek with his colleagues among the three squadrons of day bombers which had just previously taken up their positions on the ‘drome. Anyway it was a most painful exhibition - as far us our neck muscles and hearts wore concerned.”

1928

At the 1928 Pageant two different officers took over the crazy flying act. They were Fg Off C H G Brembridge and Fg Off G E Campbell DFM, again from No 2 FTS at Digby. They thrilled the crowds with a new manoeuvre which consisted of diving towards each other, passing, zooming, and then looping or flying upside down, each aircraft performing the same denouement simultaneously .

1927 and 1928 again saw sporting successes. The Wakefield novices cup for boxing was won by Digby in both years, while in 1929 not only the Wakefield but also the Junior Wakefield and Inter-Unit Boxing Championships came to Digby.

The first ‘Air’ George Cross was won at Digby on 20 June 1928. A DH9 number AJ8489, crashed and ignited on landing. The award was promulgated in the London Gazette dated 9 November 1928, and the citation tells its own story:

“Empire Gallantry Medal - Converted to George Cross

563339 Leading Aircraftman Walter Arnold, Royal Air Force, for conspicuous gallantry displayed at Digby Aerodrome on 20 June 1928. This airman was a passenger in a machine which was wrecked upon landing and immediately caught fire. Arnold extricated himself from the burning wreckage and, although fully aware of the grave risk he was taking, re-entered the flames and succeeded in dragging the pilot, who was unconscious and very severely injured, to a position of safety. Arnold sustained burns to his face, neck and hands, and his prompt and courageous action undoubtedly saved the pilot’s life, since the burning petrol spread rapidly and rendered any subsequent approach to the wreckage impossible.”

The EGM was later converted to the George Cross, and Arnold was presented with this on 25 November 1941.

1929

In 1929 Group Captain Sidney Smith again became Commanding Officer. His Chief Flying Instructor was Squadron Leader R D Oxland. (In November 1926, Oxland had been in command of the nucleus of regular officers and airmen who had formed No 503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron, RAF Special Reserve). In the summer of 1929, to take advantage of the weather which was generally better during the morning, Oxland instituted a system of flying from 4 am until 12 noon! However, for reasons which one can only guess at, the experiment was not popular. Neither was it a success, and after a trial run of about 2 months it ended, to the relief, no doubt, of all concerned Officers undergoing flying training had to pay £90 a year for the privilege, presumably to stop frivolous applications. With Oxland about, it seems there were other deterrents.

1930

In 1930, Campbell achieved his hat trick of Hendon appearances. In that year, he had yet another partner, Pilot Officer Frank Whittle, who was later to gain fame as the inventor of the jet engine and to retire as Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, KBE CB FRS LLD. Although ‘Flight’ considered that the flying was not quite equal to past displays, they did describe it as hair raising. ‘The two Avro Lynxes (Avro 504Ns) executed impossible evolutions, about 5.999in from the ground all round the aerodrome. Sometimes they would charge each other, crabbing sideways and pass with apparently only inches to spare, or would allow each otter to pass by raising adjacent wing-tips. Then they skimmed across the grass in ‘mass’ formation, one banked to the right, the other to the left, and when they landed at the conclusion of their ‘turn’, they appeared to do so locked together in X-fashion.”

1931

During 1931-32 the Vimys and Bristols went, and the following March the Avros left.

Wing Commander Charles Kimber in his book “Son of Halton” tells us that he was posted to No 2 Flying Training School, RAF Digby, Lincolnshire, on the 21 August 1931. His duties were in the airframe section which was in some respects a disappointment, since he had hoped for flight duties. However, he was to gain valuable experience and, in later years, had no reason for regrets.

One of the first voluntary measures he made at Digby was enrolment in further education classes for the Higher Education Certificate, which was on a par with the Higher School Certificate. The HEC was in 3 parts, each to be taken separately after 12 months attendance at evening classes at the Education Centre. The education officer was a Lieutenant Commander Gould RN (Ret’d).

In the airframe section, Kimber became the junior member of a small group of 4 headed by an experienced carpenter rigger named Patterson. When Kimber joined it, the work in hand was rebuilding a Bristol Fighter which had crashed some lays previously. This aircraft was being phased out of the RAF and this was one of the last to depart, to the regret of everyone. When work was completed it was sold to a private buyer for the absurd sum of £15 or so; the ‘buzz’ maintained that this sum had been mentioned by no less an authority than Squadron Leader ‘Dusty’ Rhodes, who was the officer in charge of the airframe section.

1932

When Kimber returned from sunnier leave in 1932, he learned that he had been transferred from the airframe section to D Flight, which was equipped with Atlases and a Siskin lIla. The latter was the dual control version of the Siskin III, a fighter aircraft. (Although it was customary to give aircraft the names of birds, ome wonders why an aggressive type of aircraft should be given the name of Siskin, which is a small songbird). The flight commander in D Flight was a Flight Lieutenant Harston, an excellent flying instructor arid well liked by all. Kimber was responsible for his aircraft, Atlas K 1194, and made many short duration flights with him. D Flight was the advanced flying training flight for the officers who had completed their ab initio training on the Avro 504N and 504K. Completion of advanced flying was marked by the pupil officer taking a passenger for the first time. The idea behind this was to increase the officer’s sense of responsibility and confidence. The latter was considered a questionable point and hence did not bring a rush of volunteers as passengers. But this resulted in more flights for those who were less sceptical and Kimber frequently occupied the cockpit for 2 successive passenger tests.

Group Captain Sidney Smith is reported as being always generous in his time to anyone who flew with him. Kimber made several flights and all included instruction in piloting.

1933

1933 was to be the last year in which the Avro 504N performed at Hendon. The two flying instructors who participated in this extraordinary skilful event were Flying Officer P R ‘Buggy’ May and Sergeant V J W Bredenkamp, both of No 2 FTS. The presentation was in the form of a ‘new method’ of flying instruction, where the instructor and pupil each occupied separate aircraft, coloured red and blue. The instructor, Sergeant Bredenkemp, made some manoeuvre and the ‘pupil’ was required to repeat it. The repertoire was from take off, manoeuvres in the air and thence landing. Of course, Buggy May made a hash of everything, including careering in a tight circle on the ground for his takeoff, ‘hanging on the propeller’ in a stalled climb and landing with the Avro at an angle of 45 degrees with the tail on the ground. Although the event was eagerly anticipated by the public and always proved hilarious, it was an exhibition of superb flying skill. The practices for the event took place at Digby and whenever one was in progress, officers and NCOs were hard pressed to keep their men in their respective sections.

In July 1933 an incident occurred which was to lead to the court martial of 3 students. They were nearing the end of the course, all tests completed, and more or less putting in time till the passing out parade of the final course of 2 FTS. There were three colonial Acting Pilot Officers on course, Tomlinson from South Africa, Fear from New Zealand and Kennedy from Canada. At lunch they were talking together and learnt that they were all scheduled to fly at the same time that afternoon. They concocted the plan of meeting up in the air and flying over in formation to Skegness. However, Station Flying Orders laid down that pupils would not fly outside a 5, yes 5, mile radius of the aerodrome without authorisation.

Over Skegness, Tomlinson, who was leading the formation, decided to have a closer look at a pleasure steamer a mile or so out from the pier. He started to lose height and the others followed him down. At about 200’ they levelled off but he misjudged and flew right into the water. Tomlinson was thrown clear of the wreckage, and Mr Montague Grunnill, a lifeboat coxswain, who was in charge of the pleasure boat, Grace Darling, picked him up.

The three were not too popular as with the FTS closing down most of the staff had received a posting away. A General Court Martial was convened by order of AVM Longmore, Commanding Inland Area. They were charged with:

1. Disobeying a lawful comrnand given by their superior officer.
2. Conduct to the prejudice of good order and Airforce discipline.
3. Disobeying No 2 FTS standing orders (flying) - flying outside a 5 mile radius of the aerodrome.

By the time the CM convened, 14 August 1933 they were practically the sole survivors on the station. As soon as it over they were shipped to Grantham under Close arrest.

The powers-that-be were kind; the sentence was loss of seniority and dropping so many places in the Air Force List and, of course, a reprimand. Tomlinson was also assessed some trifling sum such as £5 for damaging one of His Majesty’s aircraft!

In December 1933 the Flying Training School closed down and the Station was handed over to Cranwell. In spite of the rundown, the Station managed to win the Wakefield Trophy again!

1934

Ten months later No 2 Flying Training School re-started under Squadron Leader G H Cock. It was equipped with AVRO Tutors, Hawker Harts and Furies. After 2 months Squadron Leader Cock handed over to Group Captain T Leigh-Mallory, who was later to become Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory.

One of Digby’s unique distinctions is that an aircraft was built in Station Workshops. The man who built it was Squadron Leader C R Davidson. What we know of the story of the Digby Flying Flea is at Appendix 5.

Reconstruction, Expansion

The physical appearance of the Station underwent a drastic change in 1935/36. The 7 original hangars, which had stood where the Barrack Blocks now stand, were replaced by 2 new ones. Originally, it had been planned to have a third one standing between them. However, the close proximity of war put a stop to the building programme and the third hangar was never built. Domestic building, including married quarters, also went on, and many of the present-day buildings appeared at this time.

Also in 1936 a scheme to train civil pilots was started at Digby. Rumour has it that some ladies were trained, but very little is now known about this scheme.

The CO at this time, Group Captain Robinson, was an ADC to the King. This involved him in having to ride a horse at some parade in London. For weeks beforehand, early every morning he rode up and down between the hangars whilst airmen hanged tins and waved rags on sticks to acclimatize the animal to the excited crowds. The day before the event, the horse fell ill, so the preparations were in vain! Nevertheless, the great day apparently passed off without problems for anyone other than the poor horse.

These distractions seem to have no appreciable effect on the sporting life of the Station, for during 1936, the inter-unit rugby Cup and the inter-unit junior fencing cup were both won by Digby. The rugby strength of the Station was no doubt helped by the fact that at the time there was on the unit a Flight Lieutenant C Beamish, whose brother went on to win many international cups for Ireland at rugby, and rose to be an air marshal. On their way to the final, the Digby team apparently played Cranwell. So certain were Cranwell of their forthcoming victory, that they had booked a Vickers Valencia to fly the team to the next leg at Leuchars in Fife. Beamish made himself very unpopular by asking if the aircraft would be used by the Digby team instead [more?]

Construction of 12 Group Fighter Command Lima Sector Operations Room

The budget for building the Sector Ops Room bunker was a princely £5000.

[and plug station museum]

> next

Sector Ops Room Museum

Digby Oral Histories:

Digby - A History
" A history 1917 - 1978"
Foreword
Introduction
1917 - Aug1919
Inter-War Years
1919-1926
1927-1937
1937-1939
World War II
1939-1940
1941
Jan - Aug 1942
Sep 1942 - 1944
1945
Return to Training
1945 - Jan 1948
Feb - Mar 1948
Mar 1948 - 1953
A cadet remembers
The Signals Era
Jan 1955 - Dec 1961
Dec 1963 - 1978

1955 - the Signals Era

Digby Ops Room Museum
A brief history on Airops website

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