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RAF
Digby - RCAF Digby
A history : 1918 - 1978
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Alma Park
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Boston Wyberton Fen
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Wellingore
Wickenby
Wigsley
Winterton
Woodhall Spa
Updated: 2 Jan 08
CHAPTER 2 - BETWEEN THE WARS
c. 1937-1939
FROM TRAINING TO OPERATIONS
1937 saw the unit sever its connection with flying training. On 7 September No 2 Flying Training School moved to Brize Norton, and Digby was handed back to No 12 Group of Fighter Command. Two months later there were 2 squadrons of fighters at Digby - No 73 equipped with Gladiators and No 46 equipped with Gauntlets. A young Canadian pilot, Flight Lieutenant E A McNab, seconded to the RAF and flying with No 73 Squadron, was to return in 1942 as Digby’s second Canadian Station Commander.
1938 saw the squadrons re-equipped with Hurricanes and in 1939 they were joined by another Hurricane-equipped squadron, No 504 (County of Nottingham). This Auxiliary Air Force squadron, which was then commanded by a regular officer, Squadron Leader Victor Beamish, AFC, was posted in for a period of intensive training in preparation for war. At this tense time there came another of the distinguished airmen who haye served at Digby, Flying Officer ‘Cobber’ Kane, later to gain fame in the Battle of France.
In the last days of peace, Warrant Officer (later Squadron Leader) Akhurst was the Station Armament Officer. His responsibilities included Station defence and anti-gas. Not only did he Look after the Service personnel, but gave lectures to families in the married quarters and to civilians in the surrounding villages. During one of his practice raids, the BBC took quite a bit of film, including some of families running into shelters. this footage has apparently since been used in several war films. Akhurst also owned a pet lamb ‘Akhy’; he had great difficulty in preventing some members of the squadron from taking him on an unauthorised flight.
In June 1939, the first reservists began to arrive at Digby. Their arrival caused many a headache for the regulars. One can sympathise with the flight commander who received a draftee who described himself as ‘Rigger, Airship’! No doubt the pay accounts people puzzled over that one as well. One reservist reported for duty as a dispatch rider at the age of 67. Whilst the fuss caused by the reservists arrival was subsiding, another arose. All occupants of married quarters were ordered to vacate them so that they could be used to house the WAAFs who were drafted in in August 1939 (read about this in Peggy Balfour's recollections). One can imagine the wives not being very happy with this arrangement’.
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Digby memorials
Sector Ops Room Museum
Digby Oral Histories:
Geraldine Poulton
- Ops Room WAAF
Peggy Balfour - Ops
Room WAAF
"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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