RAF Transport Command
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Royal Air Force Transport Command | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 25 March 1943 - 1 August 1967 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Command |
| Role | controlling Transport aircraft |
| Motto | Ferio Ferendo Latin: "I Strike by Carrying" |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Insignia | |
| crest heraldry | A golden griffon in front of a globe |
RAF Transport Command was an Royal Air Force command which controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.
During World War II it at first ferried aircraft from factories to operational units and performed air transport. Later it took over the job of dropping paratroops from Army Cooperation Command as well.
After WWII, it increased rapidly in size. It took part in several big operations, including the Berlin airlift in 1948, which reinforced the need for a big RAF transport fleet. The Handley Page Hastings, a four engined transport, was introduced during the Berlin Air Lift and became the mainstay transport aircraft for the next 15 years. In 1956 new designs arrived including the first operational jet engine transport, the de Havilland Comet and the Blackburn Beverley. In 1959 the Bristol Britannia, (turboprop) was introduced.
The largest functions of this period were support of operations involving the evacuation of Suez and the subsequent Suez Crisis, casualty evacuation from Korea and Malaya, supplies to Woomera, Australia and ferrying personnel and supplies out to Christmas Island for the UK's atomic bomb tests. In addition, Transport Command ran scheduled routes to the Indian Ocean and the Far East, which kept military bases in touch with the UK. It also carried out specialised flights worldwide covering all the continents, bar Antarctica. Many varied Tasks were undertaken during the 1950s.
The 1960s saw a reduction of the RAF and a loss of independence for the old functional commands. Transport Command was renamed Air Support Command. Air Support Command in turn was absorbed into Strike Command in 1973.
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[edit] Operation Becher's Brook
From the log and diary of a Flight Sergeant Navigator of 47 Squadron:
No 47 Squadron participated during February to November 1953
- The Squadron Hastings would fly out to Canada with either Pilots and/or Ground crews, which had been picked up at Benson, Oxon. The Pilots would complete a "Shakedown" with the Sabres prior to Flying them to the UK. The Ground Crews would service the Sabres during "Shakedown" and support the aircraft on their ferry journey home. The main RCAF airfields were Hubertville, nr Montreal & Bagotville, Chicoutimi, nr Ottawa.
When a Flight was ready the Sabres would collect at Goose Bay for the trip to the UK. This was via Bluie West 1/Narsassuak at the tip of Greenland and then to Keflavik, Iceland with the final Hop to the Shetlands/mainland Scotland. Every leg was dependent on accurate weather checks and suitable Winds.
I personally spent the whole of February 1953 in Hastings WJ341 H (Capt. Flt Lt Parsons) flying to and from airfields between Canada & Iceland before returning to Topcliffe on the 27th.
I did two further trips in April/May. (March was spent on a "CasEvac" trip to Iwakuni, Japan with Paddy Bailey) with Hastings WD483 O/WD485 J with Paddy Bailey, then WD494 M with Ted Adair & F.O. Habgood.
The method of "escort" on the North Atlantic crossing required 2 Hastings accompanying the Sabres.
One would be at Goose Bay waiting to take the Sabre ground crews to BW1 after the Sabres had left Goose Bay. One aircraft would be at BW1 to receive the flight. The Hastings at Goose Bay would then overfly BW1 to Keflavik to await the flight form BW1.
Because the Sabres were at the limit of their endurance on each leg there would be a weather aircraft, airborne between Goose Bay and BW1, which gave the go-ahead when meteorological conditions were favourable. This procedure was repeated on the leg from BW1 to Keflavik. After Keflavik the final leg was controlled from UK.
The fuel content of the Sabres was critical and there were some "Dicey" situations during the Exercise. On one trip into Keflavik the Sabres had to come straight-in (downwind) and some ran out of fuel whilst Taxiing.
However, I believe the RAF never lost an aircraft during the Operation.
[edit] North Greenland Expedition
From the log and diary of a Flight Sergeant Navigator of 47 Squadron:
- In August/ September 1953, 47 Squadron revisited Thule, Greenland, to resupply Commander Simpson at "Northice" on the centre of the icecap. Supplies were "free-dropped", from very low level, onto the snow. Two crews went with Hastings WD490 T. The Captains were Flt Lt's Wright and Hampson. I was Navigator on one of the crews The period covered was August 21st to September 14th.
I had a quick course on "Grid Navigation" as we would be flying at about 78degrees North and normal navigation was unsuitable. Also as we were so close to the North Magnetic Pole the G4B compass was the only reliable one available. The P10 needle was touching the glass due to the angle of dip.
On September 16th of the previous year Flt Lt Clancy, of 47 Squadron, in Hastings WD492 had a "whiteout" and crashlanded at Northice. All the crew had been lifted off by the USAF Rescue Service, from Thule, with a Grumman amphibian and Ski Dakota. Clancy's aircraft had during the year been covered by snow with only the "red" tailplane showing above the snow. This became our landmark for "Northice", Commander Simpson having moved his base to the site of the crash of the previous year. On one trip , having completed our drop and returning to Thule, we experienced the unique phenomena of the Sun rising in the West. Our ground speed being greater than that of the Sun. I still have some Logs & Charts from these flights to & from "Northice" recording this.
[edit] Commanders-in-Chief
- 25 March 1943 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill
- 15 February 1945 - Air Marshal Sir Ralph Cochrane
- 24 September 1947 - Air Marshal Sir Brian Baker
- 31 March 1950 - Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Ellwood
- 1 January 1952 - Air Vice Marshal R S Blucke
- 3 June 1952 - Air Vice Marshal C E N Guest
- 15 March 1954 - Air Vice Marshal G R Beamish
- 15 October 1955 - Air Marshal Sir Andrew McKee
- 16 May 1959 - Air Marshal Sir Denis Barnett
- 30 April 1962 - Air Marshal Sir Edmund Hudleston
- 1 December 1963 - Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross
- 27 January 1967 - Air Marshal Sir Thomas Prickett
[edit] See also
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