July 1941
(L to R) Sgt RW Harrison of Sheffield, Eng; Sgt LM McLean of Rumichy, Sask; Sgt WD Copland of Belfast, Ireland; Sgt HA Goggin of Elgin, NB (PL 4785)
On 1 July, the ORB bespoke what the personnel felt of their home at Castletown. Many were looking for a move due to "extremely poor facilities for training and organization at that station". The Officer in Charge (OIC) for Training in the District, W/C McMurtrie, promised to convey this to the Headquarters of Coastal Command in order to try to get a change of scenery for the Squadron - possibly to RAF Dyce.
On 2 July, the Squadron Rumble club came into being with approximately 42 offences on the prohibited list. These 'rumbles' were fines that were levied for mishaps around the squadron that the CO felt were preventable. There are several occasions in the scrapbook that Rumble! is the outcome of a misadventure. Sgt Schoales, on the 4th, "on landing, burst the port tyre, ran off runway and finished up on nose. None of the crew hurt. Unfortunately he got 'rumbled' 2/6" for minor damage. " Three days later, on 7 July, the unit lost another aircraft when the pilot, Sgt Barber, forgot to lower his gear upon landing. The only casualty was the aircraft, which was a write-off, but Sgt Barber received a visit to the Commanding Officer and a five-pound 'rumble' to help him remember his landing gear in the future. To add insult to injury, the scrapbook has two photos of the pranged Blenheim titled "Barber's effort!" Sometimes, the tone of the entry into the scrapbook bespoke a quiet disapproval of a decision; on 9 July, Sgt Campbell with WAG Sgt Harris in Z5750 "burst tyre on takeoff, informed by R/T (radio telephone) and made excellent landing in grass. Sgt Harris suffered injury to back. 2/6 Rumble. "
(L to R) Sgt AG Walker of Glasgow, Scotland,; Sgt P McCarthy of London, Eng; Sgt FS Lacey of Timmins, Ont; Sgt A Bell of Glasgow, Scot; Sgt CDG Brown of Windsor, Ont.
Throughout July, the unit conducted normal training with only a few special events to break the monotony. The fifth of the month was indeed quite special as it was a day off due to weather. The aircrew celebrated by traveling either to Wick or to Thurso for a bath as there being no bathing facilities in Castletown.
On 12 July, “the officers of the squadron had plenty of nerve and threw out a challenge for a football match against the ‘crack’ Air Crew side. A certain person couldn’t resist a bet and managed to win a tenner from the Commanding Officer because the officers got duffed-up to the tune of 7-0! The (officers) tried pretty hard but suffered probably from ‘alcoholic wind’ which helped the Air Crew who train on milk. A challenge return match for a crate of beer was refused by the officers.” A handwritten note next to this, “ammendment – For AIR CREW read senior NCOs (I should think so!!)”
(l to r) Sgt JH Harris, Sgt DW Campbell, Sgt JH Oliver, Sgt RJ Williams, Sgt A Rogers, Sgt WR Christison, Sgt RA Schoales
The squadron held its first dance on 18 July and as one squadron member recalls
".(it) turned out a successful venture. There were bags of local talent and quite a number of WAAFs from Wick turned up in force. A certain A/Obs celebrated his 21st birthday and got quite merry but where he got the figure 21 from is like nobody's business."
Finally, on 26 July, the squadron received orders to proceed to RAF Station Skitten, a satellite aerodrome on Wick, where they were to replace 607 Fighter Squadron. On the following day, the unit commenced the move leaving behind two aircraft, which were unserviceable.
August 1941
Although the location was different at Skitten, the daily routine for the squadron did not change much at all - practice and more practice. 9 August saw the squadron lose another aircraft when Sgt RK McKay crashed in Blenheim L6178 while carrying out single engine circuits and landings. No one was injured, but the aircraft was a wreck. Flying continued, and on 10 August the squadron took part in Exercise Leapfrog, which was a combined exercise with the navy, army and RAF involving an attempted invasion of the Orkney Islands. Throughout the remainder of the month the squadron continued to practice air to air firing, formation flying, fighter attacks and formation flying in clouds.
Silhouette shot of technicians (Erks) working on a Bristol Blenheim (Christison collection)
On 28 August, the squadron was detailed for its first operational mission. P/O EW 'Teddy' Pierce was detailed for the trip to patrol and carry out a square search, two thirds of the way to Norway for a surface vessel that was sending out signals. Perhaps anti-climactically, Pierce had to return owing to engine trouble. Pierce's pals pulled no punches in the Scrap Book with their comments about what happened to cancel the mission.
