Dinghy Drop - 279 Squadron RAF 1941-46 by Tom Docherty.pdf

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First published in Great Britain in 2007 by
Pen & Sword Aviation
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Copyright © Tom Docherty, 2007
9781783460434
The right of Tom Docherty to be identified as Author of this Work has been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.
Typeset in Palatino by
Phoenix Typesetting, Auldgirth, Dumfriesshire
Printed and bound in England by
CPI UK
Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of Pen & Sword Aviation,
Pen & Sword Maritime, Pen & Sword Military, Wharncliffe Local History,
Pen & Sword Select, Pen & Sword Military Classics and Leo Cooper.
For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact
PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE - November 1941 – April 1942
CHAPTER TWO - May – October 1942
CHAPTER THREE - November 1942 – April 1943
CHAPTER FOUR - May – October 1943
CHAPTER FIVE - November 1943 – April 1944
CHAPTER SIX - May – October 1944
CHAPTER SEVEN - November 1944 – April 1945
CHAPTER EIGHT - May – October 1945
CHAPTER NINE - November 1945 – March 1946
APPENDIX I - Squadron Commanders
APPENDIX II - Bases
APPENDIX III - Aircraft Operated
APPENDIX IV - Aircrew Losses
APPENDIX V - Contents of the Lindholme Dinghy System
APPENDIX VI - Report on Medical Aspect of Short Experimental Trips in a Hudson Dinghy
APPENDIX VII - Airborne Lifeboat Diagrams
APPENDIX VIII - A Typical ASR Course Programme
APPENDIX IX - No. 279 Squadron Aircrew as at 31 May 1942
APPENDIX X - N°. 279 Squadron Aircrew as at 31 July 1942
APPENDIX XI - N° 279 Squadron Aircrew as at 30 September 1942
APPENDIX XII - N° 279 Squadron Aircrew as at 1 January 1943
APPENDIX XIII - N° 279 Squadron Aircrew as at 3 November 1943
APPENDIX XIV - RAF Thornaby in 2005
APPENDIX XV - Farewell to the Warwick
Acknowledgements
Bibliography and References
Index
Introduction
The first developments in air sea rescue (ASR) began with the use of aircraft as offensive weapons in
World War I. Aircrews were provided with extremely basic life-saving equipment such as lifebelts,
and rescue from the sea depended very much on passing ships. By the 1920s ship- and carrier-borne
aircraft had been equipped with flotation gear, so, at the very least, there was a possibility of the
aircraft remaining afloat until rescue could be effected. By 1925 the aircrews best equipped to survive
a ditching were those who operated flying boats as they had been provided with a triangular inflatable
dinghy by this time.
Until 1935 the RAF had a limited rescue capability provided by launches used on gunnery ranges
and by flying boat and seaplane stations, but this was not a really satisfactory situation, so, in 1936,
with war looming, trials began with high-speed launches and fifteen launches were initially ordered.
Also in 1936 the Air Ministry began seriously to consider aircrew survival over water and by 1938
pneumatic dinghies were being fitted to land planes.
Up till this point rescue of ditched aircrew was carried out, in the main, by launches of the Marine
Section of Coastal Command, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and passing merchant
vessels and fishing boats. In 1939 additional high-speed launches were procured to cover home
waters and the organisation came under the control of Coastal Command. In the early months of the
war the launches were used to locate downed aircraft but communication between launches and
searching aircraft was a problem yet to be resolved. At this point there were no dedicated search and
rescue aircraft, and individual squadrons would carry out the search for their missing comrades
alongside any other operational aircraft that could be spared.
Following the Battle of Britain the RAF went over to the offensive with fighter patrols, attacks on
barge concentrations and the enemy’s capital ships in French ports, as well as low level shipping
strikes by the aircraft of No. 2 Group. In addition Bomber Command kept up its raids, all of which
combined to cause an increase in the number of losses to ditching and parachuting over the sea.
Following substantial losses in October 1940 an Air Sea Rescue Directorate was established at a
meeting in January 1941 which was placed under the control of Coastal Command with
representatives at each of the command’s group headquarters. The Directorate was commanded by
Air Cdre L. G. Le B Croke with Capt C. L. Howe RN as his deputy. Under the umbrella of the
Directorate was an organisation comprising ASR aircraft, RAF and RN high speed rescue launches,
the Royal Observer Corps (ROC), RNLI, mercantile marine, coastguard service and the police. All of
these organisations were to be actively involved in the sighting, reporting and rescue of downed
aircrew. The search and rescue areas of responsibility fell within the boundaries of Nos 15, 16, 18 and
19 Groups, dividing the coastal waters into four areas.
The responsibility of the rescue services covered only the waters out to a distance of 20 miles and
relied upon the fast launches and initially a small number of Lysanders, which carried dinghy packs
on the bomb carriers attached to the undercarriage. By May 1941 the control of this small Lysander

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