by
Royal Air Force
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Wing Commander J.W.B. Judge during the Western Desert Campaign (1940-1943) |
Author's Commentary is in a separate document. The following overview and indexing is organized as follows | |
Contents of Commentary: numbered section
headings
|
Timeline of Western Desert operations (1940-1943) Place names and landing grounds [Map] |
Author's Foreword |
I would like to explain the reason for writing this document and a little of my background. This will enable the reader to form his or her own opinion as to whether the document contains fiction or the truth. Firstly, my object in writing this document is to make a record of the true happenings in the Middle East, and secondly, in the hope that perhaps on similar occasions, should they occur, consideration will again be given to any opinions or suggestions expressed as a result of experience by a comparatively junior officer. Initially I arrived in the Middle East Command (first named RAF Middle East) in March 1933 and was stationed at Ismailia, a town near Lake Timsah on the Suez Canal. In 1936 I returned to England, and in common with many Australians, I found the English climate extremely trying. Therefore I applied to be returned to the Middle East Command. In this I was fortunate as an officer who had been posted for instructional duties at a training school near Ismailia did not wish to go, and I was able to proceed as his replacement. In 1936 therefore I found myself again in Egypt at Abu Sueir, a training station only 12 miles from Ismailia. I remained at this station on instructional duties until the beginning of 1939 and was then posted to Ismailia, to command a squadron. It was whilst at Ismailia in August 1939 that we received orders to move to our war station in the Western Desert, together with other squadrons who comprised the very minute air force component stationed in the Middle East at that time. The location of my squadron was at El Daba. The reader should appreciate that I had therefore been in Egypt for practically the whole of my service in the Royal Air Force. During this time, being very interested in the country and the people I had to speak the language (and been successful in passing an examination). At this stage I would like to apologise for the use of the first person. In Air Force jargon it is known as "shooting a line". Therefore, it is desirable to avoid obtaining a reputation of this type. However, after reading books which have been published in respect of the Western Desert and the number of statements which were obviously untrue, I decided that it would be a good thing to provide the reading public with the actual happenings as they are known to me from first hand experience. For some time I was unable to proceed with this document due to the first person complex when I found that no other method would suffice. It was at this stage that Phillip Guedalla paid a visit to a station where I was in command during the period he was obtaining material in order to write his last book Middle East, 1940 to 1942: a study in air power (1944). When he realised how intimately I had been concerned with the Western Desert Campaign he suggested that I should write a book. I explained to him that I desired to do so, but (i) I had not the ability to write, and (ii) in my attempts I had run up against the barrier of the first person. He told me that my attitude was entirely wrong and that it was necessary for me to use the first person rather than try to conceal events in some other form. You now have the reasons for this document being written, why it is written so badly, and why I possessed more knowledge of Egypt than the average officer in the Royal Air Force. |
Editorial Notes |
Content and presentation of document The period June 1940 to July 1942 was a tumultuous one in World War II, as notably manifest in the Western Desert Campaign -- with the Battle of Tobruk and the Battle of El Alamein. The focus of this account is on the author's own direct involvement with regard to his expertise in landing ground reconnaissance and construction in relation to current and potential air support requirements. It therefore deals with both the actual reconnaissance and construction and the administrative decision-making by which this was authorized or obstructed. In a period handicapped by rivalry between Air Force and Army and their strained relations, which has led to historical accounts of the role of both parties that are not free from bias. The account provides a direct report of the implications for decision-making regarding landing grounds and the consequences for the facililities held to be available. Although the author had command and operational responsibilities through this period, these are only incidentally mentioned, if at all. Other accounts are available of 211 Squadron he commanded from 27 February 1939 to 23 July 1940. The account does not cover his experience from 1933 to 1939, primarily in the Western Desert, nor does it cover his experience in that area from July 1942, or elsewhere until the end of World War II. Nor does it describe his direct involvement in attacks on Italian and German forces, or the horrific experiences of the main battles of the Western Desert Campign (which he never mentioned thereafter). Due to his expertise, knowledge of the Western Desert, and the novel requirements for a network of landing grounds, the author had unusual relationships with the Air Force hierarchy of command, bypassing normal channels, notably with respect to Air Marshal Tedder -- itself a cause of stress (as described in what follows) in a command structure under wartime stress and constant reorganization. The account has the advantages and disadvantages of being a "blow-by-blow" description of issues of wider relevance with an admixture of anecdote and personal experience. As written in narrative form, it has the disadvantage of not including precise dates, although many of these are a matter of historical record. Some have been included in the subheadings. The original manuscript, dating from the 1940s, was typsescript (with manuscript amendments) and in relatively poor condition. Several different efforts were made to scan it in 2008, but the character recognition was of insufficient quality -- if not illegible. The manuscript was therefore retyped by the author's daughter-in-law, Hannelore Wolzenburg. The text was then edited by the author's son, Anthony Judge (born in Port Said, prior to the events related here).. To facilitate reader exploration of the narrative, taking advantage of web facilities, considerable use has been made of hypertext links from proper names as follows:
There this procedure is explained in more detail, notably with respect to spelling of place names. Such linking in the text, although repetitive, offers the additional advantage of highlighting words to facilitate rapid selective reading with respect to topics of interest. The tentative original division in chapters has been abandoned, although the order has not been modified. Instead headings for smaller sections have been inserted -- to which access is provided from the contents*** page. Paragraphs have also been reduced in length. As written, a mix of miles and kilometres is used, as was presumably the practice. This has not been normalized. The author, John Westley (otherwise Wesley) Boyd Judge, was as Australian born on 27 August 1910 in Sydney. He married Mary Margaret Nesbitt, also an Australian, in Melbourne in 1939. Their son Anthony was born in Port Said (Egypt) in 1940 and their daughter Penelope in Reading (UK) in 1952.
Concerns and motivation of the author As the author indicates in his foreword he had been motivated to write this document by descriptions of aspects of operations in the Western Desert by others which he considered inaccurate in some respects, having been directly involved in some of them.
It is consistent with the nature of this account that totally absent from it is any mention of:
Only brief mention is made of his official report The Organisation of Squadrons and Maintenance Units in the Western Desert. |
***
Operational Context |
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to World War II in Egypt. It was commanded by Generalr Archibald Wavell (28 July 1939 – 4 July 1941) and then by GeneraL Claude Auchinleck (5 July 1941 – 14 August 1942). The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War was the initial stage of the North African Campaign The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known as Air HQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force formed during World War II. It was formed in North Africa in 1941, to provide close air support to the Eighth Army. The DAF was made up of squadrons from the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the South African Air Force (SAAF), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Many individual personnel from other Allied air forces also took part. RAF No 202 (Operations) Group formed (21 Sep 1939) by renaming Egypt Group; absorbed in No 204 Group (12 Apr 1941); reformed (26 May 1941); renamed AHQ Egypt (1 Dec 1941); reformed (11 Jul 1944) to administer RAF units involved on Operation Anvil/Dragoon; disbanded (7 Nov 1944). Commanded by Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw (from 21 Sep 1939) and by Air Commodore Thomas Walker Elmhirst (from 14 April 1941) |
***
Timeline of Western Desert operations (1940-1943)(linked to sections of narrative where applicable) |
--- 1940 ---
--- 1941 ---
--- 1942 ---
|
Place
names and landing grounds |
|
A | |
Aboukir, Abu Qir (Egypt, Delta) (RAF) -- 52, 73, 79 [G2] | Alexandria (Egypt, Delta) -- 2, 4, 9, 11, 51, 54, 56, 57, 72, 73, 79, 80, 85, 88, 91, 107 [G3] |
Abu Sueir, Abu Suwayr (Egypt) (RAF [2]) -- 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 83, 91 [H3] | Amriya, Amiriyah (Egypt) (RAF) -- 51, 54, 58, 59 [G2] |
Abudaraq (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 70, 100 [H4] | Amman (Jordan) -- 102 [J2] |
Abuzenima, Abu Zenima (Egypt, Red Sea port) -- 101 [H4] | Asmara (Eritrea) (RAF) -- 59 |
Aden (Yemen) -- 102 | Aswan (Egypt, Nile) -- 108, 110, 111, 113 [H8] |
Agedabia, Ajdabiyah (Libya) -- 33 [A3] | Asyut (Egypt, Nile) -- 60, 104, 106, 107, 108, 113 [G6] |
Ainsukhna, Ain Sukhna (Egypt) -- 70 [H4] | Ayun Musa (Egypt, Suez) (Moses' Springs) -- 101 [H4] |
Akaba, Aqaba (Jordan) -- 101, 102 [I4] | |
B | |
Bah Nassa (Egypt, Nile) -- 103, 104, 106 [G5] | Berenice (Egypt, Red Sea port) -- 96 [J9] |
Bahig (Egypt) -- 54, 58 [G3] | Bir Abraq, Bir Abrag (Egypt) (Fort Abraq ) -- 111, 112, 113 [I9] |
Bahr Youssef, Bahr Yussef (Egypt, canal, Nile to Fayyum) -- 104, 108 [G4] | Bir Beida, Bi’r Baydah (Egypt, Sinai) -- 66 [I3] |
Ballah, El Ballah (Egypt (nr. Ismailia) (RAF) -- 76, 77, 78 [H3] | Bir El Abd, Bir el 'Abd (Egypt, Delta) -- 89, 90, 92 [I3] |
Baltim, Balteem (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 79, 88, 91 [G2] | Bir el Gubi (Libya, coast) -- 47, 49 [D2] |
Barce, Barca (Libya) -- 18,25, 26, 32-35, 37, 40-42 [B1] | Bir Hakeim (Libya) -- [C2] |
Bardia, Bardiya (Libya, eastern coast) -- 3, 16 [D2] | Bir Odeib (Egypt, Sinai) -- 70 |
Basandila, Bahr Basandila (Egypt) -- 79, 88 [H2] | Bir Qaim, Bir El Qaim -- 11 [E3] |
Benghazi, Bengasi (Libya) -- 22, 24, 26-33, 39 [A1] | Buamud, Bur Amud, Sidi Bur Amud -- 19, 33, 47 |
Beda Fomm (Libya) [A2] | Buq Buq, LGE2 (Egypt, West coast) -- 56 [E2] |
Beni Mazar (Egypt, Nile) -- 108 [G5] | Borg El Arab, Burg El Arab (Egypt, nr Alexandria) -- 54 [G3] |
Benina (Libya, Benghazi airport) (RAF) -- 26, 27, 32-34, 37, 39 [A2] | Burrumurrum (Egypt, Nile) -- 111 [I9] |
Berenice, Berenike (Libya, nr. Benghazi) -- 28 [A1] | Buselli (Egypt) -- 88 [G3] |
C - D | |
Cairo (Egypt) -- 2, 36, 51, 56-60, 65-66, 70-72, 79-89, 92, 100-108, 113 [G4] | Derna, Darnah (Libya) -- 24, 25, 29, 33, 44, 45, 49 [C1] |
Cairo West, LG Kilo 26, LG 224 (Egypt) (RAF ) -- 82 [G4] | Deversoir (Egypt, Canal zone) (RAF [2]) -- 87 [H3] |
Cyrenaica -- 3, 24, 31-39, 46, 48-55, 79-81 [B2] | |
E | |
Ecrus (Egypt, Nile) -- 103 [G4] | El Agheila (Libya, coastal city) -- 3, 34, 37, 40 [A3] |
Edcu Buselli (Egypt, Delta) -- 79 [G3] | El Alamein (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 55, 57, 59, 102, 113-114 [F3] |
Edcu, Edku, Idku (Egypt) (RAF, LG 229) -- 71, 78, 87, 88 [G3] | El Arish, Arish (Egypt, Sinai) -- 90, 92 [I3] |
Edfu, Idfu (Egypt, Nile) -- 109 [H8] | El Daba, El Dabaa, Tell El-Dab'a (Egypt, Mediterranean) (RAF) -- 1-4, 6, 10 [F3] |
El Abiar (Libya) -- 26, 39, 43 [B1] | El Gazala, Gazala (Libya, nr Tobruk) -- 33, 45-47 [C2] |
El Achroma (Libya) -- 47 [D2] | El Hammam, Al Hammam (Egypt, Delta) -- 54 [G2] |
El Adem (Libya) (RAF) -- 19, 40, 49 [D2] | El Karnak, Karnak (Egypt, Nile) -- 107 [H7] |
El Agedabia (Libya) -- 35 [A3] | |
F - G | |
Fayoum, Al Fayyūm (Egypt, Nile) -- 72, 75, 79, 83 [G4] | Ghemines, Qamines, Caminus (Libya)-- 24, 37 [B2] |
Fort Capuzzo (Libya) -- 5, 16 [D2] | Giovanni Berta, Al Qubah (Libya) -- 25 [D2] |
Fuka (Egypt, Mediterranean coast) -- 1, 3, 11, 47, 50-1 [F3] | Great Bitter Lake, al-Buhayrah al-Murra al-Kubra (Egypt, Suez Canal) -- 87 [H3] |
Gambut (Libya) (RAF) -- 19, 46-49 [D2] | Grotto of Lete (Libya) -- 27 [B1] |
Gazi (Egypt, Sinai) -- 90 [I2] | Giza (Egypt) -- 75, 80-1 [G4] |
H | |
Haifa (Palestine) (RAF) -- 90 [I1] | Helmieh (Egypt, Delta) -- 88 [G3] |
Halaib, Hala'ib, Halayeb (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 97, 99 [J10] | Helwan, Hilwan, Hulwan, Holwan (Egypt, Delta) (RAF) -- 73, 103 [H4] |
Halfaya (Egypt) -- 14 [D2] | Hiw (Egypt, Nile) -- 108 |
Hamata (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 94-99, 112 [J8] | Hoteit (Egypt, Nile) -- 112-113 [J9] |
Hassa Lagoon (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 96-99 [J9] | Hurghada (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 65-68, 83-86, 93-94, 100 [I6] |
Heliopolis (Egypt, suburb of Cairo) (RAF) -- 3-4, 48, 52, 56, 59, 70, 72, 82, 88, 103 [H4] | |
I - K | |
Ismailia, Al Isma'iliyah (Egypt, Nile) (RAF) -- 73-79, 83, 89, 92, 108 [H3] | Kharga, El Kharga', Al-Kharijah (Egypt) -- [G7] |
Kantara, Khantara, Al Qantarah El Sharqiyya (Egypt, Delta) -- 76, 89-90 [H3] | Kom Ombo (Egypt, upper Nile) -- 110 [H8] |
Khanka, Al Qalyubiyah (Egypt, Delta) -- 72, 81 [H4] | |
L | |
Lake Edcu, Lake Edku, Lake Idku (Egypt, Delta) -- 71 [G2] | LG84 -- 56 |
Lake Manzala, Lake Mansallan (Egypt, Delta) -- 76 [H3] | LG96 -- 56 |
Lake Timsah, Wadi Tumilat (Egypt, Suez Canal) -- 73 [H3] | LG97 -- 58 |
LGO1 -- 56 | LG98 -- 58 |
LG 09 -- 8 | LG99 -- 58 |
LG 60 -- 8 | LG229, Edcu |
LG100 -- 100 | LG Kilo 8 (Egypt, Delta) -- 72 |
LG209, Kilo 61, Suez Road, (RAF) | LG Kilo 11 (Egypt, Delta)-- 72 |
LG 224 (LG Kilo 26, Cairo West) -- 82 | LG Kilo 17 (Egypt, Delta)-- 72, 75, 79, 83 |
LG78 -- 13, 114 | LG Kilo 26 (LG224, Cairo West) -- 81-82 |
LG81 -- 56 | LG Kilo 28, LG Kilo 26 (Alexandria-Cairo road) -- 81-82 |
LG82 -- 56 | Little Bitter Lake -- 87 [H3] |
LG83 -- 56 | Luxor (Egypt, Nile) (RAF) -- 93, 109 [H7] |
M - N | |
Maan, Ma'an (Jordan) -- 102 [J3] | Mena (Egypt, nr Giza) -- 56, 80-81 [G4] |
Ma'aten Bagush (Egypt) -- 3-4, 7-9, 14, 32, 41, 46-52 [F3] | Mersah Matruh (Egypt) (RAF) -- 1, 3, 11, 57, 88, 114 [E3] |
Maktilla (nr Sidi Barrani, Egypt) -- 9, 12 [E2] | Mersa Umbarik, Mersa Umbarek (Egypt, Nile) -- 94, 99 [I8] |
Malta | Middle East |
Maraua, Marawah (Libya) -- 33, 40, 43-44 [B1] | Minyah, Al Minyah (Egypt, Nile) -- 103, 105 [G5] |
Mariut, Lake Mariout, Maryut (Egypt, northen lake) -- 72 [G3] | Moascir, Moascar (nr Ismailia, Egypt) -- 73 [H3] |
Martuba (south of Derna, Libya) -- 44 [C1] | Mosefig, Bir Mosefig (Egypt, Delta) -- 90, 92 [I3] |
Matruh West (Egypt) (RAF ) [E2] | Nag Hammadi (Egypt, Nile) -- 60-62, 107, 113 [H7] |
Mechili (Libya) -- 24, 37, 43, 49 [C2] | Nebeiwa, Nibeiwa (Egypt) -- 9, 12 [E2] |
P | |
Palestine -- 76, 89, 101 [I2] | Port Sudan (Sudan) (RAF) -- 65, 93-97, 100 |
Port Said (Egypt) -- 76-79, 91 [H2] | |
Q | |
Qasaba, El Qasabah (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 1, 3 [E2] | Quift (Egypt, Nile) -- 109 [H7] |
Qena (Egypt, (Nile) -- 60-64, 107-109, 113 [H7] | Qus, (Egypt, Nile) -- 107 [H7] |
Qotaifiya (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 6 [F3] | Quseir, El Quseir, Al-Qusair, Al Qusayr, Qosier (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 60-68, 93-94, 99-100, 108-109 [I7] |
R | |
Ras Benas, Ras Banas (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 95 [J9] | Red Sea -- 60, 63-64, 86, 93, 95, 102, 108-112 [I7] |
Ras Gharib, Rasgharib (Egypt) -- 67-68, 94 [H5] | Romani (Egypt, Sinai) -- 89 [H3] |
Rasghensa ( Egypt, nr Hurghada) -- 68 [I6] | Rosetta, Rashid (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 88 [G2] |
S | |
Safaga (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 63-66, 77, 86, 108, 112 [I6] | Sidi Barrani (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 4, 9, 11, 12, 56-57 [E2] |
Sallum, As Sallum, Sollum, (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 14, 18-19, 52, 57, 62 [D2] | Sinai (Egypt, Peninsula) -- 89, 92, 101 [I4] |
Samalut (Egypt, Nile) -- 103-108, 111 [G5] | Siwa Oasis (Egypt, Western Desert) -- 11 [E4] |
Sawani Ogerin (Egypt, nr Buq Buq) -- 15, 56 [E2] | Sofafi (Egypt, Mediterranean) -- 12-13, 56, 114 [E2] |
Shalatein, Bir Shalatein (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 96, 99 [J9] | Sohag (Egypt, Nile) -- 60 [H7] |
Shallufa (Egypt, north of Suez) -- 82 [H4] | Solluch/Ghemines (Libya, nr Benghazi) -- 24 [B2] |
Shandur (Egypt, Suez) -- 87 [H3] | Suez (Egypt) -- 60, 63, 65, 69-70, 79-80, 93-95, 100-101 [H4] |
Shelal (Egypt, Nile) -- 110-113 [H9] | Suez Canal (Egypt) -- 3, 56, 58, 73-78, 87, 89, 101, 104 [H3] |
T | |
Themeida, Bir Themeida (Egypt) -- 12, 114 [E3] | Transjordan, Jordan [J2] |
Tmimi (Libya) -- 43, 46 [C2] | Tripoli (Libya) -- 34 |
Tobruk (Libya, port) -- 18-24, 29, 33, 46-50 [D2] | Tripoli Misurata (Libya, nr Tripoli port) |
Tocra, Taucheira (Libya) -- 37 [B1] | |
U - Z | |
Um Shinan (Egypt, Sinai) -- 92 [I3] | Wadi Halfa (Sudan) -- 83, 93, 110 |
Wadi El Arish (Mediterranean, Egypt) -- 92 [I3] | Wadi Natrun, Wadi El Natrun (Egypt) -- 56-58, 85 [G3] |
Wadi El Faregh (Egypt) -- 57 [E3] | Western Desert -- 4, 5, 8, 55-59, 79, 86-88, 114 |
Wadi Garara (Egypt) -- 111 [I9] | Zafarana (Egypt, Red Sea) -- 69, 70, 100 [H4] |
Names of people in Allied Forces |
|
A - D | |
Addison, Wing Commander -- 3 | Black, Squadron Leader Eric -- 32, 45, 46, 50 |
Aldis -- 7 | Boswell, Air Commodore -- 75, 84 |
Allan, Lt. Col. Sandy Man -- 88 | Bray, Flight Lieutenant -- 53 |
Baxendale -- 9 | Brown, Group Captain L.O. -- 16, 32, 47, 50, 51, 52, 55 |
C - D | |
Card, Harry -- 7 | Cox, Padre -- 45 |
Collins, Flight Lieutenant D. -- 102, 103, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111 | Dawson, Air Vice Marshal -- 75, 83-84 |
Collishaw, Air Vice Marshal Raymond J. -- 3,7-9, 16, 19, 31, 32, 48, 50, 51, 52 | Dennett, LAC -- 85-89, 94-96, 104-111, 113 |
Coningham, Air Marshal Arthur | Drummond, Air Vice Marshal -- 55 |
Cook, Air Commodore -- 75 | |
E - L | |
Elmhurst, Air Commodore Thomas 48, 59, 60, 80, 83, 87, 93 | Jackson, Squadron Leader -- 45, 102, 105-108, 113 |
Fenton, Flying Officer -- 89-92 | Jackman, Wing Commander -- 55 |
Guest, Group Captain -- 14 | Johnston, Wing Commander -- 50 |
Harding, B.G.S. Brigadier -- 47 | Longmore, Air Marshal Arthur -- 18 |
Helfield, P/O -- 1-3 | Loveday, Squadron Leader -- 71, 77, 80, 84-86, 92 |
M - O | |
Marsack, Squadron Leader -- 3 | Murray, Squadron Leader -- 94 |
Maund, Air Vice Marshal Arthur -- 80 | Neame, General Philip Neame (commander of British and Commonwealth troops in Cyrenaica) -- 32, 43, 46, 49 |
McClaughry, Air Vice Marshal Wilfred -- 114 | O’Brien, Captain -- 77 |
McKay, General -- 20 | O’Connor, General Richard -- 14, 16, 32, 40, 43, 46, 49 |
Mercer -- 3 | O’Connor, Squadron Leader -- 93, 100 |
P - S | |
Park, Air Vice Marshal Keith -- 87-88, 102 | Simms -- 83 |
Robinson, Colonel -- 20 | Spackman, Group Captain -- 48, 50 |
Rowe, Corporal -- 60-61,65, 70 | Springham, Squadron Leader -- 56 |
Ryley, Group Captain -- 87 | Stainforth, Wing Commander -- 78 |
Saunderson, Air Commodore -- 87 | |
T - Z | |
Tedder, Air Marshal Arthur -- 14, 47, 51-59, 83-84 | Vasilenko -- 2, 86 |
Thorburn, LAC -- 52 | Wavell, General Archibald |
Turton-Jones, Group Captain J. W. -- 76-78 | |
Group Captain Grigion*** who was then Senior Air Officer of No. 202 Group. | |
Other people named |
|
Menzies, Robert Gordon (Australian Prime Minister) -- 31 | Hammersly Bey (Governor of Sinai) -- 89 |
Churchill, Winston (British Prime Minister) -- 40, 82 | Idrisi, Abdulla -- 62 |
Graziani, Marshal Rodolfo (Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa) -- 30 | Takla, Victor -- 61, 107 |
Rommel, Erwin (German Field Marshal) -- 37, 113 | Takla, Kamel Bey -- 61, 107 |
Air Force Groups and SquadronsDesert Air Force |
|
202 Group -- 3-4, 14, 18, 32, 48, 59, 83, 87 | 204 Group -- 48, 54 |
205 Group -- 82, 89, 92 | |
No. 3 RAAF Squadron (3) -- 33, 39, 43-44 | No. 73 Squadron: Valentia -- 33, 45, 47 |
No. 5 Squadron -- 44 ** | No. 94 Squadron -- 78 |
No. 6 Squadron (6) -- 33, 35, 38, 39, 42, 47 | No. 113 Squadron -- 3, 39 |
No. 33 Squadron: Gladiator (33) -- 3, 13 | No. 208 Squadron (Army Co-operation) -- 3, 7, 16, 33, 46, 92 |
No. 45 Squadron: Blenheim (45) -- 3, 42, 45, 46, 47 | No. 211 Squadron: Blenheim (211) -- 1, 3 |
No. 46 Squadron (46) -- 78 | No. 216 Bomber Transport Squadron: Valentia -- 3, 8 |
No. 55 Squadron: Blenheim -- 33-34, 40-50 |
Aircraft types |
|
Bristol Beaufighter -- 72, 78 | Vickers Victoria -- 88 |
Bristol Blenheim -- 5, 33, 42-43, 50 | |
Bristol Bombay -- 8 | Vickers Wellington -- 8, 49 |
Gloster Gladiator -- 33 | Hawker Hind |
Hawker Hurricane -- 33, 39, 78 | Messerschmidt 109 -- 34 |
B-24 Liberator -- 81-82 | Messerschmidt 110 -- 34 |
Westland Lysander -- 10, 16 | Fiat CR 42 -- 9 |
Miles Magister -- 13 | |
Percival Proctor | |
Fairey Swordfish -- 9 | |
Vickers Valentia -- 4, 8 |
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Group Captain J.W.B. Judge (1943-1952) following his Middle East experience |
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