Australia's Few. 31 July 1940

At Acklington on 31 July 1940, Bill Millington lined up with his squadron to welcome Air Commodore Nicholas and Wing Commander Reas-Jones who were visiting. They officially passed out 79 Squadron operationally and the boys celebrated by carrying out attacks and formation flying. Before they knew it, they would be on readiness. But would they be in action?

 

 

Bill Millington

 

Des Sheen, also installed at Acklington with 72 Squadron, found that life up north was very quiet and he bemoaned the fact that ‘I’ve not had a scrap’ since December. ‘Other Fighter Command squadrons seem to have had all the luck.’

 

 

Des Sheen

 

Over the last weeks especially, when they had not been frustrated by poor weather, his confreres had just been on training flights and routine readiness with the usual sort of non productive convoy patrols. There was a least the memory of some funny moments to relieve the boredom. When he had first arrived at Acklington in March 1940 (before his stint in France) there were no runways and the ground was waterlogged and very soft, making take-offs difficult. On one memorable occasion, Squadron Leader Ronald Lees (now posted elsewhere) found just how soft, tipping his Spitfire on its nose when he landed. He climbed out and promptly declared that the airfield was unserviceable for Spitfires! Desmond recalled that Spitfire could only be taxi-ed with someone sitting on the tail. It ‘needed great care, with its narrow track undercarriage and small wheels—and the great weight of the Merlin engine’.

 

 Ronald Lees