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94
Squadron at Aden 1939-41
94 Squadron had been reformed in late-March 1939 with an
establishment of six pilots and 71 other ranks,
including four airmen pilots. The strength on
reformation at Aden was 3 and 50, to be reinforced
shortly afterwards by three more officer and five airmen
pilots. With the reformed squadron arrived 16 Gladiators
in packing cases. By early May these had been unpacked,
assembled and camouflage painted. The squadron then
moved from its temporary base at Khormaksar to Sheikh
Othman where it was to remain for 23 months. On 8 June
the squadron provided a flight of four aircraft to take
part in the King’s Birthday Parade flypast. In mid-July
three Gladiators made a short visit to the French Air
Force at Djibuti, the planes being refuelled at Perim on
the return journey. In August a number of demonstration
flights were made over the Radfan and other areas of
potential trouble, including a flight by three aircraft
on 20 August over the Wadi Taim.
Gloster Gladiator
From the declaration of war with Germany on 3 September
the squadron provided three aircraft on immediate
stand-by during daylight hours and one aircraft by
night. But there was not much prospect of action until
Italy entered the war, which happened on 10 June 1940.
On the 13th the Italians made the first of several air
raids on Aden. 94 Squadron was able to put up 14
aircraft, with one three-engined S81 being shot down off
Ras Imram. On 20 June the squadron received six Mark II
Gladiators.
For the first three or four months from Italy entering
the war the squadron was kept pretty busy, with the
routine task being the provision of standing air patrols
over Aden, with other aircraft ready to be scrambled at
short notice. There were also several sorties of usually
three aircraft, escorting a Blenheim from another
squadron, against the petrol tanks at Macaaca near Assab.
For the first sortie the planes deployed to
Perim the
evening before to be able to make an attack at first
light the following day, the crews sleeping beside their
aircraft on the landing ground at Perim. On the sortie
on 13/14 July one Gladiator was shot down. The following
day two Gladiators collided in mid-air over Little Aden,
one pilot parachuting to safety, whilst the other
aircraft was able to return to base. From late July the
landing ground at Ras Ara was used in preference to
Perim for attacks on Assab, although on 22 and 24
October three Gladiators conducted a standing patrol
over Perim whilst a number of Blenheims were being
refuelled.
On 16 December orders were received to pack five Mk II
Gladiators for despatch to the Middle East. On 29 March
the following year six Gladiators were flown down to
Jijiga to be handed over to the South African Air Force.
The following day the remaining three aircraft were
handed over to the SAAF at Sheikh Othman. On 5 April the
personnel of the squadron left Aden for the
Mediterranean on HMS Encounter and HMS Isis. |
