He was dressed in a green felt shirt, khakis, and Wellingtons.
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This cold-weather favorite pairs well with savory pastries like sausage rolls, pigs in a blanket, and beef wellingtons.
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When all's said and done, it's probably best to leave the dealing to the dealers and the cooking of beef wellingtons to the cooks.
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He was tall and thin, with platform Wellingtons ( very fash) and a lizard-embryo skinny-skin tie, half-stooped like there was a wind.
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We're told the shindig cost about $10k, and some of that was even spent on food, including ham and cheese croissants and mini beef wellingtons.
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He even sent me appetizing-looking photos of beef wellingtons, claiming he'd cooked them, and engaged in a lengthy discussion about which ingredients he'd supposedly used.
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They're even loved by royalty — Meghan Markle and Queen Elizabeth have both worn them and the late Princess Diana owned a pair of the iconic Original Green Wellingtons.
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By 1976, chicken Kiev was a dinner party staple — much like beef Wellingtons, it showcased skill and finesse on the part of anyone who successfully made and served them.
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Watching William's Wish Wellingtons, eating marmite on toast, and tottering around the world in a cloud of blissful ignorance, pestering your mum for crisps at all hours of the day, probably.
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Devanta Dickerson, 18, said he whipped up mini beef Wellingtons at Bonbite last summer after earning a food handler's license at the center, and got a glimpse of a future career.
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Otago 's pennant number recalls and Wellingtons pennant number recalls .
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On 14 December, Wellingtons made another attack and five were shot down, another crashing in England. On 18 December, 22 Wellingtons attacked again, flying at to evade , thought to be the main cause of recent losses. Flying at higher altitude and taking a longer route to avoid neutral territory, the Wellingtons were easier to detect by German radar. Around 100 German fighters were scrambled to intercept the bombers and the Wellingtons were intercepted by cannon-armed Bf 110s and machine-gun armed Bf 109Ds.
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The squadron flew both Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys and Vickers Wellingtons during the war.
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The Wellingtons are an Australian power pop band from Melbourne, Australia. The band has released four albums, including Keeping Up With The Wellingtons (2005), For Friends in Far Away Places (2006), Heading North For the Winter (2008) and In Transit (2011).
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Wellington (also Wellingtons or Wellingtons Station) is an unincorporated town in southwestern Lyon County, Nevada, United States. It lies along State Route 208, southwest of the city of Yerington, the county seat of Lyon County.Rand McNally. The Road Atlas '08.
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From 1942 onward the role of Chivenor was changed from training to anti-submarine patrolling. From 1942 to 1943 the squadron flew the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, then in 1943 the Chivenor squadron converted the Vickers Wellington equipped with the ASV radar and Leigh lights. ; November 1941 to September 1943 : No. 51 Squadron RAF: (51 Sqn) Whitleys : No. 77 Squadron RAF: (77 Sqn) Whitleys / Wellingtons : No. 502 Squadron RAF: (502 Sqn) Whitleys / Wellingtons : No. 1417 (Leigh Light Trials) Flight: (1417 Flt) Wellington Leigh light training and development unit ; July 1942 to September 1943 : No. 235 Squadron RAF: (235 Sqn) Beaufighters : No. 236 Squadron RAF: (236 Sqn) Beaufighters : No. 248 Squadron RAF: (248 Sqn) Beaufighters ; September 1943 to the end of the war : No. 172 Squadron RAF: (172 Sqn) Wellingtons : No. 407 (Demon) Squadron RAF: (407 Sqn) Wellingtons : No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron RAF: (612 Sqn) Wellingtons : No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron: (304 Sqn) Wellingtons ; Plan for post war 1945 : No. 14 Squadron RAF (14 Sqn) : No. 36 Squadron RAF (36 Sqn) In November 1941 the structure of the base changed with three new squadrons 51, 77 and 502 flying a mixture of Whitleys and Wellingtons, and one new flight, 1417, that was used to training crews on the Leigh light and radar Wellingtons. In July 1942 three squadrons of Beaufighter were located at Chivenor to offer long range protection in the Bay of Biscay.
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This squadron displayed the squadron code letters "KX" and later "PP" on its Wellingtons and "PP" on its Liberators.
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The Blossoms, an all-female vocal group featuring Darlene Love, backed up many of the performers and were occasionally featured in spotlight performances. The Wellingtons were a trio of male singers who performed on their own, and as backup singers. Another male group, The Eligibles, sometimes alternated with The Wellingtons on backup.
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Routledge, p. 421. On 1 October 1944, 43rd S/L Rgt was converted into 43rd (5th Bn Duke of Wellingtons) Garrison Regiment, RA.Garrison Regiments RA at RA 39–45. Farndale, Annex M, p. 339. A month later, it was reorganised as an infantry battalion and redesignated 600th Regiment RA (5th Bn Duke of Wellingtons).
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German pilots claimed 19 Lancasters and 9 Halifax bombers shot down. On the night of the 21/22 June 705 RAF bombers—262 Lancasters, 209 Halifax, 117 Short Stirlings, 105 Vickers Wellingtons and—12 Mosquitos attacked Krefeld. 17 Halifax, 9 Lancasters, 9 Wellingtons and 9 Stirlings were lost on the operation. This represented 6.2 per cent of the force.
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The complement of aircraft on the Stations as of 1943 is listed as 61 Vickers Wellingtons, 4 Miles Martinets and an Avro Anson. The Wellingtons were the primary training aircraft by that time largely withdrawn from front-line operations, the Martinets would have been used for the target towing operations and the Anson would have served as the Station's communication aircraft.
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Weal 1999, p. 22. Actual losses were 11 Wellingtons and six damaged to varying degrees.Weal 1999, p. 23. Some sources claim a 12th Wellington was destroyed.
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Similar dishes of different types of protein baked in pastry include sausage and salmon. Various vegetarian Wellington recipes, such as mushroom and beet Wellingtons, also exist.
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On 1 August 1941, No. 108 reformed at RAF Kabrit, Egypt, as a night bomber squadron. Its Wellingtons began bombing raids on 22 September, targets being ports on the Libyan coast and in Greece. In November it began to receive Consolidated Liberators and these supplemented the Wellingtons until June 1942. On 18 December 1942 the squadron was reduced to a cadre which was disbanded on 25 December 1942.
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Routledge, p. 421. On 1 October 1944, 43rd S/L Rgt was converted into 43rd (5th Bn Duke of Wellingtons) Garrison Regiment, RA.Farndale, Annex M, p. 339. A month later, it was reorganised as an infantry battalion and redesignated 600th Regiment RA (5th Bn Duke of Wellingtons). It was the first such RA infantry regiment formed, and was sent to join Second Army in NW Europe for line of communication duties.
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Three Fortresses attacked were to attack from , with the objective of drawing German fighters away from 18 Handley Page Hampdens attacking at lower altitudes. A larger force of 79 Vickers Wellingtons would attack later, while the fighters were meant to be refuelling. The operation did not work as expected, with 90 Squadron's Fortresses being unopposed, with the German defenders concentrating on the Hampdens and Wellingtons, shooting down two and ten respectively.
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On 14th October, a raid by the Luftwaffe dropped a single parachute mine onto Winthorpe airfield. This left a large crater in the grass runway but there was no loss of life. Although both squadrons had had success with their outdated Fairey Battles (dropping over a combined 45 tons of bombs) in late October 1940, 301 squadron received their first 2 Vickers Wellingtons. By January 1941, 301 squadron had fully converted to Wellingtons. A raid on 13th/14th January 1941 was subject to bad weather, causing the rough landing of a 301 squadron Wellington, blocking the runway, causing the rest of the squadron to divert to other airfields. 2 more Wellingtons crashed on the landing approach to Digby with only 1 survivor between them.
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British U-class submarine When it became clear to the British that the Italian air forces were limited and having little impact on the population, which could endure, a steady stream of reinforcements arrived. The potential of the base was realised and Whitehall ordered further aircraft into the island; including Hurricane fighters, Martin Marylands, Sunderlands, Vickers Wellingtons, more Swordfish and submarines. It provided an increasingly potent offensive arm. The Wellingtons arrived in October, from No. 148 Squadron RAF.
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Holmes 2010, p. 25. Results were poor with five Blenheims and two Wellingtons lost and only minimal damage caused to the German warships.Richards 1953, pp. 38–40.Richards 1995, pp. 26–28.
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The Loran Training Unit was formed at Mullaghmore flying Wellingtons on 5 October 1944 but was disbanded on 20 April 1945 to become the Coastal Command Anti U-Boat Devices School RAF.
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12px 4 September: The RAF launches another bombing operation against German shipping. Fourteen Wellingtons from 9 and 149 Squadrons attack Brunsbuttel and 15 Bristol Blenheims from 107 and 110 Squadrons raid Wilhelmshaven bay. Five Blenheims and three Vickers Wellingtons are shot down through a combination of Messerschmitt Bf 109s and flak. They become the first British aircraft casualties on the Western Front. 12px 4 September: The first British airman to be taken prisoner was Sergeant George Booth, a RAF Observer from 107 Squadron.
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Bomber Command routinely got higher priority for the best, longest-ranged aircraft. Only as Bomber Command transitioned to four- engined aircraft did Coastal Command receive the castoffs, such as Vickers Wellingtons, which finally had adequate range for A/S patrol.Ireland, Bernard. The Battle of the Atlantic (Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute Press, 2003), p. 70. Moreover, Coastal Command's motley assortment of Ansons, Whitleys, and Hampdens were unable to carry the standard 450 lb (205 kg) depth charge; that needed Wellingtons or Sunderlands.
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The bombing of the harbour itself had not been permitted by the Chamberlain War Cabinet for fear of injuring civilians. The effectiveness of the raid was diminished by a combination of poor weather and high amounts of anti-aircraft fire. During this opening raid, a pair of Wellingtons became the first aircraft to be lost on the Western Front. On 3 December 1939, 24 Wellingtons of No. 38, No. 115 and No. 147 Squadrons attacked the German fleet moored at Heligoland.
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The airfield was also temporarily home to No. 21 Operational Training Unit flying Wellingtons from RAF Enstone from August 1945 for two months because the runways at their home base were being repaired. From October 1945 until 1946 107 Sub Storage Unit from No. 8 Maintenance Unit used the airfield for storing Wellingtons and General Aircraft Hamilcar gliders. The role of the airfield after the war changed with the reduction of flying movements and with a slight change in what the units did on the airfield when No. 107 Sub Storage Unit from 1947 began to collect no longer needed Wellingtons which were then scrapped and taken to Weston Subedge goods yard (which was near to the south-western corner) where the railway would take them to the necessary destination.
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The unit formed at RAF Chivenor training crews for various aircraft including Bristol Beauforts, Avro Ansons, Vickers Wellingtons and Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. On 29 July 1941 the Whitleys and Wellingtons moved to RAF Cranwell and the Beaufort section became No. 5 Operational Training Unit RAF (5 OTU) when it re-formed at Chivenor on 1 August 1941. 3 OTU then moved to RAF Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire where it was disbanded on 4 January 1944 and absorbed into No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF (6 OTU).
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An armed reconnaissance by twelve Wellingtons on 14 December resulted in five being lost as the formation, at very low level because of the low cloud base, was engaged by fighter aircraft and anti- aircraft guns. The RAF believed that none of the lost Wellingtons had been shot down by fighters and so maintained faith in their defensive capabilities when flown in tight formations.Richards 1953, pp. 44–45. This summation was odd considering that several of the surviving bombers had damage from small- arms fire.
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It re-equipped with Vickers Wellingtons from in October 1940, operating from RAF Newton. It moved to the Mediterranean Theatre in December 1942, flying its Wellingtons from Blida in Algeria against targets in Tunisia and Sardinia. It moved to Tunisia in May 1943, and to bases in Italy in December, disbanding in October 1944. The photograph of a desert briefing at Kairouan in Tunisia is captioned by the Imperial War Museum as being a briefing conducted by S/L Langlois RAAF, the then CO .
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13, 14. On 18 December 1939, 24 Wellingtons of No. 9, No. 37 and No. 149 Squadrons participated in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight against the German fleet and naval bases in both the Schillig Roads and Wilhelmshaven. The Wellingtons were unable to deploy their bombs as all vessels were in harbour, thus restrictions on endangering civilians prevented their engagement. Having been alerted by radar, Luftwaffe fighter aircraft intercepted the incoming bombers near to Heligoland and continuously attacked the formation much of the way home.
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Late on December 6 RSMC Nadi issued their final advisory on the depression as it moved into TCWC Wellingtons area of responsibility and was expected to become a mid latitude low pressure system within 12 hours.
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Operation Derange soon followed, and Bromet was able to deploy 70 ASV III equipped B-24s, Wellingtons, and Halifaxes. Only one U-boat (U-526 ), was sunk, and it was dispatched by a mine.Terraine 1989, p. 582.
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The bombing commenced from high altitude and, while results of the bombing itself proved negligible in terms of damage, the ability of a formation of Wellingtons to adequately penetrate strongly defended hostile airspace was validated. On 14 December 1939, 12 Wellingtons of No. 99 Squadron conducted a low-level raid upon German shipping at the Schillig Roads and Wilhelmshaven. Encountering enemy fire from warships, flak, and Luftwaffe aircraft, the Wellington formation lost five aircraft, along with another that crashed near its base, while only one enemy fighter was downed.Andrews 1967, pp.
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Special flights of RAF Wellingtons fitted with air-to-surface vessel (ASV) radar, were important to Force K operations, and Ultra intelligence reached Malta on Axis convoy movements. The RAF Malta Command would then dispatch the ASV-Wellingtons to sweep the seas and direct the British naval forces to the convoy. On 13 November, the carrier HMS Ark Royal— returning to Gibraltar after transporting aircraft to Malta—was sunk by a U-boat. Twelve days later, the battleship was sunk by a U-boat, followed by the light cruiser on 15 December.
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Seneca First Lieutenant F. W. Brown at once volunteered to assist Wellingtons master, and almost the entire crew of Seneca wanted to go with him. Nineteen of these Seneca volunteers were selected to go with Lieutenant Brown to the Wellington, while eleven of the 42 men in Wellingtons crew also remained with the master. Lieutenant Brown was to be in charge of the ship, but the master was to navigate her into the nearest port which was Brest, France. At 12:35 Seneca left Wellington and rejoined the convoy.
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26 Squadron SAAF was seconded to 298 Wing RAF and was based at Takoradi, Gold Coast (Ghana), West Africa during the Second World War. They flew Vickers Wellingtons on anti-submarine and convoy escort duties over the Atlantic.
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Weal 2003, p. 117. Another source states that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four Auster and five Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged.Franks 2000, p. 134.
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Immediately after the declaration of war, Haddock Force began to prepare for a bombing run. The French, in order to prevent retaliatory Italian raids, blocked the runways and prevented the Wellingtons from taking off. This did not deter the British.
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In what became known as the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, eleven Wellingtons were shot down, one ditched in the North Sea and six crashed in England. Only one group of Wellingtons had bombed, the other had refrained to avoid civilian casualties; the Germans lost three fighters to return fire. The extent of the loss "stunned" RAF leaders, exploding their belief that tight formations of bombers, equipped with machine-gun turrets, could defeat attack by day fighters. From January 1940, the Wellington and Hampden day bombers joined the specialist Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley night bombers in flying leaflet- dropping missions over Germany.
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Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 217.Weal 2003, p. 117. Another source states that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four Austers and five Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged.
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Miller travelled to the United Kingdom in 1941, where he served in RAF Bomber Command. His first posting was to No. 50 Squadron RAF, where he flew Hampdens. He then moved to No. 25 Operational Training Unit RAF to instruct on Vickers Wellingtons.
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Litchfield, pp. 267–9. In 1938, the 4th Battalion at Halifax was converted into 58th (Duke of Wellingtons Regiment) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery. A duplicate unit, the 68th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery was formed in 1939, with headquarters at Cleckheaton.
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Further south, I./ZG 76 was less successful. On 12 April it accounted for two No. 149 Squadron Wellingtons and Squadron Leader Nolan, No. 38 Squadron. All crews were killed. Nolan was probably shot down by the future night fighter ace Helmut Woltersdorf.
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Some 15 to 20 USAAF bombers were also destroyed.Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 217.Weal 2003, p. 117. Another source states that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four Auster and five Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron.
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So the Auckland Mounted Rifles moved forward to assault Hill 288 instead. These galloped forward and captured Hill 288, forcing the Turks to withdraw, and the Wellingtons occupied Hill 306. Turkish artillery bombarded the hill, while their troops retired to the east.Nicol 1921, pp.
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It was to be presented by Andrew Sachs, who had previously narrated William's Wish Wellingtons for Hibbert Ralph Entertainment. However, the project appears to have been abandoned, as the latest information on it dates from 2005, and it has still not appeared on television.
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The Master of Wellington College International Shanghai is Gerard MacMahon. As of August 2017 Gerard MacMahon is Executive Master for all of Wellingtons schools in Shanghai (as of August 2018 this will include Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai). Eleanor Prescott is Principal of the international school.
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Photo of club in 1897 The Toronto Wellingtons were one of the first amateur men's ice hockey teams in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were active around 1900, and are notable for challenging for the Stanley Cup as Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) senior champions of 1901.
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The first Royal Air Force personnel arrived on the Station on 1 June 1943. RAF Market Harborough came under the control of No. 92 Group RAF (Bomber Command), and became the parent Station to the nearby RAF Husbands Bosworth when that Station was commissioned in August of that year. The complement of aircraft on the Stations as of 1943 is listed as 61 Vickers Wellingtons, 4 Miles Martinets and an Avro Anson. The Wellingtons were the primary training aircraft by that time largely withdrawn from front-line operations, the Martinets would have been used for the target towing operations and the Anson would have served as the Station's communication aircraft.
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Wellington air crew at RAF Waterbeach prepare for a night raid on Berlin. Wellington at Jessore, India, prior to a sortie over Burma. The squadron was the first unit to be equipped with Vickers Wellingtons, just before the start of World War II. It flew its first operational mission of the war on the night of 8/9 September 1939, when three Wellingtons set off from Mildenhall to drop leaflets over Germany. The squadron temporarily dispersed to RAF Elmdon (now Birmingham Airport) the next day before moving to a more permanent new home at RAF Newmarket, Suffolk on 15 September.Ward and Smith 2008, p. 5.
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The target was the Hörnum seaplane base on the northern Germany coast. The station and its squadrons (61 and 144) initially formed part of No. 5 (Bomber) Group RAF with its group headquarters at St Vincents House, St Vincents Road, Grantham,5 Gp HQ transferring to No. 1 Bomber Group RAF at RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire in June 1941. During the war years various squadrons were posted to Hemswell, including many Polish personnel flying Vickers Wellingtons. During the war a total of 122 bomber aircraft and their crews were lost on operations from Hemswell, including 38 Handley Page Hampdens, 62 Vickers Wellingtons and 22 Avro Lancasters.
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In addition to the Wellingtons of No.14 OTU, RAF Market Harborough also operated Hawker Hurricanes and Curtiss Tomahawks which comprised No. 1683 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight RAF (1683 BDTF). The Flight transferred from RAF Bruntingthorpe on 3 February 1944 and disbanded on 1 August 1944.
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On 1 September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. On 3 September Britain and France declared war on Germany. At this time, following his training, Bruce became an instructor at OTU Harwell. In May 1940 he was posted to No. 9 Squadron which was equipped with Vickers Wellingtons.
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The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The reconnaissance wings lost two entire squadrons worth of machines. No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11 Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all No. 140 Squadron RAF′s de Havilland Mosquitoes were lost.
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The Wellingtons were organized in 1895 under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Hockey Association. The club fielded a junior team from 1895–1898. The club fielded a team in the intermediate level from 1896–1934. It fielded teams at the senior level of the OHA from 1899 to 1903.
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A single-story porch with Tuscan columns wraps around two sides of the house. The Wellingtons, early settlers of the area, only acquired this farmstead (with surrounding farmlands) by marriage in the early 19th century. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
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On 4 September 1939, five out of ten Bristol Blenheim bombers were shot down making low-level attacks on German warships in daylight, along with two out of fourteen Vickers Wellington bombers. On 29 September, five Handley-Page Hampden bombers flew another raid against German warships and all were shot down. Few operations were possible in October and November due to weather but on 3 December, 24 Wellingtons were sent to attack German ships. The Wellingtons were intercepted by German Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters and engaged by German anti-aircraft guns (); no bombers were lost and one Bf 109 was claimed shot down, later confirmed by German records.
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Another key decision made was to switch the Wellington to night operations; on 25 August 1940, the type participated in the first night raid on Berlin. During the First 1,000 bomber raid, on Cologne, conducted on 30 May 1942, 599 out of 1,046 RAF aircraft dispatched were Wellingtons; of these, 101 were flown by Polish aircrews. During operations under Bomber Command, Wellingtons flew a total of 47,409 operations, dropped 41,823 tons (37,941 tonnes) of bombs and lost 1,332 aircraft in action. In one high- profile incident, a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 night-fighter attacked a Wellington returning from an attack on Münster, causing a fire at the rear of the starboard engine.
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The School was initially No. 7 Operational Training Unit which was formed on 15 June 1940 at RAF Hawarden operating a variety of aircraft including Supermarine Spitfires and Fairey Battles. The unit was initially disbanded on 1 November 1940 to become No. 57 OTU but was reformed on 1 April 1942 at Limavady using Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Ansons. The OTU was disbanded on 16 May 1944 at RAF Haverfordwest and became No. 4 Refresher Flying Unit. No. 4 Refresher Flying Unit was a short lived unit formed at Haverfordwest on 16 May 1944 flying Wellingtons but was disbanded at RAF Mullaghmore on 5 October 1944 to become the Loran Training Unit.
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19 Group deployed 70 ASV III equipped B-24 Liberators, Vickers Wellingtons, and Handley Page Halifax aircraft. U-526 became the only casualty, sunk by a mine. The offensive ended on 30 April 1943. The Command had flown 80,443 hours, lost 170–179 aircraft, sank 10 submarines, and damaged 24.
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No. 218 Squadron moved to Marham on 27 Nov 1940, also operating Wellingtons. No. 218 Squadron began conversion to the Short Stirling in December 1941 and used the type on operations from 1942. De Havilland Mosquitos from No. 105 Squadron also arrived in 1941. Marham became part of the Pathfinder force.
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The Wellington went on to be built in 16 separate variants, in addition to two training conversions after the war. The number of Wellingtons built totalled 11,462 of all versions, a greater quantity produced than any other British bomber. On 13 October 1945, the last Wellington to be produced rolled out.
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It flew Vickers Wellingtons on reconnaissance and anti- submarine patrols in the Atlantic, first out of England, then Northern Ireland and later Iceland. The squadron relocated to the Middle East in January 1942 and operated in the Mediterranean for the rest of the war, disbanding in Egypt on 25 August 1945.
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Raids by RAF Vickers Wellington bombers continued during the night. Ju 88 night fighters from NJG 2 downed two Wellingtons. The results of the raids are not known.Murawski 2009, pp. 32–33. On 13 April, B-17s from the 97th and 301st Bomb Groups bombed Sicilian airfields at Castelvetrano and Trapani.
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One weakness also noted was that early types of Wellingtons lacked self-sealing fuel tanks. This meant if the German fighters hit the wings, the bomber was liable to burn.Holmes 2010, pp. 70–71. Unworried by the Luftwaffe, 149 Squadron was the only section to drop bombs on the ships in Wilhelmshaven harbour.
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The first Whitley was claimed at 01:19 northwest of Waldfeucht while the second was recorded at 02:33 east of Asten. Two Wellingtons fell to his guns on the night of 15/16 July. The first aircraft was claimed at 00:54 near Someren and the second at 01:45 near Geyspers.
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However the Turkish force had withdrawn, so the brigade established a chain of observation posts in the desert. The Wellingtons were near Hill 70, in the No.3 Section of the canal's defence zone.Wilkie 1924, p.83 The regiment remained at Hill 70 until 12 May, when they moved north-east to Maler.
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Formed in 1964The Swansea Wellingtons – unofficial West End site by a group of local enthusiasts in a local public house (The Wellington) which was situated in the west end of Swansea and so the birth of West End AFC. In 2004–05, the club won the FAW Trophy, defeating Rhydymwyn F.C. at Rhayader.
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Gurdon married Florence M. Pleming in 1920 at Kensington, London. They had three sons, John (known as Robin), Philip, and David. The eldest, Sergeant John Robert Gurdon, was killed in action in April 1943 flying Wellingtons of No. 166 Squadron. Philip Gurdon was a member of No. 273 Squadron, flying Spitfires in Burma.
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Andrews 1967, p. 4. Yet another order was placed for 64 Wellingtons produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. With this flurry of order and production having been assured by the end of 1937, Vickers set about simplifying the manufacturing process of the aircraft and announced a target of building one Wellington per day.
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The first unit to use the airfield was No. 1513 Beam Approach Training Flight RAF (BAT Flt) flying the Airspeed Oxford based at RAF Bramcote, RAF Bitteswell and Lindley between 31 October 1942 and 13 May 1946. From 7 February 1943 until 27 March 1943 No. 18 (Polish) Operational Training Unit RAF used the airfield as a satellite from RAF Bramcote flying Avro Ansons, Fairey Battles and Vickers Wellingtons but the airfield was transferred to RAF Transport Command on 25 June 1943 and was home to No.105 Operational Training Unit flying Vickers Wellingtons and Douglas Dakotas until 21 November 1945. However the unit was renamed No. 1381 (Transport) Conversion Unit before moving to RAF Desborough on 10 August 1943.
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During the 1920s, three brothers called Wellington worked the old Wheal Andrew lodes close to surface. The brothers were mining in a small way, working with primitive plant and operations, taking ore to a Cornish stamps down the valley to be treated for its tin content. Captain Josiah Paull, of the Mines and Metallurgical Club in London, reported that the ore the Wellingtons were breaking was yielding an average of 30 lb. of black tin per ton. The workings around the shaft they were working were crushed at a later date, putting the shaft out of action, and “being only ordinary Cornish miners”, the Wellingtons did not have the money to either open up the adit or put down another shaft.
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Auckland had another chance 2 minutes later but obstruction was called over the try line to keep Wellingtons lead at 16–15. Pressure was applied by Auckland till the end of the match but Wellington were able to hold on to take the win and retain the shield at a scoreline of 16–15.
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Willie's wellies were living Wellington boots, they could move and interact independently of Willie's feet. They could do anything Willie wanted them to do. They were very useful, and helped Willie out of all sorts of trouble. Willie's Wellingtons were transformed from normal wellies to supper wellies by Professor Krankpot in an experimental accident.
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Twelve machine guns would provide covering fire to the attacking forces. Following a naval bombardment of the peak and a delay, the Wellingtons, followed by the Gloucesters, reached Chunuk Bair virtually unopposed. The preceding barrage had driven most of the Ottoman defenders away as the ground was too hard and rocky for deep entrenchments.
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In her appearance on The Weakest Link, it is revealed that she owns a pair of wellingtons and wore them to the show. On 30 September 2008, Brenda Longman, assisted by Soo, appeared on BBC One's Bargain Hunt, buying antiques at London's Portobello Road Market and then selling them at Bellmans Auction House in Sussex.
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164 On 15 April the Duke of Wellingtons occupied the city's zoo and upon discovering a live polar bear offered it to their brigade commander, who declined.Delaforce, p232Whiting, p162 The Germans were cleared out of the precinct of Velp and the surrounding area on 15 and 16 April, bringing Operation Anger to an end.
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The court of inquiry absolved him. On 30–31 May 1941, flying a Halifax, Thiele took part in the thousand-bomber raid on Cologne. By late October 1941, Thiele had completed 32 operations flying both Halifaxes and Wellingtons. There followed a number of missions over Essen amidst very heavy flak and German searchlight exposure.
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197–198 The Wellingtons dug in at the centre of the position, with the Aucklands on their right and the Canterburys on the left. The expected counter-attack started at 05:00 with an artillery bombardment.Wilkie 1924, p.201 As the Turkish troop approached the brigade lines, at 09:20 an order to withdraw was given.
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304 and 305 – both flying Vickers Wellingtons. These two squadrons, having been operational since April, continued their contribution to Bomber Command's offensive from the new station throughout the following winter. In May 1942, No.304 Squadron was detached to assist RAF Coastal Command but the detachment soon became an assignment and did not return to RAF Bomber Command.
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During the Second World War the RAF operated a bomber airfield just south-west of the village, RAF Warboys. Wellingtons operated there from 1942 until early 1943 when they were replaced by Lancasters. After early 1944, the airfield was used for training until flying operations ended late in 1945. All the buildings and land were sold by 1964.
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By noon the situation had developed and Meldrum, commanding the New Zealand Brigade, ordered an attack by the Wellington Mounted Rifles in the centre to gain contact with the main Ottoman entrenched position. The Auckland Mounted Rifles advanced on the Wellingtons left towards the foot of the "L", but suffered very heavy machine- gun fire from the long ridge against the end of which the Wellingtons were pressing. By 13:30 the Wellington Mounted Rifles had gained a footing on the ridge by rapidly capturing small tactical positions at the gallop. They achieved their objective by successive rushes driving the Ottoman defenders back from their main position. Major Wilder's 9th Squadron supported by the 2nd Squadron had rushed the first Ottoman position with the bayonet; one machine-gun and one Lewis gun were captured.
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The raid cost three aircraft, one Hampton and two Wellingtons. German casualties amounted to 16 civilians and 116 sailors dead."RAF Campaign Diary, 26/27 February 1942." Ministry of Defence 2004. Retrieved: 20 September 2010. On 27/28 February 1942 33 bombers flew over Wilhelmshaven looking for Scharnhorst. Cloud obscured the target area and German reports noted only three explosions.
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Problems crossing the mountainous terrain postponed any attack until daylight. At 03:00 the brigade moved out again with the Wellingtons on the right, advancing towards Hill 306, the Canterbury Mounted Rifles on the left towards Hill 288 and the Auckland Mounted Rifles forming the reserve. The 6th Squadron attacked Hill 306 from the south and the 2nd Squadron from the south-west.
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On 3 November 1944, the station became No.71 Base under the new training organisation – No. 7 Group RAF. Meanwhile, No.1656 HCU remained at Lindholme until November 1945 when many Bomber Command units were disbanded. During the war, a total of 76 bombers were lost on operations flying from this airfield: 40 Hampdens, 35 Wellingtons and a single Lancaster.
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On 13 July 1825 Lord Wellington, of Hull, Bennet, master, was sailing from Quebec when she encountered a gale at and heavy seas. As she scudded she became waterlogged. On the 18th Nottingham, which had been sailing from Londonderry to Quebec, rescued the crew from the tops and poop. Henry then took on Lord Wellingtons master, mate, carpenter, and a boy from Nottingham.
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Six Lancasters, five Wellingtons, four Stirlings and one Halifax were lost, 7.1% of the force. Five Pathfinder aircraft, including that of the commanding officer of 7 Squadron, were among the losses. The PFF finally proved itself on the night of 27/28 August 1942 against Kassel. There was little cloud over the city, and the Pathfinders were able to illuminate the area well.
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In mid-1940, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was called on to fight the Battle of Britain, but suffered serious losses. It lost 458 aircraft in France—more than current production— and was hard pressed. The government decided to concentrate on only five types of aircraft in order to optimise output. They were: Wellingtons, Whitley Vs, Blenheims, Hurricanes and Spitfires.
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No. 454 Squadron was also deployed to Italy from August 1944, and hundreds of Australians served in RAF units during the campaign.Stanley (1987). pp. 126–139. The RAAF also took part in other Allied operations in the Mediterranean. Two RAAF squadrons, No. 451 Squadron (Spitfires) and No. 458 Squadron (Wellingtons), supported the Allied invasion of southern France in August 1944\.
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The Axis organised a convoy to relieve the difficulties. Ultra intercepted the Axis communications, and Wellingtons of 69 Squadron confirmed the Axis operation was real. Gibbs's Beauforts sank two ships and one of Simpson's submarines sank a third. Rommel still hoped another tanker, San Andreas, would deliver the 3,198 tons of fuel needed for the Battle of Alam el Halfa.
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Of the 248 bombers lost on operations flying from Elsham Wolds, 198 were from No. 103 Squadron. By type, losses were 28 Vickers Wellingtons, 12 Halifaxes and 208 Lancasters. One Elsham Wolds Lancaster, Lancaster III ED888 M2 (Mike Squared)Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 - Page 92 which served with both Nos.
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Aircrew who were originally trained on twin-engined aircraft such as Wellingtons or Whitleys received conversion training on heavy four-engined bombers such as the Halifax or Lancaster. No 1666 HCU remained at Wombleton until the end of the war. The RAF took over the station and stayed for several years with the RAF Regiment using the site as a battle school.
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On 24/25 July, Peden's crew flew their first sortie over the Continent. This exercise was a leaflet drop at Montargis, France. By the beginning of August 1943, Peden had flown a total of 449 hours, and just under 84 in Wellingtons. The crew was ordered to report to No. 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Stradishall on 5 August.
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Miln was manager of the Mutual Street Rink and had previously managed the Toronto Wellingtons, Stanley Cup challengers in 1902. On November 24, Miln attended a meeting of the International Hockey League (IHL) and secured a place in the IHL for the Pros for the 1907–08 season. For the initial season, the Toronto Pros would play only exhibition games.
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Sofia suffered another bombing on 10 January 1944, carried out consecutively by 143 American B-17s during the day and 44 RAF Wellingtons (during the night). 448 buildings were destroyed. 611 were wounded. During the daylight raid by the B-17s, Bulgarian fighters shot down six of the bombers and three escorting P-38 fighters for the loss of one aircraft.
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200px :1891 Ottawa :1892 Ottawa :1893 Ottawa :1894 Osgoode Hall :1895 Queen's University :1896 Queen's University :1897 Queen's University :1898 Osgoode Hall :1899 Queen's University :1900 Toronto Wellingtons :1901 Toronto Wellingtons :1902 Toronto Wellingtons :1903 Toronto Wellingtons :1904 Toronto Marlboros :1905 Toronto Marlboros :1906 Berlin :1907 Stratford :1908 Kingston 4th Regiment :1909 St. Michael's Majors :1910 St. Michael's Majors :1911 Toronto Eatons :1912 Toronto Eatons :1913 Toronto R & AA :1914 Toronto R & AA :1915 Toronto Victorias :1916 Toronto Riversides :1917 Toronto Dentals :1918 Kitchener Greenshirts :1919 Hamilton Tigers :1920 Toronto Granites :1921 University of Toronto :1922 Toronto Granites :1923 Toronto Granites :1924 Hamilton AAA :1925 Niagara Falls Cataracts :1926 Peterborough :1927 University of Toronto :1928 Kitchener- Waterloo :1929 University of Toronto :1930 University of Toronto :1931 Hamilton Tigers :1932 Toronto Nationals :1933 Niagara Falls Cataracts :1934 Hamilton Tigers :1935 Toronto HC :1936 Hamilton Tigers :1937 Toronto Dominions :1938 Toronto Goodyears :1939 Toronto Goodyears :1940 Toronto Goodyears :1941 Toronto Marlboros :1942 Hamilton Tigers :1943 Toronto RCAF :1944 Hamilton Tigers :1945 Hamilton Tigers :1946 Hamilton Tigers :1947 Hamilton Tigers :1948 Hamilton Tigers :1949 Toronto Marlboros :1950 Toronto Marlboros :1951 Owen Sound Mercurys :1952 Stratford Indians :1953 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen :1954 Owen Sound Mercurys :1955 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen :1956 Chatham Maroons :1957 Whitby Dunlops :1958 Belleville McFarlands :1959 Whitby Dunlops :1960 Chatham Maroons :1961 Galt Terriers :1962 Windsor Bulldogs :1963 Windsor Bulldogs :1964 Woodstock Athletics :1965 Woodstock Athletics :1966 Guelph Regals :1967 Kingston Aces :1968 Toronto Marlboros :1969 Galt Hornets :1970 Orillia Terriers :1971 Galt Hornets :1972 Barrie Flyers :1973 Orillia Terriers :1974 Barrie Flyers :1975 Barrie Flyers :1976 Barrie Flyers :1977 Brantford Alexanders :1978 Brantford Alexanders :1979 Thunder Bay Twins Bold denotes an Allan Cup champion.
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At the end of January 1918 the battalion absorbed part of the 1/5th Bn (see above) and was redesignated simply 5th Bn; at the same time the 2/6th Duke of Wellingtons in 186 Bde was also broken up, and some of the men were drafted into the 5th Bn. During the German Spring Offensive, 62nd Division came up from support and was involved in the Battles of Bapaume (25 March) and Arras (28 March). After some four days' hard fighting the German advance was halted in the division's sector.Blaxland, pp. 75, 84–5. In June 1918, the 2/7th Duke of Wellingtons in 186 Bde was broken up, and some of the men were drafted into the 5th Bn. Similarly, the battalion received some men from the 12th Bn Green Howards when that was broken up in July 1918.Becke.
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No planes were shot down in either instance. On April 30 a new bombing by the Fifteenth Air Force destroyed the Breda factory and inflicted further damage on the Lambrate marshalling yard (32 locomotives and 100 wagons were destroyed); in addition to these targets, the city was also hit, resulting in 40 civilian casualties. On the night of 13 May eight MAAF bombers, sent to attack the Lambrate marshalling yard, missed their target and dropped their bombs over Gorgonzola and Cernusco sul Naviglio. On the night of 10/11 July 1944, 84 MAAF Wellingtons bombed the Lambrate railway station once again, but this time the damage was not heavy (and one of the planes was lost); three nights later, 89 Wellingtons attacked the same target, but two were hit by AA fire and the marshalling yard suffered limited damage.
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The Wellingtons casualties during the battle amounted to one dead and five wounded.Wilkie 1924, p.162 Holding their position overnight, at 07:00 the next morning the regiment advanced towards the crossing at El Likeyeh, to the north of Beersheba. Two hours later, just short of the crossing, the 6th Squadron, leading the regiment, were engaged by around 100 Turkish cavalry and two machine-guns.
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The first breakthrough was made on 21 September, by the Auckland Mounted Rifles. At 18:30 the brigade was ordered to advance on Kherbet Fusail, with the objective of securing a position at Damieh.Wilkie 1924, p.222 By midnight the brigade had reached Kerbet Fusail, and the Wellingtons were ordered to seize El Makhruk and at the same time occupy the roads leading north and west.
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Clockwise from top: Sperry Top- Sider, Le Chameau, Jeantex, Aigle, Gill, Helly-Hansen and Newport short and tall rubber sailing wellingtons. Marine footwear is extremely important in order to stay safe while sailing. Sailing wet-boots are designed to keep the sailor's feet dry and can be either rubber moulded or more technical. The most common range of fabrics are Gore-Tex and leather.
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A Vickers-Armstrongs shadow factory assembling Wellingtons, was situated at Byley but close to the airfield. The completed aircraft would be towed from the factory to the airfield for their first flight and onward delivery. In July 1942 1531 Flight was formed as a Beam Approach Training Flight using the Airspeed Oxford. Aircrew were taught the techniques of the-then new airfield approach aid.
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Cottesmore's Hampdens' first trespass into hostile airspace was a leaflet dropping operation over northern France. In October 1940, 106 Squadron moved to RAF Finningley while No. 14 OTU remained training crews for Bomber Command, its Hampdens and HP.53 Herefords being replaced by Vickers Wellingtons in 1942. Training continued for three years and three months until August 1943 when No. 14 OTU moved to RAF Market Harborough.
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30 Operational Training Unit Wellingtons in September 1943 The next phase of training was usually in Britain at one of the Operational Training Units (OTU).Hawker (2004), p.93–94 Aircrew memoirs repeatedly mention arriving at an OTU in large groups of mixed aircrew trades all assigned to the next course and being left to mingle in a large hall to form crews.Rolfe (2003), p.
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On 15 June, the French finally permitted Haddock Force to operate. During the evening, eight Wellingtons took off to attack industrial targets in Genoa. Due to thunderstorms and problems locating their target, only one aircraft attacked the city during the early hours of the next day while the remainder returned to base. On the night of 16/17 June, Haddock Force made their final sorties.
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The first squadron of Virginia Mark Is was formed in 1924. Despite mediocre performance, the aircraft served frontline units until 1938, when it was replaced by the newer Wellingtons, Hampdens and Whitleys. Designs such as the Fairey Hendon and Handley Page Heyford supplemented rather than replaced the Virginia. The final almost all-metal Virginia Mark X was the most numerous RAF bomber until the Heyford in 1934.
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Prior to the conversion, the squadron had moved its headquarters to Palestine in April 1944; it remained there until August 1944, when No. 459 was transferred back to Berka, in Libya. No. 459 Squadron continued operating around the Greek Islands until late February 1945, when it was posted to the United Kingdom as part of a plan to transfer the squadron to Coastal Command and convert to Vickers Wellingtons. After transiting through Egypt, the move was completed by ship, and at the same time, many of the squadron's experienced aircrew were either transferred to other squadrons, or were repatriated back to Australia for rest or demobilisation. In the United Kingdom, the squadron established itself at RAF Chivenor, in Devon, but shortly after its arrival, as a result of the earlier delays, on 10 April 1945 the squadron was disbanded, having not flown its Wellingtons operationally.
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On the right flank, the 2nd Duke of Wellingtons at a crossroads near Raperie, were able to withdraw, under cover of the other two batteries of the XXVII Brigade. The 1st Army had attempted to trap British rearguards at Crépy and Villers-Cotterêts (Villers) but they had slipped away. Air reconnaissance revealed that British columns were moving south from the area south-west of Villers, south of Crépy and from Creil.
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The Atomics released the song on the album Rock and Roll in Hi-FI on Musidisc. The group The Wellingtons performed "Two Hound Dogs" as part of a multi-artist medley during an episode of the U.S. music TV series Shindig in 1965. Johnny Dyer recorded the song on his 1995 album Jukin' in 1995 on the Blind Pig label. Fred Gerard released a version on an EP on President.
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They could not, however, prevent around six hundred Turkish reinforcements reaching the redoubt.Wilkie 1924, p.144 Second Gaza battle, showing the location of the Atawineh Redoubt Doubtful of their ability to capture the redoubt alone, at 13:15 Meldrum asked for reinforcements; he was informed there were no more available. The Canterbury Mounted Rifles, advanced into a gap between the Wellingtons and the 5th Mounted Brigade, which eased the pressure.
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Wilkie 1924, pp.214–215 Then the two squadrons and the light horse counter-attacked, forcing back their opposition and capturing 400 prisoners, sixty-one of them taken by the Wellingtons, along with a machine gun and a Bergman automatic rifle. The Turks continued to hold a position in the north until forced to withdraw by the New Zealanders. The regiment's casualties during the battle were four dead and nine wounded.
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The brigade was ordered to try and intercept them. The 6th Squadron, with a West Indies battalion, were left to guard the Damieh bridge, while the remainder of the brigade moved towards Es Salt, which they occupied at 16:20 the same day.Wilkie 1924, pp.226–227 The next day, 24 September, the brigade continued its advance by heading towards Suweileh, with the Wellingtons protecting the open flank.
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All of his crew survived, and he and one other escaped back to Britain. Hercules engined Lancaster IIs replaced the Wellingtons in March 1943 and these were replaced by Merlin engined Lancaster Is and IIIs in March 1944. Around this time the squadron relocated from RAF Little Snoring to RAF Witchford. The squadron was retained as part of the post-war RAF and received Lincolns in September 1949.
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Originally captured by the New Zealanders prior to the battle on 26 July, the village had been re-taken by the Germans the next day. Under cover of an artillery barrage, the Wellingtons began an advance towards the village. Andrew was tasked with leading two sections to destroy a machine- gun post. During the advance, he noticed a nearby machine-gun post that was holding up the advance of another platoon.
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As Stanley Cup champion, the Victorias accepted a challenge from Toronto Wellingtons, champions of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), played during the regular season. The first game was played under Ontario rules, the second under Manitoba rules. Unusually, in the first game a goal was scored by Rod Flett of Winnipeg, however this goal was into his own net. No Toronto player is credited for the goal, Mr. Flett is.
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Cude was born in Barry, Wales in 1906, although his birthdate has been commonly listed as being in 1910. His father Harry Cude relocated the family to Winnipeg, Manitoba in search of employment. Wilf began playing ice hockey in Winnipeg and played for the St. Vital Saints and the Winnipeg Wellingtons in Winnipeg. Wilf was a childhood friend of Charlie Gardiner, who would also play in the National Hockey League.
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By the beginning of 1918 the British manpower crisis was so bad that one battalion in each brigade was broken up to provide reinforcements. At the end of January 1918 the 1/5th Duke of Wellingtons was disbanded. Some men were drafted to other battalions of 147 Bde, the remainder were transferred to the 62nd Division where they amalgamated with 2/5th Bn, which became simply the 5th Bn.
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The pair flew his first operational mission on 11 July 1941 during which they intercepted a Wellington but failed to shoot it down. Johnen's first victory came on 26 March 1942. Johnen and Risop intercepted a Vickers Wellington northwest of Wesel, it was part of a force of 104 Wellingtons and 11 Short Stirlings that attacked Essen. Johnen's first victory was probably Wellington X3589, KO-F, from No. 115 Squadron RAF.
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Bomber squadrons then moved to East Anglia or Yorkshire to aerodromes closer to Germany. When the Second World War broke out the two resident RAF Bristol Blenheim Squadrons deployed to France and did not return. Instead, Heyford trained bomber crews to fly, navigate and bomb at night. For this they used Handley Page Hampdens and Vickers Wellingtons, supported by Avro Ansons, switching to de Havilland Mosquitos in 1945.
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The completion of the domestic sites and the new officers' mess and Sergeants' mess were in use about this time. Bad weather held up completion of a lot of the buildings including the Battle Headquarters. The first fully operational squadron to arrive at Warboys was 156 Squadron on 5 August 1942. The squadron came from RAF Alconbury with Vickers Wellingtons; in the new year it re-equipped with Avro Lancasters.
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Flying a Bristol Blenheim from 139 Squadron, his mission is to identify German maritime targets around Wilhelmshaven. 12px 3 September: The RAF launches its first raid of the war over Germany territory. Eighteen Handley Page Hampdens and nine Vickers Wellingtons are sent to attack the German warships moored at the Wilhelmshaven naval base. However poor visibility prevents the bombers from finding any targets before nightfall so they return.
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The RAF Hurricanes were kept operational by being patched up and cannibalised and their performance, already inferior to the Bf 109E-7, deteriorated. Five Hurricanes arrived at Malta in early March, another six on 18 March. but five Hurricanes and five pilots were lost.'''' Messerschmitt Bf 109 escorting a Ju 87 over the Mediterranean On 1 March, the Luftwaffe attacks on airfields destroyed all of the Wellingtons brought in in October.
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In December 1943 No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons (together with their service echelons, nos. 9420 and 9425 Service Echelon) were moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Dalton and Dishforth respectively. These squadrons had returned from service with Wellingtons in North Africa, and it took them several weeks to work up on the newly acquired Halifax bombers. They were therefore unable to fly their first raids from Tholthorpe until mid-February 1944.
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French 9th Colonial Division landing on Elba, 17 June 1944. On 16 June, the day before the invasion, German reconnaissance aircraft spotted two flotillas of invasion ships, but thought they were just the normal naval convoys between Naples and Bastia.Tomblin, pp. 380–381. To preserve the surprise, there was no pre-invasion bombing until the night of 16–17 June, when 26 Vickers Wellingtons bombed Portoferraio and Porto Longone.
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It re- equipped in April 1942 with Blenheims for anti-submarine patrols and in May 1942 moved to RAF Sharjah in Sharjah. Whilst based at RAF Sharjah there were detachment to airfields at Jask, Ras al Hadd and Masirah. Wellingtons were delivered in February 1944 and the squadron moved to RAF Masirah on Masirah Island where it continued anti-submarine patrols. The Squadron was disbanded there on 1 May 1945.
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103 Squadron was then transferred to RAF Newton near Nottingham and reverted to the control of No. 1 Group RAF, Bomber Command. In October 1940 it was re- equipped with Vickers Wellington bombers. Operations were carried out with this type on targets on mainland Europe. The Squadron moved into the new airfield at RAF Elsham Wolds in July 1941. In July 1942 the Wellingtons were replaced by Handley Page Halifax bombers.
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Bourn Airport is located west of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield was originally constructed during World War II as RAF Bourn and was principally used as a base for heavy bombers - Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancasters were all based at Bourn at one time or another. Nowadays, the airfield is used for recreational use, and flight training has been provided by the Bourn Rural Flying Corps for in excess of 30 years.
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At sea, German U-boat (submarine) forces were taking a considerable toll on Allied shipping. The Air Ministry decided to launch an attack on German surface ships to prevent them supporting the U-boats in the North Atlantic. On 18 December 1939, a force of three RAF bomber squadrons was sent to engage German ships in the Heligoland Bight and sink or damage as many as possible. Originally 24 Vickers Wellingtons took off.
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New Zealanders crossing the River Jordan As the ANZAC Mounted Division pulled back to the west bank of the Jordan, the Wellingtons remained behind strengthening the defences at the Ghoraniyeh bridge-head.Wilkie 1924, p.208 On 18 April, the regiment, less the 6th Squadron, were part of a brigade force that advanced on the village of Shunet Nimrin. The operation was a deception to convince the Turks that further raids on Amman were imminent.
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In January 1940, after completing a gunnery course, he joined No. 9 Squadron RAF to fly Vickers Wellingtons operationally from RAF Honington and by the end of July 1940 he had completed 27 operations.Vance (2000), p.31 That September he was rested and posted to the newly formed No. 311 Squadron RAF a Czech squadron, as a flight instructor. He always wore Czech insignia on his RAF uniform to honour his Czech friends.
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To accommodate the unit's large number of aircraft, RAF Wrexham served as a satellite airfield.Ferguson 2008, pp. 42–43. 17 (P)AFU disbanded on 1 February 1944, as part of a shuffle of training units which saw No. 11 (P)AFU, equipped with 132 Airspeed Oxfords, move from RAF Shawbury, freeing the well equipped Shawbury for the Vickers Wellingtons of the Central Navigation School to move from RAF Cranage.Ferguson 2008, p. 43.
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By the time Second World War broke out in 1939 Bird was an experienced pilot. She was commissioned into the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) as Assistant Section Officer (ASO) in 1940 and remained there for a year until invited to join the ATA. Bird joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) on 1 August 1941 and soon qualified as a First Officer. The aircraft she ferried included: Hurricanes, Spitfires, Wellingtons, Beaufighters, Mosquitos and Dakotas.
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For World War II, the company was again called upon to supply vast quantities of Wellington and thigh boots. Eighty percent of production was for war materials - from ground sheets to life belts and gas masks. In the Netherlands, forces were working in flooded conditions which demanded Wellingtons and tight boots in vast supplies. By the end of the war, the Wellington had become popular among men, women and children for wear in wet weather.
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This version was sung by The Wellingtons. Parker played the role of Davy Crockett in the miniseries and continued in four other episodes made by Walt Disney Studios. Buddy Ebsen co-starred as George "Georgie" Russel, and Jeff York played legendary boatman Mike Fink. Archie Bleyer, the president of Cadence Records, heard the song on the ABC telecast (December 15, 1954) and called Bill Hayes that night to gauge his interest in recording it.
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Wallis's military career started with Westland Lysander patrols in the RAF. In 1942, he was transferred to RAF Bomber Command, flying Wellingtons near Grimsby. Wallis subsequently served in Italy and on secondment to the United States Strategic Air Command, where he flew the massive Convair B-36, that had six piston engines and four auxiliary jet engines. Thereafter, he was involved in research and development, and was awarded a number of patents on his inventions.
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A total of 2,584 Wellingtons were completed at the two Blackpool aerodromes between September 1940 and summer 1945. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC) established an aircraft repair line at Stanley Park Aerodrome which overhauled Bristol Beaufighters for return to service with the RAF. Later, some Hawker Hurricanes were flown in and reduced to scrap metal. No.181 Gliding School RAF used Kirby Cadet gliders at Stanley Park Aerodrome between 1943 and 1947 to train air cadets.
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Its approximate size can be judged by the attendance at church gatherings in the 1880s, which with temporary seating allowed 4,000 to 5,000 to attend. In the 1880s, it was Toronto's largest auditorium. The Caledonian Club sold the rink to John Palmer, owner of the Toronto Type Foundry, in the fall of 1905, for $25,000. Alexander Miln, former manager of the Toronto Wellingtons ice hockey club is named manager of the rink.
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Night After Night: New Zealanders in Bomber Command. Published by Harper Collins, Auckland. . . Watkins sailed for Britain in June 1941. He was initially posted to No. 106 Squadron RAF where he flew five operations on Manchesters, and one with OTU, and then 21 operations flying Wellingtons with No. 150 Squadron RAF based at Snaith, Yorkshire. Watkins was then chosen for the recently formed pathfinders, joining No. 156 Squadron RAF on 1 December 1942.
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Ellis 2004, p. 179. The Cosford site includes several developmental aircraft such as those that led to the English Electric Lightning and the second prototype of the BAC TSR-2. A lot of the aircraft are very rare, such as the only Boulton Paul Defiant in the world and one of only two surviving Vickers Wellingtons left in the world. The first Director of the Museum was Dr John Tanner who retired in 1987.
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Loren debuted on the program performing "Wishin' and Hopin'", with other performances on the premiere episode by Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, The Wellingtons, Jackie and Gayle, Bobby Sherman, The Blossoms, Alan Sues, and the Shindig dancers.The Lima News 1966, 'TV Scout previews', September 16, p. 31. On the series, Loren performed a wide range of material both in solos and work with other performers, most often Bobby Sherman.
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Overseeing the station was a 1941 pattern control tower which still survives and is currently being used as industrial offices.Details about the Control Tower- RAF Hixon retrieved 16 April 2013 During the war bomber aircraft that used the airfield included Vickers Wellingtons, Avro Lancasters and Bristol Blenheims. Other types that operated from the station included Curtiss P40 Tomahawks, Miles M.9 Masters, Miles M.25 Martinets and Hawker Hurricanes which were mainly used for training.
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Young completed his tour in February 1941 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). After serving in a training unit, Young was promoted to squadron leader and, in September 1941, began a tour with 104 Squadron, flying Vickers Wellingtons. He served in Egypt and Malta and, on completing his tour of duty, received a Bar to his DFC. In July 1942, he was sent to Washington, D.C. to serve as part of the RAF Delegation.
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By September 1943 all of the Whitleys had been taken out of active service at Chivenor, and four squadrons of Wellingtons, 172, 407, 612 and 304, were located at the base. No 172 was the Wellington Training Squadron, taking over from 1417 Flight. The base had personnel from Canada, Poland and the UK. The Plan for the post war, was for Chivenor to become a full-time anti-submarine wing with two squadron's 14 and 36 Squadron.
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The difficult terrain and the strength of the Turkish defences hindered progress, and by dusk they were still some distance away from their objective. The next day the advance continued, but in the face of growing Turkish resistance, and with the arrival of Turkish reinforcements, they were in danger of being cut off and surrounded. So on 4 May the whole force withdrew back across the River Jordan, leaving the Wellingtons behind to protect the bridge-head.Wilkie 1924, pp.
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Harrow of No. 115 Squadron RAF The squadron was reformed from "B" Flight of 38 Squadron at RAF Marham, as No. 115 (Bomber) Squadron on 5 June 1937.Collins and Halladay 1982, p. 5. It was now one of only two units to operate -temporarily- the Fairey Hendon monoplane bomber, but these were soon replaced by their intended equipment, the Handley Page Harrow. As these proved unsuited in the bomber role they were replaced from March 1939 with Wellingtons.
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Vickers Wellington The squadron reformed on 1 January 1942 at RAF Kabrit, Egypt and was equipped with Wellingtons and Blenheim aircraft on radio jamming operations against the Afrika Korps. It was disbanded on 25 September 1944 and reformed at RAF Bourn on 18 December 1944 as a Mosquito squadron on operations over Germany as part of the Light Night Striking Force. It was finally disbanded on 14 July 1946, having transferred to RAF Transport Command operating a mail service.
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Bowyer 1990, p. 200. In February 1942 the squadron moved to India with the Wellingtons, and resumed operations in November 1942 against Japanese bases in Burma. From September 1944 the squadron re-equipped with Consolidated Liberators which allowed it to reach targets in Thailand and Malaya. During this period, the squadron included a significant number of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force aircrew personnel, attached to it under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
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179 Squadron equipped with Wellingtons and the Czechoslovak- crewed 311 Squadron equipped with Liberators undertook anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay and approaches to the English Channel. At its peak about 3,600 crew and support staff were at Predannack. As the war became less intense in Predannack's area of operations, the station saw fighter squadrons arrive for rest and re-equipment. On VE Day no flying units were present, but two Mosquito squadrons returned.
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The lifeboat, designed by yachtsman Uffa Fox, laden with supplies and powered by two motors, was aimed with a bombsight near to ditched air crew and dropped by parachute into the sea from an altitude of about .Barfield 1972, p. 159. Warwicks were credited with rescuing crews from Halifaxes, Lancasters, Wellingtons and B-17 Flying Fortress, and during Operation Market Garden, from Hamilcar gliders, all of which ditched in the English Channel or North Sea.Barfield 1972, pp.
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For the first time, Hunter became an independent company under its own name, specifically, the Hunter Rubber Company. At the end of 2004, Hunter announced that they would be releasing a range of seven different coloured Wellingtons to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Green Wellington Boot. Each different coloured boot, along with the kids' range, represented one of eight charities and were used to raise funds for them. The company launched a dedicated website, www.giving-welly.co.
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A disadvantage of the geodesic fuselage structure was its insufficient lengthwise stiffness: when fitted with attachment for towing cargo gliders, its structure "gave" and stretched slightly. So, while the airframe continued to be structurally sound, the forces in the long control runs of cables and push-pull rods to the empennage grew considerably, affecting controllability of the aeroplane. This is the reported reason why Wellingtons (and Warwicks for that matter) were not used as glider tugs.
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A total number of 11,461 aircraft is most often quoted, notably by Andrews & Morgan (1988); however, they appear to have totalled incorrectly as, using their own data, the total is 11,462. There is some question over several individual aircraft, so the actual total may be a few either side of this figure. In combination, the Wellingtons and 846 Warwicks represent over 75% of the total number of aircraft built by the Vickers-Armstrongs company.Murray, 2012, p. 39.
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The southern face of the city's fortifications was very strong with a large hornwork blocking the approaches with the higher town walls mounting guns that could fire over the hornwork to protect it. "it was the strongest fortification I ever saw, Gibraltar excepted", wrote William Dent.L. Woodford (ed.), A Young Surgeon in Wellingtons Army: the Letters of William Dent (Old Woking, 1976), p. 39. On its eastern side, the city was protected by the estuary of the Urumea River.
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Greswell joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1935 and served for over thirty years. Much of his war time service was spent with RAF Coastal Command operating on convoy protection duties. Initially flying Ansons with No. 217 Squadron RAF and later in Wellingtons, promoted to squadron leader with No. 172 Squadron RAF. He was heavily involved in the development and testing of the 'Leigh Light' illumination system used effectively in the war against the U-boat menace.
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The airfield was completed in 1941, and called RAF Edgehill. No. 21 Operational Training Unit (OTU) was based at the airfield operating Vickers Wellingtons, Miles Martinets and Hawker Hurricanes also No. 12 OTU were based at the airfield as well. No. 1 Flying Training School RAF also used Edgehill at some point. The airfield was also used for the flight testing of the Gloster E28/39 in 1942 after it had made its maiden flights at RAF Cranwell.
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Early in 1942 Finningley passed to No. 1 Group and with no further need for Hampdens or Manchesters No. 25 OTU concentrated on Wellingtons, nine of which were lost when the station was called upon to take part in Bomber Command operations. No. 25 OTU was disbanded in February 1943 and in March No. 18 OTU moved in from RAF Bramcote and began using RAF Bircotes and RAF Worksop as satellites. In November the Wellingtons were moved to these satellites as hard runways were to be laid at Finningley. These were put down during the winter of 1943–44, the main 03-21 being , 07-25 and 12–30 4,200 ft. A concrete perimeter track had been laid in The 1942 and asphalt pan-type hardstandings constructed in 1940–41 linked to it, two of the original clusters crossing the A614 road between Finningley village and Bawtry. A single loop-type standing was added to bring the total to 36. Some additional domestic accommodation was provided to cater for a maximum 1,592 males and 459 females.
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Fili landed a drop kick from thirty minutes outs in the 61st minute to increase their Wellingtons lead to 8. Daniel Bowden had a chance for another 3 pointer but didn't have the accuracy. 67 minutes in, Auckland had the chance to get a try from the 22 drop out, but was butchered by a deflected kick off a Wellington player. But Auckland made up for it later by replacement halfback Taniela Moa in the 70th minute, Daniel Bowden conversion was successful.
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Lock on the Air and Calder Navigation at Pollington In 1940 the Royal Air Force built an airfield called RAF Snaith north-west of Pollington. From it flew primarily these bombing units: 150 Squadron with Wellingtons from 1941 to 1942 and 51 Squadron with Halifaxes from 1942 to 1945. After 1946 it fell into disuse. Pollington parish was part of the Goole Rural District in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974, then in Boothferry district of Humberside until 1996.
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Richards 1995, pp. 1–2. A similar attempt was made on 4 September, when McPherson again spotted warships off Brunsbüttel, Wilhelmshaven and in the Schillig Roads. The radio failed again and no attack could be launched until McPherson's return. A force of 10 Blenheims from No. 110 Squadron RAF and No. 107 Squadron RAF along with five more from 139 Squadron and eight Wellingtons of No. 149 Squadron RAF took off to locate the German warships , and , which some aircraft found.
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For the attack on Beersheba the New Zealand brigade was to move around the open Turkish left flank and assault the village from the east-north-east.Wilkie 1924, p.157 They moved to Esani, to the south-east, on 24 October, then on the next day the Wellingtons established a long observation line between two and south-west of Beersheba. On 28 October the regiment moved another south-east to Khalassa, then the next day to Asluj, to the south of Beersheba.
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182–183 Holding an observation line overnight, at 06:00 the next morning the brigade advanced towards Jericho leaving the 9th Squadron to capture Rijm El Bahr, including its stores and boats, on the Dead Sea. Jericho was captured the same day by the Australian 1st Light Horse Brigade. As a whole, the operation cost the Wellingtons one killed and four wounded. On 22 February the regiment returned to Bethlehem along the Jericho–Jerusalem road, eventually returning to the Mar Elias Monastery.
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On 6 June the brigade was ordered to detach part of 53rd AA Rgt to southern France for an unspecified task. Together with a Troop of 162/54 LAA Bty, 157 and 159 Btys moved to Marseille where they joined 'Haddock Force', manning airfields to launch bombing raids by RAF Wellingtons against Italian targets. However, the surrender of France meant that Haddock Force was evacuated from Marseille to Gibraltar aboard a merchant ship with the remaining Bofors guns mounted on its decks.
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Following the release of Keeping Up With The Wellingtons in 2005, the band toured the United States. This provided strong sales of the debut album in Japan (through imported sales from Australia) and consequently Japanese label This Time Records signed the band for the release of the album. This led to the band's first Japanese tour in 2006. Songs from the first album were used in US channel CBS's show How I Met Your Mother and in a variety of Japanese television commercials.
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Six aircraft, including four Curtiss P-36 Hawks, were destroyed by ZG 76\. The landing at Stavanger was successful, but 3./KG 4 and 3./ZG 76 failed to prevent eight Caproni Ca.135 bombers escaping north. From Stavanger Airport, Sola, on 12 April, Hauptmann Günther Reinecke's I./ZG 76 claimed five Wellingtons on this date but the Luftwaffe could not stop the destruction of 12 aircraft and the damage to 31 others at Bergen and Stavanger-Sola to 2 May.
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The Central Gunnery School transferred in from RAF Sutton Bridge in March 1944, continuing its role of training experienced aircrew to become Gunnery Instructors for both Fighter and Bomber Commands. (For further detail of training undertaken see RAF Sutton Bridge). The principal aircraft used were Spitfires and Vickers Wellingtons, together with support aircraft for roles such as target towing. With the end of the Second World War the number of students reduced and the school moved to RAF Leconfield in October 1945.
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After text cards explaining RAF Bomber Command chain of command, the film begins with a reconnaissance aircraft flying over an RAF base and dropping a box of undeveloped film. After developing and analysis, it reveals that a major oil storage facility has been built by Nazi Germany in the Freiburg region. A squadron of Wellingtons is allocated to attack it that night. The planning of a mission to reach and hit the target is depicted, detailing how munitions for the task are selected.
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Wellington's Victory, or the Battle of Vitoria (also called the Battle Symphony; in German: Wellingtons Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria), Op. 91Cf. first edition by S.A. Steiner & Co., Vienna, December 1815. The complete score, available from IMSLP, includes a section 'Remarks concerning the performance' written by the composer., is a minor 15-minute-long orchestral work composed by Ludwig van Beethoven to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's victory over Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria in Spain on 21 June 1813.
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She soon began to deliver low-powered single engine aircraft from factory or repair base to storage units and RAF and Naval flying units. Further advanced training permitted her to deliver several hundred Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mustangs, Tempests and other high performance fighter aircraft. After further training, she was eligible to deliver twin-engined aircraft and delivered Whitleys, Blenheims, Mosquitos, Mitchells and Wellingtons, normally flying solo when doing so. She continued intensive flying with the ATA until the organisation was disbanded in late 1945.
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The Shea's Amphitheatre, constructed in 1909, seating 5000, served Winnipeg until the construction of the Winnipeg Arena in the 1950s. The arena was used by the Manitoba Hockey Association, as the home rink of the Winnipeg Victorias, Winnipeg Hockey Club and Winnipeg Rowing Club. The rink was used in 1902 for a Stanley Cup challenge series between the Victorias and the Toronto Wellingtons. In 1907, it was used for the Stanley Cup challenge series between the Kenora Thistles and the Montreal Wanderers.
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In his essay about Berlioz and the Harold-Symphony, he himself took the point of view that there had been program music in all times. In fact, looking at the first half of the 19th century, there had been Beethoven's Pastoral-Symphony and overtures such as "Die Weihe des Hauses". Beethoven's "battle symphony" Wellingtons Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria had been very famous. Further examples are works by Berlioz and overtures such as "Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt" by Mendelssohn.
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After Operation Torch, French units in Africa sided with the Allies. In this guise, the Laté 298 was used for Coastal Command missions in North Africa, in cooperation with Royal Air Force Wellingtons. The Laté 298's final combat missions were flown during the liberation of France, where they were used to attack German shipping operating from strongholds on the Atlantic coast. The last Laté 298s were retired from active service in 1946, but continued to serve as trainers until 1950.
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Winnipeg won the series in two games after Bain scored the clinching goal in overtime. It was the first time in Stanley Cup history that the winning goal was scored in extra time. Bain did so while playing with a broken nose that required him to wear a wooden face mask, earning him the nickname "the masked man" as a result. When the Victorias defended their title in a series against the Toronto Wellingtons in January 1902, Bain did not play in the series.
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Even before the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo, the French had probed the British picket defences to the west of the city towards the border. On the 4 July, General Junot had accompanied General Sainte-Croix on a reconnaissance of the area. Following several skirmishes and actions Junot had reconnoitred the fortress of Concepcion following which he withdrew all his forces to Ciudad Rodrigo. Wellingtons strategy now instructed Burgoyne to prepare for the withdrawal of the fortress's garrison and to demolish the fortress with his prepared charges.
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On re-enlistment to the RAF he was graded as a probationary pilot officer on 27 July 1940. He made pilot officer in September 1940, flying as an air gunner in Defiant aircraft with No. 264 Squadron RAF and later No. 151 Squadron RAF. He also made several unofficial trips as an air gunner with No. 311 (Czech) Squadron, flying Wellingtons. Carlin was injured in action at RAF Wittering during an enemy bombing raid on 7/8 May 1941, and died in Peterborough on 9 May 1941.
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The Wellingtons established observation posts further to the north. The next morning the 2nd Squadron sent a patrol on a reconnaissance, which located a strong Turkish force approaching. By 05:30 this Turkish force were attacking the 2nd Squadron's posts. At 07:00 the rest of the regiment, still south of the river, moved to support the defenders at Kirbet Hadrah, where they came under an artillery bombardment. At the same time the 2nd Squadron was ordered to fall back to support the infantry at Sheikh Muannis.
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U-459 sinking after being attacked by Vickers Wellington aircraft She returned to her French base on 30 May. Having left Bordeaux on 22 July 1943, U-459 was attacked by two British Wellington aircraft of No. 172 Squadron RAF near Cape Ortegal, Spain on 24 July. The boat shot one of the Wellingtons down, but 18 submarine crewmen were killed and she was so badly damaged by this attack that she had to be scuttled. 41 of her crew survived to be taken prisoner.
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De la Ferté wrote to the Ministry arguing the Liberator should be used for reconnaissance work, rather than bomb load for the solitary squadron being accepted at that time. The Liberator would assist in closing the 'Mid-Atlantic Gap' which U-boats could operate in without worrying about air interdiction. After replacing Bowhill in 1941, de la Ferté had issued a directive on 12 June 1941 to use Wellingtons and Whitleys as an interim solution to unrestricted submarine warfare now practised by the Germans.
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196 Squadron was reformed at RAF Driffield, Yorkshire on 7 November 1942 as a night bomber unit in No. 4 Group, part of Bomber Command. It was initially equipped with Mk.III and Mk.X Vickers Wellingtons. The squadron carried out many raids on enemy ports and industrial centres in Europe in 1943; it also flew numerous 'gardening' (minelaying) sorties. On 19 July 1943, the squadron moved south to RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire, as part of No. 3 Group and was re-equipped with Mk. III Stirling bombers.
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No. 612 Squadron entered the Second World War as a General Reconnaissance unit within RAF Coastal Command, flying the Avro Anson. These were replaced from November 1940 with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, and from November 1942 these again gradually made (April 1943 saw the last Whitley leave the squadron) way for various marks of specially adapted General Reconnaissance (GR) versions of the Vickers Wellingtons, which the squadron continued to fly until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded on 9 July 1945 at RAF Langham.
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8 Group was re-constituted when Bomber Command's Pathfinder Force was renamed No. 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group on 8 January 1943. The group consisted of specialist squadrons that marked targets for the main attacks of Bomber Command aircraft. The Force, which had been formed in August 1942 with five Squadrons from the existing Bomber Command Groups flying a mix of Short Stirlings, Handley Page Halifaxes, Avro Lancasters and Vickers Wellingtons. When new aircraft, such as the de Havilland Mosquito became available, 8 Group got the first ones.
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1805 appointing admirals of the red, spoke of the rank as restored to the navy, whereas, in point of fact, it had never previously existed." in His Majesty's Navy..." and promoted 22 men to that rank. Occasional exceptions were now also made to the rule that only one admiral could hold the fleet rank at one time. In 1821 George IV appointed Sir John Jervis as a second admiral of the fleet, ostensibly to balance Lord Wellingtons promotion to Field Marshal in the British Army.
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It participated in its first operational sortie on 20/21 October, when ten of its aircraft joined in night attacks made against the ports of Emden, Antwerp and Rotterdam. Further attacks were made against industrial targets in France and Germany over the course of several months as part of a strategic bombing campaign. In addition, the Wellingtons were involved in mine-laying operations along enemy occupied coasts. In late 1941, No. 458 Squadron provided a flight to help raise the newly formed No. 460 Squadron RAAF.
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The first of these, 75 Squadron, comprised the Wellingtons and pilots lent by New Zealand in August 1939, which later flew Short Stirlings, Avro Lancasters and Avro Lincolns. Other New Zealand squadrons within the RAF included 485, which flew Supermarine Spitfires throughout the war, 486 (Hawker Hurricanes, Hawker Typhoons and Hawker Tempests), 487 (Lockheed Venturas and De Havilland Mosquitoes), 488 (Brewster Buffaloes, Hurricanes, Bristol Beaufighters and De Havilland Mosquitoes), 489 (Bristol Blenheims, Bristol Beauforts, Handley Page Hampdens, Beaufighters, and Mosquitoes), and 490 (Consolidated Catalinas and Short Sunderlands).
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At the end of the war in Europe and completion of his first tour, Benny transferred to Transport Command, serving with Nos. 51 and 53 Squadrons, flying Short Stirlings. After demobilization, he became a member of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in 1946, flying Spitfire XVIs with No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron. He re-joined the RAF in August 1949 as a Flight Lieutenant, and after a course flying Wellingtons at the Pilot Refresher Flying School, Finningley underwent further conversion to the Handley Page Hastings.
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On New Year's Day, the annual Castlecomer Wellie Race takes place. Originally started in 1978, the Powley (an area in the hills surrounding Castlecomer) men decided, while playing cards, on St Stephen's Day to run off the Christmas excess by having a race over a cross country circuit, uniquely wearing a pair of wellingtons. Later, in 1981, the first Castlecomer Wellie Race took place over a 5 km cross- country circuit around Kiltown on New Years Day. All race participants must wear appropriate foot attire—wellies.
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It became known as the Lancaster Finishing School in January 1944. From November 1943 to July 1944 there was also a Bombing and Gunnery Defence Training Flight in attendance with several Wellingtons, Spitfires, Hurricanes, plus a few Martinet tug aircraft, all employed in brushing up the skills of air gunners on air-to-air exercises. The LFS left on 1 April 1945, with No. 49 Squadron arriving from RAF Fulbeck later in the month who only had one operation before leaving to RAF Mepal in September.
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After the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the RAF in 1941, before he graduated, and flew Wellingtons for Coastal Command on reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions over the Atlantic Ocean, during the Battle of the Atlantic. He then flew long-range transport missions, and was demobbed in 1947. He continued to fly as a private pilot after the war, until the 1980s. His interest in motor vehicles began in his youth, when he learned to drive in his mother's 1932 Essex Terraplane.
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No. 426 Squadron RCAF was created during the Second World War as a result of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan to supply aircrew for the war in Europe. It first formed at RAF Dishforth, England on 15 October 1942, with Vickers Wellington Mk IIIs and Mk Xs. The squadron was used as bomber unit in No. 4 Group RAF, RAF Bomber Command. Its first operational mission occurred on the night of the 14th and 15 January 1943, when seven Wellingtons bombed Lorient. The squadron used to fly by night, principally over Germany.
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The system lay to the east of an upper level trough of low pressure within an area of high vertical windshear. During that day the system moved towards the east-southeast and was subsequently last noted by RSMC Nadi later that day as it moved into TCWC Wellingtons area of responsibility. During February 23, RSMC Nadi reported that Tropical Disturbance 14F had developed, within a trough of low pressure to the north-northwest of Maewo, Vanuatu. Over the next day the system moved slowly towards the south-southeast and developed into a tropical depression.
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Throughout July and August the squadron's Wellingtons remained in Bomber Command's Temperate Land Scheme camouflage: dark green and dark earth above, and black below. This was unsuitable for maritime patrols, but not until September 1942 were the aircraft repainted in Coastal Command's Temperate Sea Scheme: dark slate grey and extra dark sea grey above, and white below. In April 1943 the squadron was partly re-equipped with five Wellington Mark X aircraft. This could carry two torpedoes or of bombs, but it was primarily a Bomber Command variant, not designed for maritime patrol work.
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The first multiple air-sea rescue operation occurred on December 18, 1939. A group of 24 British Vickers Wellington medium bombers were frustrated by low clouds and fog in their mission to bomb Wilhelmshaven, and they turned for home. The formation attracted the energetic attention of Luftwaffe pilots flying Bf 109 fighter aircraft as well as Bf 110 heavy fighters, and more than half of the Wellingtons went down in the North Sea. German Seenotdienst rescue boats based at Hörnum worked with He 59s to save some twenty British airmen from the icy water.
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On 30 April the second raid across the Jordan began, their objective this time to capture Es Salt. This time a much larger force was involved, under command of the Desert Mounted Corps. The Wellingtons and the rest of the New Zealand brigade were part of the force assigned to attack the village of Shunet Nimrin. At 03:30 when the brigade crossed over the Ghoraniyeh pontoon, the regiment came under command of the 180th (2/5th London) Brigade, providing protection for their right flank as they advanced on the village.
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Later that day, the NPMOC reported that the system had become a tropical storm and reached its peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph), as it affected several Fijian islands including Vanua Levu and Thikombia. During December 16, the cyclone continued to move towards the southeast and started to affect Tonga before the NPMOC issued their final warning on the system as it had weakened into a tropical depression. During the next day, the depression moved into TCWC Wellingtons area of responsibility and was subsequently declared extratropical.
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The first multiple air-sea rescue operation occurred on December 18, 1939. A group of 24 British Vickers Wellington medium bombers were frustrated by low clouds and fog in their mission to bomb Wilhelmshaven, and they turned for home. The formation attracted the energetic attention of Luftwaffe pilots flying Bf 109 fighter aircraft as well as Bf 110 heavy fighters, and more than half of the Wellingtons went down in the North Sea. German Seenotdienst rescue boats based at Hörnum worked with He 59s to save some twenty British airmen from the icy water.
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On 14 December 1939, 12 Wellingtons of the squadron set off for an armed reconnaissance of the Schillig Roads, hoping to attack a force of German warships spotted by a British submarine the previous night. While the formation encountered the German warships, the cloud base was too low to bomb the ships, and five of the bombers were lost over the North Sea, one shot down by anti-aircraft fire, three by German fighters and one lost in a collision. A further Wellington crashed on return to base.
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Three days later, JG 1 fought in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight. The German fighter units were alerted late, but in a quick briefing, the JG 1 commander had told his pilots to make a beam attack as it was a blind spot for the Vickers Wellington bombers heading to Wilhelmshaven. A stern attack was dangerous, as the gunners could then target an attacking fighter with a coordinated and concentrated cone of fire. One weakness also noted was that early types of Wellingtons lacked self-sealing fuel tanks.
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It was not until October 1943 that RAF crews began noticing the return of the "disappearing contacts" problem, which was due to the introduction of Naxos. Given this unexpected delay in countering Mark III, both models were well advanced but only in February 1944 was Mark VI first installed on the Wellingtons. Even then, Naxos was never as effective as Metox and in spite of a few instances of Naxos-aided U-boat escapes, these were the exception and Mark III remained the most widely used system until the end of the war.
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The Squadron was supplied with Leigh light equipped Wellingtons from a flight of No. 172 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1942. It was then stationed at Gibraltar, before operating patrols from airfields in the United Kingdom including RAF Chivenor, RAF Benbecula, RAF Predannack and RAF St Eval in Cornwall. In November 1944 the squadron converted to Warwick aircraft and in February 1946 one element of the squadron (179X) converted to Lancasters, while 179Y retained the Warwicks before it was renumbered No. 210 Squadron RAF. No 179 squadron was finally disbanded on 30 September 1946.
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It operated the twin-engined Avro Anson for training navigators. In 1942 the unit was renamed the Central Navigation School and the strength was increased to 58 Ansons, they were joined two years later by a number of Vickers Wellingtons in the same role. As well as the training role, the airfield also housed an operational squadron from December 1940 with the formation of 96 Squadron which was equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. This unit operated in the night air-defence role, mainly in the protection of the industrial and port areas of Liverpool.
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Their debut single, "Pissin' with the Catman", reached the top 100 in May 2005 on the related ARIA Singles Chart. Its follow-up, "I Don't Care", peaked at No. 37 in September. After drummer Johnny T left the band to focus on family life, The Pictures enlisted the help of Russell Hopkinson of You Am I and Joel Ellis of Mink Jaguar and Nunchukka Superfly on the 2008 album, Kicking Indifference. Their live line-up subsequently included Melbournian drummer, Zac Anthony of The Wellingtons (also formerly a member of The Hovercrafts).
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Despite being blinded in one eye after a car crash in 1935 and suffering a hip problem following an aircraft landing accident, Gurdon joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and was granted a commission "for the duration of hostilities" as a pilot officer (on probation) on 20 September 1940. He served as an instructor and managed to fly on several bombing operations unofficially as a front gunner on Wellingtons, but after a landing accident aggravated his existing hip problem he was forced to relinquish his commission on 29 September 1941.
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However, the operation was short-lived as a result of bad weather, with the aircraft returning to their home base in mid-February. Vickers Wellington bombers of No. 9 Squadron. A detachment of No. 9 Squadron spent a short period of time operating Wellingtons during April 1940, before being replaced by No. 107 Squadron and No. 110 Squadron, which were equipped with Bristol Blenheims. During this period the first loss to enemy action of an aircraft operating from Lossiemouth occurred when three Blenheims were shot down over Norway.
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That attack is often not counted when the total number of Operation Gomorrah attacks is given. There was no day raid on the 27th. On the night of 27 July, shortly before midnight, 787 RAF aircraft—74 Wellingtons, 116 Stirlings, 244 Halifaxes and 353 Lancasters— bombed Hamburg. The unusually dry and warm weather, the concentration of the bombing in one area and firefighting limitations due to blockbuster bombs used in the early part of the raid – and the recall of Hanover's firecrews to their own city – culminated in a firestorm.
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Opened in March 1943, it was originally used as a training station by No. 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF, using Airspeed Oxfords. In September 1943, it was reorganised for operational use by several squadrons, including No. 144 Squadron RAF, No. 404 Squadron RCAF and No. 455 Squadron RAAF. Towards the end of 1944, it was reorganised again with No. 489 Squadron RNZAF, flying Bristol Beaufighters on shipping strikes, and No. 524 Squadron RAF with radar-equipped Vickers Wellingtons. The airfield was closed in June 1945, becoming a Territorial Army training centre until 1958.
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The Battle of the Airfields: 1st January 1945, Norman L. R. Franks, 1982, page 125 Clade led the gruppe an escort mission against Utrecht. In a subsequent airfield attack against Melsbroek, Clade said the AAA positions were not manned, and aircraft were bunched together or in lines, which made perfect targets.The Ardennes, 1944-1945, Christer Bergstrom, page 328 The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The Recce Wings had lost two entire squadrons worth of machines. No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11 Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged.
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Most of these were Wellingtons, which lost 34% of their number. On 1/2 September 1942 the PFF illuminated Saarbrücken as part of a 231 aircraft force, but post-raid analysis showed this to be Saarlouis, 13 miles to the north and situated on a similar bend in the river. The next night a force of 200 bombers were led by accurate marking in Karlsruhe, and the raid was considered a great success, with an estimated 200 fires seen burning. Reconnaissance photographs showed much residential and some industrial damage.
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RAF Wing airfield opened on 17 November 1941, although the upgraded runways were not finished and the first flight was not until March 1942. The station was used primarily as a training facility, but some operational missions were also flown from there. No. 26 Operational Training Unit RAF for Bomber Command was formed at Wing on 15 January 1942 as a 2/3 status unit within No. 7 Group, equipped with Vickers Wellingtons to train night bomber crews. The two operational squadrons were No. 268 Squadron RAF and No. 613 Squadron RAF.
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The remaining four crewmen were rescued by the Free Polish destroyer the next day. However, another Wellington of 36 Squadron arrived on the scene, and immediately attacked U-343. Its depth charges fell wide after the port engine was hit by the U-boat's AA fire, but it managed to reach Bône, Algeria, safely. The next day, 8 January, at 21:40 a third Wellington of 36 Squadron located U-343 south-west of Cartagena, Spain, and brought two more Wellingtons from No. 179 Squadron RAF, based at Gibraltar, to attack.
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British aircraft losses to the Luftwaffe were two Blenheims, four Whirlwinds, four Wellingtons, six Hurricanes, nine Hampdens and ten Spitfires. Kriegsmarine gunners shot down all six Swordfish and a Hampden bomber. Worcester lost killed, four died of wounds and of the complement of ship was out of action for In 2014, Steve Brew recorded 230–250 killed and wounded. The Kriegsmarine torpedo boats Jaguar and damaged by bombing, two sailors were killed and several men were badly wounded by bomb splinters and small-arms fire; the Luftwaffe lost 17 aircraft and eleven pilots.
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There was also the usual lack of co-operation with the Italian Navy and Army. Finally, just few days after the start of the war, Italian pilots were confronted by No. 80 Squadron, led by the outstanding ace Marmaduke Pattle and equipped with Gloster Gladiators, by No. 30 Squadron, No. 211 Squadron and No. 84 Squadron with Bristol Blenheims and No. 70 Squadron with Vickers Wellingtons. Gradually, Italian air power (including Squadriglie flying from Italian air bases) grew to over 400 aircraft against the dwindling numbers of the Greeks.Neulen 2000, pp. 37-38.
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His unit took part, beginning on 6 August, in the Battle of Chunuk Bair, in support of the landing at Suvla Bay, which was intended to break the deadlock in the Gallipoli Campaign. The initial assault was successful and early on the morning of 8 August, Downing was with A Company occupying the Turkish trench on the crest of Chunuk Bair. The Turks counter-attacked at dawn, forcing back the British battalions and the Wellingtons. The crest was lost and the battle continued for 12 hours on the seaward slopes.
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In particular, while the nose and tail turrets protected against attacks from the front and rear, the Wellington had no defences against attacks from the beam and above, as it had not been believed that such attacks were possible owing to the high speed of aircraft involved.Richards 1953, p. 46. As a consequence of the losses taken, the tactic of unescorted day bombing was abandoned, and Bomber Command decided to use the Wellington force to attack German communications and industrial targets instead. Vickers Wellingtons of 9 Squadron, on a mission in WW2, flying in formation.
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After Italy entered the war the squadron converted to Vickers Wellingtons, and began operations over the Western Desert. In 1940 A detachment was sent to Tatoi, in support of Allied forces defending Greece and in 1941 the squadron was involved in the campaign to conquer Vichy-occupied Syria and the Rashid Ali rebellion in Iraq. 70 Squadron relocated frequently in support of the 8th Army's westward advance, first into Libya then Tunisia. In November 1943 it relocated to Djedeida 20 miles west of Tunis putting industrial targets in the North of Italy, within easy reach.
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He graduated from flying school the following year and was commissioned as officer. In 1944, Thiele was posted to the Mediterranean theatre, where he served with No. 458 Squadron RAAF, a maritime patrol/strike unit, flying Vickers Wellingtons, from bases at Foggia, Italy, and Gibraltar. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in September 1945 and was discharged on 16 January 1946, after returning to Australia. Thiele's career as a professional actor commenced in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in radio serials; his roles included that of Superman/Clark Kent and Tarzan.
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An alehouse was an ordinary domestic house in which people were allowed to come into the kitchen or front room to drink beer, but not spirits. In 1934, by Bucks Review Order, Little London, then part of Brill, was added to Oakley. On 27 May 1942 RAF Oakley opened and became operational, initially a satellite airfield for RAF Bicester and then in August 1942 as RAF Westcott's satellite. No 11 Operational Training Unit (No 11 OTU) moved to Westcott in September 1942, many Vickers Wellingtons were located here.
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With the outbreak of the Second World War all organised rugby was suspended. In 1940 Manfield volunteered for the Royal Air Force, and was sent to RAF training centres in Uxbridge and Cosford, training alongside soccer international George Male. After completing his training he was posted to St Athan near Cardiff before training as an air observer in Scotland. In 1942, now a flying officer, Manfield was posted to active service in Cairo and spent three years in the Middle East flying Wellingtons with 102 Squadron, rising to the rank of squadron leader .
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The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The Recce Wings had lost two entire squadrons worth of machines. No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11 Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all No. 140 Squadron RAF′s Mosquitoes were lost. At least five Spitfires from No. 16 Squadron RAF were destroyed. No. 271 Squadron RAF lost at least seven Harrow transports "out of action". A further 15 other aircraft were destroyed. 139 Wing reported five B-25s destroyed and five damaged.
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On 22 December 1940 the unit moved to Wittering to equip with the Boulton Paul Defiant I. Sometime in 1941 No. 1513 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF arrived using Airspeed Oxfords but after five years the unit moved out. During April 1943 No. 105 (Transport) Operational Training Unit formed at the airfield flying Vickers Wellingtons these were supplemented with Douglas Dakotas in March 1945. Between November 1944 and July 1945 Bitteswell was used as a satellite providing some relief for the busy station before the unit was renamed 1381 (T) Conversion Unit in August 1945 and moved out to RAF Desborough.
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At the end of April 1942 the squadron was transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command in to undertake maritime patrols. It moved to RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland on 28 April and began maritime patrol training on 1 May. The squadron was made part of No. 19 Group RAF, moved to RAF Talbenny in Wales on 12 June and undertook its first anti- submarine patrol on 30 June. Its Wellingtons lacked air to surface vessel (ASV) radar, but despite this between June 1942 and April 1943 the squadron achieved the highest success rate of any Coastal Command squadron.
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The rest of the MLs formed two columns on either side and astern of the destroyer, with the MTB bringing up the rear. The first casualty of the raid was ML 341, which had developed engine trouble and was abandoned. At 22:00 the submarine Sturgeon directed her navigation beacon out to sea to guide the convoy in. At about the same time Campbeltown raised the German naval ensign in an attempt to deceive any German lookouts into thinking she was a German destroyer. At 23:30 on 27 March, five RAF squadrons (comprising 35 Whitleys and 27 Wellingtons) started their bombing runs.
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Up until that time, in May 1943, Coastal Command had sighted submarines on 825 occasions, which resulted in 607 attacks. Only 27 were sunk, and three were shared destroyed. Another 120 were damaged. Against those figures, 233 aircraft, 116 of which were lost owing to weather conditions, were destroyed. Of this figure, 179 were from No. 19 Group RAF, attacking U-boats over the Bay of Biscay.Hendrie 2006, pp. 116–117. , a German Type VIIC submarine, was damaged by Leigh Light Vickers Wellingtons from No. 179 Squadron RAF, on 12 September 1943. It was scuttled by Royal Navy soon after.Nesbit 1997, p. 116.
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Most of the bombers released their loads from between , but Brill dropped to before making his attack. With the bomb bay doors open, his Wellington was struck by flak, damaging the hydraulics and rear gun turret, and leaving one of the bombs hanging after the others dropped on target. Returning to England through more bad weather, he spotted an emergency landing ground and brought the crippled Wellington down with the bomb doors still open and one tyre flat; the plane was later scrapped. Brill's was the only one of four Wellingtons from No. 460 Squadron to find the target area and successfully attack.
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RAF Bawtry became the centre of the RAF Meteorological Service and ceased military operations in 1986. ;RAF Bircotes A satellite from RAF Finningley operating Avro Ansons, Wellingtons, and Manchesters from No. 25 OTU. Also operating No. 1 Group RAF Bomber Command HQ Communications Flight in support of RAF Bawtry ;RAF Doncaster First opened in 1908 as one of the world's first airports, it took on biplane fighters during the First World War to combat German Zeppelins and later became a transportation squadron during the Second World War. The runway has now been lost to urban development; however a museum remains.
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One Stirling was lost. The next night, another 77 bombers marshaled against Stuttgart but again were troubled by poor visibility, as the city was obscured by haze. The closest bombs came was the Kraherwald to the west of the city, and three Wellingtons and another Stirling were lost. Another raid was launched on the night of 6–7 March containing 97 aircraft, but the crews again couldn't identify Stuttgart and instead attacked the Lauffen decoy, which may have led the flotilla to Heilbronn, away, where seven civilians were killed and more than 150 buildings were destroyed.
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Apart from a brief clash with , whose captain misreported the task force's course and composition, the ships reached France unmolested. One motor launch suffered mechanical problems and had to return to England. The preliminary air raid carried out through heavy cloud by 35 Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys and 25 Vickers Wellingtons was much smaller than originally planned and was ineffective, merely alerting the defenders of something unusual happening. Nevertheless, by flashing genuine German recognition signals, the force, with Campbeltown flying the flag of the Kriegsmarine, approached to within less than of the harbour before being fired upon.
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A renewed attack was made on 8 August by the Wellington Battalion, during which the New Zealanders pushed forward from the Pinnacle and up Rhododendron Ridge to capture the summit. The Aucklanders and two British battalions then reinforced the Wellingtons. As the offensive failed elsewhere, the Ottomans poured reinforcements against Chunuk Bair, subjecting the New Zealanders and British troops there to several determined counter-attacks. Finally, late on 9 August, the New Zealanders were relieved by two battalions of British troops. The position was finally retaken by the Ottomans on 10 August, following heavy close quarters fighting.
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When the studio at first refused, saying it would be too expensive to reshoot, Denver insisted, even going so far as to state that if Johnson and Wells were not included, he wanted his name out of the song as well. The studio caved in, and "the Professor and Mary Ann" were added. The first-season version was recorded by the folk group The Wellingtons. The second-season version, which incorporated more of a sea shanty sound, was uncredited, but according to Russell Johnson in his book Here on Gilligan's Isle, it was performed by a group called the Eligibles.
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Mercantile had previously bought the 34-strong chain of Humberts (founded in 1842) out of administration, along with 10 branches of its Farleys and Wellingtons chains in June of the same year for £3.16 million. The move to take full ownership of Chesterton gave them a complimentary wider ownership within the sector. 2009: Chestertons merges with Humberts (bringing together two of the longest established firms in the industry),, the business is rebranded as Chesterton Humberts.Chesterton and Humberts to merge The firm acquires a former franchised operation of two branches in the South East of England, strengthening their representation in this geographic area.
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By the winter of 1941 the airfield had become so muddy that the Wellingtons of 20 OTU were temporarily relocated to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The increased activity by 46 MU resulted in two satellite landing grounds (SLG) being established to store aircraft off-site. These were at RAF Black Isle (42 SLG) where Bristol Beaufighters were kept and RAF Leanach (43 SLG) near Culloden, where Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires were stored. Lossiemouth was used during 1942 as a base to launch several unsuccessful missions to sink the German battleship , which at the time was operating in Norwegian fjords.
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The authorisation for a satellite for No. 22 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) was given on 18 June 1940 yet it took over a year until 5 July 1941 that the station was finally opened by an advance party from RAF Wellesbourne Mountford with their Vickers Wellingtons. During 1942 the station's name was changed from RAF Atherstone to RAF Stratford. This is nothing to do with airfields with the same name. The airfield is at Atherstone-on-Stour, a sparsely populated rural parish, too small to appear on many maps and which never had a railway station.
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Reinforcements were sent temporarily from Egypt, raising the maximum number of operational aircraft to a hundred Spitfires, 36 Beaufighters, 30 Beauforts, three Wellingtons, two Liberators, two Baltimores and three FAA Albacores and Swordfish. The convoy was named WS.21S (Winston's Specials were troop convoys from Britain to Suez via the Cape of Good Hope). After the usual convoy conference just before sailing, Burrough met with the Convoy Commodore, A. G. Venables and the masters of the merchant ships on board his flagship, to brief them. A similar meeting was held with radio operators of the merchantmen to explain fleet communications and procedures.
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Two weeks before the convoys, the carrier began operations to deliver 63 Spitfires to Malta, which increased the number to fighters. Air operations for the two convoys began on 24 May, when Vickers Wellington bombers of 104 Squadron from Malta, began bombing airfields and ports in Sicily and southern Italy. On 11 June, the Wellingtons were withdrawn to accommodate six Wellington torpedo bombers of 38 Squadron, Bristol Beaufort torpedo-bombers of 217 Squadron and Martin Baltimore reconnaissance aircraft of 69 Squadron. Aircraft from Gibraltar, Malta and Egypt also began reconnaissance flights on 11 June, searching for the Italian fleet.
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425 Squadron, the first French Canadian squadron, was formed on 22 June 1942 at RAF Dishforth in Yorkshire, England, as a bomber unit flying Vickers Wellingtons. On the night of 5/6 October 1942, the squadron went into action for the first time, bombing Aachen with a small number of aircraft. In 1943, the squadron flew to Kairouan, Tunisia, and from there, it conducted operations against Italy and Sicily, returning to the UK in November of the same year. In December, they were re-equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes and flew their first mission with these aircraft in February 1944.
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The squadron was progressively equipped with Wellingtons, Short Stirlings, Avro Lancasters and finally Avro Lincolns, which it was preparing to take to the Far East as part of Tiger Force when Japan surrendered. Some have claimed that No 75 Squadron it to be the only squadron engaged constantly against Germany from 1939 to VE day. However, as the 75 (NZ) Sqn only stood up in April 1940, this is not correct. It flew more sorties than any other RAF heavy bomber unit, suffered more casualties than any other squadron, and dropped the second-largest weight of bombs.
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Welch started gliding in 1937 and attended an Anglo-German Fellowship Camp at the London Gliding Club meeting Wolf Hirth and Hanna Reitsch followed by a return visit to Germany in 1938. She restarted the Surrey Gliding Club in 1938 at Redhill, Surrey becoming their Chief Flying Instructor and achieving a membership of over 100. When the Second World War broke out she enrolled in the Air Transport Auxiliary, ferrying many types of aircraft including Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims and Wellingtons from the factories to their operational units. She stopped this work shortly before the birth of her first daughter.
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They found the Chunuk Bair hilltop virtually undefended after a naval bombardment, but were subjected to enfilade fire from the neighbouring Hill Q, which was still resisting capture, and the leading platoons of 7th Gloucesters were 'practically wiped out'. Those who reached the top glimpsed the Dardanelles narrows – the goal of the campaign – in the distance, but Chunuk Bair was hard to defend. The Wellingtons' commander, Lt-Col William Malone, made the error of digging in on the reverse slope, which allowed Turkish counter-attacks to get within 20 yards of the position without being seen.
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Sachs performed all the voices in the English-language version of Jan Švankmajer's 1994 film Faust. He also did voices for children's animation, including William's Wish Wellingtons, Starhill Ponies, The Gingerbread Man, Little Grey Rabbit, The Forgotten Toys and Asterix and the Big Fight. Other roles for radio have included G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown, 1984/'86, Dr. John Watson in four series of original Sherlock Holmes stories for BBC Radio 4, Jeeves in The Code of the Woosters, Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo on BBC Radio 7's "Young Classics" series, and Tooley in Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.
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The Liberators were often attacked by formations of Bf 110s and Junkers Ju 88s, and in October 1943 Clouston was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions, followed in April 1944 by the Distinguished Service Order. In February 1944, he was promoted to group captain, and posted as commanding officer of RAF Langham, that was still under construction. Operations there started with No. 455 Squadron and No. 489 Squadron, both flying Beaufighters on anti-shipping missions in the North Sea area. In October 1944, the Beaufighter squadrons were replaced by No. 521 Squadron with Lockheed Hudsons and No. 524 Squadron with Wellingtons.
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RAF Bircotes was located next the No. 1 Group RAF, RAF Bomber Command HQ at RAF Bawtry, Bawtry Hall, Bawtry, England. The airfield consisted of a grass strip with a connecting perimeter track with T2, B1 and blister hangars plus other miscellaneous buildings. The Airfield opened in late 1941 and was used by the Avro Ansons, Vickers Wellingtons, and Avro Manchesters from No. 25 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) at nearby RAF Finningley. A variety of training units occupied the airfield including two operational Training units, No. 18 OTU, No. 28 OTU, No. 82 OTU, No. 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School RAF and No. 35 Maintenance Unit RAF.
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Unable to take command personally, Napoleon appointed his most dependable Marshal, Masséna to take charge of the Army of Portugal in April 1810. This army of three corps had a total of 65,000 men with a further reinforcement of 20,000 troops once they were ready. By May 1810 Wellington's forces were becoming strong and supplies and manpower was on the increase. Wellingtons espionage network had informed him of Masséna appointment and a French lieutenant who had deserted to one of Craufurd's pickets revelled that the French had moved 80,000 troops to the province and where preparing to Invade Portugal once more at the earliest convenience.
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Differences between the English and US representations were discussed in The Illustrated London News of 1985. The classic illustration by the US artist Thomas Nast was held to be "the authorised version of how Santa Claus should look—in America, that is." In Britain, people were said to stick to the older Father Christmas, with a long robe, large concealing beard, and boots similar to Wellingtons. JRR Tolkien, published in 1976 Father Christmas appeared in many 20th century English- language works of fiction, including J. R. R. Tolkien's Father Christmas Letters, a series of private letters to his children written between 1920 and 1942 and first published in 1976.
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By this stage, Malone's battalion was the only intact battalion in the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. He set about securing the crest of Chunuk Bair, but it proved difficult to deepen the relatively shallow Turkish trenches that had been captured by his men, and the work was made even more difficult as the sun rose, allowing the Turks on neighbouring Hill Q to focus their gunfire on the positions occupied by the Wellingtons. The Gloucesters, also on the crest, were forced to retreat to the reverse slope. The Turkish gunfire caused heavy casualties amongst the infantry holding Chunuk Bair, but crucially also prevented substantive reinforcements from reaching the crest in daylight.
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Original 1972 Paddington Bear The first Paddington Bear stuffed toy to be manufactured was created in 1972 by Gabrielle Designs, a small business run by Shirley and Eddie Clarkson, with the prototype made as a Christmas present for their children Joanna and Jeremy Clarkson (who later became a well-known British TV presenter and writer). Shirley Clarkson dressed the stuffed bear in Wellington boots to help it stand upright. (Paddington received Wellingtons for Christmas in Paddington Marches On, 1964.) The earliest bears wore small children's boots manufactured by Dunlop Rubber until production could not meet demand. Gabrielle Designs then produced their boots with paw prints moulded into the soles.
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By 07:00 they had broken the Australian lines in the east, and the Wellingtons came under command of the light horse brigade to support their defence. Thirty minutes later the 9th Squadron advanced, on foot, along the Wadi Aujah, and occupied a position on the west of the salient just before the Germans' Turkish allies attacked. The 9th Squadron managed to hold their line, but because they were engaging a far larger force, the 6th Squadron moved forward on their left to support them. The two squadrons' lines were able to mutually support each other and engage the attacking Turks with a "withering fire".
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The next day the ANZAC mounted division was ordered to capture Amman. The Wellingtons provided the vanguard, and at 07:45, two miles north-west of Amman, the 9th Squadron, in the lead, was engaged by machine-gun and rifle fire and could see Turkish cavalry in the distance. At 08:10 the 2nd Squadron moved forward to support the 9th, but came under fire from two redoubts. They took cover and were able to bring enfilade fire onto the redoubts and also onto a force of Turkish reinforcements preparing a counter-attack. At 10:00 the 9th Squadron were relieved by the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade.
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No. 75 Squadron was an RAF unit formed around a core of RNZAF flying personnel present in England prior to the outbreak of the Second World War to take delivery of 30 Vickers Wellington bombers purchased by the New Zealand government. These personnel had set up a unit at Marham, in Norfolk, to prepare for the transportation of the Wellingtons back to New Zealand. However, once hostilities commenced, with the permission of the New Zealand government, the fliers were transferred to the Royal Air Force. Shortly afterwards, it was arranged for the RNZAF personnel to form the cadre of 75 Squadron, the first Commonwealth squadron of Bomber Command.
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The bomber squadrons were initially equipped with Fairey Battles and Vickers Wellingtons, then Avro Lancasters (300 sqn), Handley Page Halifaxs and Consolidated Liberators (301 sqn) and de Havilland Mosquitos and North American Mitchells (305 sqn). 663 flew Auster AOP Mk Vs.Polish Air Force memorial, St Clement Danes, London On April 6, 1944, a further agreement was reached and the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain came under Polish command, without RAF officers. This resulted in the creation of a dedicated Polish Air Force staff college at RAF Weston-super-Mare, which remained open until April 1946. After the war, in a changed political situation, their equipment was returned to the British.
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Slessor continually wrote to the Air Ministry, complaining that Mosquitoes were being used as reconnaissance machines, while over 200 were being used by the RAF tactical air forces supporting the army, and merchant shipping was suffering high losses in the Atlantic. His successor Sholto Douglas' written records indicate the desire to upgrade, rather than produce new aircraft. By his tenure, January 1944, ten squadrons of Consolidated Liberators, five Vickers Wellingtons squadrons equipped with the Leigh light, and two Handley Page Halifax, Hudson, and Boeing Fortress squadrons were available. Among other technological developments, these long-range aircraft helped defeat the U-boats in May 1943.
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Land for the development of an RAF aerodrome was earmarked by the Air Ministry in 1941, and work commenced on the construction of the Station during 1942. The construction work was undertaken by J.R. Mowlem & Co. and was completed in 1943. Vickers Wellingtons were by far the most numerous type operated from RAF Market Harborough RAF Market Harborough conformed to the layout of a typical RAF aerodrome, that is the specifications set by the British Air Ministry which called for three converging strips, each containing a concrete runway optimally placed (if practicable at the site) at 60 degree angles to each other in a triangular pattern.
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When war was declared in 1939, Lucas chose to serve in the Royal Air Force, joining the RAFVR in 1940. After a period of training at RAF Burnaston, he made his first solo flight in a Miles Magister, and after advanced flight training received his wings as a fighter pilot. After victory in the Battle of Britain made the induction of further pilots in the fighter stream unnecessary, Lucas was posted to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland for further training as a bomber pilot on Vickers Wellingtons. In August 1941 Lucas, now a sergeant pilot, was assigned to No. 9 Squadron RAF, then stationed at RAF Honington.
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Today the airfield is home to a small number of warehouses however the original basic layout can still be made out, including the runways and a large amount of the perimeter track which used to connect the runways with the dispersal hard standings and the technical site. The airfield was also the site of the 2007 Warwickshire warehouse fire in which four firemen died. At its peak there were over 1650 service men and women stationed here as well as civilian workers. At one time this OTU operated 81 Vickers Wellingtons, probably some Avro Ansons and a target towing flight with 6 Miles Martinets.
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The PFF was first put into action on the night of 18/19 August 1942, when 118 Bomber Command aircraft attacked Flensburg. PFF bombers were the first 31 aircraft of the raid, including Stirlings, Halifaxes, Lancasters and Wellingtons - from No. 7, 35, 83 and 156 squadrons. Flensburg, on an inlet of the Baltic, was in theory an easy target for the PFF on their first operation, but the winds shifted and the bomber force drifted north of the target to a part of Denmark whose coast also had many inlets. 16 PFF crews claimed to have marked the target area and 78 Main Force crews claimed to have bombed it.
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Heavily damaged or destroyed beams on one side could still leave the aircraft structure viable; as a result, Wellingtons with huge areas of framework missing were often able to return home when other types would not have survived, leading to stories of the aircraft's 'invulnerability'.Andrews 1967, p. 5. The effect was enhanced by the fabric skin occasionally burning off leaving the naked frames exposed. A further advantage of the geodesic construction of the wings was its enabling of a unique method for housing the fuel, with each wing containing three fuel tanks within the unobstructed space provided between the front and rear spars outboard of the engines.
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Snow scenes were amongst Royle's favourite subjects because of the light reflected off the snow and the subtleties of colour thus created. He considered the winter landscape to have more colour than at other times of the year. His daughter described how he would wear knee-breeches, and knee length lace-up boots, which were warmer than Wellingtons, to paint 'plein-air' snow scenes. Stanley Royle became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1942 and in 1945 he and his wife returned to the UK where he sojourned with his daughter and family in Suffolk before settling in north Nottinghamshire.
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Intended as RAF Westcott's satellite, the land at Field Farm had been requisitioned by the War Office, and the airfield built. RAF Oakley was ready before its parent station so, when it opened on 27 May 1942, it became RAF Bicester's second satellite. In August 1942 it switched to its intended status and when No. 11 Operational Training Unit RAF moved to Westcott in September 1942, and Oakley became that unit's satellite where it placed some of its Vickers Wellington IC's. In the Autumn of 1943, Hercules-engined Wellingtons came increasingly into use and the OTU's air gunnery training section was located at Oakley.
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The fighter squadrons initially flew Hurricanes, then Supermarine Spitfires, and eventually on P-51 Mustangs. Night fighters used by 307 were the Boulton- Paul Defiant, Bristol Beaufighter and finally the de Havilland Mosquito. The bomber squadrons were initially equipped with Fairey Battles and Vickers Wellingtons, then Avro Lancasters (300 Sqdn.), Handley Page Halifaxs and Consolidated B-24 Liberators (301 sqn) and de Havilland Mosquitos and B-25 Mitchells (305 Sqdn.). 663 Squadron flew Auster AOP IIIs and Vs. After the war, with the changed international situation, their equipment was returned to the British but only some of the pilots and crews returned to Poland.
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These guns were also well-positioned to provide cover if pressure by the Ottoman reinforcements from Khan Yunus and Shellal proved too strong for the two troops of Wellingtons, or if the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was forced to retire to the coast. After steady, methodical and persistent work, by 16:00 a cloud of smoke hung over the central redoubt from rifle and machine-gun fire. The covering fire was so effective that the Ottoman defenders had extreme difficulty aiming and firing their rifles and machine- guns. It then became possible for the attacking forces to cover the last of smooth grassy slope in two rushes.
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Moving east, the French crossed to the south bank of the Tormes across another bridge at Huerta and by marching south then west hoped to turn the flank of Wellingtons' army. By the day of the battle Wellington had decided to withdraw his army all the way back to Portugal, but observed that with the two armies marching parallel to each other, with the British on the inside line, the French became strung out and Marmont had made the tactical error of separating his left flank from the main body of his army. The Duke immediately ordered the major part of his army to attack the overextended French left wing.
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It was his intention to remain with these four until all hope of saving the ship was gone, the other men meanwhile standing by in the lifeboat. One Seneca man and seven Wellington men were lowered with the boat, the others to slide down the falls into the boat as soon as it reached the water. Fearful lest the boat be smashed against the ship by the heavy seas, one of Wellingtons men chopped the painter and the lifeboat with its eight men drifted away rapidly. They tried to row back, but inexperienced in a pulling boat, they were no match for the heavy seas and strong current.
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The Radar War, by Gerhard Hepcke, translated into English by Hannah Liebermann Only half of the Wellingtons returned to Britain undamaged, but the German fighters only reached the bomber after they had made their bombing run on ships in harbour. The performance of Freya left the Luftwaffe so impressed that, by the Spring of 1940, eleven Freya stations were installed to guard Germany's western border.Description of the first German radar sites After the invasion of France in 1940, additional Freya stations were built along the Atlantic coast. When Britain started its bombing raids, Hermann Göring ordered Colonel (later General) Josef Kammhuber to install an efficient air defence.
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149 Squadron aircrew before being briefed for a raid at RAF Mildenhall The squadron was reformed from 'B' Flight of No. 99 Squadron RAF on 12 April 1937 under No. 3 Group RAF at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk where it remained until April 1942. Initially equipped with Heyford biplane bombers, the squadron converted to Vickers Wellingtons in January 1939. On 4 September 1939 L4259 was flown on "Ops Brunsbüttel 4/500 GP", the day after the declaration of war against Germany by Great Britain. (Source Pilot's Logbook). After being re-equipped with the Short Stirling in November 1941, the squadron took part in the first 1,000 bomber raid.
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Wilkie 1924, pp.159–160 Beersheba in 1917 Over the night of 30/31 October the attack on Beersheba began; the regiment formed part of the vanguard with the 6th Light Horse Regiment. At 00:45, the 9th Squadron lead and the 2nd Squadron provided flank and rear protection as the Wellingtons left the main column to capture a Turkish position at Goz El Shegeib, south-east of Beersheba. At 03:00 the position was secured – it was unoccupied – and the regiment remained there for instructions. Three hours later the 9th Squadron was attacked, from the north, by a squadron of Turkish cavalry. Supported by the 6th Squadron, they counter- attacked and forced the Turks to withdraw towards Beersheba.
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Once in position there, they came under constant artillery fire. Later the regiment again led the brigade to capture another ridge to their left, with the 2nd Squadron advancing on the left and the 9th Squadron on the right, supported by the 6th Squadron in reserve. The attack, which was covered by the 7th Light Horse Regiment, advanced through machine- gun and rifle fire until the ridge was captured, but the New Zealanders then came under an intense artillery bombardment.Wilkie 1924, p.103 At 13:30 the Turks counter-attacked, reaching the 1st Light Horse Brigade who were alongside the Wellingtons, and the 3rd Light Horse Brigade on the other flank who were forced to retire.
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As they named it RSMC Nadi reported that the system had reached its peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph) with further development of the system restricted by strong vertical wind shear. Early on March 10, the JTWC designated Zaka as Tropical Cyclone 20P, while it had its peak 1-minute windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph). RSMC Nadi then issued their final advisory at 0600 UTC, as Zaka had weakened into a tropical depression and was moving into TCWC Wellingtons area of responsibility. TCWC Wellington and the JTWC monitored Zaka for another day before it was last noted during March 11 as it became an extratropical cyclone.
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Drünkler intercepted the bomber stream west of Makkum and claimed a Short Stirling at 02:39. On the 23/24 July 1943 Air Marshall Arthur Harris, Air Officer Commanding, Bomber Command, initiated Operation Gomorrah, a concerted attempt to destroy Hamburg and step up the area bombing of German industrial cities. The RAF mustered 791 aircraft—347 Lancasters, 246 Halifax, 125 Stirlings and 73 Wellingtons— for the operation. The British lost 12 aircraft—four Halifaxes, four Lancasters, three Stirlings and a Wellington which amounted to 1.5 per cent of the force. The raid was very successful, "Window" helped confuse German radar defences and H2S radar was used to map and bomb the target.
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Most of its early sorties were to drop mines in the approaches to French Channel ports thought to be harbouring invasion barges. There was still need for a final polish for new Hampden crews and in February 1941 No. 106 left its 'C' Flight at Finningley to continue with this task while the rest of the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby for full offensive operations. While flying from Finningley, six Hampdens had failed to return. In March the former No. 106 "C" Flight metamorphosised into No. 25 OTU, initially continuing to train with Hampdens and Ansons. A few Manchesters arrived in the spring of 1941, and the unit was later bolstered with Wellingtons.
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The bomb store was in Finningley Big Wood. The station re-opened for flying in May 1944 when No. 18 OTU returned from RAF Bramcote. By the end of that year requirements for operational training had reduced and in January 1945 the OTU was disbanded and the Wellingtons removed. The Bomber Command Instructors School had been established at Finningley in December 1944 and this organisation, with a variety of bomber types, saw out the remaining months of the war at this station and did not depart until the spring of 1947. Navigational training was the main objective of No. 6 Flying Training School RAF, first using Vickers Varsity and later Hawker Siddeley Dominie aircraft.
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HM Queen Elizabeth inspects flight and ground crews at RAF Warboys, February 1944, in front of an Avro Lancaster of No. 156 Squadron The squadron reformed in February 1942 from the home echelon of 40 Squadron at RAF Alconbury, in the Huntingdonshire area of Cambridgeshire, as part of No. 3 Group RAF and was equipped with Wellingtons. In August 1942 it joined No. 8 Group RAF it became one of the original pathfinder squadrons, converting to Lancasters in January 1943. It continued in the pathfinder role until the end of the war, being based at RAF Warboys, RAF Upwood and finally its original founding base, RAF Wyton, where it disbanded on 25 September 1945.
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Flight Lieutenant James Lawrence Anderton was a company director, motorcycle dealer, pilot and RAF officer. James Anderton founded Anderton Bros Motor Cycles Ltd of Bolton, Lancashire with his brother Syl Anderton in 1935.Motor Cycles Not a Thing of the Past, Bolton Evening News, 29 Oct 1968 He qualified as a pilot before World War II but was drafted into the RAF Volunteer Reserve at the outbreak of hostilities, and remained in RAF service until the surrender of Japan in September 1945.Flying is Congenial to Them, Bolton Journal and Guardian, 19 Feb 1943 He served in several RAF squadrons and an Operational Training Unit, as a heavy bomber pilot—flying Vickers Wellingtons and B-24 Liberators.
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Pathfinder units claimed to have spotted the city, but most of the bombs dropped that night fell in open country and on dummy Pathfinder indicators, the first use thereof by the Germans, but still 112 died and 386 were injured when Vaihingen and Kaltental were hit, resulting in the destruction of 118 houses. Six Halifaxes, three Stirlings, and two Lancasters, 3.5% of the total force, were lost during the operation. The next month, 462 bombers marshaled against Stuttgart and again the Pathfinders claimed to have accurately identified Stuttgart, but the actual bombardment occurred to the northeast of the city. This mission proved a costly failure, as eight Stirlings and Wellingtons, four Halifaxes, and three Lancasters were lost.
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The immediate post-war years found Nos.57 and 100 Squadrons with their Lincolns in residence from May to September 1946. Wellingtons joined Lindholme with No. 5 Air Navigation School Wellington T.10s, Avro Ansons, and also 3 Vickers Valettas, coded A, B, and C. In November 1952 things changed quite dramatically, when Bomber Command Bombing School (BCBS) was formed at Lindholme, using up to 18 Lincolns and 8 Varsities. In addition in 1958 there was an Anson C19 (serial VM387), and also the first Hastings arrived – TG503. BCBS reduced in size quite dramatically in 1959 and 1960 and in the latter year there seemed to be only 4 Lincolns left, but this type was being replaced by Hastings.
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It soon became apparent that the frequent detachments of bomber aircraft were disrupting the training programme at Lossiemouth, and therefore, due to the strategic importance of the station as a base for bomber aircraft, it was decided to relocate 15 FTS to RAF Middle Wallop in Hampshire. On 27 April 1940, after the unit's departure, Lossiemouth transferred to No. 6 Group of RAF Bomber Command and No. 20 Operational Training Unit (20 OTU) was established, initially operating Wellingtons and Avro Ansons. No. 46 Maintenance Unit (46 MU) was also formed in April 1940. 46 MU's role was to modify and fit out new aircraft before they were forwarded to front-line squadrons.
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Wellingtons of the RNZAF in England, August 1939 On the outbreak of World War II the RNZAF had as its primary equipment 30 Vickers Wellington bombers, which the New Zealand government offered to the United Kingdom in August 1939, together with the crews to fly them. A restored 485 (NZ) Squadron Spitfire Many other New Zealanders also served in the RAF. As New Zealand did not require its personnel to serve with RNZAF squadrons, the rate at which they entered service was faster than for other Dominions. About 100 RNZAF pilots had been sent to Europe by the time the Battle of Britain started, and several had a notable role in it.
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After significant confusion and argument between Coastal and Bomber Command, the ASV Mk. III began to arrive in the spring of 1943, and after some rather disappointing sorties in March, the Wellingtons began making successful attacks late that month. This was the same period in which several new anti- submarine technologies were arriving, and from April through July these combined to result in a huge number of losses to the U-boat fleet. By the end of June, cargo shipping losses to U-boat attacks had dropped almost to zero. As supplies of the Mk. III improved, Mk. II-equipped aircraft were sent to secondary theaters where they served out the war.
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On 8 April 1940, No. 11 Operational Training Unit (OTU) was formed at Bassingbourn as part of No. 6 Group from the Station HQ and No 215 Squadron. Equipped with Vickers Wellingtons, its role was to train night bomber crews. From December 1941 to February 1942 the OTU operated from RAF Tempsford while runways were constructed at Bassingbourn. The station was attacked on 5 April 1940 by an isolated German raider that dropped 10 bombs, causing damage to the direction finding equipment and WT (wireless transmitter) huts, and in August 1940 by a single bomb dropped on the barrack block situated immediately south of the parade ground, which killed 11 and injured 15.
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The airfield was requisitioned at the start of the war and was initially used by the Royal Air Force No.3 School of Technical Training, which used various types of grounded aircraft, including Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, which were dispersed around the airfield boundary. Vickers-Armstrongs (VA) established a major aircraft shadow factory at Squires Gate in 1940 for the production of large numbers of Vickers Wellington medium bombers. Vickers took over most of the existing facilities at Stanley Park Aerodrome and used them, and five newly erected temporary Bellman hangars, to house a secondary assembly line. Because of the airfield's short grass runways, the Wellingtons landed at the larger Squires Gate facility after their maiden flights.
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J.Pullen and C. Chapple 'RAF 100 Cookbook' / Squadron Records / Logbook F.Bennett, 500 Squadron Later, from December 1943, the squadron's Hudsons began to be replaced with Lockheed Venturas. This process continued until the squadron was completely equipped with them in April 1944. The squadron operated from a range of bases over the Western Mediterranean, including bases on Sicily, mainland Italy and Corsica. On 17 May 1944, the German submarine launched an unsuccessful torpedo attack against the American destroyer off Mers-el-Kébir, which resulted in a large-scale air and sea operation to hunt the submarine, involving five American destroyers and saturation air cover from the Wellingtons of 36 Squadron and the Venturas of 500 Squadron.
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On 9 July, a contingent of 2,075 British troops, along with seven jeeps, six anti-tank guns and ten mortars, boarded their gliders in Tunisia and took off at 18:00, bound for Sicily. In the hours that preceded the landing, twelve Boeing B-17 and six Vickers Wellington equipped with radar jamming devices flew back and forth along the coast in the Siracusa-Licata sector; between 21:00 and 21:30, 55 Wellingtons of 205th Group carried out a diversionary bombing of the port and airport of Syracuse, causing a number of civilian and military casualties, including the commander of the Italian naval base, Commander Giuseppe Giannotti.Ferdinando Pedriali, L'invasione dal cielo, on Storia Militare no. 210 (May 2011), p. 6.
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He placed six more in reserve. Three daily flights were ordered to cover them. The British learned through ULTRA, on 14 November, that Dönitz intended to use a defence in depth to catch the convoy in three patrol lines. The subsequent Convoy SL 139/MKS 30 defeated the German attacks. Night attacks were disrupted by ASR and Leigh Light Wellingtons from No. 179 Squadron RAF. Two Junkers Ju 290s from FAGr 5 (Fernaufklärungsgruppe) shadowed the convoy while Fw 200s from KG 40 were involved in bombing the convoy from high altitudes. 40 committed the He 177 with Hs 293 radio-controlled missiles for the first time. The 4,045 grt Marsa, built in 1928, was left burning, but only one of her 50-man crew was killed.
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In the case of Bomber Command, dropping leaflets was the main task.Koch 1991, p. 124. The longest defensive air campaign of the Second World War began on the afternoon of 4 September 1939, just one day after Britain's declaration of war on Germany. The target for RAF Bomber Command was the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven. These raids continued into December 1939.Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 31.Caldwell & Muller 207, pp. 36–37. In the aerial engagement dubbed the Battle of the Heligoland Bight on 18 December 1939, the RAF lost 12 of 22 bombers. The German units involved claimed 38 Wellingtons for a loss of only 3 German fighters, and the British claimed 12 German fighters destroyed and another dozen severely damaged.
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143 To get into position for the attack, the brigade marched through the night. Initially held in reserve, the Wellingtons were sent to assist the 5th Mounted Brigade in an attack on "Sausage Ridge", south of the Atawineh Redoubt. Getting into position at 11:30, Meldrum ordered the 6th Squadron to assault along the length of the ridge, with the help of fire support from the 9th Squadron and the Inverness Battery Royal Horse Artillery. The attack was also supported by the 3rd Squadron Auckland Mounted Rifles on the right of the 6th Squadron. At 12:30 the attack had progressed around half way up the ridge, at which point the Leicestershire and half of the Ayeshire Battery Royal Horse Artillery arrived to support the assault.
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In total, a further 200 long- range aircraft were needed. The Blackburn Botha was unsuitable and the Anson and Hudson were expected to act as interim solutions. The Anson in particular had limited range and did not possess the capacity to carry heavy weaponry needed to sink a submarine.Hendrie 2006, p.30. Towards the autumn of 1941, U-boats began operating further into the Atlantic. Coastal Command's requirement programme was 150 Catalinas and 76 Sunderlands for 26 flying-boat units; 32 Liberators and 32 Wellingtons or Whitleys to equip four long-range GR squadrons; 64 Mosquitoes and 180 GR Hudsons for 15 medium to long-range units; 128 Beauforts for eight torpedo-bomber squadrons; and 160 Beaufighters for 10 long-range fighter squadrons.
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The 1/4th, 1/5th, 1/6th and 1/7 th battalions landed in France as part of the 147th (2nd West Riding) Brigade in the 49th (West Riding) Division in April 1915 for service on the Western Front and served together until the Armistice in November 1918. They saw action on the Somme, at Ypres, during the German Spring Offensive and the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive. In August 1914 the Territorial Force formed 2nd Line units, distinguished from the 1st Line by the addition of '2/' to the battalion number, the parent units taking '1/'. The 2/4th, 2/5th, 2/6th and 2/7th Battalions of the Duke of Wellingtons formed 186th (2/2nd West Riding) Brigade in 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division.
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The names of the claiming crews are not listed and the type of enemy aircraft and location is also omitted from German records. Raht's first official victory was recorded on the night of the 26/27 July 1942 when he shot down a Royal Air Force (RAF) Handley Page Halifax southwest of Pellworm at 01:019. This night, Air Marshal Arthur Harris, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) RAF Bomber Command sent a force of 181 Vickers Wellingtons, 77 Avro Lancaster, 73 Halifax, 39 Short Stirling and 33 Handley Page Hampdens against Hamburg, in one of the first raids against the city, before Operation Gomorrah, exactly a year later. By the date of this first victory, Raht had transferred to 5. Staffel.
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When it is borne in mind that nearly 90% of routine service personnel movements were by rail and OTUs had substantial intakes of trainees once a fortnight this presented a problem. The RAF eventually realised their mistake and the airfield was renamed after the local railway station. No. 312 Ferry Training Unit (FTU) flying Wellingtons used the airfield for just under eight months between 24 April 1943 and 17 December 1943 with the unit located at Wellesbourne Mountford with RAF Gaydon and Stratford used as a satellite. However, on 7 March 1944 the airfield was transferred back to No. 22 OTU because the unit now had 81 Wellington III/X's with 33 of these coming from No. 23 OTU which had disbanded on 7 March 1944.
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No. 527 Squadron was formed from various calibration flights at RAF Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire on 15 June 1943 for radar calibration duties with Bristol Blenheims and Hawker Hurricanes. The squadron was engaged with the calibration of radar stations in southern England and East Anglia. The need for calibration units lessened considerably in 1944, so the squadron absorbed No. 528 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1944, extending its coverage in the process to Lincolnshire, and No. 526 Squadron RAF on 1 May 1945, adding the de Havilland Hornet Moths, Airspeed Oxfords and de Havilland Dominies of these units to its strength. The squadron standardised hereafter on Spitfires, Wellingtons, Oxfords and Dominies, the latter -old aircraft of 526 Squadron- still being based at RAF Longman, Inverness for communications flying.
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No.428 Sqn. RCAF. It completed its bomb run despite losing the rear turret and then flew back home for a successful landing with its bomb bay doors stuck open due to lack of hydraulic power The geodesic design took longer to build than comparable aircraft using the more conventional monocoque approach, leading to some criticism of the Wellington. In addition it was difficult to cut holes in the fuselage for access or equipment fixtures; to aid manufacturing, the Leigh light was deployed through the mounting for the absent FN9 ventral turret. In the late 1930s, Vickers built Wellingtons at a rate of one per day at Weybridge and 50 a month at Broughton in North Wales.Andrews 1967, pp. 4–5.
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Blandford is the birthplace of three eighteenth-century bishops: William Wake (1657–1737), Archbishop of Canterbury; Thomas Lindesay (1656–1724), Archbishop of Armagh; and Samuel Lisle (1683–1749), Bishop of Norwich. Frederick Abberline (1843–1929), the former chief inspector for the London Metropolitan Police during the hunt for Jack the Ripper, was born in Blandford. The composer and organist Albert Mallinson (1878-1946) lived in Blandford. The music hall performer Sam Cowell (1820–1864) died in the town, and is buried there. The sculptor Alfred Stevens (1817–1875), who created the Duke of Wellingtons monument in St Paul's Cathedral, was born in Blandford, as were Reginald Heber Roe (1850-1926), the first vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland,E.
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William's Wish Wellingtons is an animated BBC children's television series produced by Hibbert Ralph Entertainment (who had previously created Spider!), which was originally aired on BBC One from 25 October to 30 December 1994, then moved to BBC Two from 24 December 1995 to 31 May 1996, and moved back to BBC One from 25 September to 13 December 1996. It was narrated by actor Andrew Sachs. It was later translated into Gaelic by Búrach Productions with a different narrator and shown as ''''' on BBC Two Scotland. It was shown in the United States as part of Cartoon Network's Big Bag (but, when Big Bag was remade by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, it was replaced with Koki given that it was on ITV).
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The squadron exchanged its Vickers Wellingtons for Stirlings late in November 1941. After becoming fully operational with its new aircraft, the squadron moved into Lakenheath on 6 April 1942 and remained until mid 1944 when the squadron moved to RAF Methwold in Norfolk. Taking part in more than 350 operations, more than half mine-laying, No. 149 Squadron had one of the lowest percentage loss rates of all Stirling squadrons. One Stirling pilot, Flight Sergeant Rawdon Middleton, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for valour on the night of 28–29 November 1942, when despite serious face wounds and loss of blood from shell-fire during a raid on the Fiat works at Turin in Italy, he brought the damaged aircraft back towards southern England.
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Vickers Wellingtons replaced the Whitleys from November 1944 and by January 1945 the strength was 51 Wellington T.Xs, used to train Transport Command air-crew. The RAF finally released Sleap in 1964, but the location is still used as a relief airfield by nearby RAF Shawbury for Juno and Jupiter aircraft from the DHFS as part of the UKMFTS. The Shropshire Aero Club members' bar (also a cafe open to the public) at Sleap is named Eric Lock Lounge after Bayston Hill born Flight Lieutenant Eric Lock the World War II Battle of Britain pilot who was the highest scoring British-born pilot with sixteen and a half victories during the epic battle. There is also the Wartime Aircraft Recovery Group museum open at weekends.
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Otago was the first Air New Zealand Cup team to challenge in 2009 when it came in round 1 of the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup. Wellington successfully defended the shield against Otago when they beat them 23 points to 19 on 31 July. Auckland were Wellingtons second challenge of the 2009 Air NZ Cup, they played them in round 4 and won 16–15 at Westpac Stadium on 22 August. A week later Wellington played their 3rd Air New Zealand Cup challenge and 5th overall in 2009 against Canterbury, after the challengers established a 26–0 lead at halftime, it was too much for Wellington to regain the lead and their Ranfurly Shield tenure with 5 successful challenges, the longest time they've held onto the shield since 1953.
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Middle East Command under General Archibald Wavell had about some outside Egypt, and . The RAF had in two squadrons of Hurricanes, one of Gloster Gladiators, three of Bristol Blenheims, three of Vickers Wellingtons and one of Bristol Bombays, about and The Western Desert Force (WDF) was commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor with the 4th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse) and the 7th Armoured Division (Major-General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh). From 14 December, troops of the 6th Australian Infantry Division (Major-General Iven Giffard Mackay), replaced the 4th Indian Division, which was sent to East Africa, less one brigade. The British had some fast Cruiser Mk I, Cruiser Mk II and Cruiser Mk III tanks with Ordnance QF 2-pounder guns, which were superior to Fiat M11/39 tanks.
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Having not slept for the last three days, the Wellingtons and the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades were rested. Meanwhile, the remainder of the division continued the counter-attack against the Turkish rearguard. On 8 August the Turks were at Abd, and the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades were ordered forward. Reaching Katia later that day, they were ordered to march through the night to take part in the assault at dawn the next morning. Setting out at 23:00, they were in position north-west of Ard by 05:00 on 9 August.Wilkie 1924, p.102 Half an hour later the Wellington regiment, in the vanguard, led the 2nd Light Horse Brigade on foot to capture a ridge of high ground half a mile (.8 km) from the Turkish main defence line.
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Initial versions of AI were metric-wavelength, the antennas being arrow-shaped or dipoles, later centimetric versions used a rotating paraboloid aerial carried under a streamlined nose radome. Airborne Interception radar progressed from the initial AI Mk I version to the AI Mk 24 Foxhunter used in the Panavia Tornado. Parallel work was carried out on Air-to-Surface-Vessel radar (ASV) for use by Coastal Command aircraft for hunting U-boats at sea, initially using the Lockheed Hudson equipped with an early version of ASV. Success with the new equipment led to mounting the equipment onto Vickers Wellingtons and Sunderland flying boats, the early metric-wavelength ASV-equipped types carrying an array of transmitting and receiving "Stickleback" aerials on the rear fuselage top and sides and under the wings.
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Helmut Lent was ordered to intercept and engage the attacking bomber force and after refuelling—Lent had just landed at Jever from an armed patrol—claimed three Wellingtons, two of which, shot down at 14:30 and 14:45, were later confirmed. The two aircraft were both from No. 37 Squadron, captained by Flying Officer P.A. Wimberley and Flying Officer O.J.T. Lewis respectively, and both crashed in the shallow sea off Borkum. It is likely that his third claim may have been No. 37 Squadron Wellington 1A N2396, LF-J, piloted by Sergeant H. Ruse, which crash-landed on the sand dunes of Borkum. Lent was refused the victory over Wimberley, as the Wellington was attacked by Lent after it had already been badly damaged and was about to crash.
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The British Middle East Command (General Archibald Wavell) had in Egypt and Palestine about Commonwealth and Free French soldiers, and in two squadrons of Hurricanes, one of Gloster Gladiators, three of Bristol Blenheims, three of Vickers Wellingtons and one of Bristol Bombays, about and The Western Desert Force (WDF, Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor) comprised the 4th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse) and the 7th Armoured Division (Major-General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh). The British had some fast Cruiser Mk I, Cruiser Mk II and Cruiser Mk III tanks with 2-pounder guns, which were superior to Italian M11/39 tanks. The British also had a battalion Matilda II infantry tanks that, while slow, carried the 2-pounder and armour that was impervious to Italian anti-tank guns and field guns.
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Lichtenstein alt=An electrical device with three round displays, cables and control knobs. Schnaufer had to wait two months to achieve another victory, claiming the destruction of two Vickers Wellingtons and one Armstrong Whitworth Whitley within the space of 62 minutes in the early hours of 1 August. The first Wellington, originally identified by the crew as a Halifax, was severely damaged above the Netherlands and forced to crash land, killing the air gunner at 2:47 hours. The second Wellington was shot down over Brussels, killing everyone on board at 3:17 hours. Rumpelhardt and Schnaufer flew their first combat mission with the Lichtenstein radar on the night 5/6 August 1942. Though they managed to make contact with an enemy aircraft they failed to shoot it down.
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He attended Simcoe Street Public School and Niagara Falls Collegiate and Vocational Institute. His career in music began at the age of 12, when he got his first job playing the organ in the Anglican Church in the village of Chippawa, Ontario, and later playing jazz with a dance orchestra in Niagara Falls, Ontario, at the age of 14. At 16, Harold moved to Toronto to begin a bachelor's degree in the arts course at Trinity College, University of Toronto, and to pursue a career in baseball as third baseman for the Toronto Wellingtons. Following his first year at university, Bradley returned to Niagara Falls in the summer of 1923, where he earned $45 a week playing the theatre organ – one of the newly designed Wurlitzers – at the renovated Queen Theatre in Niagara Falls.
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Meanwhile one Mosquito and seven Halifaxes from No. 192 Squadron RAF accompanied No. 4 Group to Kammen while monitoring enemy radio transmissions. Other diversion operations included 40 Lancasters, 19 Halifaxes and 35 Vickers Wellingtons from No. 7 Group RAF flying toward the Frisian Islands. Some aircraft withdrew owing to mechanical difficulties but 91 dropped 3,721 bundles of Window over the North Sea. Five Halifaxes, three B-24 Liberators and eight B-17 Flying Fortress also assisted with jamming operations. The USAAF committed 24 B-24s to bomb Emden in support of the main force. In the final pre-amble to the main attack No. 100 Group committed 10 Halifaxes and six Mosquitos to drop target markers over Meppen to mislead German ground controllers into believing it was the target.
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RAF Wellesbourne Mountford seen from north-north-west circa 1941-1942 The airfield was originally opened in 1941 constructed in the typical Class A airfield design, the main unit to use the airfield was No. 22 Operational Training Unit RAF which flew Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Ansons for RAF Bomber Command from 14 April 1941. During the Second World War the airfield was attacked a few times by enemy bombers on their way home after bombing targets in the Midlands such as Coventry and Birmingham. The nearby Ettington railway station was used to transport troops and munitions from the rest of the country then to the airfield using RAF lorries and buses. Crews also attacked a number of German cities such as Cologne, Essen and Bremen as part of the 1,000 bomber raids.
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The delay between spotting German warships and the arrival of the bombers was considered to be too great, and it was decided to carry out reconnaissance in force, with formations of bombers being sent out over the North Sea to find and attack German warships. Their orders forbade them from attacking ships in port, infringing neutral airspace or even attacking German warships escorting merchant ships.Richards 1953, p. 42. A patrol on 29 September resulted in five Hampdens being shot down by Messerschmitt Bf 109s of II./JG 77 but an attack by 24 Wellingtons of 149, 38 and 115 squadrons on 3 December was more successful, claiming a German minesweeper sunk (confirmed by German archives), while defensive fire from the Wellington gunners repelled attacks by German fighters, shooting one down for no loss.Richards 1995, pp. 35–36.
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Stirling at RAF Downham Market With the onset of World War II, the unit was reformed on 16 March 1936 from elements of 57 Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford with the Hawker Hind and reequipped with the Fairey Battle in 1938. On 2 September 1939, the unit moved back to France, where it began dropping leaflets and flying reconnaissance missions. However, by June 1940, having suffered heavy losses while bombing advancing German troops, the unit was evacuated to England, where it re- equipped with the Bristol Blenheim. In November, it rearmed with Vickers Wellingtons, and began bombing a wide variety of enemy targets with the new longer-range planes. In December 1941, the squadron began rearming with Short Stirlings and continued its bombing raids in occupied Europe against everything from infantry columns to V-weapon sites.
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The first R.A.F. unit based at the Long Marston was Bomber Command's No.24 Operational Training Unit (OTU), flying Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, Avro Ansons and Vickers Wellingtons, which began operating at the field on 15 March 1943, using it as a satellite airfield to RAF Honeybourne. The Whitleys joined the unit after retiring from front-line service as an early Second World War night bomber when new four engined bombers like the Avro Lancaster took over the offensive. Another unit based at the airfield was No. 1681 Bomber (Defence) Flight RAF flying Hawker Hurricanes and Curtiss Tomahawks, whose duties involved providing simulated attacks against OTU aircraft to train the OTU crews in how to defend their aircraft in combat conditions. Their main base was RAF Pershore, with Long Marston used as a satellite station between 1 July 1943 and 21 August 1944.
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After 25 operations, Bruce became the squadron's Navigation and Bombing Leader, which was a staff appointment with restricted operational flying duties. By 1940, Bruce, had won an AFM, was part of the staff, was a qualified instructor, had experience as a wireless operator, air-gunner and navigator with No. 9 Squadron. A formation of No. 9 Squadron's Wellingtons in the Second World War His account (including a photo of the actual handwritten report) of a bombing raid, on military infrastructure in Leverkusen in 1940 can be read in 'Voices of Colditz.' The report describes the aircraft swinging around Cologne on a moonlight night, Bruce using the silver river Rhine as the navigational signpost; how the guns were firing more to make it look like a raid than to hit the aircraft; and how the run up in this raid was textbook.
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In mid-1945 the only flying units under the control of AHQ Malta were two air-sea rescue squadrons, No. 283 Squadron RAF (flying Warwicks and Walruses from Hal Far), No. 284 Squadron RAF (with the same types of aircraft from Elmas in Sardinia), 22 Squadron SAAF (flying Venturas at Gibraltar), and 782 Naval Air Squadron (with Fulmars and Defiants at Hal Far). 782 NAS was administered by the local naval commander.Lee, 162 During 1946 the remaining installations in Algeria and Tunisia were handed back to the French Armed Forces, but this left AHQ Malta still commanding units in Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Maison Blanche in Algeria. Withdrawal from these locations took a few more months. No. 38 Squadron RAF (a maritime reconnaissance unit flying Warwicks and Wellingtons) and No. 73 Squadron RAF (flying Spitfire IXs) arrived in 1946.
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The NCB sign which stood at the entrance to the colliery yard is now on display in the Tanfield Railway's carriage shed. Almost thirty years after closure, nature has largely reclaimed the site, with an abundance of wildlife having taken up residence, and the area is well known locally for the rich pickings to be had when blackberries are in season. However, the entire area remains covered in spoil from the two collieries (as does the site of Byermoor Colliery) and there is still a considerable amount of junk, such as steel toe-capped wellingtons, compressed air hoses and ventilation ducting lying around in the undergrowth. Fly tipping has also been a problem, with a notable incident occurring on the Tanfield Railway's coal train day in October 1998, when a vast heap of tyres which had been dumped in the gill adjacent to the site of the cokeworks was set alight.
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Lancaster B Mark II of 115 Squadron at RAF East Wretham, 1943 Crewmembers inspect tail of 115 Squadron Lancaster Mark II which had its rear turret sheared off by bombs dropped from above during a raid on Cologne, June 1943 In the Second World War the squadron took part in scores of raids and also played an active part in Gardening (minelaying) for victory. In April 1940, while flying Wellingtons (and while on temporary loan to RAF Coastal Command) it gained the distinction of making the RAF's first bombing raid of the war on a mainland target-the enemy-held Norwegian airfield of Stavanger Airport, Sola. Sixteen months later, in August 1941, it undertook the initial Service trials of Gee, the first of the great radar navigational and bombing aids. As a result of its subsequent report on these trials Gee was put into large-scale production for RAF Bomber Command.
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Written to pay tribute to the bravery of airmen, the play is very likely unique as war play written by a woman which for the first time also shone a light on the ground support of the "wives who waited" throughout the war, also one of the only dramas written by a woman to be produced in the flagship prime-time BBC Radio Saturday Night Theatre slot. Once Russia entered the war, 214 Squadron would play its part in Churchill's urgent drive to prove that the RAF could take the fight as far as Berlin itself. A wave of 197 bombers were launched 7th and 8th September 1941 attempting long-range targets over and around Berlin, including Wellingtons from 214 Squadron. Flt/Lt Keith Falconer had completed his tour of duty and was now due to transfer to Bramscote for a period as an instructor.
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Lloyd joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper in 1915 during the First World War:Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chf Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd he was wounded in action three times before enlisting as a cadet in the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and joining No. 52 Squadron, flying the RE.8 on army co-operation missions. After the war, he remained with the recently formed Royal Air Force on a permanent commission. In January 1939 Lloyd became Officer Commanding No. 9 Squadron, equipped with Wellingtons. Later in 1939, with the Second World War under way, he was promoted to group captain and given command of RAF Marham. His stay at RAF Marham was brief and in November he was appointed to the staff of No. 3 Group and, in May 1940, he became Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 2 Group.
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Wellingtons under construction, showing the geodesic airframe RNZAF Wellington Mark I aircraft with the original turrets; anticipating war, the New Zealand government loaned these aircraft and their aircrews to the RAF in August 1939 In October 1932, the British Air Ministry invited Vickers to tender for the recently issued Specification B.9/32, which sought a twin-engine medium daylight bomber. In response, Vickers conducted a design study, led by Chief Designer Rex Pierson Early on, Vickers' chief structures designer Barnes Wallis proposed the use of a geodesic airframe, inspired by his previous work on airships and the single- engined Wellesley light bomber.Andrews 1967, p. 3. During structural testing performed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, the proposed structure demonstrated not only the required strength factor of six, but reached 11 without any sign of failure, proving the geodesic airframe to possess a strength far in excess of normal levels.
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On 8 January 1941 in Toronto Kidder enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Government – Gordon Arthur Kidder to train for aircrew and completed basic training and then during initial aircrew training in Canada he was selected to train as a navigator. After completing his training Kidder was a part of a draft which sailed for England where he joined No. 23 Operational Training Unit at Pershore where he flew on his first two missions before joining No. 149 Squadron RAF which was flying Short Stirling heavy bombers. His crew arrived at the squadron to find that there was a shortage of aircraft, they volunteered to join the Pathfinder Force and on 8 September 1942 transferred to No. 156 Squadron RAF at RAF Warboys to fly Vickers Wellingtons. The crew completed eight operations bombing German targets primarily in the industrial Ruhr valley before being assigned to attack the naval town of Kiel which was a u-boat and warship construction dockyards and naval base.
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In July 1941 two more units arrived, for a short time No. 143 Squadron with the Bristol Beaufighter Mk 1c and, No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit with Hudsons and a few Ansons and Oxfords. In January 1942 a detachment of 122 (Bombay) Squadron arrived with Spitfire Vbs and No. 608 Squadron moved to Wick and in April 1509 (BAT) flight moved to Church Lawford. In March 1942 the Spitfire detachment was replaced by one from 332 (Norwegian) Squadron and from April 1942 until December 1943 No.1 Anti Aircraft Co- operation Unit were flying de Havilland Tiger Moths and Hawker Henleys from Thornaby. In June 1942 the fighter detachment was again refreshed, this time by 403 (Canada) Squadron and in October 1942 No. 6 (C) OTU replaced their Hudsons with Vickers Wellingtons, at this time it also absorbed a Polish training flight from 18 OTU and, the following month a Czech flight, No. 1429.
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Twelve Beauforts of 39 Squadron were based at Bir Amud in Egypt near the Libyan border, five B-24 Liberator bombers of 160 Squadron and about of the Halverson Detachment United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) at RAF Fayid, were also made available. Short-range fighters based in Palestine, Egypt, Cyrenaica and Malta, were to provide air cover at first and as the convoy moved out of range, protection would be taken over by Curtiss Kittyhawks of 250 Squadron equipped with long-range fuel tanks, Bristol Beaufighters from 252 Squadron and 272 Squadron and Beaufighter night fighters from 227 Squadron. Air cover from Cyrenaica could not overlap with coverage from Malta leaving a gap but Wellingtons of 205 Group and the light bombers of the Desert Air Force would attack Axis airfields in North Africa. The coastal 201 Group would provide reconnaissance and anti-submarine sorties and a small sabotage party was to land on Crete to attack Axis aircraft on the ground.
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Unlike the Lancaster, the Halifax's bomb bay could not be adapted to carry the 4,000 pound "Cookie" blast bomb, which was an integral part of Harris's fire-bombing tactics. The Halifax was progressively outnumbered in front-line service over occupied Europe as more Lancasters became available from 1943 onwards; many squadrons converted to the Lancaster.The first "Thousand bomber raid" on Cologne on 30–31 May 1942 included 131 Halifaxes and 73 Lancasters; The attack on Berlin on 28 February 1943 included 252 Halifaxes and 457 Lancasters; The attack on Hamburg on 27–28 July 1943 included 244 Halifaxes, 353 Lancasters, 116 Stirlings and 74 Wellingtons; The attack on Nuremberg on 30–31 March 1944 included 214 Halifaxes and 572 Lancasters; The attack on Dresden on 13–14 February 1945 included 753 Lancasters and no Halifaxes with nine Mosquitoes marking. Production of the Halifax continued, supposedly because it was more efficient to keep building it than to stop its production and convert to building another aircraft.
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302 and 308 from nearby RAF Heston. Reconnaissance squadrons No. 16 Squadron and No. 140 Squadron operating Supermarine Spitfires and de Havilland Mosquitos moved to Northolt in 1944. No. 69 Squadron with their Vickers Wellingtons modified for photographic reconnaissance arrived later. All three reconnaissance squadrons were combined to form No. 34 (PR) Wing.Bristow 2005, p. 72 In 1943, the station became the first to fly sorties using Supermarine Spitfires (Mk IXs) in German airspace in support of bomber operations. On 25 March, RAF Ferry Command became RAF Transport Command and thereafter used Northolt as a London base for the transfer of new aircraft from factories to airfields. Runway 26/08 was extended in February that year to accommodate the larger transport aircraft required by the Command. Northolt continued as a Sector Fighter Station until February 1944. As a result of this and the new larger runway, the smaller 02/20 runway closed in April 1944.
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RAF Mildenhall opened on 16 October 1934. King George V reviewed 350 aircraft there in 1935 on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee. This historical event is commemorated by a memorial tablet located in front of the Building 562, the current 100 ARW headquarters. During World War II, Mildenhall became a bomber station, flying Vickers Wellingtons, Short Stirlings and Avro Lancasters. It was also the headquarters of 3 Group Bomber Command. From 1950, Mildenhall became home to bombers and later tanker aircraft of the United States Air Force. Throughout the 1950s, Strategic Air Command bomber units were deployed on a regular rotational basis from the United States to the United Kingdom. The B-47 Stratojet was a familiar sight in the skies over RAF Mildenhall and RAF Upper Heyford at this time, as entire wings deployed on 90-day rotations. From 1976 to 1990, the SR-71 Blackbird was flown out of Mildenhall by Detachment 4 of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing of the USAF.
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The airfield opened in July 1941, and was called RAF Snaith, rather than RAF Pollington (the village that it was nearest to), so as to avoid confusion with RAF Pocklington. A large number of different squadrons used the airfield firstly No. 150 Squadron RAF flew Vickers Wellingtons between July 1941 and October 1942 before moving to RAF Kirmington, then being replaced by No. 51 Squadron RAF from October 1942 until May 1945 using the Handley Page Halifax. During this period the airfield also had another squadron join as a flight from No.51 Sqn RAF turned its aircraft and crew over to make another squadron which was No. 578 Squadron RAF which flew from the airfield temporarily between January 1944 until February 1944 before moving to the empty RAF Burn. A number of units also used the airfield such as No 6266 Servicing Echelon between 27 April 1944 and 6 May 1944 repairing the various aircraft and No. 17 Air Crew Holding Unit between 20 June 1945 and 27 May 1946.
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He makes a terrible clatter with his feet, not owing so much to activity on his part as to stupidity on the part of his boot-maker, who has furnished him with a pair of clumsy Wellingtons sufficiently large for the feet and legs of all the Ethiopians in London: besides this, he sometimes moves about the stage on his knees, as if he was praying to be endowed with intelligence, and had unlimited credit with his tailor. As a last resource, he falls back on the floor ... > > The piece goes on to describe a drunken man the critic met after Juba's > performance: > >> When again we saw him he was labouring (like a horse—or, rather, an ass) under the influence of champagne. We understood that he was imitating Juba, and he behaved so ridiculously that he may actually be said to have surpassed him.Quoted in Johnson, "Juba's Dance" > > Master Juba's stint with Pell makes him the earliest known black performer > to tour with a white minstrel troupe.
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Vickers Wellington twin-engined medium bomber – used normally in night operations and crewed by five or six airmen, a pilot, (a second pilot in the earlier years), an observer, two wireless operator/air gunners and an air gunner in a power- operated rear-mounted turret in the tail section of the aircraft, the "rear gunner". The aircraft was tremendously strong and could withstand heavy battle damage and still return home, it was affectionately known as the "Wimpey" by its crews. The Wellington-equipped squadrons were operational from the day Britain declared war on Germany initially dropping propaganda leaflets but then usually in night time bombing attacks or mine-laying (sea mines) in known enemy shipping or U-boat transit routes or even in enemy harbours. Daylight bombing operations attempted by formations of Vickers Wellingtons in December 1939 over Northern Germany resulted in terrible losses and were not repeated for that reason once it was appreciated that even a tight formation of bombers could not defend itself against German fighters.
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The first CR.42 victories were credited to Fernando Zanni and Walter Ratticchieri.Skulski 2007, p. 31. On 4 November 1940, three CR.42s jumped three RHAF Breguet from 2 Mira, sent to attack the 3rd Julia Alpine Division retreating from a mountain pass near Metsovo. A Breguet was shot down, one crash-landed and the third returned to base, though badly shot up.Carr 2012, pp. 30–31. At the beginning of November, the Greeks received support by the Royal Air Force and on 4 November six Vickers Wellingtons from 70 Squadron attacked Valona. CR.42s pilots shot down two British bombers and damaged two more.Skulski 2007, p. 31. Fortunes started to reverse, on 18 November, the first day of Greek army counter-attack. While a CR.42 shot down a Greek Bristol Blenheim, during a dogfight with Greek fighters, 393a Squadriglia damaged four PZL P.24s but lost three Fiats.Skulski 2007, p. 31. On the same day, a flight of 20 Gladiators from RAF 80 Squadron landed in Athens.
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Initially equipped with Fairey Battle light bombers, the squadron was equipped with Vickers Wellington medium bombers on 16 November 1940. The squadron used several variants, including Mark IC, IV, III and X. In 1941 while the unit was equipped with Wellingtons and flying from Hemswell on 'Gardening' (mining) operations, the squadron's Intelligence Officer was Michael Bentine, later to become well known as an entertainer. On 5 March 1944 the unit was re-equipped with Avro Lancaster bombers and continued to use that bomber until the end of World War II (Mk I and Mk III variants). During the war, the squadron took part in most of the notable air offensives in Europe, including attacks on Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine preparing for Operation Seelöwe, also ships such as the docked in Brest, France, other naval facilities in Wilhelmshaven and its U-boat facilities in St. Nazaire, Millennium Offensive on large bombing raids on Cologne, bombing raids on V-weapon sites, D-Day, in support of crossing the Rhine, the Battle of the Ruhr, the bombing of Hamburg and the Battle of Berlin.
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The first squadron to join the airfield was No. 78 Squadron RAF which arrived on 20 October 1941 flying both the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V and the Handley Page Halifax Mk. II before leaving on 10 June 1942 when no units were stationed during the summer but on 1 October 1942 No. 419 Squadron RCAF has arrived with their Mk. III Vickers Wellingtons before re-equipping with the Halifax II and leaving on 10 November 1942. During this time on 7 November 1942 427 Squadron RCAF was formed at the airfield with a mixture of Mk III's and Mk X's Wellington before leaving on 4 May 1943. In 1943, Croft became a sub-station of RAF Middleton St. George which was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The airfield also hosted No 1664 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Heavy Conversion Unit RAF starting from 10 May 1943 which trained new pilots to fly the new heavy bombers using the Mk II and the Mk IV Halifax before leaving on 7 December 1943.
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The first of the newly produced aircraft flew on 30 April 1942, and by the time the German occupation of Southern France following Operation Torch brought production to an end, 102 LeOs had been built for Vichy.Air International October 1985, pp. 185–186. In 1942, LeO 451-359 was fitted with an experimental degaussing coil for remotely detonating naval minesAir International October 1985, p. 185. (some British Vickers Wellingtons and German Junkers Ju 52s also carried a similar device). On 24 October 1940, Vichy French LeO 451s carried out an air raid against Gibraltar in retaliation for the Free-French attack on Dakar, losing one of their number to British anti-aircraft fire. Two bomber units equipped with LeO 451s, GB I/12 and GB I/31 were based in Syria when Allied forces invaded on 8 June 1941, at the start of the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. These were supplemented by GB I/25, which was dispatched from Tunisia. During this campaign, the LeO 451s flew a total of 855 sorties, losing 29 LeO 451s in the process.Air International October 1985, pp. 184–185.
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Notice the criss-cross geodesic construction through the perspex fuselage panels. ;Type 406 Wellington Mark II: The B Mark II was identical to the Mark IC with the exception of the powerplant; using the 1,145 hp (855 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin X engine instead. A total of 401 were produced at Weybridge. ;Type 417 Wellington B Mark III: The next significant variant was the B Mark III which featured the 1,375 hp (1,205 kW) Bristol Hercules III or XI engine and a four-gun tail turret, instead of two-gun. A total of 1,519 Mark IIIs were built and became mainstays of Bomber Command through 1941. A total of 1,517 were built at Chester and Blackpool. ;Type 424 Wellington B Mark IV: The 220 B Mark IV Wellingtons used the 1,200 hp (900 kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine and were flown by two Polish and two RAAF squadrons. A total of 220 were built at Chester. ;Type 442 Wellington B Mark VI: Pressurised with a long wingspan and 1,600 hp (1,190 kW) Merlin R6SM (60-series, two-stage) engines, 63 were produced and were operated by 109 Squadron and as Gee radio navigation trainers.
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Wellington Mk IC medium bombers over Norfolk in March 1941 The squadron was formed at RAF Honington in Suffolk on 29 July 1940, although RAF records give the official date as 2 August. It was crewed mostly by Czechoslovaks who had escaped from German-occupied Europe. Some were airmen who had trained with the Czechoslovak Air Force, escaped to France, served in the French Air Force in the Battle of France and then been evacuated to the UK. Others were soldiers who had served in Czechoslovak Army units in the Battle of France, been evacuated to the UK and then volunteered to transfer to the RAF Volunteer Reserve in order to serve in 311 Squadron. The squadron was equipped initially with Wellington Mark I medium bombers, which were soon succeeded by Wellingtons of Marks IA and IC. From 16 September 1940 the squadron was based at RAF East Wretham in Norfolk as part of Bomber Command's No. 3 Group, whose commanding officer was Air Vice-Marshal John Baldwin. He said 311 Squadron "put up a wonderful show" and had "the finest navigators in Bomber Command". On 18 January 1941 HM King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth visited the squadron at East Wretham.
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