flight commander , 118 Squadron 1943

[keith A]

Does anyone know who commanded B flight of 118 Squadron from October 1943 until FL Giddings in 1944? According to Johnny Freeborn he "sacked" the veteran flight commanders John B (Shep) Shepherd and Richard Newbery for a lack of aggression! One of the replacements was Drew, formerly of 185 Squadron, who took command of A Flight.

regards


Keith

[Chris Goss]

Keith

You have asked this question before but never replied:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...light=Giddings

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Keith and Chris,

According to the ORB F/Lt Newbery commanded A Flight and left 1st August 1943 to 10 Group for tactics. F/O A. Drew was posted from 616 Squadron and was promoted to F/Lt. The ORB doesn't mention whether F/Lt Drew took over command of A Flight, but this is likely.

F/Lt Shepherd continued till 12th October 1943 when he was attached to another RAF unit. It's not clear who replaced him, this might be F/Lt K. Giddings.

Regards,
Hans

[keith A]

Yep. Unfortunately I don't think its Giddings. He was promoted Flight Lieutenant in November 1943 but every reference to him refers to him joining 118 in 1944.

regards

Keith

[keith A]

Like a dog with a bone I return to this subject. You chaps were very helpful before and now it seems I have the whole picture...sort of

According "a Tigers Tale" by Bob Cossey, Freeborn remembers replacing unnamed "hostile" flight commanders with the connivance of his station commander who apparently stated that he would ease them out with the award of a DFC!

Where this story unravels is when it is stated by Freeborn that he had no problems with Shepherd, inferring that his problems were with Dick Newbery (who had received a bar to his DFC a fortnight before Freeborn took command) and another pilot. I considered FLt (T. SLdr) Richard Acworth DFC for a time - he left in August 1943 but was a supernumery Squadron Leader at the time, and didn't get another DFC. Another possibility was Flt Bob Doe who was with the squadron July-August, also as a supernumery. I suspect neither would have appreciated being browbeaten by the irascible Yorkshireman! The fact that Newbery, Doe and Acworth all left in August must be a coincidence...surely?

Therefore it must be Shepherd (awarded a bar to his DFC two months after Freeborn joined). As confirmed by you fellows the replacements were Drew for Newbery in August 1943 and almost certainly Giddings for Shepherd in October. Given Freeborns unfortunate attitude towards the squadron when he joined, and the friendship of Shepherd with the previous squadron leader, Wootten, I expect "hostility" would be the very least he could expect when he insulted his new squadron. As for moving the flight commanders on to avoid discord, both left after over a year with the squadron so any proof of influence by either Freeborn or his superior, the flamboyant Arthur Vere Harvey, is very slight.

regards


Keith

[keith A]

...another point may be that Freeborn very much disliked and was jealous of Flt HM Stephen when they flew together in 74 Squadron in 1940-41, and Stephen, "Baby Tiger", was Shepherd's squadron leader in 234 Squadron. Shepherd flew as Stephen's wingman in 1941.

regards

Keith

[Bruce Lander]

Hi ,
sadly Freeborn seems to have had a very confrontational personality despite being a brave and dedicated pilot, he fell out with almost everyone on 74 Sq save some of the unpleasant group of pilots on the squadron who enjoyed "Public School" type bullying (see The Blue Arena by Bob Spurdle) and even had a bad relationship with "Prosser" Hanks later in the war.
Regards
Bruce Lander

[keith A]

Roger that Bruce. The "Tigers Tale" is full of very frank comments, which makes a refreshing change from the plethora of polite but dull war memoirs. However the overall tone of the book is that Freeborn is hard but fair... which his comments on anyone who sided with Malan show as just xenophobic, mean-spirited and grudge-bearing. The comments of the authors of "The Blue Arena" and "Smoke Trails in the Sky" certainly don't support the image I got of 74 Squadron from Ira Jones' "Tiger Squadron".

regards


Keith