 | Fleet Air Arm |
| Fleet Air Arm |
Updated 18 December 2010
The RAAF in Russia, by Geoffrey Raebel, is available from the author at 1/27 National Avenue, Loftus, NSW 2232, at $35/copy, postage included.
The RAAF's 455 Squadron was remarkable in two ways - it was the only Australian unit to operate from Russia and the only Australian Squadron to hand all its aircraft over to the "Fleet Air Arm" - the Russian one, that is.
455 RAAF and 144 RAF (Canadian) took off from Sumburgh, Shetland Islands to cross the Norwegian Coast at 66 degrees N, fly over occupied Norway and Finland to try to find the White Sea. With 8 ½ hours petrol for a 9 hour flight, with a tailwind, they lost a ¼ of their aircraft enroute.
Their mission was to protect Convoy PQ 18 and if the German High Seas Fleet including the Battleship Tirpitz came out, they were to attack with torpedoes.
When the convoy was safe, it was proposed they fly back near Shetland and ditch and be picked up by warship. When the squadron commanders rejected that idea, it was proposed they fly out via Iran.
In the end it was decided to hand the aircraft and spares over to the Soviet Fleet Air Arm (Admiral Kuznetsov’s VVS 24 MTAP Unit). The Hampdens were used for a year or so harrying German convoys in the Finland/Norway area of the Barents Sea.
In his research, the author found a photo of the Soviet Ambassador pinning a medal on an aviator named Nat Gould. Research led him to Schofields Aero Club where Nat had been President. He was gracious and happy to talk.
Nat, well-known to many Fleet Air Arm members, was a Battle of Britain pilot who at short notice was told to grab his parachute, dinghy and kit and report to 151 Wing. It was all hush-hush. They found they were off to Russia where he was one of four Australian sergeant pilots. They flew operationally against the Luftwaffe before converting the Russians onto their Hurricanes.
Nat's worst recollection was getting out of cold Russia, shipping back to UK on an Arctic convoy then immediately being posted onto Kittyhawks at Milne Bay.
Also covered in the book is where Raebel and his party of technicians 'hitchhiked' home on HMS Intrepid where the engine room inclinometer recorded a 62 degree roll.
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