Secrets from RAF Shawbury - The Aries Flight 70th Anniversary RAF Shawbury is not renowned for its famous bomber squadrons, nor did it suffer much damage in the Second World War. Why then is the Station Commander’s House called Lancaster House and why is the All Ranks Club called the Aries Club? It is a well kept secret that on 21st October 1944, RAF Shawbury launched a top secret flight that was to make history. Seventy years later, the young trainees of today are remembering this record breaking flight and are learning about the challenges faced as Aries became the first British aircraft to circumnavigate the globe. The story begins in the early part of World War II when fewer bomber aircraft were hitting their targets, especially at night, due mainly to poor navigation standards. The Central Navigation School was formed at Cranage to improve navigational standards and to train navigators. By the time the School had re-located to RAF Shawbury in 1944, bombing accuracy had improved and the School’s task had expanded to include long distant navigation techniques to remote parts of the world in bomber aircraft. When Lancaster PD 328 left RAF Shawbury on 21st October 1944, under the command of Wing Commander DC McKinley DFC AFC with a crew of nine, it had the name Aries painted on its nose, after the first sign of the zodiac. The mission was to fly around the world and return to RAF Shawbury This was to be the first round the world flight by a British aircraft, an extraordinary feat. Aries crossed enemy territory, unarmed at a time when the threat was still present and V2 rockets were falling on London; it was also a flight into the unknown, never having been done by anyone before. The purpose of the flight was to establish a practical liaison between the Empire Air Navigation School (EANS) and training and operational units of the RAAF and the RNZAF. Another top secret task was to collect data on the behaviour of radar and navigation equipment in the less temperate climate of the pacific and to asses the current American navigation techniques for possible use by the proposed Tiger Force of Lancaster Bombers operating from Pacific bases against Japan. The route took Aries via Prestwick, Reykjavik, Dorval, Washington, San Francisco, Honolulu and Samoa, before arriving in Auckland on 1 November 1944. The crew then visited 24 bases in New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea before returning via Celon, Masira, Egypt and Malta reaching Shawbury on 14th December after a weather diversion to RAF Lyneham. Over a period of 2 months, the crew covered over 36,000 nautical miles and flew a total of 202 hours, RAF Shawbury is very proud of its secret history. Personnel at the base today are reminded of the qualities of the Aries Lancaster crew in completing their mission 70 years ago; these are the same qualities that are exhibited by serving personnel today - commitment, determination, a capacity for innovation when faced with a challenge, and a dedication to duty which puts the Service before oneself. ENDS Photo 1. The crew of Aries PD 328 Photo 2 : PD 328
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:32:53 +0000
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