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Cz No 311 Sqn at Aldergrove

Although the map of No 311 Sqn´s bases reads that the Sqn stationed at the one of Aldergrove from  April 28, 1942 was, her transfer from East Wreatham was phased in three steps. On April 28 an advance party of 170 – 180 men departed for Aldergrove by air and sea. Fifteen Wellington bombers with a hundred men onboard took off their new air base on April 30, followed by ground crew of sixty by air and sea on the same day.

But  No 1429 COTF was still at East Wreatham, Norfolk.

Operating of No 311 Sqn in Northern Ireland was scheduled for five weeks only to be replenished here and familiarize themselves with flying over the sea. Not only duration of  sorties differed – the ones in Bomber Command lasted from four to eight hours, but in Coastal Command over the Atlantic at least eight – nine hrs. Bombing an fixed target at night was changed into a moving one after daylight and a bomber had to fly at the exact both altitude and speed if attacking an U-boat by depth charges. Those had to be fused onboard to go off at the exact depth.   

The tour of duty of two hundred hours in Bomber Command was set for six and later even for eight hundred in Coastal one.  Navigator´s work became even more important over these vast masses of the sea. The overwater patrols were flown at the altitude up to a thousand feet. If attacked by Luftwaffe fighters, it was common to climb into a cloud base.

Ireland was neutral during WWII. If and unarmed RAF aircraft landed on her training flight on the Irish soil, the kite was confiscated and crew was released sooner or later. But if an British armed plane landed in Ireland while heading for her sub patrol over the Atlantic or on her return leg, the aircraft was confiscated too, but the crew was interned till the end of hostilities. Heading over the Atlantic, No 311 Sqn´s bombers were permitted to fly over the Republic of Ireland via an pre-set corridor only.

But the No 311 Sqn´s members wearing their civilian clothing could cross the border between Ulster and Ireland quite easily and lots of them visited Dublin where the Germans making themselves home were met by them.

 Having found out that our airmen with the Czechoslovak shoulder flashes no Englishmen are, the Irish changed their behaving to them instantly.  No 311 Sqn´s  members were invited to the RN base of Londonderry including a sub´s dive, done by some of them.

Bibliography :

Miloslav Vild. Fate was my Friend   Naše vojsko Publ 1985

Jiří  Osolsobě.  Nine of us left   Naše vojsko Publ 1989