Normal flying commitments included practice intercepts, Zulu exercises, deployments, night flying, and phase training for new pilots. The following is an excerpt from the Squadron diary for the first week of February 1959.

<<The weather was generally good again this week. The Squadron commenced Zulu on Wednesday for another week. The new requirements mean at best almost every pilot on the Squadron is on all day every day, and that aircraft requirements are high. To make things worse this week, six pilots are sick with the flu. Flying was general during the week with the bulk being made up of practice scrambles and night flying. The section of four that went to Renfrew, Scotland for the weekend finally got back on Wednesday, after being fog-bound for six days.

On Friday morning a surprise exercise was laid on. The five minute Zulu section was scrambled after re-jugging with big drop (tanks); their mission being to fly to Deci, Sardinia, rendez-vous with the flag on the range, and fire all guns. Each aircraft had 260 rounds per gun, and after twelve passes at the flag, the remaining rounds were fired into the ocean. The score was 9.5% with many stoppages. The aircraft landed, were turned around, and returned to Marville on the same day.

F/Os Tidmall, Rice, Burke, and Coles participated. F/O Jones was able to start phase training with single trips, and F/Os Pope and Jolly became Combat Ready after completing their high level trips. F/O Jim Foy and his wife arrived from Chatham to join the Squadron.  The week ended with a total of 110 sorties for 137.5 hours flown.>>

Copyright ©1998-2016 Michael T. Melnick. All rights reserved.

No. 1 Fighter Wing - Marville, France