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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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No 973 Sqn Personnel, aircraft and locations
[1941 | ]
Personnel Movements: Jan - Dec 1941
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| January | |||
| Flt Lt | T R Poppy | 26 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting and assumed command of No 973 Sqn |
| Flt Lt | W Maxfield | 26 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting for Admin duties |
| Plt Off | H Patterson | 26 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Balloon Officer |
| Plt Off | G J Kellow | 26 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Equipment Officer |
| Sqn Ldr | C J G Whiteside | 27 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting and assumed command of No 973 Sqn |
| Flt Lt | W Maxfield | 29 Jan 1941 | Relinquished Admin duties on reduction of establishment |
| Act Fg Off | P N Drew-Wilkinson | 29 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting for Admin duties |
| Plt Off | A S Bates | 29 Jan 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Balloon Officer |
| Plt Off | G J Kellow | 30 Jan 1941 | Equipment Officer, promoted to Act Fg Off, wef 28 Jan 1941 |
| Plt Off | V L Powell | 30 Jan 1941 | Posted to the unit, wef date of embarkation |
| February | |||
| Fg Off | W J Lynd | 3 Feb 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Medical Officer |
| March | |||
| No personnel movements were recorded as the unit was in transit | |||
| April | |||
| Plt Off | A S Bates | 25 Apr 1941 | Balloon Officer, attached to No 971 Sqn |
| Fg Off | P N Drew-Wilkinson | 29 Apr 1941 | Admin Officer, attached to RAF Ismailia for Operations duties |
| May | |||
| Plt Off | A S Bates | 4 May 1941 | Balloon Officer, proceeded to War Site with party |
| Fg Off | P N Drew-Wilkinson | 5 May 1941 | Adjutant, ceased to be attached to RAF Ismailia for Operations duties |
| June | |||
| Flt Lt | D Ross | 26 Jun 1941 | Attached from Mo 971 Sqn, pending posting |
| Fg Off | P N Drew-Wilkinson | 27 Jun 1941 | Adjutant, admitted to hospital with a fractured skull |
| Plt Off | J E W Arthur | 29 Jun 1941 | Attached from No 974 Sqn for duty as Adjutant |
| July | |||
| No personnel movements were recorded in this month's ORB | |||
| August | |||
| AC1 | N Piasachowitz | 11 Aug 1941 | Drowned in an accident |
| Flt Lt | D Ross | 19 Aug 1941 | Ceased to be attached from No 971 Sqn on posting to No 974 Sqn |
| Plt Off | S M Lisbona | 28 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Accountant Officer |
| Plt Off | T C Barnard | 29 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant |
| Plt Off | J E W Arthur | 31 Aug 1941 | Adjutant, ceased to be attached from No 974 Sqn on posting |
| September | |||
| Plt Off | A S Bates | xx xxx 1941 | Balloon Officer, promoted to Act Flt Lt |
| October | |||
| Plt Off | W McC Baxter | 24 Oct 1941 | Attached from No 975 Sqn and assumed command of 'B' Flight |
| Fg Off | Draper | 27 Oct 1941 | Arrived on posting from the UK for duty as Equipment Officer |
| Fg Off | G J Kellow | 27 Oct 1941 | Equipment Officer, posted to No 73 OTU |
| November | |||
| Fg Off | W J Lynd | 28 Nov 1941 | Medical Officer, posted to RAF Summit |
| December | |||
| Plt Off | D J G C Wilson | 12 Dec 1941 | Posted to No 17 WOU |
| Plt Off | S M Lisbona | 27 Dec 1941 | Accountant Officer, attached to RAF Suez Road |
Source - No 973 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2321/2)
Organisational Movements: Jan - Dec 1941
| Date | Notes |
| January | |
| 24 Jan 1941 | Schedules drawn up for the formation of 'A' and 'B' Balloon Units at Cardington for service overseas |
| 28 Jan 1941 | 'B' Balloon Unit renamed No 2 Balloon Unit |
| 30 Jan 1941 | Establishment was reduced as follows: -
|
| February | |
| 2 Feb 1941 | No 2 Balloon Unit redesignated No 973 Squadron |
| 5 Feb 1941 | Personnel entrained at Cardington Station for Liverpool |
| 6 Feb 1941 | Personnel embarked on SS 'Yoma', which was still in the process of being fitted out |
| 7 Feb 1941 | Following unrest all troops were transferred to SS 'Strathmore' |
| 8 Feb 1941 | After further work being carried out, personnel were transferred back to SS 'Yoma' and set sail, but missed its convoy |
| 9 Feb 1941 | SS 'Yoma' proceeded back to Liverpool to await another convoy |
| 10 Feb 1941 | SS 'Yoma' arrived back in Liverpool with personnel disembarking and proceeding to No 2 PDC, Wilmslow |
| 16 Feb 1941 | Personnel entrained at Wilmslow for Liverpool and re-embarked on SS 'Yoma' |
| 17 Feb 1941 | SS 'Yoma' set sail from Liverpool |
| 18 Feb 1941 | SS 'Yoma' joined with convoy in Irish Sea and proceeded into Atlantic Ocean |
| March | |
| 5 Mar 1941 | SS 'Yoma' arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| 8 Mar 1941 | SS 'Yoma' departed Freetown, Sierra Leone in large convoy and continued south |
| 26 Mar 1941 | SS 'Yoma' docked in Durban, South Africa |
| April | |
| 1 Apr 1941 | SS 'Yoma' departed Durban and proceeded into Indian Ocean |
| 21 Apr 1941 | SS 'Yoma' arrived in Suez Roads and anchored off Port Tewfik |
| 22 Apr 1941 | Personnel disembarked SS 'Yoma' at Port Tewfik, and entrained for the Middle East Pool at Geneifa |
| May | |
| 4 May 1941 | 1 x officer and 31 x airmen proceeded to War Site |
| 5 May 1941 | 20 x airmen proceeded to War Site |
| 6 May 1941 | 21 x airmen proceeded to War Site |
| 7 May 1941 | 3 x officers and 33 x airmen proceeded to War Site |
| 22 May 1941 | No 202 Group took over control and administration of all balloon squadrons in the Middle East |
| 23 May 1941 | Advance party proceeded to Port Said |
| 24 May 1941 | Main party proceeded to Port Said by road and rail |
| 25 May 1941 | Small road party proceeded to Port Said |
| 26 May 1941 | Rear party proceeded to Port Said by road |
| 29 May 1941 | Unloading of Balloon Equipment from the SS 'Clan Macfadyen' commenced |
| June | |
| 1 Jun 1941 | Flight HQ established at El Tineh |
| 2 Jun 1941 | Work commenced on two war sites Sqn HQ established at No 4 Rue Eugenie, Port Said |
| 10 Jun 1941 | Work proceeding on six sites Hydrogen plant removed to Port Said for re-conditioning |
| 17 Jun 941 | Hydrogen plant returned in working order |
| 18 Jun 941 | Balloons installed at Sites Km 24 and 25 |
| 19 Jun 941 | Balloons installed at Sites Km 22 and 23 |
| 20 Jun 941 | Balloons installed at Sites Km 20 and 21 |
| July | |
| 18 Jul 1941 | Motor launches were hired at £35 per month |
| 29 Jul 1941 | Two sites occupied in Port Said Harbour |
| 30 Jul 1941 | Third site occupied in Port Said Harbour |
| August | |
| 2 Aug 1941 | 10 x ACH/GDs arrived on posting from No 45 Sqn |
| 28 Aug 1941 | 3 x airmen admitted to hospital |
| September | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
| October | |
| 12 Oct 1941 | Sqn HQ moved to No 54 Chareh Memphis, Port Said |
| 13 Oct 1941 | All Balloon sites taken over by No 975 Sqn |
| 14 Oct 1941 | 'A' Flight moved to RAF Kasfareet |
| 15 Oct 1941 | 'A' Flight took over 13 sites at Kasfareet and four site at Fanara from No 974 Sqn |
| 19 Oct 1941 | Sqn HQ moved to No 54 Rue Tanta, Port Said |
| 23 Oct 1941 | Squadron was transferred to the operational control of No 260 Wing |
| 27 Oct 1941 | Advance party proceeded to Geneiffe |
| November | |
| 3 Nov 1941 | Sqn HQ moved to Kasfareet 'A' Flight now at Kasfareet, 'B' Flight was at Geneiffe |
| December | |
| 13 Dec 1941 | 3 x officers and 18 x airmen attached from No 976 Sqn |
| 18 Dec 1941 | Sites at Geneiffe and Fanara commenced being taken over by No 976 Sqn |
| 19 Dec 1941 | Advance party proceeded to Kantara |
| 23 Dec 1941 | Take over of sites at Geneiffe and Fanara by No 976 Sqn completed |
| 28 Dec 1941 | Squadron moved new site at Kantara |
Source - No 973 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2321/2) & No 972 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2321/1)
This entry was last updated on 18/11/25
