24 |FLIGHTPATHPhoto: AWM image P12424.040
With ‘Old
John’ in Syria
Australia’s involvement in
the Syrian campaign is
often lost among the
disasters of Greece and
Crete and the toing and
froing of the North African
campaign. As Contributing
EditorAndy Wright
explains, it was, however,
where a well-known RAAF
unit acquitted itself well
during a brief period away
from the desert.
W
hen John Jackson arrived in Pal-
estine in May 1941, his unit, 3
Squadron RAAF, had been sent
from North Africa to provide air
support for the Allies’ push into Syria. It
was a dangerous time for such a venture,
but it had to be done. A coup in Iraq in early
April was eventually quashed at the end of
May, most famously with the valuable assis-
tance of training aircraft based at
RAF Habbaniya. Units withdraw
from the desert to fight in Greec
hadbeenevacuatedtoCreteand
Egypt. Those who reached Cret
wouldsoonfacetheGermansagain
while 3 Squadron began to come to
grips with its newly arrived Curtiss
Tomahawks at Aqir and then Lydda
With Iraq propped up by a pro-
British government, the Germans
could still attempt to approach
EgyptandtheSuezCanalfromthen e d e n o s. - sA Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 medium bomber sitting among
what is probably the detritus of the airfield at Rayak. As with
the Dewoitine D.520, production of the type ceased with the
surrender of France, but it recommenced under Vichy
control. The type remained active throughout the war and
the final examples were retired in 1957. There is some
conjecture that the ‘Potez 63’ John Jackson shot down on 25
June 1941 was actually a LeO 451.
[AWM image P12424.017]The French designated the Martin Maryland as the ‘167 A-3’. It was one of the few types to have the distinction of serving on both sides of the conflict. More than 200 were delivered
to the French with the remainder being signed over to Britain. These 75 aircraft, having been re-equipped to British standards, became the Maryland Mk.I and the success of the
type in RAF service led to another order of 150 aircraft equipped with two-speed superchargers. An already impressive performer became quite the slippery customer when the
Maryland Mk.II arrived. The Australians of 3 Squadron claimed nine ‘Glenn Martins’ shot down with both Alan Rawlinson and Peter Turnbull claiming three apiece. This is possibly
the aircraft shot down by Peter Jeffrey on 15 June 1941. Two were encountered and Peter Turnbull claimed the other. His aircraft blew up when it hit the ground while Jeffrey’s had a
more gentle arrival. According to John Jackson’s diary, all of the 3 Squadron pilots visited the crash sites on 15 July.