62 FLYPAST March 2018
COURAGE OVER
A
few weeks before the end of
the Great War, 185 Squadron
formed at East Fortune in
Scotland with Sopwith Cuckoo
torpedo-bombers. It did not see
active service in the conflict and was
disbanded in April 1919.
The unit re-formed on June 1,
1938 at Abingdon, Oxfordshire,
equipped initially with Hawker
Hinds. These were soon replaced
by Fairey Battles. Its crews were
busy converting to Handley Page
Hampdens at Cottesmore, Rutland
at the outbreak of World War Two.
It was not deployed and 185 was
absorbed into the co-located 14
Operational Training Unit in April
1940.
At that point, whenever an RAF
squadron had been assigned the
number 185, it seemed destined for
an inauspicious role. That was all
about to change.OWN GOAL
Twenty fighter pilots of ‘C’ Flight, of
Malta’s resident 261 Squadron, joined
ground personnel at the island’s HalFar airfield, under the command of
Sqn Ldr Peter W O Mould, in April- With the arrival in Sicily of
Messerschmitt Bf 109Es of the 7th
Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 (7/
JG 26) the air battle of Malta had
intensified.
Within a week, ‘C’ Flight’s eight
Hawker Hurricane IIs had been
reduced temporarily to just two
machines. In addition, one pilot
perished in a crash, the circumstances
of which remain unexplained. On
May 12 the flight was re-titled 185
Squadron.
From the very beginning, a
succession of pilots recorded the ‘gen
and doings’; these diaries are the only
known ‘line books’ of Malta-based
fighter units. The first entry is by
Fg Off Hugh W ‘Chubby’ Eliot,
describing activities the day before ‘C’
Flight officially became 185 Squadron:
“Early this morning the squadron
was scrambled, and an aircraft was
sighted flying low just off Delimara
Point. Anti-aircraft bursts were seen
in the vicinity and led by Plt Off
Hamilton the boys gave chase. For 20
minutes, having pulled everything in
sight to try and get an extra mile per
hour, the chase continued. After nearly
100 miles very little progress had been
made and the leader gave it up.
“Sgt Wynne, however, with great
gusto continued the chase single-
handedly and eventually closed to
firing range. After putting all his
ammunition into what he supposed
to be a [Junkers] Ju 88 he returned to
land and reported he had damaged the
aircraft in question.
“All well and good – one probable Ju
88 to the credit of the squadron – but
more to come! Some little time later
an irate Glenn Martin [Maryland]
crew arrived looking for the Hurricane
who had chased them half way to
Crete! After a good deal of explaining
and apologies everything was settled,
and a party ensued during which
everyone concerned became very light-
hearted about the whole issue.
“The evening ended with
handshakes all round and a promise
from the [Maryland] crew to enter in
their logbook – “Affiliation exercises
with Hurricanes”! Needless to say, notUSING THE ‘LINE BOOK’ OF 185 SQUADRON, ANTHONY ROGERS RECOUNTS
THE UNIT’S EXPLOITS DEFENDING MALTA
1918 2018
Below
Hurricanes of 185
Squadron lined up at
Hal Far.MALTAMALTAMALTAMALTA