41(F) and 12(B) Squadrons in Aden 1935-36
Apart from 203 (FB) Squadron, Aden was reinforced by two other RAF squadrons during the Abyssinian Crisis. In October 1935 two squadrons were sent out from the UK on the SS Cameronia. They left Liverpool on 4 October and disembarked at Aden on the 20th of the same month.
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41 Squadron's aircraft were Demons, the fighter version of the Hart bomber, which is what 12 (B) Squadron was equipped with. Additionally, The squadron joined 8 Squadron at Khormaksar, where on 1 November it received the latter’s flight of six Demons which 8 Squadron had received only the month before. Actually, this Flight of six Demons belonged to 41 Squadron but were sent out as an advance party and attached to 8 (B) Squadron as 'D' (or 'Demon') Flight. D Flight was detached from 8 Sqn and rejoined 41 Squadron when the main party arrived on Cameronia on 20 October.
Hawker Harts of 12(B) Sqn "A" Flight over Crater in 1935/6
Hawker Hart K3019 of 41(F) Sqn 'A' Flight in Aden 1935/6
The squadron trained in three particular types of attack: low level machinegun attack, ‘converging’ bombing and precision bombing attacks on ships in harbour, the last two perhaps somewhat surprising considering that this was ostensibly a fighter squadron. In addition as many RN personnel as possible were taken up on air experience flights.
In February 1936 five aircraft from the squadron made a short visit to ‘show the flag’ on British Somaliland’s border with Abyssinia. On 18 March the squadron was moved to temporary accommodation at Sheikh Othman. That spring training included weekly night flying to allow the Aden SL (searchlight) Battery to practice on suitable targets. On 9 June two planes collided in mid-air, both crews being killed. On 12 July the squadron began dismantling its reserve aircraft prior to a move back to the UK.
The other squadron that had arrived on the Cameronia was 12(B) Squadron. This also went initially to Khormaksar. On 19 November a flight of three aircraft (K3009, K3019 and K2426) were employed in a dive-bombing role, in conjunction with aircraft of the other squadrons, in a ‘minor operation’ against the village of Al Asala. On 25 November the squadron was moved to the desert landing ground at Robat, north of Khormaksar, where it remained until 23 March when it returned to Khormaksar so that the landing ground at Robat could be ‘reconditioned’ (including the construction of better temporary accommodation) and proper runways laid. During the four months at Robat the aircraft had been parked out in the open, with no evident loss of serviceability. The squadron returned to Robat on 18 May, where it was to remain until all aircraft were flown back to Khormaksar on 7 August for dismantling, prior to the squadron’s return to the UK.
On December 9th 1935 Sgt. Hallet crashed one of the Hawker Harts, K3009, on a flight from Robat to Khormaksar. Photographs indicate a heavy landing as the undercarriage collapsed and it landed on its nose. (see photos in gallery at bottom of this article)
12 Squadron was also involved with training with the Royal Navy. There was extensive liaison with HM ships at Aden and Perim between November and March. In January 1936 four aircraft did a 48-hour attachment to Burao in British Somaliland, where five Vincent’s from 8 Squadron were on detachment. This squadron also lost an aircraft. On 24 June a Hart, whilst practicing dive bombing and low level flying, crashed into the sea, both crew being killed.
In the article on the visit of the King of Italy in 1934, mention was made of the VIP escort provided by 8 Squadron as his ship sailed out of Aden harbour. This VIP escort was a standard way of showing the flag (and respect, as in gun salutes by the Army and Navy) and both 12 and 41 Squadrons took part in several ‘air escort’ tasks: on 2 April 1936 four aircraft from the former provided part of the ‘air escort’ for the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla as
Hawker Hart K3019 of 12(B) Sqn 'A' Flight in Aden 1935/6
it left Aden. On 22 April both squadrons were involved in escorting the retiring Viceroy as he left Aden on the SS Strathmore, on his way home from India; on 22 May they were up again for the retiring C-in-C of the East Indies Fleet. On 15 June 8, 12 and 41 Squadrons provided an air escort for the cruiser HMS Norfolk as she left Aden to return to the East Indies Fleet. The following day the AOC was given his air escort on his leaving Aden. These last two tasks would have been useful practice at formation flying for the King’s Birthday fly-past by the Aden Wing on 23 June, when the maximum number of aircraft was involved.
12 and 41 did their share of the mail runs to Perim and Kamaran. For example the latter did the run on 4 and 25 May, and again on 27 July but on this occasion to Kamaran only as the coaling station at Perim had been closed on 30 June. The warning order for 12 and 41 Squadrons to return to the UK was received on 10 July. To take advantage of the presence of so many additional combat aircraft at Aden a major demonstration of airpower was arranged as the finale for these two squadrons. Between 20 and 22 July several ‘demonstration’ flights were undertaken by a Wing of all squadrons then in Aden, including the Singapore’s of 203(FB) Squadron! The tribes to be impressed by these demonstrations were those about 150 miles northeast of Aden in the area of Yeshbum. 12 and 41 Squadrons embarked for the UK on the troopship Somersetshire which left Aden on 11 August.
