94 Squadron at Aden 1939-41
94 Squadron had been reformed in late-March 1939 with an establishment of six pilots and 71 other ranks, including four airmen pilots. The strength on reformation at Aden was 3 and 50, to be reinforced shortly afterwards by three more officer and five airmen pilots. With the reformed squadron arrived 16 Gladiators in packing cases. By early May these had been unpacked, assembled and camouflage painted. The squadron then moved from its temporary base at Khormaksar to Sheikh Othman where it was to remain for 23 months. On 8 June the squadron provided a flight of four aircraft to take part in the King’s Birthday Parade flypast. In mid-July three Gladiators made a short visit to the French Air Force at Djibuti, the planes being refuelled at Perim on the return journey. In August a number of demonstration flights were made over the Radfan and other areas of potential trouble, including a flight by three aircraft on 20 August over the Wadi Taim.
From the declaration of war with Germany on 3 September the squadron provided three aircraft on immediate stand-by during daylight hours and one aircraft by night. But there was not much prospect of action until Italy entered the war, which happened on 10 June 1940. On the 13th the Italians made the first of several air raids on Aden. 94 Squadron was able to put up 14 aircraft, with one three-engined S81 being shot down off Ras Imram. On 20 June the squadron received six Mark II Gladiators.
For the first three or four months from Italy entering the war the squadron was kept pretty busy, with the routine task being the provision of standing air patrols over Aden, with other aircraft ready to be scrambled at short notice. There were also several sorties of usually three aircraft, escorting a Blenheim from another squadron, against the petrol tanks at Macaaca near Assab. For the first sortie the planes deployed to Perim the evening before to be able to make an attack at first light the following day, the crews sleeping beside their aircraft on the landing ground at Perim. On the sortie on 13/14 July one Gladiator was shot down. The following day two Gladiators collided in mid-air over Little Aden, one pilot parachuting to safety, whilst the other aircraft was able to return to base. From late July the landing ground at Ras Ara was used in preference to Perim for attacks on Assab, although on 22 and 24 October three Gladiators conducted a standing patrol over Perim whilst a number of Blenheims were being refuelled.
On 16 December orders were received to pack five Mk II Gladiators for despatch to the Middle East. On 29 March the following year six Gladiators were flown down to Jijiga to be handed over to the South African Air Force. The following day the remaining three aircraft were handed over to the SAAF at Sheikh Othman. On 5 April the personnel of the squadron left Aden for the Mediterranean on HMS Encounter and HMS Isis.