August 1945

RAF SPILSBY
12.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy all day; considerable drizzle early morning.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.

13.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy; continuous drizzle evening and night.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Air tests were made.
POSTINGS  NZ 413138 F/Lt S.L. Spillman Pilot, was posted to No. 109 O.T.U. for Instructor Duties.

14.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy with fog and drizzle until early afternoon; drizzle ceasing becoming fair , then fine late at night.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.
ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE WAR. At midnight the right honourable Clement R. Attlee, Prime Minister, broadcast a statement to the effect that the Japanese Government had officially accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration thus bringing to an end the terrible conflict that began on the 3rd September 1939.

15.8.45
WEATHER.  Fine at first with thick fog early morning; becoming cloudy with some rain during the afternoon; fair then fine late at night.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.
The squadron reported for duty as usual and a Squadron parade was held at 09.00 hours. The Squadron Commander announced the end of the war with Japan and declared that the remainder of the day were to be treated as stand-down from duty days. Station celebration activities were to be pronounced as those on V.E. day and were confined mainly to the All Ranks Dance held in the evening.

16.8.45
WEATHER. Fine at first, becoming fait then cloudy; some rain early evening.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.

17.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy with rain or drizzle most of the day.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING. 8 aircraft carried out Cross Country Flights and 7 practised formation and made H2S runs.
POSTINGS.  NZ 1971 F/O. J.K. Sommerville, and NZ. 4215084 F/O R. Bray, Navigators, were posted in from No. 115 Squadron respectively for flying duties. NZ.425754 NZ.428048 W/O Saywell, A.C. WOP/AIR and NZ.425749 F/Sgt Rea, A.G. Air Bomber were posted from no. 189 Squadron for flying duties.

18.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy with drizzle most of the day.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.
APPOINTMENTS. NZ. 4211789 W/O. Daly A.G Pilot, was appointed to commissioned rank and granted the Acting Rank of Flying officer as Captain of a Heavy Aircraft.
PROMOTIONS. NZ.428111 F/O. W.L Hardie, Pilot was promoted to War Substantive Rank of Flight Lieutenant.

19.8.45
WEATHER. Cloudy.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.

20.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy; fair period early evening.
NON-OPERATIONAL FLYING.   8 aircraft carried out Bomb Jettisoning in Cardigan Bay. 6 aircraft practised formation flying.

21.8.45.
WEATHER.  Cloudy; some rain morning and noon; thunder storms with rain early afternoon; warm.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.  8 aircraft carried out Air to Sea firing exercises.
APPOINTMENTS. NZ.404627 F/O. J.A. Wilkinson was granted the Acting Rank of Flight Lieutenant to fill the post of Gunnery Leader.
POSTINGS. NZ.428072 F/O. P.M. Birch, Air Bomber, NZ.4217045 F/Sgt. Hamilton, D.J. WOP/AIR NZ. And NZ.4216532 F/Sgt. Robinson, M.G, Air Bomber were posted in from No.149 Squadron, No.90 Squadron and 149 Squadron respectively, for flying duties.

22.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy; thunder storms with rain late afternoon; warm.
NON-OPERATIONAL FLYING.   8 aircraft carried out Operational Climb.
POSTINGS. NZ.4216202 F/Sgt. Banham, J.S. WOP/AIR, and NZ.424786 F/Sgt Williams, G., Air Gunner were posted in from no.15 Squadron and No.97 Squadron respectively for flying duties.

23.8.45
WEATHER. Cloudy; rain early morning; fair to fine periods mid- morning; cloudy again afternoon, evening and night.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   9 aircraft practiced Formation Flying. Air tests were made.

24.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy with some periods of cloud and drizzle.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Air tests were made.

25.8.45
WEATHER.  Cloudy at first soon becoming fair; fine evening and night.
NON-OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.

26.8.45.
WEATHER.  Fine at first, cloudy morning and noon; fine rest of the day.

27.8.45
WEATHER.  Fine, fairly warm.
NON-OPERATIONAL FLYING.   5 aircraft carried out Bomb Jettisoning.
POSTINGS. NZ.421919 F/O. Kilpatrick, Pilot, was posted to No. 12 P.D.R.C. for repatriation.

28.8.45
WEATHER. Fine with thick fog at first, becoming cloudy then fair; cloudy in afternoon.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   7 aircraft took off and proceeded to Italy to carry out Operation “Dodge” the conveying of British Service personnel to the United Kingdom on leave.

29.8.45
WEATHER. Fair at first becoming cloudy with thick fog early morning; cloudy with thunderstorms and very heavy rain noon and early afternoon; remaining cloudy.
NON-OPERATIONAL FLYING. 6 aircraft practised Air to Sea Firing Exercises.

30.8.45
WEATHER. Cloudy with thick fog and drizzle at first, remaining cloudy with continuous rain or drizzle all day.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Nil.

31.8.45
WEATHER. Cloudy morning; afternoon and evening fair; fine at night.
NON OPERATIONAL FLYING.   Air Tests were made. Local Flying. Circuits and Landings and H28 Bombing were carried out.

APPENDICES
P.O.R.’s – Officers R.A.F. 43-45. R.A.F.F. Nil.  R.C.A.F. Nil
R.N.Z.A.F  49-53.
Airmen   R.A.F. 51-54. R.A.F.F. Nil.  R.C.A.F. Nil
R.N.Z.A.F  43-46.

Continue these records – September 1945