The Operational Record Books (ORBs)
53 of 23 Squadron at the time are
littered with references to engine ‘problems’ or failures, so these two men must
have been trained to cope with their situation. On the return journey to
Sigonella they would have tried to separate the emotion of the moment from a
clinical analysis of what to do and what not to do. But landing on an unfamiliar
airfield, at night, during wartime, in poor weather, with just one engine would
require them to create and customize a maneuver to get themselves down
safely, a maneuver that they could never have practiced before. It was certainly
possible, because only days earlier some Squadron members had achieved just
that. On 16 August, F/O Keeling also experienced engine failure over Naples,
but brought his aircraft safely back to Sicily where it landed at Termini. On 13
August Sgt. Dawson suffered engine failure 200 ft over Foggia but managed to
Plate 17.9 The night-fighter pilots (top) and navigators (below) training at 51 OTU in
April 1943. Flying Officer John Augustin is seen seated, second from the right, and his
navigator Sgt. Leslie Green is standing in the back row on the extreme left.
Photographs courtesy of Mrs. Lorraine Eastcott
17 The GEC Laboratories 1939–1949
435
53 of 23 Squadron at the time are
littered with references to engine ‘problems’ or failures, so these two men must
have been trained to cope with their situation. On the return journey to
Sigonella they would have tried to separate the emotion of the moment from a
clinical analysis of what to do and what not to do. But landing on an unfamiliar
airfield, at night, during wartime, in poor weather, with just one engine would
require them to create and customize a maneuver to get themselves down
safely, a maneuver that they could never have practiced before. It was certainly
possible, because only days earlier some Squadron members had achieved just
that. On 16 August, F/O Keeling also experienced engine failure over Naples,
but brought his aircraft safely back to Sicily where it landed at Termini. On 13
August Sgt. Dawson suffered engine failure 200 ft over Foggia but managed to
Plate 17.9 The night-fighter pilots (top) and navigators (below) training at 51 OTU in
April 1943. Flying Officer John Augustin is seen seated, second from the right, and his
navigator Sgt. Leslie Green is standing in the back row on the extreme left.
Photographs courtesy of Mrs. Lorraine Eastcott
17 The GEC Laboratories 1939–1949
435