Briefing Room

During WW2 - RAF Squires Gate was predominately a Training School – however – it was also home to two night-fighter squadrons - operating from the Saint Anne’s side of the aerodrome. There was very little accommodation for personnel at Squires Gate, so most had the advantage of being billeted in requisitioned hotels in South Shore - or bed-and-breakfast accommodation in Blackpool. Pilot Officers were billeted close to the Airfield at Squires Gate - but Sergeant and Corporal aircrew were housed in the Fairhaven Hotel.

The squadrons rotated their period of cover, to ensure aircrews had suitable rest – but aircrew grabbed sleep when they could - during the day - mainly between meal-times. Supplies of vitamin D capsules were left in bowls in the hotel dining-rooms, and a sun-lamp was also made available to help the Aircrews on permanent night watch. Aircrews would have been seen by local residents - being transported to the aerodrome by RAF Bedford Trucks - in the late afternoon. Young men - hanging out of the rear of the truck - offering up a wave and a whistle for the local female population. The crews first task - on arrival at the Airfield - would be a night flying test, or NFT, usually lasting about 30 minutes. The aircrews would report any mechanical problems to the ground-crew - upon their return - before adjourning to the dispersal huts. Here they either whiled away the time for the rest of the night - or took to the air when a call for action came over the telephone from the Operations room.

On the Airfield here at Squires Gate, six aircraft would have been positioned at their stands around the airstrip, ready to go if the alarm was raised, six crews ready on stand-by. Each crew was allocated a period during which they would either be at “cockpit” readiness, sitting in their aircraft - or “crew” readiness, lying around the airfield dispersal huts or in the briefing room, dressed in full flying kit and May WEST lifejackets. If a crew was listed as “available” - they could relax a little more - minus their flying kit - in the crew room, which would likely have a games room. They would be on the Airfield from dusk until dawn - and although several beds and mattresses were provided for relaxation - aircrews rarely managed anything beyond a listless rest.

During the Liverpool Blitz, the “Fighter-Night” system started to operate, which involved the whole Squadron being on duty. A fighter-night was when the moon was going to be above the horizon - meaning visibility and light would be good enough to give crews a chance to spot an enemy aircraft. Also, if the enemy’s attack was concentrated on a clearly defined target - in a specific area, the night fighter crews were to patrol within a 10 mile radius of the centre of the town. The likelihood of a raid on Liverpool or Manchester was established in the afternoon - from Radar listening stations, thought to be able to pick up the alignment of the German Air Forces navigational beam.

Names of pilots were placed in a box and drawn against altitudes - starting at 12,000 feet - and going up at intervals of 1,000 feet. Because of the poor performance of the Boulton Paul Defiant at higher altitudes - the higher elevation was generally taken by a Hawker Hurricane - newly allocated to the Blackpool Squadron for this task.

In advance of the arrival of the enemy aircraft, nine Defiants and a Hurricane would circle the city, each separated vertically by one thousand feet. The air space - from ground level to just below the lowest Defiant - was covered by the ground anti-aircraft batteries - or was filled with barrage balloons. Aircrews needed to be on constant look out - and the pre-mission briefings needed to provide all this information.

During the periods of increased moonlight, a full turnout of the Squadron would be required - and tensions amongst the aircrews would be noticeable. Night flying was still in its infancy, and with unreliable radio sets - and operating over a country in blackout conditions - the sky was fraught with danger. Here at Squires Gate, the weather was also unpredictable - and the risk of ditching in the sea was very high. If an aircrew had to bale out of their aircraft, they had the added hazard of drifting helplessly in the pitch blackness - into overhead power lines, blacked out buildings, trees, or the freezing waters of the Irish Sea. During world war two - almost fifty percent of aircrew fatalities happened during training or non-combat missions.

Prior to the evening’s flying, the on-duty crews would be briefed by the Intelligence Officer - as to the identifying colours of the day - which helped prevent the risk of friendly fire incidents! Aircrews were told what radio frequencies to use, what location beacons to look out for and which enemy aircraft was expected that night. A vital piece of information - supplied by the Air Intelligence Branch - after searching the wreckage of shot down enemy aircraft - was what new defensive armaments may be on the German bombers. If you-re intending to fire at something – it’s always nice to know what may be coming back! A Meteorological Officer would also give the Aircrews a summary of the expected weather they may encounter.

After operational patrols, tired Aircrews would return for a dee-brief and painstaking interview from the Intelligence Officer – either here in the briefing room or the operations room. “What was our anti-aircraft fire like…? Were the searchlights any help…? Did you see any German aircraft…? Did you engage them…? Did you shoot any down…? Did you see any shot down…? If so – where…?  What time…? What return fire did you experience…?”. If they had experienced any engagement – they also had to complete a Combat Report. The crews could be forgiven for not always being in the mood for such efforts after upwards of an hour in the freezing night sky. The arrival of a hot tea or coffee was usually encouragement enough to get the memory working again. If the aircrews had made a successful “kill” of a German raider, they usually needed little encouragement to share their information! The briefing room experienced a range of emotions from its Aircrews, excitement, anticipation, apprehension, fear, anger, and sorrow. 

As you look around - you will see the information on display - and also hanging from the ceiling the recognition models of enemy aircraft, which the crews would need to be able to identify with a split-second glance.

Please now follow the movements of the aircrew – and go into the dispersal hut.