Help with ORB For RAF Takoradi (Nov 1941 - Jan 1942

[AndrewClark]

Hi All. Just wondering if anyone can help me with this 'long shot' request. I'm looking for the date of a Hurricane flight, made by Sgt J.A. Allen, from RAF Takoradi to Khartoum. The flight is mentioned in a couple of published references, but not the date. Thanks in advance. Andrew

[Resmoroh]

Andrew, Hi,
Have a care with this one.
Takoradi > Khartoum is 2200nm. Max range of a Hurricane (with additional tanks) was about 800nm?
So he’d have to make at least 2 intermediate/re-fuelling stops?
This W Africa to E Africa aviation route was well known/used. It was used to re-inforce E Africa, Middle East, and even the Indian sub-continent, with airframes of all sorts.
HTH
Peter Davies

[AndrewClark]

Thank you Peter
I did know that he had to make rest/fuel stops because apparently, during one, he awoke to find a giraffe peering into the cockpit! What I didn't know was that it was a well used route. I'm guessing that this will make it even harder to ascertain the date of the flight's departure - although I had forgotten to mention that it comprised a number of Hurricanes - following a lead Blenheim, so maybe that will help.......
Thanks again
Andrew

[Ross_McNeill]

Aircraft usually arrived by ship crated and were assembled for air ferry onward.

From memory the ORB is mostly Form 540 (Monthly Record) admin of base and daily/monthly summary totals of aircraft received/despatched rather than Form541 style aircraft/crew, timeup, timedown, duty.

For a primer on the Takoradi route
https://sixtant.net/2011/artigos.php...20that%20route.

Ross

[AndrewClark]

Thanks Ross. That is helpful. Cheers,

Andrew