The War Plans of Boac in WW2

It is not widely known that BOAC had detailed contingency plans in place when western Europe erupted in early 1940, in the process

cutting off civil air services between Britain and its Empire. Copies of the Imperial Airways and BOAC War Books survive in the archives of the

Civil Aviation Historical Society in Australia. PHIL VABRE looks at what these plans involved

42 AEROPLANE SEPTEMBER 2013

The

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BOAC

ABOVE: When BOAC required ying-boats to supplement those already in service, six Short Sunderland IIIs were taken from the production line at Rochester in December 1942 and converted for use on BOAC and RAF

Transport Command priority passenger and mail routes. Given the type name Hythe, they were stripped of turrets and had bench seats only, a far cry from the comfort of the pre-war Empire Flying-Boats. BOACs Hythe G-AGHZ

Hawkesbury is seen demonstrating its ability to y on two engines. THE AEROPLANE

he British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was formed in November 1939 out of a government-sponsored

merger between Imperial Airways, Britains chosen instrument for imperial air communications, and British Airways, an intra-European operator. The newly formed BOAC took over on April 1, 1940, and its operations were almost immediately thrown into turmoil by the German invasion of France, Belgium and Holland.

BOAC was not unprepared though. Plans had been drawn up covering a range of contingencies, including the increasing likelihood that Italy would join the war on Germanys side.

These contingency plans were initially issued in August 1939, just prior to the outbreak of war in the form of the Imperial Airways War Book, which was classi ed Secret. The plans were revised by amendment in early 1940, and updated and reissued in a second edition as the BOAC War Book in June 1940 after the German invasion of France and the Low Countries had commenced, but before the fall of France.

The fundamental basis of the contingency plans, set out in the BOAC War Book, was that the organisation and maintenance of Empire air communications was an important part of the national war effort. Accordingly, during wartime BOAC would operate air services at the direction and expense of the British government.

Problems and initial assumptionsThree major problems were foreseen by BOAC. These were, rstly, possible attacks on BOAC bases in the United Kingdom; secondly, possible closing of the Mediterranean due to Italy entering the war and thirdly the problem of cooperation with the civil air eets of allied nations.

Some assumptions were made that governed the design of the contingency plans. The rst, obvious, assumption, was that if Italy entered the war the Marseilles-Alexandria section of the Empire trunk route, which passed through Italy, would be closed. However, it was also assumed that transit rights would continue to be available over French, Portuguese and Dutch territory in Europe, Africa and the Far East. Finally, it

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AEROPLANE SEPTEMBER 2013 43

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HIDDEN HISTORY

LEFT: Egyptian airline Misr Airwork was part of the cooperation between Allied airlines. During the Second World War the Egyptian Government took over the operation and changed the name to Misr Airlines, post-war becoming Misrair and later Egyptair. This de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide SU-ABU Heliopolis (c/n 6313) was registered to Misr Airwork in November 1935 and served throughout the Second World War, surviving until at least 1946. LC-DIG-MATPC-18472

was assumed that no signi cant military operations would take place in Singapore or Australia to disrupt services in the Far East.

Emergency messagesTo implement various parts of the contingency plan, a system of ve-letter codes was established. For example, YRUTU meant Service or aircraft indicated to proceed immediately to place named. In this case, the code would be accompanied by the service number (in those days each service was numbered sequentially) or aircraft registration concerned, and also the place concerned. The location information was to

be sent in Bentleys Second Phrase Code, a non-secure commercial code.

These coded messages were intended to be sent to down-route stations by telegram and to aircraft using their own radio communications. Because it was anticipated that there would be dif culty sending telegrams containing codes to Italy, a system of elaborate cover-phrases was provided for passing by telephone, with the rst or second letter of each word spelling out the appropriate code. An example was YOUR REQUEST UNDERSTAND EXCEPTIONAL TONNAGE which spelled YRUXT, meaning Stand by.

Vulnerability at homeThe principal BOAC base for overseas operations was the ying-boat base at Hythe, near Southampton. Being located on the south coast and close to strategic military targets, such as the Supermarine factory, it was considered to be particularly vulnerable to air attack from Germany. The BOAC contingency strategy was to remove as much activity as possible to other locations.

Flying-boats were to spend as little time as possible at Hythe before being own to Poole, about 30 miles further westward. Provision for further dispersal was made with Air Ministry permission being obtained to use RAF moorings at Plymouth, Falmouth and Pembroke Dock in an emergency. All modi cation work being done on Empire (C Class) Flying-Boats at Hythe was stopped and the aircraft returned to service. This had the dual effect of increasing the number of aircraft available while also allowing them to be own away overseas where they would be less vulnerable.

By early June 1940 BOAC had already taken steps to transfer men and equipment to Durban, in South Africa. An engine overhaul workshop was being established, expected to be operational by the end of July, with an initial capacity of producing suf cient overhauled Pegasus engines to support a twice-weekly Empire Flying-Boat service from Durban to Sydney via Egypt and India. In Australia, Qantas was also establishing an overhaul facility at Sydney for Pegasus engines.

Apart from an Armstrong-Whitworth Ensign service to Egypt, home-based landplane services were mainly short-haul to the continent. BOAC had bases at Gatwick, Heston and Whitchurch (Bristol). Because many of the landplane services at this time were Air Ministry charters, it was desirable to continue operating from the aerodromes near London for as long as possible. However, if south-eastern England became unworkable, all BOAC (and Air France) services would transfer to Whitchurch.

Landplane engine overhauls would continue to be carried out at Croydon, which was considered to be a well-defended area

LEFT: EgyEgyEgyEgyEgyEgyptiptiptiptiptiptiptiptiptiptipti airairairairairairairairairairairlinlinlinlinlinlinlinlinlinline Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Misrisrisrisrisrisrisrisrisr Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai rk rk rk rk rk

ABOVE LEFT: A wartime Qantas Empire Airways advertisement announcing its continued ying-boat services. VIA AUTHOR

HIDDEN HISTORY RIGHT: Very rare Douglas DC-2-115F SP-ASL (c/n 1378) of Polish airline LOT was one of only two powered by Bristol Pegasus VI engines. It is seen here at Lydda, Palestine,

in about 1938, now Tel Avivs Ben Gurion International Airport. Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, SP-ASL was own out to Romania. Intended to come to Britain, it was registered to Imperial Airways as G-AGAD on November 7, 1939, but the Romanian authorities refused to release the aircraft. It was subsequently taken over by Romanian airline LARES as YR-GAD in 1941 and destroyed, probably by German stra ng, at Boteni, Romania, in 1944. LC-DIG-MATPC-22393


although in the event it did suffer heavily from bombing later in 1940. Engine overhaul facilities for landplanes on the African service were also available with Misr Airwork in Cairo and for the Hong Kong branch service in Singapore.

Closing of the MediterraneanThe Mediterranean was a particularly vulnerable point for British Empire air communications as the routes to India and Australia, as well as the British colonies in Africa, ran through it. The main Empire ying-boat route at that time ran down France to Marseilles, then to Lake Bracciano near Rome (Italy), then Brindisi (Italy), Athens (Greece), a refueling stop if necessary at Mirabella or Suda Bay (Crete) and nally to Alexandria (Egypt). The deteriorating situation with Italy was of great signi cance as it not only dominated the

Mediterranean itself, but also controlled vital parts of North and East Africa in the form of colonies in Libya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland.

Initially BOAC drew up plans for an alternative route through the Mediterranean that used French territory in North Africa to bypass the Italian section of the route, but it was recognised that should open hostilities

with Italy break out, then this route would be so vulnerable as to become unworkable.

A more likely scenario was that the Mediterranean would be totally closed to civil air traf c. In this case, BOAC would instruct the implementation of Serial C, a code

covering the cancellation of mainline services and the disposal of aircraft to various parts of the route, the dumping of loads for later shipping, the evacuation of personnel from vulnerable places and the reorganization of BOACs operating divisions. Although BOAC used the term dumping, it was used in the sense of caching for subsequent transport, as opposed to jettisoning.

If Serial C was enacted, all ying-boats were to be immediately cleared from the section of the route from Biscarosse or Bordeaux (France) to Alexandria. Landplanes west of Malta were to return to the United Kingdom while those at or east

of Malta were to proceed to Alexandria.Outbound ying-boats east or south of

Alexandria were to continue on to their destination. Homeward bound ying-boats were to proceed to the rst encountered of Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Durban,

The fundamental basis of the contingency plans, set out in the BOAC War Book, was

that the organisation and maintenance of Empire air communications was an

important part of the national war e ort

BELOW: BOAC continued to use Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in Palestine, as a refuelling stop on the Horseshoe Route connecting South Africa with New Zealand. This

pre-war photo shows Short S.23 Empire Flying-Boat G-AETY Clio (c/n S.841) taking on fuel from the Shell launch at Tiberias. In the background is the snow-capped Mount Hermon,

marking the border between Syria and Lebanon. On the outbreak of the Second World War Clio was impressed into RAF service as AX659. It crashed at Loch

Indal, Scotland, on August 22, 1941. LC-DIG-MATPC-03650


Another view of the Imperial Airways, LOT and Misr Airwork joint booking of ce in Jerusalem. LC-DIG-MATPC-08743

With complementary rather than competing route networks, cooperation between Imperial Airways, LOT and Misr Airwork extended to before the Second World War. For example, these airlines maintained a joint booking of ce in Jerusalem in the late 1930s. On the other hand, Dutch airlines KLM and KNILM were direct competitors to be guarded against, although cooperation at an operational level seems to have been always been cordial. LC-DIG-MATPC-08742

Mombasa or Kisumu where they were to dump their mail and freight. Passengers were to be offered disembarkation at any port up to and including the dump locations.

Landplanes on the West African service were to continue on to Lagos or Kano (Nigeria) as appropriate and wait. Indian internal services were to continue operating, as was the branch service between Bangkok (Siam) and Hong Kong. As the ying-boat service to Singapore would be temporarily suspended, it might be necessary for the Hong Kong service to be extended from Bangkok to Singapore.

Evacuation of sta In the face of increasing international tension, the wives and families of staff based in Italy were evacuated on May 16, 1940. Plans were also drawn up for the evacuation of the remaining staff, as well as staff based in other locations considered vulnerable. In the event of the implementation of Serial C, the plan was for staff in Malta to evacuate on the last civil ight bound for Tunis. From there, they should clear the last BOAC aircraft through Tunis and Bizerta, before proceeding themselves to Algiers and thence home.

In Egypt, Alexandria was considered

vulnerable due to its position on the coast. All BOAC operations and personnel were to be transferred to Cairo, some 100 miles inland.

With the Mediterranean routes cut, there would also no longer be a requirement for the BOAC depot ship MV Imperia, which had been stationed at Crete since 1929, to remain there. It was to remain in position until all the ying-boats had cleared the Mediterranean, working them by radio in

the normal way. Once the aircraft were clear, Imperia was to leave Crete on instructions from the British naval authorities, evacuating the Mirabella and Suda Bay staff if necessary. The ship was to maintain a listening watch, but otherwise radio silence except in emergency or when acknowledging messages addressed to it. Imperia was to make for Port Said, then through the Suez Canal where it was to wait at Suez for further instructions.

Reorganisation of operationsIf the Mediterranean closed, BOAC intended to reorganise operations into ve Divisions, as follows:

Division 1: United Kingdom to Central Africa via the Sahara or West Africa, and European services.

Division 2: The existing West African services from Khartoum (Sudan) to Takoradi (Gold Coast) via Lagos.

Division 3: Durban to Singapore via Egypt, Iraq and India or alternative routes between Africa and India if the Middle East became impassable.

Division 4: The Karachi to Calcutta section of the main line and internal Indian services.

Division 5: The Hong Kong service, extended to Singapore if necessary.

The overall plan envisaged re-establishing Empire air communications by operating

landplane services through France and French territory in North Africa to West Africa, where they would connect with the existing trans-African service

to the east. This in turn would connect with a new service using the Empire Flying-Boats trapped at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, operating along the existing routes from Durban through to Singapore. This service would continue to connect with the existing Qantas service to Sydney, which connected with the TEAL service across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand.

The threat to Egypt should war break out with Italy was taken

seriously. It was envisaged that the Nile valley might

become impassable to civil aircraft and that

AnoMisLC-D

With c lement ther than tin out etwork ati bet n I rial

Another view of the Imperial Airways, LOT andAno

HIDDEN HISTORY

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The Brindisi sta were given an hour to leave the country. They were evacuated by the

eastbound travelling G-ADHM Caledonia


BELOW: Dutch airline KLMs Douglas DC-3-194B PH-ALT Torenvalk (Kestrel) (c/n 1941) was a Fokker-assembled machine, delivered in April 1937. In 1940 it escaped the German invasion of The Netherlands and transferred to the Dutch East Indies airline KNILM as PK-ALT in June that year. In January 1942 it was damaged by Japanese ghters while taking off at Samarinda, Netherlands East Indies, and in late February PK-ALT escaped from Java to Broome, Western Australia. The aircraft was subsequently sold, along with nine other surviving KNILM aircraft, to the USAAF, allocated serial 41-1941 and using the radio callsign VHCXD. On August 17, 1942, it was damaged in a Japanese air raid on Port Moresby, but repaired, acquiring the name Holey Joe due to the number of bullet holes in it. In December 1942 it was assigned to Australian airline ANA, and operated on behalf of the USAAF on services to New Guinea. On May 5, 1945, while being own by ANA Captain W. Clark and an RAAF crew, it crashed on approach in poor visibility near Higgins Field, Bamaga, Queensland, killing all six on board. The aircrafts remains still exist in a fenced-off memorial at Bamaga.

ABOVE: Passengers disembark from Empire Flying-Boat G-AETZ Circe on a oating jetty at Imperials Southampton terminal in April 1938. Circe was shot down by a Japanese ghter in February 1942.

alternative routing from Africa to Ceylon via the Seychelles and Diego Garcia or the Maldives might be required. This would necessitate extra range from the Short Empire ying-boats, which were optimised to carry heavy loads over relatively short legs. To that end, a scheme to increase the tankage of all the Empire Flying-Boats was put in hand.

The BOAC contingency plans noted that an inter-Allied committee was being formed to coordinate the employment of the civil air eets of each nation. The airlines involved were Air France, Air Afrique (France), SABENA (Belgium), KLM (Netherlands), LOT (Poland) and BOAC.

What really happenedAfter a period of relative inactivity during the Phoney War, in April 1940 hostilities erupted in Europe. The initial German attacks on Denmark and Norway were soon followed by invasions of France, Belgium and neutral Holland. Guderians Panzers quickly surrounded and cut-off the Allied forces in north-eastern France and Belgium, forcing them back against the coast. Between May 26 and June 4, a large proportion of the trapped forces were evacuated from Dunkirk, however on June 5 a second German attack out anked the French Maginot Line further to the south and pushed deep into France. Five days later, with the remaining French defences collapsing, Italy opportunistically declared war on France and Britain and invaded southern France.

The War Book plan was immediately put into action. With Serial C enacted, the 16 Empire Flying-Boats east or south of Alexandria were safe for the time being and continued their services. Three others were in the Mediterranean. They had already been instructed to avoid Italy and y via Malta and Navarino (today Pylos) in Greece. The BOAC staff in Rome were granted diplomatic status and left by train, but the Brindisi staff were given an hour to leave the country. They were evacuated by the eastbound travelling G-ADHM Caledonia, which came back and ew them to Athens, then they made their way by road and rail through Turkey, Syria and Palestine to Egypt. Caledonia then continued eastbound to Alexandria and safety.

G-AFKZ Cathay was at Ajaccio in Corsica heading westbound and continued its ight home. The situation for G-AFCX Clyde was more dif cult as it was in Malta. Despite reduced power in one engine it was able to safely make it home to Britain, refuelling at Biscarosse on the way. The Malta and Tunis staffs were withdrawn to Algeria and Imperiasailed for Egypt as planned.

Poland had already capitulated to the German and Russian invasions by June 1939.

BOAC War Book Emergency CodesThese are some examples of the emergency code messages set out in the BOAC War Book, Second Edition.YTJIM Take urgent actionYTJOI Tension relaxed; cancel YRUXT (see main text)YTJUL No homebound aircraft to proceed beyond Biscarosse or Bordeaux without special instructions from the United KingdomYTJYR Homebound ying-boats to avoid scheduled home airport and proceed to (place given)YRUWX Aircraft cannot be sent to evacuate staffYRUUJ Service or aircraft indicated to leave load at Alexandria and proceed immediately to (place speci ed)YTFZA Imperia to stand-by to proceed to Port SaidYTGAD Imperia to proceed to Port Said immediately and observe wireless silence except in emergency and maintain listening watch on 6590 kcs

s ds ds diseiseisembambark rk rk frofrofro mpimpimpimpi FlyFlyFlyinginging CirCirCirCir a a a a tintintinting jg jg jg j riariarialslsls


BELOW: An Imperial Airways launch takes the crew to G-ADUW Castor, which survived the war to be scrapped at Hythe.

Douglas DC-2-115F SP-ASL of Polish airline LOT takes on fuel at Lydda, Palestine, in 1938. LC-DIG-MATPC-22392

ABOVE: A period colour cutaway showing the internal layout of Short S.23 Empire Flying-Boat G-ADHL Canopus.

Some of its civil aircraft managed to escape and BOAC was able to charter one Lockheed 14, with the possibility of obtaining another. Some nine months after the fall of Poland, Belgium and The Netherlands too had been over-run. SABENA moved its headquarters to Marseilles, a temporary expedient as it turned out, and KLM had transferred its remaining operations to Batavia in The Netherlands East Indies. A number of KLM aircraft escaped to Britain and were subsequently used under BOAC control to establish a tenuous air link to neutral Portugal, supplemented by a ying-boat service via Foynes in Ireland.

In the event, the situation evolved much faster than envisaged. Although the closing of the Mediterranean had been foreseen, nobody had really predicted the rapid collapse of France.

With the fall of France, the main air route out of England to the Empire was also severed. But it was worse than that. To the west of Italian Libya, the French Vichy Government, a German puppet, controlled Tunisia and Algeria, and to the south, Chad. Even if France itself could somehow be bypassed, there was no easy way south through Africa as envisaged in the contingency plans.

With Britain now all but cut off, Durban became the western terminus of the remaining Empire air routes. As provided for in the contingency plans, a new service was established encompassing a great arc through Africa, the Middle East, India and down to Australia along what became known as the Horseshoe Route. Passengers and mail bound for Britain transferred to ship at Durban. The rst eastbound Horseshoe service, NE1, departed Durban for Sydney

remarkably quickly on Wednesday, June 19, 1940, operated by G-AEUH Corio, later to be shot down off Timor in 1942 (Aeroplane, January 2009). It was the beginning of a long war for BOAC.

Phil Vabre is vice-president of the Civil Aviation Historical Society and webmaster of its website www.airwaysmuseum.com. He would like to thank James Kightly for his assistance in the preparation of this article.

Douglas DC-2-115F SP-ASL of Polish airline LOT take n fuel at Lydda, Palesti in 1938.

HIDDEN HISTORY


Documents

The War Plans of Boac in WW2