Venerable Hurricanes maintain secure communications
The establishing of communications between Supreme Headquarters in Britain and the HQs of various formations ashore in Normandy was critical and would be needed immediately. However, it was recognised that secure cross-Channel radio and teleprinter links might take time to establish and could be subject to disruption. To bridge this gap, an RAF Hurricane unit was formed to deliver secret mail and equipment to the expanding beachhead.
On April 22, 1944, the 1697 (Air Despatch Letter Service) Flight was formed at RAF Hendon to fulfil this role and formed part of 46 Group, Transport Command. For the first couple of days after the invasion there was no tasking, but eventually orders were received to begin operations on June 10. That day, at 1130hrs, Squadron Leader ‘Jas’ Storrar flying Hurricane Mk.IIc MW340 with Wing Commander Beytagh in MW339, left Hendon and arrived over the new 1,200-yard strip B3 at St Croix sur Mer – just behind Sword – around midday.
Approaching the coast at 3,000ft to avoid the balloon barrage, they lowered their undercarriage as a further means of identification against trigger-happy gunners. Identifying the strip, Storrar mad…
