HC Deb 24 October 1945 vol 414 cc2154-5W
Mr. Hogg

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many jettisoning exercises have been carried out by the R.A.F. since VE and VJ-Days, respectively; and how many gallons of petrol have been dumped in the sea in the course of them.

Mr. Strachey

In the course of training crews to deal with emergencies, approximately 300 jettisoning exercises were carried out from VE-Day to VJ-Day by the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom and Europe. Since then there have been just over 100 more. On an average, rather more than 20 gallons of petrol were used for each of these exercises, making a total of approximately 9,000 gallons. The exercises are carried out not over the sea but over armament ranges on land.