The Damned Patrol

The Damned Patrol was a science fiction fanzine devoted to aviation. The editors were Joe Gibson, Terry Jeeves, John Berry and Beryl Mercer.

The Damned Patrol was a joint U.S.A. and UK release with editors from both countries. Five issues were released, the first issue appearing in January-February of 1966 and the fifth in January 1967. The first and fifth issues were edited by Joe Gibson, the second by Terry Jeeves, third by John Berry, and fourth by Beryl Mercer.

It was conceived by U.S. fan and Offtrails Magazine Publishers Association contributor Joe Gibson, who also co-edited G2 with Robbie Gibson. He was an aircraft buff who decided to organise a group of science fiction fans who shared his interest. According to Rob Hansen, in his account of 1960s fans in "Then", Vol. 3, Chapter 2; "Following normal air force practice of having two flights of eight aircraft to a squadron, he assembled eight fans from the U.S., eight from the UK, then divided then into an 'A' and 'B' flight, their names being listed in each issue of The Damned Patrol, the organ of what Gibson called 'the Fan Squadron'."

The membership of the Fan Squadron changed as each issue came out and, over the course of the run of the fanzine, included Frank Arnold, John Berry (Pot Pourri), Graham Boak (Badinage), Keith Freeman, Tony Glynn, Jim Groves (Vector), Terry Jeeves (ERG), Eric Jones, Ethel Lindsay (Scottishe), George Locke (Smoke), Beryl Mercer (Link, Oz, The Middle Earthworm), and Arthur Thomson (The ATom Anthology) from the UK, and F.M. Busby (Cry of the Nameless), Lewis Grant, Betty Kujawa, Mike McQuown, Rick Sneary (Moonshine), Harry Warner, Jr. (Horizons), and Gibson from the U.S.A. Each member was issued a set of metal wings by Joe Gibson.

The Damned Patrol featured aircraft illustrations by Arthur Thomson and Terry Jeeves, and articles by John Berry on aircraft spotting, Terry Jeeves on modelling, and Beryl Mercer on changing batteries on Hurricanes and Seafires.