Dsrsia (#11759),
Thank you for the mine of information about your Father's career. This is exactly the right place to air it publicly. A few points to add to the story:
Danny you mention your correction to the upper age limit for Arnold Scheme as being 23
When I signed on the dotted line in November, 1940, the limits were 17½ to 23 (my amendment was to a Typo of 33) And a School Cert minimum.Later the age limit must've been raised: wasn't there a baronet of 60 serving as an air gunner?
Another document dated 20 Oct 41 by AVM McKean US Air Liaison Mission, Ottawa states that the Course could be reduced to 24 weeks but must do 200 hours flying
. He is speaking of the BFTS Course. The Arnold Programme was split into three different places,involving two moves which took a week each. The BFTS Course was all in one place, they could well afford to "lose" two weeks and still put in 200 hrs (the same as the "Arnold".
Next time I go to Kew I could photo parts of the file and pm them to you & Ian want
. Can't speak for Ian, but I would have to say "Thank you - but no thank you - I've far too much on my plate. But anything you could turn up which throws light oh the enormous "washout" rates (40% plus) in the Arnold Scheme would be welcome.
Instructors Course at 12 P AFU
"Advanced Flying Units" were the old SFTS at home, now largely out of a job: but doing various instructional duties: another was running "acclimatising" courses for pilots from overseas training into the changed conditions of wartime Britain.
"Posted to 162 Squadron at Bourn Jan 45. Survives his 30 visits to Germany
What a terrifying lot is packed into those simple words!
Also Vol 5 of the RAF magazine published by the UK Cadets, Darr-Aero-Tech, Albany, GA. Nov 1941. Contains about 80 photos of the students with short biographies & instructors plus various poems such as Flying Instructors Lament, The Boys at Darr, The Ghost of a Solo
. Cliffnemo (Clifford Leach RIP), the founder of this Thread, went to BFTS at Darr Field.
Danny.