Johnfairr.....
Even so long after the event my hackles rise when I read of the disgacefully shabby treatment of your course, Unfortunately there existed that type of Senior Officer who had the power to alter the lives of so many courageous pilots who should have had recourse but were far too young and inexperienced to be able to do anything about it. Please let us have some more of your life with my cherished 51 Squadron . You must have arrived at Snaith a little after me. My first Op with 51 was the eventful Hamburg "Fire Bombing" on the night of July 23rd./24th. 1943. I am proud to see my "Autograph" so close to yours on the title page of "Snaith Days" (Large type of Paperback edition) and I did my last Op on the night of Jan 28th.1944 to Berlin . It was actually counted as being with the newly formed 578 Sqn.(From "C" Flight, 51 Sqdn.) but we were still operating from Snaith and although I went to Burn for a short time I never operated again. We had retained the Sqdn. marking of LK but I think that I speak for all the people that were "pressed" into 578 and who always regarded themselves as still being 51 Sqdn. and that I am sure , included my fellow Arnold scheme trainee but on a later course,and good friend whom I am sure that you must have known, Cyril Barton ,who lost his life saving the small village from the disaster of a Halifax crashing into it but not before he had enabled the rest of his crew to bale out safely. The posthumous V.C. that followed was attrbuted to 578 but everyone at Snaith counted him as a 51 type.
You have evoked many memories and I hope that there are more to come, Thank you, Reg