Paddy's memoirs
(From the thoughts of Chairborne PAD)
Mrs Carlisle gets to see the sights
I was at this time a flying Instructor at RAF SYERSTON and although not part of the plot myself I was in on the detail. It was like this...Mrs Carlisle had expressed a desire to see the station and the married quarter site by night. So, her husband also a flying instructor hatched a plan. It was normal to plan night flying in the winter when darkness was early. So inevitably it was cold, and because the sessions were long, there were times when one would need a comfort break. In this event the instructor would stop the aircraft at the end of one particular runway and either he or his student would nip out and perform against an old war time shelter near bye.
The plan was that Mrs Carlisle, dressed in full flying kit, including head gear, would wait beside this shelter until her husband sent his student over, she would then take his place in the aircraft to fly over the station. Well! The best laid plans...In the event, another aircraft stopped with the same intention and when this student arrived at the shelter he was surprised to find another already there. However he was bursting so proceeded with the intricate task of finding, and releasing, a very cold willy through layers of flying clothing and describing the process in the vernacular of the crew room. Needless to say Mrs Carlisle did not say a word.....[B]But she did get to see the sights!.
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