Danny42C 2396
One item of training in the UK which has not been mentioned is The Grading School. I first met some one who was at a grading school in late 1941, I think it was at Cliffe Pypard, and he explained to me that his course from ITW had been posted there to fly 12 hours in Tiger Moths. They were not expected to fly solo but their assessment determined if they would continue pilot training.
It was explained to them that it would save the expense of shipping them abroad, then finding they had no aptitude for flying.
My bomb aimer on a second crew at OTU had done 12 hours in Tiger Moths then told he would never become a pilot. He was offered the new post of Air Bomber and a commission if he accepted. In 1943 I met several B/As who had been "scrubbed" from Grading Schools. I don't know how long this continued but many Grading Schools later became AFUs. In addition to AFU(P) there AFU (N) for navigators. I never heard how Bomb Aimers were trained. The very first lot, former Wireless Operators, were trained by Pilots and Navigators at OTUs.
Fredjhh,