Any bids from the Sunderland fraternity? I believe it needed both pilots on the wheels in certain situations. The Hastings must indeed have been a test of character - judging by the number of "characters" at Lyneham in those days.
I think in one of Charles Graves's books ("The Seven Pilots"?) he mentioned a squadron waiting in trepidation to convert from Wellingtons to Stirlings. The reputation of the latter as a beast had preceded it. Came the day when the first aircraft was delivered, and the crews all came out to watch as the Sterling beat the sh*t out of the airfield and reefed around into a tight fighter circuit, popped the gear down and three-pointed sweet as pie in front of the onlookers. Out climbed the cutest little chit of an ATA pilot. :o