Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II

[Danny42C]

Comment.

Chugalug,

Although I was never at Bridgnorth, the sight of those dismal wooden huts is still depressing - most of all that tall stove pipe, and the thought of the standard cylindrical coal stove below, which usually emitted more smoke than heat ! It only warmed the lucky ones down that end of the hut (where, by a strange coincidence, the Corporal's Room was normally to be found).

I agree - "there were Giants in those days". My first Air Traffic posting was to Strubby in 1955; it was the flying satellite of Manby, then the Empire Flying College whose Commandant was Air Commodore "Gus" Walker. My wife and I were introduced to him at the Autumn Ball that year, it struck me then that there was "no side" to the man at all - he treated all ranks with equal courtesy.

I think at that time that the College had a Hunter F6, but no T7: "Gus" could not be dissuaded from having his prosthesis modified to grip the Hunter stick, and to fly it without any dual. He got airborne, his Staff, CFI , Instructors and everybody else on the Station held their breath and gnawed their fingernails until he got down. They don't make 'em like that any more! (another of the same ilk was AM "Batchy" Atcherley).

Danny,
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DFCP,

I must admit, the way the selection worked out, it does seem that the UAS people went to the head of the queue on that basis alone. How much "extra schooling" did the PACT men actually get? You really need Maths and Physics to School Cert. level to absorb Navigation, Aeronautics and Meteorology at ITW, which is why it was a requirement for Pilot/Observer training in the earlier years of the war.

It was a big jump from Elementary School (which is what we had in those days) to Grammar School level, and I doubt the ability of the RAF to bridge the gap in a few weeks. The subsequent "aptitude test" would simply reflect this. These people had no chance (of PNB) from the beginning.

Two questions I must ask: what did you think of the "Cornell"? As I remember, it was a monoplane rather like our Miles "Messenger" (EDIT: "Magister", of course!) - did it have any winter protection?, like that which their Tlger Moths enjoyed.

And did they really pay you at RCAF rates ? The tale I heard in the UK was that the RCAF was paid better than the USAAC, but the latter attracted all the envy for being "overpaid". How did it compare with the RAF rate for an LAC (which I assume would be what you were at that stage).

This is excellent stuff - keep it coming !,

Danny,
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Taphappy,

So you're off in the Wide Blue Yonder now, and with luck will never look back. The first, soul-destroying part of training is over, the brevet is up, congratulations! 9/- a day does sound a bit measly, but (let's face it) the three stripes on your arm still meant something. You lived in equal comfort, and probably ate better in the Sgts' Mess than in the Officers', and it only cost you sixpence a day or thereabouts. Count your blessings !

By May '46 the war was well and truly over and people were being chucked out left, right and centre. Were you still on the RAFVR engagement you'd enlisted on (which was hostilities-only), or did they try to switch you to a regular RAF term?

It gets better by the day. Keep up the good work,

Danny,
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