Horses for courses?
Hi r-r-r-at,
Am inclined to agree with you. I travelled by road to LHR quite by chance on that day in 1968 (being LGW-based at the time). As I approached the airfield, the black smoke was rising. (Many years later, when I converted from the VC10 to the B707, I was appalled by the ergonomics of the F/E's fuel panel, particularly the lack of any steady indication of LP valve position.)
It's very true that a prematurely-conducted fire drill can lead either to loss of control on the one hand, or the botching of vital actions on the other. However, once the a/c is at a safe height and - in the case concerning this thread - established in a long turn at V2 or above, with a steady 15 deg of bank, the workload of the PF may well permit the vital actions (memory items). It's a question of judgment on the day. You don't want the PF to be asked to confirm the correct engine master switch, for example, when (s)he is due to roll out of the turn.