Chugalug,
In June'42 I did 18.40 by day and 2.20 by night in a Master at AFU. The idea was to familiarise us with the crowded countryside of the UK (far different from the miles of empty space in the S-Eastern States); UK weather; airfield procedures and lighting; British standard aircraft panels and brakes; and our
very dark nights (no "light-lines" now). As the cherry on the cake, they let us have 2.30 each in one of two decrepit old Hurricanes, with dire warnings about what would happen to us if we broke them.
Then I went up to Hawarden (57 OTU), and had 75 hours on the Spitfire. Then they sent me out to India, and I never flew a Spitfire again for seven years.
C'ést la vie....D.
Taphappy,
The Air Ministry must have had a sudden burst of generosity in '44 (uncharacteristically directed to the lower orders - your 3/- as an AC was better than my 2/- !) I got 13/6 as a Sgt. in March'42, and was certainly getting no more when I was "elevated to the peerage" in November'43.
Then I went over to the Indian Govt. Pay Scale (Rs500 pm = £35/14/2 pm then). This was 23/5 pd (at a time when I
think an A/P/O at home got only 11/10 pd to start - 23/5 would almost be F/Lt money
). Even when I came back in '49, I only got 19/10 as a F/O.
There's no justice ! ...D.
Regards, both. Danny.