Danny42C-
The suggested link between Biggles and the Bigsworth board sounds pretty convincing - many thanks, Hempy! As to the B24, suppose it's possible that a sufficient transfer of weight to the back might cause it to drag the rear end along the deck, thus resulting in extra braking effect? After all, it was not unknown for nosewheel a/c to squat on their a--- end if incorrectly loaded/unloaded, which is why some of them had removable struts that could be placed under the tail. As for our tyrannical F/Sgt discip, he only abused us when other staff were out of earshot.
What did you say to affront Sir Basil E? Many years later when attending a medical board, in answer to being told my thigh length (I am rather tall) would debar me from ejector seat aircraft, my reply of 'that's good news' received a rather dusty reception!
Chugalug2-
Yes we were very fortunate in being granted that three weeks leave, and most made good use of it. One small group hitch-hiked their way round much of the southern and western US, mostly by air - they simply rolled up at the nearest USAAF base and asked if any aircraft were going to wherever, and were almost always successful. So far as I know, return to Moncton at the end of leave was fully subscribed.
Although this thread is nominally about training to wings standard, in actual fact subsequent training to operational status could take much longer. For instance, while I was in Canada for eight months nearly twice as long elapsed before I was ready for squadron posting - and I was lucky, for others at that stage of the war it could take even longer or for some unfortunates not at all. My later progress through pre-AFU, AFU, OTU, TSCU & GPU lasted about fifteen months; if not considered off topic, it can be made to appear here!