Gaining An R.A.F. Pilots Brevet in WW11
Danny, Thank you.
Inlate 1949 the RAFVR started again in Liverpool. Several of us from North Wales joined and we had lectures on Wednesday nights and weekends at Fizackerley. In March 1950 we had our two weeks flying Tiger Moths at Wolverhampton - where I had first flown at Grading School. In eight flyable days I managed 25 hours. Unfortunately we were only able to fly for those two weeks. However in the summer of that year, Lord Shinwell, the Minister of Defence inspected all the reserves in Merseyside in Birkenhead, RNVR, (They had a training ship HMS Mersey in Liverpool) The Territorials and the RAFVR. He asked various people how they liked the Reserves, and we told him that it would be better if we had our own aircraft. What did we want? Well Tiger Moths would be fine. Where would you fly them? Up the road at Hooton Park. In five weeks we had moved to Hooton Park and had a hangar full of Tiger Moths!
Later that year the Korean War started and we were told that the R.A.F. was going to expand and now was the time to come back. So I did. An interview at Air Ministry and I was back.
I was due at Cardington on the 8th February 1951 so the week before I went to Hooton Park for a final fling, and our Tigers had been replaced by Chipmunks, so anothe type and a few hours.
From Cardington where I met up with about a dozen "retreads" we were posted to Kirton in Lindsey for a months Link Instructors Course. After the finish of that one of the vacancies was Valley so I was back in North Wales again.
20 Squadron was in residence and I met the Squadron Commander. He checked my log book and said that I would be checked on the Harvard, and and if I could do three good back seat landings, then I could have a Spitfire.. I do not know if you were there Danny at the time, but I am sure that you remember the Polish pilots. I had one trip in the Harvard and it went unserviceable, not my fault Guv. No spares available so no Spitfire. I was able to fly in the right hand seat of the Oxford, and sit in the back of the Beaufighter, so I did get some air time. Then 202 A.F.S. arrived with their Meteor 7's and single seat Vampires. The Wing Commander said that he would put me through the course unofficially and I did 5 hours on the Meteor, just ready for solo in a Vampire when an Iranian pilot was killed and , as I was not supposed to be flying, the Wing Co stopped me flying, but got me on a Wings Refresher Course at Oakington on Harvards. I know that it is drifting from the war so should I go on?