Gaining An R.A.F. Pilots Brevet In WW11
Gradually we worked up to three squadrons at Topcliffe. Plenty of trips to the rocket and gunnery ranges on the Lincolnshire coast, Mablethorpe and Theddlethorpe, bombing on towed targets and also, on navexs, flame floats away from shipping. There were Ocean Weather ships , converted corvettes and frigates, Juliet at 20W and Kilo much further out. We dropped mail and papers to them, always welcome. Exercises with the R.N. in the Channel and North Sea and off Londonderry. We went to the Joint Anti Submarine School at Londonderry for a month each year, and also to the school in Malta, "Fair Isle" with the Mediterranean fleet. We were able to go out in the ships and submarines which was enjoyable. Also, with the Neptune's APS 20, we carried out exercises with the Fast Patrol Boats out of Felixtowe, vectoring them on to Dutch FPB's out ofHolland. I had two days on one out of Felixtowe, three Merlins, 45 knots, some speedboat. We were lit up by one of our Neptunes and realised how powerful was it' searchlight.
The final exercise at Jass was escort to a convoy leaving the Clyde and being attacked by the Londonderry submarines. Quite dodgy around the Mull of Kintyre. You may remember Danny that one of your ex colleagues from Valley was the Captain of a Neptune which hit the Mull. (We remember that every year at Topcliffe Church.)
Another of our tasks was shadowing our Soviet friends up the Norwegian coast as far as North Cape.
I was given a Captaincy in the spring of 1954 and my first co-pilot and I remained close friends until he died two years ago. When the Squadron went to Jass in the spring, as I had just done the course, I was put in charge of our Neptune at Ballykelly. Lovely! Air tests up the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Self authorising.. A real OCTU exercise "what would you do if you were in charge of fifty men?"