As a national serviceman I reported to Padgate on 28Nov49 and did my first solo in a Prentice on 27Jun50. However this did entail a trip to Hornchurch for aircrew selection, a few days back at Padgate waiting for the results, a detachment for a week at Driffield (the smell of avtur from the Vampires), Christmas leave and then report to Wittering on 27Dec49 (No 1 ITS) until Easter when the whole outfit moved to Jurby, and finally to 6 FTS TernHill at the end of May. On 28 Dec I broke my right wrist and on 9Jan51 I flew my first Harvard famil with a plaster cast on it and a couple of weeks later my first solo on type. The cast stayed on for six weeks. The course finished the following May and after a weeks leave holding for a few days at Feltwell before off to Valley at the end of June for the Vampire (solo) and Meteor (dual) AFS then at the beginning of Oct to Chivenor for a Vampire OCU. On 28 Nov I became a civilian again, so they certainly packed a lot in in those two years. A few months later I rejoined the Service.
After a tour as a QFI I went to Pembrey , completed the OCU course, and was sent to 11 Gp, Uxbridge for an exercise, there being no postings in the offing. Like John Farley I took the opportunity to chat to the postings chap in his office who told me that 34 Sqn was about to reform at Tangmere. Would I like to go there? I remember getting a bollocking back at Pembrey for circumventing the usual channels but it all turned out well !