I have been lurking on this site for several years; first discovered it at about page 65, and been reading it avidly ever since. While the original thread was on pilot training in WW2, it has seems to have evolved to most aspects of aviation during and after that period. I am therefore asking indulgence is posing some question related to my Father,s wartime service. It has only been since his passing just over a year ago that I have come into possession of his Flying logbook outlining training as Bombaimer in the RCAF and RAF. I never knew this document ever existed.
He joined the RCAF in 1942, and remained there until cessation of hostilities, demobbing as Pilot Officer. I guess he missed the service, and re-upped about 1957, starting out as LAC all over again, in electronics trade.
I am hoping I am not stepping out of line here recounting his experiences, and asking questions to others who also participated in those dark but exciting days.
Fiest was to #8 Bombing and Gunnery, Lethbridge Alt, in December 1942, flying in Battles and Bollingbrooks, flown by Service pilots. While at #8, bombing exercises B-1 to B-5 were completed on Ansons, again flown by Service Pilots. Not sure what these exercises entailed.
In February 1943 he was posted to #2 Observers School, Edmonton, for bombing training, on Ansons. It is interesting to note all the Pilots there seem to have been flown by civilian pilots.
From there it was overseas, travelling on the Louis Pasteur, to #3 AFU Bobbington. There it was exercises CE, B5, MR, B2, on Ansons. what Training would have been different from what was done in Canada.
From there, #81 OTU at Whitchurch, initially on AIt was there that it appears they Ansons, then Whitleys. It was there that it appears they crewed up. In November 1942 they were posted to #1662 Conversion Unit at Blyton, initially on Halifax them converted to Lancasters there. In December 1943 they were posted to 166 Squadron Kirmington, arriving at the height of the Battle of Berlin. They completed some 19 ops before the odds caught up and their Lanc was lost on the night of March 30, 31 1944, target Nueremberg.
I apologize for the lengthy post and hope that others can shed light on what these exercises would have entailed, thank you
Jeff