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Old 25th Feb 2015, 22:18
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VQ5X03
 
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We do still have his log book, from the first Tiger Moth flight (N6443) in 1942 at Desford to delivering an Expeditor from Salawas in India to Oberfaffen-Hoffen in Germany in 1946. The latter was signed for on an RAF Form 603 as an 'Airframe Expeditor KJ353' (unpriced) qty1, aero engines qty 2 (with serial numbers), sparking plugs qty 36, 14 cushions, 1 dinghy, 1 transmitter, 2 medical kits and 1 mooring kit.

Like many aircrew, although he maintained a life-long interest in aviation, dad didn't talk much about his RAF flying days. Some stories which spring to mind was a night solo training cross-country navigating via beacons to RAF Morerton-in-Marsh which had to be abandoned due to a serious fire on the runway at Moreton. He spottted and landed at another airfield and walked to the control tower to find out where he was...which turned out to be Honeybourne.

And the day he was holding to take off on an operation when he noticed the Dakota starting its take off run in front of him still had the control locks in...

As part of ACSEA post-war he was flying a senior officer down-route when they landed to refuel. When he got back into the aircraft the VIP asked him why he had refueled the aircraft himself. When he explained the ground crew were on strike (as part of the 'RAF Mutiny') the VIP immediately shared his packed lunch with him !

As well as his training notes and log book, I have a set of Japanese dog-tags given to him by a soldier he carried once...
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