Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II

[Danny42C]

Warmtoast and Union Jack, (#6861 and #6862)

Looked up "Capitán Prat" on an idle whim; surprised to read that Cordite, it seems, has a "shelf life" of some 20 years (YLSNED). This supports my suspicion that the US .300 ammo issued to us in Burma (for our four front guns only, the twin rears were British .303 Brownings), was WWI stuff which had been in store ever since.

This would account for the high proportion of No.1 stoppages we had (you were lucky to get 20 rounds away before a stop - and as there was no way of cocking the gun from the VV cockpit, a dud round meant a dead gun). At least, the AT-6A trainers had a Cocking Handle on the front panel.

However, the VV front guns were so much trouble (the mountings worked loose with the vibration of firing: you could end up with your leading edge looking like the top of a pepperpot) that we all decided to leave them alone. I think I only fired mine once (for a couple of seconds) in a dive on Akyab airfield, to discourage any flak gunners who might be directly below me. (Having, of course, made sure that the chap diving in front of me had cleared away first !)

But this made me very unpopular with the armourers (who had to take off the wing gun panels to clean the four guns - an awkward job - and I never did it again !)

I have a very faint recollection that my 1913 "Commodore, 2nd Class" had a triangular pennant, but with quite a lot (but I can't remember what) on a white background.

Having added to the store of useless and irrelevant (but interesting) information which is the hallmark of this Thread,

Cheers, Danny.