Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
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Taphappy
I have just been researching the bomb stores (at RAF Graveley) and learned all about earth traverses, fuzing point buildings and the like. I can imagine it was not the best of jobs in the winter.
I would love to hear more about living conditions .... what was it like inside a "dormitory" nissen hut for example?. Was it just a place for you to sleep or somewhere where you spent free time?
Did you and the other recruits just accept "holding" as par for the course or was it frustrating; did the frustration ever boil over or did the military discipline prevail?
Sorry, so many questions, but I am really glad you are contributing, as your experiences relate to the research that I am doing.
Regards
Pete
I have just been researching the bomb stores (at RAF Graveley) and learned all about earth traverses, fuzing point buildings and the like. I can imagine it was not the best of jobs in the winter.
I would love to hear more about living conditions .... what was it like inside a "dormitory" nissen hut for example?. Was it just a place for you to sleep or somewhere where you spent free time?
Did you and the other recruits just accept "holding" as par for the course or was it frustrating; did the frustration ever boil over or did the military discipline prevail?
Sorry, so many questions, but I am really glad you are contributing, as your experiences relate to the research that I am doing.
Regards
Pete
Last edited by Petet; 15th Jul 2012 at 09:51.
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RAF Strubby.
Taphappy,
Strubby rings a bell with me! It was my first posting after leaving the Shawbury ATC School in July of 1955, I was there until 1958; we were the flying satellite of the Empire Flying College at Manby, with Meteors and Canberras.
We had a "hiring" in Mablethorpe. The place was fine in summer when the holiday crowds came in, but it was a cold and empty place in winter, and I'm not surprised you missed it off your list of local "bright lights".
Even in 1955 it was still a Nissen wartime-style camp, and I can well imagine that three winter months there would be no fun. It sounds as if you're being messed about royally in true RAF style! It was ever thus.
Danny.
Strubby rings a bell with me! It was my first posting after leaving the Shawbury ATC School in July of 1955, I was there until 1958; we were the flying satellite of the Empire Flying College at Manby, with Meteors and Canberras.
We had a "hiring" in Mablethorpe. The place was fine in summer when the holiday crowds came in, but it was a cold and empty place in winter, and I'm not surprised you missed it off your list of local "bright lights".
Even in 1955 it was still a Nissen wartime-style camp, and I can well imagine that three winter months there would be no fun. It sounds as if you're being messed about royally in true RAF style! It was ever thus.
Danny.
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Petet
Did we get frustrated? Oh yes, I had been attached to Harrowgate for 10/12 months and sent out on various detachments to keep me quiet. On one occasion three of us decided that since no one would notice we would report to one of these a day late... What an error that was. We were all on a charge and given SEVERE REPRIMANDS This does not sound very much but had the effect of delaying our promotion to Flight Sergeants by 12 months and I am sure also delayed my commission for some years.
Paddy
Did we get frustrated? Oh yes, I had been attached to Harrowgate for 10/12 months and sent out on various detachments to keep me quiet. On one occasion three of us decided that since no one would notice we would report to one of these a day late... What an error that was. We were all on a charge and given SEVERE REPRIMANDS This does not sound very much but had the effect of delaying our promotion to Flight Sergeants by 12 months and I am sure also delayed my commission for some years.
Paddy
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Paddy
Would be interested to hear a bit more; did they fill your day or did you have to partly fill it yourself?.
What would have been a typical day and would that be 7 days a week?
Regards
Pete
Would be interested to hear a bit more; did they fill your day or did you have to partly fill it yourself?.
What would have been a typical day and would that be 7 days a week?
Regards
Pete
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"Severe Reprimand !"
Paddy (if I may call you that),
That was outrageous! How much did you lose? (the difference x 365 between Sgt and F/Sgt). I ought to remember, was three weeks overdue for my Crown before I got my (backdated) commission. Never did get the money.
But for a trivial offence like that - I would give a first-offence chap no more than 7 days CB, would you? - (But, now I come to think of it, can you give a SNCO "CB"?). I'm very rusty on K.R.& A.C.I.s, can a Sergeant ask for a Court Martial if he feels himself hard done by, or is it just officers?
(Chugalug, Counsel's Opinion, please!)
In 1945 I was Officer under Instruction at a Court Martial where a W/O Flight Engineer had caused a Catalina on an anti-submarine patrol to RTB because of a foolish prank. He only got a "Severe Rep.", it was water off a duck's back for him.
Danny.
That was outrageous! How much did you lose? (the difference x 365 between Sgt and F/Sgt). I ought to remember, was three weeks overdue for my Crown before I got my (backdated) commission. Never did get the money.
But for a trivial offence like that - I would give a first-offence chap no more than 7 days CB, would you? - (But, now I come to think of it, can you give a SNCO "CB"?). I'm very rusty on K.R.& A.C.I.s, can a Sergeant ask for a Court Martial if he feels himself hard done by, or is it just officers?
(Chugalug, Counsel's Opinion, please!)
In 1945 I was Officer under Instruction at a Court Martial where a W/O Flight Engineer had caused a Catalina on an anti-submarine patrol to RTB because of a foolish prank. He only got a "Severe Rep.", it was water off a duck's back for him.
Danny.
Chugalug, Counsel's Opinion, please!
Accused's Rights to Elect Trial by Court Martial
Before awarding any punishment other than a severe reprimand or a minor punishment, or where a finding of guilty (whatever the punishment) will involve a forfeiture of pay, a commanding officer (or a subordinate commander) must ask the accused if he wishes to be tried summarily or tried by court-martial.
Failure to ask this question may result in the whole proceeding becoming a nullity
I'm obliged to you M'Lud.
(Bows deeply, retires to table and proceeds to rearrange paperwork in order to look busy)
So it would appear that there was not a right to CM as the cost was not in a forfeiture but in delayed promotion. Catch22 as usual prevails!
Edited to add that the devil (as always) is in the detail. If the offence was AWOL, then:
Convictions of absence without leave leads to automatic forfeiture of pay no matter what punishment is awarded...
Whenever an accused is found guilty of absence...he must, before his punishment is awarded, be given the right to elect trial by court martial no matter how slight the punishment it is proposed to give...
Whenever an accused is found guilty of absence...he must, before his punishment is awarded, be given the right to elect trial by court martial no matter how slight the punishment it is proposed to give...
Last edited by Chugalug2; 15th Jul 2012 at 17:36.
Cunning Artificer
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As an avionics engineer, could I butt in to explain a bit about the evolution of compasses and compass swinging?
Purely magnetic compasses evolved to gyro stabilised compasses using a "flux detector" that served as the actual compass. On smaller aircraft these were (and in many aircraft, still are) swung in the traditional manner. In larger aircraft such as the B707, VC10 and early B747s for example, an "electrical" swing was used. An electro-magnetic table would be placed below the flux gate and instead of the earth's magnetic field being held steady while the aircraft was moved, the aircraft would remain stationary while a simulated earth's field was rotated beneath it. With the advent of inertial reference systems employing laser gyros the compass system has disappeared. IRS is far more exact than magnetic detection and the compass swing has disappeared. The standby compass is "swung" against the inertial system, usually during revenue flight, and it is in any case only accurate within 5 degrees. Lugging an A380 round a compass base would be an interesting procedure to say the least
Purely magnetic compasses evolved to gyro stabilised compasses using a "flux detector" that served as the actual compass. On smaller aircraft these were (and in many aircraft, still are) swung in the traditional manner. In larger aircraft such as the B707, VC10 and early B747s for example, an "electrical" swing was used. An electro-magnetic table would be placed below the flux gate and instead of the earth's magnetic field being held steady while the aircraft was moved, the aircraft would remain stationary while a simulated earth's field was rotated beneath it. With the advent of inertial reference systems employing laser gyros the compass system has disappeared. IRS is far more exact than magnetic detection and the compass swing has disappeared. The standby compass is "swung" against the inertial system, usually during revenue flight, and it is in any case only accurate within 5 degrees. Lugging an A380 round a compass base would be an interesting procedure to say the least
Last edited by Blacksheep; 16th Jul 2012 at 08:43.
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Compass Swinging.
Blacksheep,
Now you've set all our minds at rest - you've wrapped it up nicely - I live and learn. Thanks! (Pom Pax, cancel elephant order!)
"A thing of the past" So I wasn't too far off track (at least in respect of the big 'uns), it seems.
Danny
Now you've set all our minds at rest - you've wrapped it up nicely - I live and learn. Thanks! (Pom Pax, cancel elephant order!)
"A thing of the past" So I wasn't too far off track (at least in respect of the big 'uns), it seems.
Danny
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Severe Reprimand
Chugalug,
I am indebted to M'Learned Friend ! Of course - Secn. 40 - there's no escape from that ! Even so, I think Paddy and his companions were treated very harshly. Pity they didn't have a European Court of Human Rights in those days - there must be some sort of right to turn up a day late if you feel like it.
Danny.
I am indebted to M'Learned Friend ! Of course - Secn. 40 - there's no escape from that ! Even so, I think Paddy and his companions were treated very harshly. Pity they didn't have a European Court of Human Rights in those days - there must be some sort of right to turn up a day late if you feel like it.
Danny.
Just to return to the swimming for non-swimmers for a sec if I may.
My dad was a Flight Engineer on Halifax III's, returning from Canada in 1943 and ending up on 158 Sqn (he did a number of ops on the famous Friday the 13th). As a F/E it would be his job to assist the dinghy out of the wing if the aircraft ditched. Unfortunatley he swam like a brick so he managed to persuade the PE instructor that he would do a width of the pool at St Athan instead of a length. He then proceeded to open every door along a corridor opened onto the pool, sprinted down the corridor, leapt as far across the pool as he could and beat the water into submission to get to the other side!
He had a nice cushy number as an airframe mechanic in Canada working on Ansons and Oxfords in a Nav School before deciding that bomber ops were the way forward. Luckily he survived 36 ops before transferring to Stirling V's after VE-Day flying to Mauripur (Karachi) from Stradishall via Stoney Cross - Tripoli - Lydda (Israel) - Iraq (Habbaniya). Although he was a regular having joined in early 1939 and a Flying Officer by this point he then decided to become a teacher and never flew again until going on holiday to Spain in the early 1970's.
My dad was a Flight Engineer on Halifax III's, returning from Canada in 1943 and ending up on 158 Sqn (he did a number of ops on the famous Friday the 13th). As a F/E it would be his job to assist the dinghy out of the wing if the aircraft ditched. Unfortunatley he swam like a brick so he managed to persuade the PE instructor that he would do a width of the pool at St Athan instead of a length. He then proceeded to open every door along a corridor opened onto the pool, sprinted down the corridor, leapt as far across the pool as he could and beat the water into submission to get to the other side!
He had a nice cushy number as an airframe mechanic in Canada working on Ansons and Oxfords in a Nav School before deciding that bomber ops were the way forward. Luckily he survived 36 ops before transferring to Stirling V's after VE-Day flying to Mauripur (Karachi) from Stradishall via Stoney Cross - Tripoli - Lydda (Israel) - Iraq (Habbaniya). Although he was a regular having joined in early 1939 and a Flying Officer by this point he then decided to become a teacher and never flew again until going on holiday to Spain in the early 1970's.
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LowNSlow
Brilliant anecdote .... thoroughly enjoyed reading it over breakfast this morning .... today there would have been a health and safety officer blowing his whistle and pointing to the "No running" sign
Sadly, St Athan has been largely dismantled (although the army has taken over parts of it) and very few records exist of the days when the FE's were trained there.
Regards
Pete
Brilliant anecdote .... thoroughly enjoyed reading it over breakfast this morning .... today there would have been a health and safety officer blowing his whistle and pointing to the "No running" sign
Sadly, St Athan has been largely dismantled (although the army has taken over parts of it) and very few records exist of the days when the FE's were trained there.
Regards
Pete
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Hi Danny,
Just re-read the whole thread and found quite a bit of dust flying 'round....
One thing, you say
quote:
"Then a forced landing after an engine failure put me "hors de combat" for a couple of months, and when I came back...."
Please please elaborate on this, this is the kind of detail, nerds such as me live for.
Thanks
Tim
Just re-read the whole thread and found quite a bit of dust flying 'round....
One thing, you say
quote:
"Then a forced landing after an engine failure put me "hors de combat" for a couple of months, and when I came back...."
Please please elaborate on this, this is the kind of detail, nerds such as me live for.
Thanks
Tim
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158 Squadron - LowNSlow
LowNSlow,
Thanks for the memory of your father, My grandfather was posted to 158 Squadron also as a F/O just as the war ended after doing a tour as a F/E with 51 Squadron and then spending 12 months at 1663 HCU. From his log book it looks like they converted to Stirlings around June/July 1945. He also has the same "trips" in his log book, he stayed with 158 until it was disbanded on 1st January 1946. He stayed in the RAF until 1958.
I think it highly likely that they knew each other :-)
Regards
Paul
Thanks for the memory of your father, My grandfather was posted to 158 Squadron also as a F/O just as the war ended after doing a tour as a F/E with 51 Squadron and then spending 12 months at 1663 HCU. From his log book it looks like they converted to Stirlings around June/July 1945. He also has the same "trips" in his log book, he stayed with 158 until it was disbanded on 1st January 1946. He stayed in the RAF until 1958.
I think it highly likely that they knew each other :-)
Regards
Paul
Petet
Yes working conditions at the bomb dump were not that great but I only did it for a few weeks and I take my hat off to these bods who worked there year after year for six years.
So far as the nissan huts were concerned they were basic in design usually with a concrete floor and a potbellied stove in the centre. Usually the fuel supply was pretty meagre and lots of scavenging had to be done to keep the supply up. I leave that to your imagination.
The stove then became the focal point of the hut with the inmates crowding round it to keep warm. We did use the hut for more than sleeping, that was were most writing letters, reading etc was done otherwise it was down to the Naafi or Sallyann.
Waiting time between courses was a bind and yes frustration did set in and eventually we all became a bit bolshie but kicking over the traces was self defeating as you were always on a sticky wicket and open to punishment.
Yes working conditions at the bomb dump were not that great but I only did it for a few weeks and I take my hat off to these bods who worked there year after year for six years.
So far as the nissan huts were concerned they were basic in design usually with a concrete floor and a potbellied stove in the centre. Usually the fuel supply was pretty meagre and lots of scavenging had to be done to keep the supply up. I leave that to your imagination.
The stove then became the focal point of the hut with the inmates crowding round it to keep warm. We did use the hut for more than sleeping, that was were most writing letters, reading etc was done otherwise it was down to the Naafi or Sallyann.
Waiting time between courses was a bind and yes frustration did set in and eventually we all became a bit bolshie but kicking over the traces was self defeating as you were always on a sticky wicket and open to punishment.
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Nissen Huts
Taphappy and Petet,
Sad story,
Valley, spring 1951; coke stove in my half-Nissen looked a bit scruffy; let's give it a coat of paint; used black gloss (!); autumn came; bit chilly one day; asked batman to light stove late afternoon; tea in mess, back to Nissen.
Stovepipe smoking nicely, opened door.
Wall to wall to roof thick choking black smoke, flung door and (small) windows open, room uninhabitable till midnight, freezing cold, stank for weeks.
Better luck next time!
Danny.
Sad story,
Valley, spring 1951; coke stove in my half-Nissen looked a bit scruffy; let's give it a coat of paint; used black gloss (!); autumn came; bit chilly one day; asked batman to light stove late afternoon; tea in mess, back to Nissen.
Stovepipe smoking nicely, opened door.
Wall to wall to roof thick choking black smoke, flung door and (small) windows open, room uninhabitable till midnight, freezing cold, stank for weeks.
Better luck next time!
Danny.
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Danny does a Good Deed.
Early in December, they decided to get some value from their new Squadron. A signal came in to move to Double Moorings. "Double Moorings?"........"Never heard of it !".......A lat & long was given, we plotted it..... "It's Chittagong !"... .."No, it isn't".....The fix was a couple of miles away, between Chittagong and the sea. Most of us knew the area well..... "There's nothing there !"........ It was pointless, we'll just have to go and see. If we can't find anything at the spot, we'll land at Chittagong and take it from there.
The RAF (B) Flight took the lead in this bemused frame of mind, crossed straight over the Bay and reached the coast just off the position. Our Flight Commander, "Bill" Boyd Berry (henceforth "BBB") took our box round in a wide sweep. It really did look as if there was nothing there. We were in loose formation, spread out so that everyone could have a good look.
I spotted it first - or thought I did; the outline of a strip seemed to swim out of the bare paddy fields like a figure in a Ishihara plate.* I was on BBB's wing, I waggled and pointed downwards. He signalled me to take over the lead, and the rest strung out behind; I sincerely hoped that I was right. BBB hung some way back, ready to overshoot with the rest if I rolled myself into a ball on touchdown.
* Used to test for colour blindness: if you're colour blind, you can't see the numeral which is "hidden" among other colours.
But I was right. There was a strip there, but only recently bulldozed out of the paddy bunds, never been used, unworn and so perfectly camouflaged. The rest trundled in after me, and we surveyed our new home. It didn't amount to much, and we didn't stay there long, moving very soon down to the "forward" strips inland and south of Cox's Bazar. We moved several times, Joari was one, and I think Ramu II was my last place (but S/Ldr Thomas seems sure we started at a place called Mumbir - never heard of it! - which is not to say that he wasn't right, and that was where we first moved).
In fact, Double Moorings would hardly rate a mention, were it not for a Good Deed I did there one night, and these were so rare that the memory has stuck with me for a lifetime. The circumstances were unusual. At Chittagong there was a Hurricane squadron. Two or three pairs were detailed for a night attack on Akyab airfield. But on return, for some reason, they were to land back with us, and recover their aircraft back to Chittagong the following morning.
So far so strange, but perhaps they were going to do some quick, urgent repair to their runway in the rest of the night after their chaps had taken off. It was a nuisance to us; we would have to find and lay a gooseneck flarepath along our strip, whereas Chittagong had proper lighting on its runway. Still, there had to be a reason, even if we didn't know it.
What made no sense at all, was that they were also to leave the pilots with us for the rest of the night after they got back after midnight. (They'd only need a 15 cwt truck to pick them all up, and it was only a two-mile trip back to their bashas in Chittagong.....Why ?) And we had no spare accomodation - we'd have to "double-bunk"; there was only one charpoy per head. People would have to sleep on the floor.
To cut a long story short, after a short struggle with my conscience, noblesse oblige-d; my chap could have my de-luxe DIY bed (Mk.2); I would kip on the woven palm matting floor. The bearer made up my bed for the stranger, I found a spare mossie net, wrapped it round me and settled down, trying not to think of the "long-leggity beasties" of the night.
My houseguest came in about 0100, and lit the hurricane lamp. "How did you get on?".........."I gave Akyab a 'jao' - Akyab gave me a 'jao' ". I deduced that there had been an inconclusive exchange of fire, but little more. He was very grateful for the bed, I struggled off to sleep in a warm glow of quixotic nobility (didn't last).
(Jao is the imperative of Jana - is that right? - "to go"). Col. John Masters ("Bhowani Junction" - "Bugles and a Tiger") scathingly notes that most of us British out there learned only the imperative case of any verb ("Jai Hind" - "Quit India" - was a bit of graffiti (directed at us) often seen on walls, etc. in the last years of the Raj).
However, we started operating at Double Moorings - I see from my log that we flew in on the 12th December, I flew my first 'op' with 8 on the 17th from there, and we stayed until the 22nd January, when we moved to Mumbir (?)
Nearly all our 'ops' are entered in my log as 'A.S.C.' (Army Support Close), and I was a bit curious to read on three consecutive days: ASC "as on 10th" (January '44). Looking back to the 10th, I find "Kyathwengyaungwya" (think I mentioned that before), so writing it out once had been enough! (It was said that everywhere in Burma ended in 'bong, chaung or dong': it was not far from the truth).
At last we had our teeth into the job that the Vengeance might have been designed for. And now I'm going to abandon (for the time being) my chronological tale to revert to my "Jottings" format: two essays, one on "Vengeance in Offence". and the other (not surprisingly). "Vengeance in Defence". (I hope the Moderator will permit).
Bedtime now, Goodnight all,
Danny42C
Not to worry
The RAF (B) Flight took the lead in this bemused frame of mind, crossed straight over the Bay and reached the coast just off the position. Our Flight Commander, "Bill" Boyd Berry (henceforth "BBB") took our box round in a wide sweep. It really did look as if there was nothing there. We were in loose formation, spread out so that everyone could have a good look.
I spotted it first - or thought I did; the outline of a strip seemed to swim out of the bare paddy fields like a figure in a Ishihara plate.* I was on BBB's wing, I waggled and pointed downwards. He signalled me to take over the lead, and the rest strung out behind; I sincerely hoped that I was right. BBB hung some way back, ready to overshoot with the rest if I rolled myself into a ball on touchdown.
* Used to test for colour blindness: if you're colour blind, you can't see the numeral which is "hidden" among other colours.
But I was right. There was a strip there, but only recently bulldozed out of the paddy bunds, never been used, unworn and so perfectly camouflaged. The rest trundled in after me, and we surveyed our new home. It didn't amount to much, and we didn't stay there long, moving very soon down to the "forward" strips inland and south of Cox's Bazar. We moved several times, Joari was one, and I think Ramu II was my last place (but S/Ldr Thomas seems sure we started at a place called Mumbir - never heard of it! - which is not to say that he wasn't right, and that was where we first moved).
In fact, Double Moorings would hardly rate a mention, were it not for a Good Deed I did there one night, and these were so rare that the memory has stuck with me for a lifetime. The circumstances were unusual. At Chittagong there was a Hurricane squadron. Two or three pairs were detailed for a night attack on Akyab airfield. But on return, for some reason, they were to land back with us, and recover their aircraft back to Chittagong the following morning.
So far so strange, but perhaps they were going to do some quick, urgent repair to their runway in the rest of the night after their chaps had taken off. It was a nuisance to us; we would have to find and lay a gooseneck flarepath along our strip, whereas Chittagong had proper lighting on its runway. Still, there had to be a reason, even if we didn't know it.
What made no sense at all, was that they were also to leave the pilots with us for the rest of the night after they got back after midnight. (They'd only need a 15 cwt truck to pick them all up, and it was only a two-mile trip back to their bashas in Chittagong.....Why ?) And we had no spare accomodation - we'd have to "double-bunk"; there was only one charpoy per head. People would have to sleep on the floor.
To cut a long story short, after a short struggle with my conscience, noblesse oblige-d; my chap could have my de-luxe DIY bed (Mk.2); I would kip on the woven palm matting floor. The bearer made up my bed for the stranger, I found a spare mossie net, wrapped it round me and settled down, trying not to think of the "long-leggity beasties" of the night.
My houseguest came in about 0100, and lit the hurricane lamp. "How did you get on?".........."I gave Akyab a 'jao' - Akyab gave me a 'jao' ". I deduced that there had been an inconclusive exchange of fire, but little more. He was very grateful for the bed, I struggled off to sleep in a warm glow of quixotic nobility (didn't last).
(Jao is the imperative of Jana - is that right? - "to go"). Col. John Masters ("Bhowani Junction" - "Bugles and a Tiger") scathingly notes that most of us British out there learned only the imperative case of any verb ("Jai Hind" - "Quit India" - was a bit of graffiti (directed at us) often seen on walls, etc. in the last years of the Raj).
However, we started operating at Double Moorings - I see from my log that we flew in on the 12th December, I flew my first 'op' with 8 on the 17th from there, and we stayed until the 22nd January, when we moved to Mumbir (?)
Nearly all our 'ops' are entered in my log as 'A.S.C.' (Army Support Close), and I was a bit curious to read on three consecutive days: ASC "as on 10th" (January '44). Looking back to the 10th, I find "Kyathwengyaungwya" (think I mentioned that before), so writing it out once had been enough! (It was said that everywhere in Burma ended in 'bong, chaung or dong': it was not far from the truth).
At last we had our teeth into the job that the Vengeance might have been designed for. And now I'm going to abandon (for the time being) my chronological tale to revert to my "Jottings" format: two essays, one on "Vengeance in Offence". and the other (not surprisingly). "Vengeance in Defence". (I hope the Moderator will permit).
Bedtime now, Goodnight all,
Danny42C
Not to worry
Last edited by Danny42C; 18th Jul 2012 at 14:45. Reason: Correct typo.
Cunning Artificer
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Usually the fuel supply was pretty meagre and lots of scavenging had to be done to keep the supply up. I leave that to your imagination.
Nothing changes. The RAF may not have traditions, but it certainly has well established "habits"
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Fuel scrounging.
Blacksheep,
Who'd be an Inventory Holder ! (if he'd been out with us, he could at least have blamed the white ants).
I take it that the Coal Store was carefully guarded - did they still whitewash the stuff to reveal theft, as they did in the War years ?
Danny.
Who'd be an Inventory Holder ! (if he'd been out with us, he could at least have blamed the white ants).
I take it that the Coal Store was carefully guarded - did they still whitewash the stuff to reveal theft, as they did in the War years ?
Danny.
Danny,
When a Squadron went "walk-about" in the way that you describe, how much went with it? Other than the aircrew flying the aircraft there, presumably the rest piled into MT and followed. Your MT or the Station's from whence you came? I guess the convoy would include the remaining aircrew, groundcrew, admin (Adj and clerk?), together with all your kit, spares, files, and possible sundries ( I dunno, mascots, furniture (Co's desk?), en-route rations, etc). What was at Double Moorings when you arrived? An RAF Station, nothing, or something in between? Most moves these days are detachments from parent units rather than entire units proceeding lock stock and barrel. A little light on this arcane process would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
When a Squadron went "walk-about" in the way that you describe, how much went with it? Other than the aircrew flying the aircraft there, presumably the rest piled into MT and followed. Your MT or the Station's from whence you came? I guess the convoy would include the remaining aircrew, groundcrew, admin (Adj and clerk?), together with all your kit, spares, files, and possible sundries ( I dunno, mascots, furniture (Co's desk?), en-route rations, etc). What was at Double Moorings when you arrived? An RAF Station, nothing, or something in between? Most moves these days are detachments from parent units rather than entire units proceeding lock stock and barrel. A little light on this arcane process would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.