Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Fairford, Glos
Age: 99
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SE Asia 1945-6
In November '45 emphasis on the Rangoon-Bangkok-Saigon run lessened, with flights up to Calcutta and beyond. One such was to Vizagapatam, a not unpleasant town on the coast south west of Calcutta but for what purpose was a mystery; supposedly sent there to collect some radio equipment, the locals denied all knowledge of any such and so we returned empty; a ck up of the sort not unknown at the time, when by today's standards communications were much less positive and reliable. Any one of several airfields in the Calcutta area might be used but mostly our destination was Dum Dum, presumably birth place of that eponymous (and infamous) bullet but to us more feared for the dreaded kitehawks that circled endlessly in its airspace. Collisions were not unknown and are probably still a hazard (did not a BOAC/BA VC10 suffer a double engine failure through such an eventuality?), and passing through there thirty years later I noticed them still much in evidence indeed the whole place looked very much the same, many of the buildings instantly recognisable and I half expected to see a few battered Daks on the apron.
December took us in another direction with several flights to Butterworth (on the mainland opposite Penang), several of which extended to Singapore. At that time Kallang was (and remained for some time) the colony's main airport, conveniently situated on the sea front just outside the city but incapable of expansion. A few abandoned Jap aircraft were scattered around close by, most of which had been fairly well stripped but from one of which (as I recall, a single-engine float plane that had somehow become beached) I 'liberated' a compass of a rather unique design that I have seen nowhere else; hopefully a picture or two will shortly be posted up, but for now text must suffice.
Externally of conventional bowl shape, the pivoted magnet assembly carries four luminous-painted needles numbered successively 0, 1, 2, 3, with a 60 degree angle between needles 3 & 0 and 100 degrees between 0 &1, 1 & 2, 2 & 3 while a fixed scale on the inside of the bowl is marked from 0 to 100. So to fly a heading of, say, 215 degrees the pilot would turn until the no. 2 needle was against 15 on the fixed scale; to the conventional mind a weird way of doing things, but making flight on a reciprocal totally impossible - something only too easy to do with the earlier type of RAF standard compass, until they were re-designed with a T-shape pointer.
Nevertheless I think the Japs were being somewhat over-clever, for I fancy such an instrument would have been very tiring to use over a long period that no-one else (to my knowledge, anyway) used a similar design probably says it all. It remains to say that it was obviously intended to be used with a mirror as all the digits are in fact reversed, also that one item is not present no alcohol in the bowl, indeed the filler screw is missing so someone had got to it before me! But that aside it works perfectly, pivoting with complete freedom and the lamp unit still contains a working bulb; however with no liquid in the bowl to spread and diffuse its light the effect is rather of the Toc H lamp variety somewhat dim (no disrespect intended towards that venerable institution).
One of the Butterworth trips involved a brief shuttle across the Malacca straits to Medan in northern Sumatra, during which occurred (due entirely to my own stupidity and over-confidence) one of those I learned about flying from that moments that terrified both myself and my unfortunate crew. The runway was unusually short, barely 3000ft as I recall and thus calling for a properly flown short field technique, but readers of earlier instalments may remember that I had become fixated on a totally incorrect method of achieving this aim. So, having touched down just after the runway's threshold, I was smugly congratulating myself on having achieved the desired object when I suddenly became aware that something was not quite right for instead of a rumble of wheels there was instead an ominous silence, while the ground actually seeming to be rapidly receding. Just in time instinct kicked in, and by dint of slamming the throttles hard against the stops a disaster entirely of my own making was narrowly avoided, the faithful Pratt & Whitneys responding flawlessly as the nose began to dip so that we survived to go around for another, more conventional arrival.
There were, and still are, no excuses for such an abysmal display of incompetence, but it should be said that at that time there was no system in place for regular aircrew competency checks period. Apart from a brief check ride following arrival on a squadron plus (at first) a few supervised route flights, that was it and one was free to perpetuate any bad habits picked up along the way into the foreseeable future; so, I subsequently took care afterwards not to hurry the tailwheel onto the deck after landing, but otherwise my no doubt numerous errors went uncorrected until later in life, but no part of this story. It is perhaps pertinent to point out that, for various reasons, the RAF's transport accident rate was at this time not good, a situation rectified shortly afterwards by Sir Ralph Cochrane's introduction of the Transport Command scheme of proper training and assessment that later resulted in an incomparable safety record.
It was about this time that the so-called strikes occurred; memory is hazy as to exactly when or where, but certainly my squadron was involved, a factor that perhaps had a bearing on its disbandment in early '46. Active discontent involved only the airmen ranks, and not in all trades; reasons were various, but a combination of dissatisfaction with the demob rate, general deterioration in living conditions and increasingly tardy delivery of UK mail were foremost. The remarkable speed with which they spread and the wide geographic coverage pointed to the signals branch being implicated, especially through the teleprinter network.
My penultimate flight on 194 Sqdn at the beginning of February was to Kengtung, a short, lonely strip far up into that remote corner of Burma where it comes close to the borders of Thailand, Laos and China; indeed, the few locals seen looked more Chinese than anything else, as did a fortified village gateway that would have been at home on the Great Wall. Not long afterwards my crew and I found ourselves posted to 96 Sqdn at Hmawbi, an isolated airfield about thirty miles north of Mingaladon which makes this a good spot to sign off for now, and to wish all who follow this worthy thread a very good Christmas and Happy New Year!
December took us in another direction with several flights to Butterworth (on the mainland opposite Penang), several of which extended to Singapore. At that time Kallang was (and remained for some time) the colony's main airport, conveniently situated on the sea front just outside the city but incapable of expansion. A few abandoned Jap aircraft were scattered around close by, most of which had been fairly well stripped but from one of which (as I recall, a single-engine float plane that had somehow become beached) I 'liberated' a compass of a rather unique design that I have seen nowhere else; hopefully a picture or two will shortly be posted up, but for now text must suffice.
Externally of conventional bowl shape, the pivoted magnet assembly carries four luminous-painted needles numbered successively 0, 1, 2, 3, with a 60 degree angle between needles 3 & 0 and 100 degrees between 0 &1, 1 & 2, 2 & 3 while a fixed scale on the inside of the bowl is marked from 0 to 100. So to fly a heading of, say, 215 degrees the pilot would turn until the no. 2 needle was against 15 on the fixed scale; to the conventional mind a weird way of doing things, but making flight on a reciprocal totally impossible - something only too easy to do with the earlier type of RAF standard compass, until they were re-designed with a T-shape pointer.
Nevertheless I think the Japs were being somewhat over-clever, for I fancy such an instrument would have been very tiring to use over a long period that no-one else (to my knowledge, anyway) used a similar design probably says it all. It remains to say that it was obviously intended to be used with a mirror as all the digits are in fact reversed, also that one item is not present no alcohol in the bowl, indeed the filler screw is missing so someone had got to it before me! But that aside it works perfectly, pivoting with complete freedom and the lamp unit still contains a working bulb; however with no liquid in the bowl to spread and diffuse its light the effect is rather of the Toc H lamp variety somewhat dim (no disrespect intended towards that venerable institution).
One of the Butterworth trips involved a brief shuttle across the Malacca straits to Medan in northern Sumatra, during which occurred (due entirely to my own stupidity and over-confidence) one of those I learned about flying from that moments that terrified both myself and my unfortunate crew. The runway was unusually short, barely 3000ft as I recall and thus calling for a properly flown short field technique, but readers of earlier instalments may remember that I had become fixated on a totally incorrect method of achieving this aim. So, having touched down just after the runway's threshold, I was smugly congratulating myself on having achieved the desired object when I suddenly became aware that something was not quite right for instead of a rumble of wheels there was instead an ominous silence, while the ground actually seeming to be rapidly receding. Just in time instinct kicked in, and by dint of slamming the throttles hard against the stops a disaster entirely of my own making was narrowly avoided, the faithful Pratt & Whitneys responding flawlessly as the nose began to dip so that we survived to go around for another, more conventional arrival.
There were, and still are, no excuses for such an abysmal display of incompetence, but it should be said that at that time there was no system in place for regular aircrew competency checks period. Apart from a brief check ride following arrival on a squadron plus (at first) a few supervised route flights, that was it and one was free to perpetuate any bad habits picked up along the way into the foreseeable future; so, I subsequently took care afterwards not to hurry the tailwheel onto the deck after landing, but otherwise my no doubt numerous errors went uncorrected until later in life, but no part of this story. It is perhaps pertinent to point out that, for various reasons, the RAF's transport accident rate was at this time not good, a situation rectified shortly afterwards by Sir Ralph Cochrane's introduction of the Transport Command scheme of proper training and assessment that later resulted in an incomparable safety record.
It was about this time that the so-called strikes occurred; memory is hazy as to exactly when or where, but certainly my squadron was involved, a factor that perhaps had a bearing on its disbandment in early '46. Active discontent involved only the airmen ranks, and not in all trades; reasons were various, but a combination of dissatisfaction with the demob rate, general deterioration in living conditions and increasingly tardy delivery of UK mail were foremost. The remarkable speed with which they spread and the wide geographic coverage pointed to the signals branch being implicated, especially through the teleprinter network.
My penultimate flight on 194 Sqdn at the beginning of February was to Kengtung, a short, lonely strip far up into that remote corner of Burma where it comes close to the borders of Thailand, Laos and China; indeed, the few locals seen looked more Chinese than anything else, as did a fortified village gateway that would have been at home on the Great Wall. Not long afterwards my crew and I found ourselves posted to 96 Sqdn at Hmawbi, an isolated airfield about thirty miles north of Mingaladon which makes this a good spot to sign off for now, and to wish all who follow this worthy thread a very good Christmas and Happy New Year!
Smudge:-
No sooner said than done, for dead on cue harrym transports (see what I did there?) us back to those immediate post war days of the Far East. Your story re your Short Field Technique that wasn't so short must ring bells with all of us that had to have the wrinkles ironed out, Harry. Once again we learn that what we Johnny Come Latelies took for granted, a honed and refined Pilot Assessment and Categorisation Scheme, didn't just happen but emerged from bitter experience. Sometimes you are told this at the time, more often you learn it decades later from a 'by the way' throw away comment or indeed from posts on PPRuNe!
Your Imperial Japanese Compass sounds complicated and demanding, much like the language itself. I once read a theory somewhere that the Japanese are so well educated and capable because their language is so demanding, as reading and writing it requires such concentration that the brain is honed for any other challenge it is put to. Right or wrong, it might have been that same theory that devised this instrument of navigational torture. Must have worked though, they certainly found the Repulse and Prince of Wales without much trouble!
Thanks for your post Harry. Lots more to come I hope. Thanks for your Christmas wishes which I offer in turn to all that inhabit this, the best of all PPRune threads!
Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!
Of course, as in all good crew rooms, we should expect some Christmas treats from our senior members, who I suspect may have a few stories to tell.
Your Imperial Japanese Compass sounds complicated and demanding, much like the language itself. I once read a theory somewhere that the Japanese are so well educated and capable because their language is so demanding, as reading and writing it requires such concentration that the brain is honed for any other challenge it is put to. Right or wrong, it might have been that same theory that devised this instrument of navigational torture. Must have worked though, they certainly found the Repulse and Prince of Wales without much trouble!
Thanks for your post Harry. Lots more to come I hope. Thanks for your Christmas wishes which I offer in turn to all that inhabit this, the best of all PPRune threads!
Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!
Guest
Posts: n/a
MPN11,
A spending spree indeed, Sir ! Still: "you can't take it with you, so....."
Peugeot - you couldn't make a better choice,! But please tell us all about electric ones....D.
Smudge,
A lovely, seasonable picture which should appeal to all our Herky-Bird drivers !....D.
dogle,
Having had the thankless task of scrutinising the Annual Accounts of many small businesses during my 13-year post-RAF service in HMC&E as a VATman, I noted that many accountants wrote down the value of car by 25% pa. This would mesh nicely with your "half-life of 3.3 years" as a 25% pa depreciation would reduce a £10,000 car to £5625 after two whole years' depreciation. A further 4 months would reduce that by a further £464 - we're very nearly there.....D.
DHfan and Union Jack,
My plan depended on a reasonable outlay. "Parker's Guide" was good (but only up to six years old, after which a car has little or no commercial value). But I developed my own system. Take the on-the-road price when new, adjust it for inflation (which was raging for most of my time) and divide by the car's age, and you should be about right....D.
Geriaviator,
I still dream about '46-'47, when you could (reputedly) buy flyable Spitfires (without civil registration, of course), for about £75 apiece. Now supposing I'd invested my demob gratuity in half a dozen of those, hired low-loaders and stored them in some old barn for 65 years, then with the going rate (£1,500,000 per Spitfire, I read), even with insurance and the storage charges (and caravan storage is the finest crop of all for farmers hereabouts), there should be enough left for us to live the life to which we would have liked to have become accustomed.
TMs ? Well, if you could get one of those cissy RCAF ones with canopies (and I wouldn't be surprised if they had a heater, too), I'm with you. Otherwise, you risk death by hypothermia in this latitude except during our "summers" (two fine days and a thunderstorm)......D.
harrym,
Another feast of Far East recollections in the chaotic months after the war's totally unexpected end ! I shall enjoy this one over Christmas and will add anything relevant which springs to mind. A sombre note: we haven't heard from Ormeside28 for a month or so......D.
Chugalug,
Couldn't have said it better myself, Sir ! Your comment on the Japanese language rings a bell: it is essentially the argument put forward for the retention of Latin teaching in schools. For Latin sentences have to be carefully constructed step by step, following intricate rules (so developing the logical mind which will be of immense value in learning other subjects).
Once again, and for the third successive year,
may I wish all PPRuNers (particularly the followers of "our" Thread) a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. (And "Absent Friends", too).....D.
'Night, all,
Danny.
A spending spree indeed, Sir ! Still: "you can't take it with you, so....."
Peugeot - you couldn't make a better choice,! But please tell us all about electric ones....D.
Smudge,
A lovely, seasonable picture which should appeal to all our Herky-Bird drivers !....D.
dogle,
Having had the thankless task of scrutinising the Annual Accounts of many small businesses during my 13-year post-RAF service in HMC&E as a VATman, I noted that many accountants wrote down the value of car by 25% pa. This would mesh nicely with your "half-life of 3.3 years" as a 25% pa depreciation would reduce a £10,000 car to £5625 after two whole years' depreciation. A further 4 months would reduce that by a further £464 - we're very nearly there.....D.
DHfan and Union Jack,
My plan depended on a reasonable outlay. "Parker's Guide" was good (but only up to six years old, after which a car has little or no commercial value). But I developed my own system. Take the on-the-road price when new, adjust it for inflation (which was raging for most of my time) and divide by the car's age, and you should be about right....D.
Geriaviator,
I still dream about '46-'47, when you could (reputedly) buy flyable Spitfires (without civil registration, of course), for about £75 apiece. Now supposing I'd invested my demob gratuity in half a dozen of those, hired low-loaders and stored them in some old barn for 65 years, then with the going rate (£1,500,000 per Spitfire, I read), even with insurance and the storage charges (and caravan storage is the finest crop of all for farmers hereabouts), there should be enough left for us to live the life to which we would have liked to have become accustomed.
TMs ? Well, if you could get one of those cissy RCAF ones with canopies (and I wouldn't be surprised if they had a heater, too), I'm with you. Otherwise, you risk death by hypothermia in this latitude except during our "summers" (two fine days and a thunderstorm)......D.
harrym,
Another feast of Far East recollections in the chaotic months after the war's totally unexpected end ! I shall enjoy this one over Christmas and will add anything relevant which springs to mind. A sombre note: we haven't heard from Ormeside28 for a month or so......D.
Chugalug,
Couldn't have said it better myself, Sir ! Your comment on the Japanese language rings a bell: it is essentially the argument put forward for the retention of Latin teaching in schools. For Latin sentences have to be carefully constructed step by step, following intricate rules (so developing the logical mind which will be of immense value in learning other subjects).
Once again, and for the third successive year,
may I wish all PPRuNers (particularly the followers of "our" Thread) a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. (And "Absent Friends", too).....D.'Night, all,
Danny.
I share Chugalug's thoughts on the Japanese language, for one of the surgeons who performed such an excellent overhaul upon me was Japanese. (Needless to say his English was perfect). Less than four months after he closed up my nose cowling, the join has faded to a thin line with not a stitch in sight, for they are all internal -- the surgical equivalent of flush riveting I suppose. On my discharge I thanked him for his neat closure, not to mention the wonderful plumbing work within, and he said goodbye with a deep formal obeisance.
Thanking him in Japanese was the least I could do, but I soon realised how difficult it was for one who has little difficulty with French or Italian. Where German tacks words together, Japanese seems to conjoin entire phrases. There are formal and informal thanks, thanks for a service or deed performed in the present, another for deeds in the past, and one can also throw in words to apologise to the thankee for troubling him. Arigato means Thanks! Domo arigato a more formal Thank You. Adding Gozaimas constructs the formal thanks in the present, Gozaima****a for something in the past. At least, that's my understanding of it.
Six weeks later we met again for surgical review, and Masa-san seemed pleased when his happy patient climbed seven flights of stairs to pronounce Domo arigato gozaima****a and make my bow of thanks.
May I return your good wishes, our dear virtual crewmate Danny, and may we all be around to share them again in another 12 months.
Thanking him in Japanese was the least I could do, but I soon realised how difficult it was for one who has little difficulty with French or Italian. Where German tacks words together, Japanese seems to conjoin entire phrases. There are formal and informal thanks, thanks for a service or deed performed in the present, another for deeds in the past, and one can also throw in words to apologise to the thankee for troubling him. Arigato means Thanks! Domo arigato a more formal Thank You. Adding Gozaimas constructs the formal thanks in the present, Gozaima****a for something in the past. At least, that's my understanding of it.
Six weeks later we met again for surgical review, and Masa-san seemed pleased when his happy patient climbed seven flights of stairs to pronounce Domo arigato gozaima****a and make my bow of thanks.
May I return your good wishes, our dear virtual crewmate Danny, and may we all be around to share them again in another 12 months.
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Llandudno
Age: 100
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Gaining An R.A.F. Pilots Brevet in WW11
Thank you Danny. I am still with you. I thought my story was getting a bit BS. However if you want to hear about life on 120 at Aldergrove in 56/58 and 205 at Changi 58/61 then I am happy to oblige. Happy Christmas from Wales.
Trust Me, I'm the Pilot...
@Blind Pew.
you wrote :I penned an autobiography 5? years ago...went through the self publishing route and then discovered that I would have to chop rather a lot because of the libel act...
Are you Baron de T*******n by any chance ? if so can I congratulate you on the best title for a book EVER, in my humble opinion.
I saw your book in a clothes shop in Skerries,(Dublin) while on a coastal walk and vowed to return and purchase.
I really enjoyed the story of your father and his friend cutting razor thin ham slices for the in flight catering , and subsequent short cut under the aeroplane wing:-)
But what really stayed with me as I read your book (finished it in Thailand this April) was that you never gave in , never joined the 'clique and wink society 'and stayed true. Really an inspiration for me, so thank you for sticking to your principles.
A Great Read, Cheers,
Fionn
you wrote :I penned an autobiography 5? years ago...went through the self publishing route and then discovered that I would have to chop rather a lot because of the libel act...
Are you Baron de T*******n by any chance ? if so can I congratulate you on the best title for a book EVER, in my humble opinion.
I saw your book in a clothes shop in Skerries,(Dublin) while on a coastal walk and vowed to return and purchase.
I really enjoyed the story of your father and his friend cutting razor thin ham slices for the in flight catering , and subsequent short cut under the aeroplane wing:-)
But what really stayed with me as I read your book (finished it in Thailand this April) was that you never gave in , never joined the 'clique and wink society 'and stayed true. Really an inspiration for me, so thank you for sticking to your principles.
A Great Read, Cheers,
Fionn
Gaining an Air Gunner's Brevet in WWII
Hi All,
Can I suggest that you visit the thread "Information sought on RAF POWs" in this forum.
It contains a fascinating account of an Air Gunner's training and his subsequent time as a P.O.W. The links take you to scans of a diary written in various POW camps.
Too good to miss
Can I suggest that you visit the thread "Information sought on RAF POWs" in this forum.
It contains a fascinating account of an Air Gunner's training and his subsequent time as a P.O.W. The links take you to scans of a diary written in various POW camps.
Too good to miss
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Fairford, Glos
Age: 99
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SE Asia 1945-6
Chugalug, Danny & others interested: despite advice previously received, still unable to post up images of afore-mentioned Japanese compass. If you like I will email to you direct if you could let me have your address(es) via email to Prune.
Apologies for incompetence!
harrym (will be away for Xmas, so possible delay)
Apologies for incompetence!
harrym (will be away for Xmas, so possible delay)
Christmas at a FTS in Africa - 1951
With Christmas day almost here, here are a couple of photos from my album of the way we used to celebrate it 63-years ago way back in 1951 at 5 FTS, RAF Thornhill, S. Rhodesia.
Father Christmas arrives by Anson from the North Pole besieged by kids expecting presents.
In the airmen's mess waiting for the officers to serve Christmas lunch.
Sgt's mess dress up for a friendly football match vs. the officers.
Father Christmas arrives by Anson from the North Pole besieged by kids expecting presents.
In the airmen's mess waiting for the officers to serve Christmas lunch.
Sgt's mess dress up for a friendly football match vs. the officers.
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Cheshire Ct USA
Age: 98
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Gaining an RAF pilots brevet......
Harry could you shed more light on the short field landing technique referrenced in Post 6580--what error did you make make that resulted in you becoming airborne again after touching down.? If you have covered the Dakota short field landing in an earlier post could you advise the Post number .
Many thanks for your most interesting descriptions of your career.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
dfcp
Many thanks for your most interesting descriptions of your career.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
dfcp
Guest
Posts: n/a
harrym,
Like DFCP, I could not work out what you'd done wrong, but kept quiet on the basis that: "it's much better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool, than open it and prove it ".
3,000 ft ? That was about the norm for the kutcha strips we had out there (IIRC), but if you went off the far end you were usually on an ex-paddy field complete with 12-18 in bunds round the side, so as long as your wheels and oleo legs could put up with that, you'd get shaken up a bit and a few rivets might drop out, but you should be all right after about three fields or so.
Thank you for your kind offer to send me "further and better particulars" of the Japanese Compass
, but no thank you, Harry ! From what you've already given by way of description, I just don't want to know any more ! 
I don't think it was instrumental in the finding of Prince of Wales and Repulse. As I remember the story, a Jap reconnaissance aircraft flown by a Midshipman, in the very last minute before having to turn and go home, stumbled on the ships (who were maintaining radio silence), his signaller tapped out the Good News - and the rest you know.
Instead of yelling for fighter cover (only Brewster "Buffaloes" - but then you don't have to shoot down a torpedo bomber: it is sufficient to harry him [no pun intended] so as to "put him off his stroke"), Admiral Philips maintained silence, even though they knew they had been spotted and that air attack must follow.
It was the Admiral's declared belief that: "a properly handled capital ship can always beat off air attack" (and, to be fair to him, I don't think one had been sunk at sea up to then, apart from a tethered, sacrificial goat sunk by Billy Mitchell (?) in the early twenties). But there's always a First Time.
I am too lazy to check any of my "factoids" above, so you can have a field day with them, chaps (and I'm sure Union Jack will enter the Lists on behalf of the True Blue).
Once again, Merry Christmas, all (and welcome back, Ormeside - we were starting to worry.....out with your stories - it's later than we 90-plusses think !)
Time for bed.
Danny.
Like DFCP, I could not work out what you'd done wrong, but kept quiet on the basis that: "it's much better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool, than open it and prove it ".
3,000 ft ? That was about the norm for the kutcha strips we had out there (IIRC), but if you went off the far end you were usually on an ex-paddy field complete with 12-18 in bunds round the side, so as long as your wheels and oleo legs could put up with that, you'd get shaken up a bit and a few rivets might drop out, but you should be all right after about three fields or so.
Thank you for your kind offer to send me "further and better particulars" of the Japanese Compass
, but no thank you, Harry ! From what you've already given by way of description, I just don't want to know any more ! I don't think it was instrumental in the finding of Prince of Wales and Repulse. As I remember the story, a Jap reconnaissance aircraft flown by a Midshipman, in the very last minute before having to turn and go home, stumbled on the ships (who were maintaining radio silence), his signaller tapped out the Good News - and the rest you know.
Instead of yelling for fighter cover (only Brewster "Buffaloes" - but then you don't have to shoot down a torpedo bomber: it is sufficient to harry him [no pun intended] so as to "put him off his stroke"), Admiral Philips maintained silence, even though they knew they had been spotted and that air attack must follow.
It was the Admiral's declared belief that: "a properly handled capital ship can always beat off air attack" (and, to be fair to him, I don't think one had been sunk at sea up to then, apart from a tethered, sacrificial goat sunk by Billy Mitchell (?) in the early twenties). But there's always a First Time.
I am too lazy to check any of my "factoids" above, so you can have a field day with them, chaps (and I'm sure Union Jack will enter the Lists on behalf of the True Blue).
Once again, Merry Christmas, all (and welcome back, Ormeside - we were starting to worry.....out with your stories - it's later than we 90-plusses
think !)Time for bed.
Danny.
Fion101
Glad you enjoyed it...next time you are in Skerries call in...have quite a few more stories that I can't publish..
The Title originates from a colleague who although from a posh background would be the last one to trust especially in an airliner.
I help shift his yacht across the Bay of Biscay one November..I did the night watch as I wouldn't trust him to stay awake (he had already slept FLYING across the Bay whilst driving a Vanguard full of pax)....The following evening before my watch we hit a dense fog bank as we approached the Channel shipping lanes..I was woken by our fog horn to discover that we were carrying every navigation light. I took over and turned everything off...the visibility was about 10 yards and the commercial traffic we were trying to dodge wouldn't be able to see anything closer than 1km due to the cut off angles of the superstructure.
Unless we were spotted on radar our only chance ...a slim one at that ...was to protect our night vision and sit in the cockpit wearing life jackets.
rgds Alan
Glad you enjoyed it...next time you are in Skerries call in...have quite a few more stories that I can't publish..
The Title originates from a colleague who although from a posh background would be the last one to trust especially in an airliner.
I help shift his yacht across the Bay of Biscay one November..I did the night watch as I wouldn't trust him to stay awake (he had already slept FLYING across the Bay whilst driving a Vanguard full of pax)....The following evening before my watch we hit a dense fog bank as we approached the Channel shipping lanes..I was woken by our fog horn to discover that we were carrying every navigation light. I took over and turned everything off...the visibility was about 10 yards and the commercial traffic we were trying to dodge wouldn't be able to see anything closer than 1km due to the cut off angles of the superstructure.
Unless we were spotted on radar our only chance ...a slim one at that ...was to protect our night vision and sit in the cockpit wearing life jackets.
rgds Alan
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Fairford, Glos
Age: 99
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SE Asia, 1945-6
DFCP & Danny - if you look back at my #6450 on P323 you will find a fairly full exposition of the technique that landed me in trouble on the occasion described. It developed into near-disaster due excessive airspeed combined with my haste to get the tail down (so as to be able to brake hard without risk of standing the bird on its nose) resulting in us becoming airborne again - what is called 'ballooning', I believe.
My memory may indeed be at fault, but I do not recall that I had then received much if any instruction in the correct tactical landing technique; and, knowing that a loaded Dak (indeed, possibly overloaded) had to be carefully handled if a bad arrival was to be avoided (see #6450 again), I don't think I was the only one to be wary of its handling at low speed (yes, no excuse I Know!).
Taildraggers will always use 'wheelies' when circumstances demand, but this was certainly not one of them. It is interesting to note however, that this method is almost invariably used today when large vintage warbirds are displayed, even on runways of more than adequate length.
Re the compass pics, Fareastdriver has kindly offered to post them up for me so they should appear soon - sorry, Danny!
My memory may indeed be at fault, but I do not recall that I had then received much if any instruction in the correct tactical landing technique; and, knowing that a loaded Dak (indeed, possibly overloaded) had to be carefully handled if a bad arrival was to be avoided (see #6450 again), I don't think I was the only one to be wary of its handling at low speed (yes, no excuse I Know!).
Taildraggers will always use 'wheelies' when circumstances demand, but this was certainly not one of them. It is interesting to note however, that this method is almost invariably used today when large vintage warbirds are displayed, even on runways of more than adequate length.
Re the compass pics, Fareastdriver has kindly offered to post them up for me so they should appear soon - sorry, Danny!
And here they are. I cannot make head or tail out of it. Maybe somebody else has an idea.
I suppose it is possible that it is a bombing computer.
Edited to add. harrym sent me some tech info in another email. I present it now
Diameter is 12 cm, height slightly less and I imagine the small calibrations at the base are for setting deviation – the brass ring is attached to the bowl, as is the inner 0-100 degree scale inside, so twisting it rotates the bowl assembly against the small scale. The square base (visible in second pic on the other email) is a necessary home addition as otherwise the compass is awkward to stand upright, given a narrow spigot underneath projecting downwards that obviously slotted into a hole on top of the instrument panel coaming. The whole thing is remarkably heavy, but what sort of alloy it’s made of I don’t know.
I suppose it is possible that it is a bombing computer.
Edited to add. harrym sent me some tech info in another email. I present it now
Diameter is 12 cm, height slightly less and I imagine the small calibrations at the base are for setting deviation – the brass ring is attached to the bowl, as is the inner 0-100 degree scale inside, so twisting it rotates the bowl assembly against the small scale. The square base (visible in second pic on the other email) is a necessary home addition as otherwise the compass is awkward to stand upright, given a narrow spigot underneath projecting downwards that obviously slotted into a hole on top of the instrument panel coaming. The whole thing is remarkably heavy, but what sort of alloy it’s made of I don’t know.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 24th Dec 2014 at 16:20.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
Homing device? BABS?
The connector on the box on the side looks like an olive type connection. This would suggest that it is some form of air feed. The box also appears to be able to slide within the case, or vis versa, which would match up with the 30-----30 scale on the upper case.
Could be an airspeed or altitude signal.
Could be an airspeed or altitude signal.
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Fairford, Glos
Age: 99
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jap compass
The compass would have been viewed via an angled mirror positioned above it, hence the reversed digits. A similar method was used in the Hastings, except that in this case the compass was inverted in the V of the windscreen frame and the mirror positioned below, capable of being swivelled so as to be visible to either pilot.
Fareastdriver (to whom a big thank you is owed for posting the pix up), I presume by 'connector' you refer to the threaded brass piece projecting from the small black box on the side. This was where the electrical connection for the lamp was made, and indeed its festoon-type bulb still works, glowing brightly when a 12 volt current is applied.
As for being used as an aid for any other purpose, to me it seems basically a bog-standard compass in principle, if of an unusual and rather weird design. Observe however, that it would be quite impossible to use it to fly a reciprocal heading in error - something easy to do with the earlier type of RAF compass, before the T shaped pointer was introduced.
Fareastdriver (to whom a big thank you is owed for posting the pix up), I presume by 'connector' you refer to the threaded brass piece projecting from the small black box on the side. This was where the electrical connection for the lamp was made, and indeed its festoon-type bulb still works, glowing brightly when a 12 volt current is applied.
As for being used as an aid for any other purpose, to me it seems basically a bog-standard compass in principle, if of an unusual and rather weird design. Observe however, that it would be quite impossible to use it to fly a reciprocal heading in error - something easy to do with the earlier type of RAF compass, before the T shaped pointer was introduced.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
harrym ... that was my immediate thought re BABS or similar. An 'Homing Device' of some persuasion, incapable of confusing even the most inept aviator.
But the 1-2-3 segments are interesting. Is that 'fine tuning' for accuracy nearer base?
But the 1-2-3 segments are interesting. Is that 'fine tuning' for accuracy nearer base?