Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
roving,
very nice video of the RAZAF and their Bristol 'Frighteners'. Had a couple of trips in them when I was at Changi with 48 Squadron. As I recall they used to trundle off to Cocos on a regular basis. Must have been an interesting trip ! They also used to ship cars home in them from Singapore.
very nice video of the RAZAF and their Bristol 'Frighteners'. Had a couple of trips in them when I was at Changi with 48 Squadron. As I recall they used to trundle off to Cocos on a regular basis. Must have been an interesting trip ! They also used to ship cars home in them from Singapore.
They also used to ship cars home in them from Singapore
However, those lucky enough to posted to Changi were allowed to import a new car because it was bought with 'overseas funds' despite it being NZ money given to them in Singapore.
MPN11
Happy Birthday!
Continuing the thread drift - were you on duty at Tengah when a Herc' from Changi burst a tyre during a roller landing and blocked your runway?
Continuing the thread drift - were you on duty at Tengah when a Herc' from Changi burst a tyre during a roller landing and blocked your runway?
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roving,
very nice video of the RAZAF and their Bristol 'Frighteners'. Had a couple of trips in them when I was at Changi with 48 Squadron. As I recall they used to trundle off to Cocos on a regular basis. Must have been an interesting trip ! They also used to ship cars home in them from Singapore.
very nice video of the RAZAF and their Bristol 'Frighteners'. Had a couple of trips in them when I was at Changi with 48 Squadron. As I recall they used to trundle off to Cocos on a regular basis. Must have been an interesting trip ! They also used to ship cars home in them from Singapore.
I knew I had got my a/c recognition wrong, but was too distracted yesterday to do anything about it. Thank you for correcting me.
I read your post about 209 and the Towers mafia, including P.S.
Talking of which, P Le C was WC flying KL for the first two years of my dad's tour there. We inherited the dog when he left on promotion in 57.
I was reading recently some of Danny's highly informative and entertaining posts dating from 2013. In one he described his arrival to a posting in Germany in, I think, the late 1950's and mentioned P Le C being the Staish there. P Le C (in common with Sandy Johnstone) returned to FEAF as AVM in the 1960's. My dad was a great admirer and was delighted that he got to the top of the flag pole. He is 97 now.
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P le C
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Le_Cheminant
He also wrote a most interesting memoir of his time in the RAF:- The Royal Air Force: A Personal Experience Ian Allan Publishing, 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Le_Cheminant
He also wrote a most interesting memoir of his time in the RAF:- The Royal Air Force: A Personal Experience Ian Allan Publishing, 2001.
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Yes. I keep thinking I must buy a copy. He didn't just command from an office, he actually flew Pioneers into the jungle forts and in the book he provided a description of them.
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Fort Telanok (VK 46 50):
First known as Net when 848 NAS’s WV191 crashed here on 30 May 1954. On 17 Jun 1954 WV194 carried out a tractor lift from Fort Shean to Fort Net. A report dated 8 July 1954 refers to two 848 NAS Whirlwinds carrying out an exchange of the garrison at Telanok rather than Net.
Easy Peasy. Clear the trees, cut the engine, it floats down, wait until just above the strip & power-up and park it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxgFK5qmceM
First known as Net when 848 NAS’s WV191 crashed here on 30 May 1954. On 17 Jun 1954 WV194 carried out a tractor lift from Fort Shean to Fort Net. A report dated 8 July 1954 refers to two 848 NAS Whirlwinds carrying out an exchange of the garrison at Telanok rather than Net.
Easy Peasy. Clear the trees, cut the engine, it floats down, wait until just above the strip & power-up and park it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxgFK5qmceM
Last edited by roving; 1st Nov 2017 at 14:08. Reason: YOUTUBE LINK
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I could be curmudgeonly and decline the appellation of 'respected', but I do admit to wittering on a bit randomly on occasions
My thanks to the rest of you, of course. I'm glad to still be here, especially with the tragic attrition rate of ATC contemporaries these days.
And what the hell was SODCAT, FZ? That rings a bell, but that's all!
Brian 48Nav ... no recollection of the C130 puncture, I'm afraid.
roving ... yes, Singapore (and indeed all of FEAF) in the 60s could be descibed as amazing, operationally and socially. Three main RAF airfields on the island, an extraordinary range of aircraft types of assorted vintages (!) ... it was indeed an Air Force in miniature, with every single capability reflected including 1574 (?) Target Facilities Flight at Changi with their Meteors!
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Ah, thanks (x 2)
Just about made it under the wire! Happy Birthday MPN11 (what's left of it anyway!)
roving
April 8th 1968, tomorrow's local flying programme appears in Nav Ldr's office - shock horror! A day slot showing FEAF SASO AVM Le Cheminant paired with the OC Changi, Grp Capt Merriman for famil' with the "Mighty C130"!
Older wiser and more senior navs beat a hasty retreat, claiming all sorts of sickness. Lowly 21 year old Plt Off B48N is not quick enough and lo and behold his name fills the vacant nav' slot. The same thing happened when the night programme appeared.
2 weeks before, I had been 'chosen' from a cast of 21 navs to fill the slot when the trappers arrived from UK and Sqn Ldr Mike Nash ( top man ,sadly RIP ) was programmed to carry out Grp Capt Merriman's day & night cat'.
I like to think that I impressed the Staish so much that he asked for me personally when the time came to show SASO 48's new machine - only joking!!!
As it turned out I discovered that Staish had done an exchange tour with the USAF on Hercs' before the RAF got theirs, so he was the most experienced pilot on type at Changi. Sir P Le C seemed to enjoy flying the beast and I guessed was a very competent if somewhat rusty pilot. His visual approaches seemed to be quite low and many years later when I bought his memoir I found out why - he was an ex- Sunderland driver.
Older wiser and more senior navs beat a hasty retreat, claiming all sorts of sickness. Lowly 21 year old Plt Off B48N is not quick enough and lo and behold his name fills the vacant nav' slot. The same thing happened when the night programme appeared.
2 weeks before, I had been 'chosen' from a cast of 21 navs to fill the slot when the trappers arrived from UK and Sqn Ldr Mike Nash ( top man ,sadly RIP ) was programmed to carry out Grp Capt Merriman's day & night cat'.
I like to think that I impressed the Staish so much that he asked for me personally when the time came to show SASO 48's new machine - only joking!!!
As it turned out I discovered that Staish had done an exchange tour with the USAF on Hercs' before the RAF got theirs, so he was the most experienced pilot on type at Changi. Sir P Le C seemed to enjoy flying the beast and I guessed was a very competent if somewhat rusty pilot. His visual approaches seemed to be quite low and many years later when I bought his memoir I found out why - he was an ex- Sunderland driver.
Last edited by Brian 48nav; 1st Nov 2017 at 08:30. Reason: spelling
Danny - on the Flying Suit thread you quoted one of your previous posts here in which you made the point that the Kachin tribes of Northern Burma had been reasonably well-disposed towards us and that the occupying Japanese had regularly taken what they needed at gunpoint. I understand that, to help make things difficult for the enemy, they had been persuaded to destroy their rice stocks and, when the war ended, an obligation to assist them had been created.
10 Squadron had been a 4 Gp Halifax unit until VE Day when, with others, it had been transferred to convert to Dakotas for transport duty in India. In March 1946, when based at Poona, it went on detachment to Burma to carry out airdrops of rice and salt from Meiktila and Myitkyina. Despite challenging weather and terrain, all was going well until 29 March when three aircraft with crews and dispatchers were lost on the same day. Searches from the air and on the ground were initiated and, eventually, on the morning of 3 April, an Indian Army Sepoy was spotted. He was onboard as a dispatcher and had either been thrown out of the door or had jumped at the last moment. Further searches were carried out but no further survivors were found. 15 British personnel and 4 Indian troops were lost that day. The airdrop task continued and the Squadron returned to Poona towards the end of April, some 20 days earlier than expected, largely due to the intensive flying rate achieved - some 2855 hours over 40 days. Hopefully, that wartime obligation had been fully discharged.
10 Squadron had been a 4 Gp Halifax unit until VE Day when, with others, it had been transferred to convert to Dakotas for transport duty in India. In March 1946, when based at Poona, it went on detachment to Burma to carry out airdrops of rice and salt from Meiktila and Myitkyina. Despite challenging weather and terrain, all was going well until 29 March when three aircraft with crews and dispatchers were lost on the same day. Searches from the air and on the ground were initiated and, eventually, on the morning of 3 April, an Indian Army Sepoy was spotted. He was onboard as a dispatcher and had either been thrown out of the door or had jumped at the last moment. Further searches were carried out but no further survivors were found. 15 British personnel and 4 Indian troops were lost that day. The airdrop task continued and the Squadron returned to Poona towards the end of April, some 20 days earlier than expected, largely due to the intensive flying rate achieved - some 2855 hours over 40 days. Hopefully, that wartime obligation had been fully discharged.
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Gaining an RAF Pilot's Brevet
As the thread has been quiet for a few days, could I take the opportunity to recommend a book which I have just finished which, apart from the 'in WW II' bit, captures the spirit of the thread completely.
The book is entitled 'Flight Cadet' by Rutherford M Hancock, a New Zealander who was one of the first RNZAF cadets to be sent for training at Cranwell. (The RAF had many New Zealanders serving but Hank Hancock was one of the first two cadets from the RNZAF).
Lots of the detail so beloved by Ppruners both of the training and cadet life at Cranwell and of life generally in the UK in the early fifties. He must have kept a diary or written it contemporaneously as it is full of names, places and dates.
Very readable and highly recommended!
The book is entitled 'Flight Cadet' by Rutherford M Hancock, a New Zealander who was one of the first RNZAF cadets to be sent for training at Cranwell. (The RAF had many New Zealanders serving but Hank Hancock was one of the first two cadets from the RNZAF).
Lots of the detail so beloved by Ppruners both of the training and cadet life at Cranwell and of life generally in the UK in the early fifties. He must have kept a diary or written it contemporaneously as it is full of names, places and dates.
Very readable and highly recommended!
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Off topic completely but a WW11 story.
For the first three years of WW11 my father was a Flying Instructor on Oxfords at RAF South Cerney ending up Flight Commander of C Flight. Came across this letter whilst sorting out some papers having moved house.
On a day when he was not in the office a Polish Pilot who he had been teaching dropped in to say goodbye but he was not there so he wrote to my father as follows on 28th August 1941
Dear Flt Lt Sir
Forgive me please for writing this letter to you. Because I want to say you good Baye and good luck Sir.
I am very sorry I did not say when I was leaving station.
But it was impossible because you have not been in flight in your office.
But by the letter I say you very much thanks to you Sir and I wish to myself to have always Flight Commander a like you Sir because really you was like you Sir because really you was like Father for us. I do like you very much Sir.
I will never forget this school and my Flt Lt Mr so yet ones many thanks for you Sir and everything what did you for me Sir when I have been in that school. Let God keep you always safety for whole your life and let your life it will always happy.
But never sad that is wishes from one of your pupils from last course.
I am very sorry7 if something in this letter is no good English. With hoping you will always happy Sir!
Yours sincerely Polish pupil Waclaw Niezrecki
I did a bit of research and found he survived the war ending up with DFM and AFC and Flt Lt and in 1953 was on Meteor 7's as Master Pilot.
He was in 301 Squadron and was a Wellington Co Pilot involved in a crash 16th Jan 1942 on return from Hamburg and also 27/28 April 1942 again as co pilot crash landed back due flap damage. His No was 782373 No idea what he did in war after these two crashes.
For the first three years of WW11 my father was a Flying Instructor on Oxfords at RAF South Cerney ending up Flight Commander of C Flight. Came across this letter whilst sorting out some papers having moved house.
On a day when he was not in the office a Polish Pilot who he had been teaching dropped in to say goodbye but he was not there so he wrote to my father as follows on 28th August 1941
Dear Flt Lt Sir
Forgive me please for writing this letter to you. Because I want to say you good Baye and good luck Sir.
I am very sorry I did not say when I was leaving station.
But it was impossible because you have not been in flight in your office.
But by the letter I say you very much thanks to you Sir and I wish to myself to have always Flight Commander a like you Sir because really you was like you Sir because really you was like Father for us. I do like you very much Sir.
I will never forget this school and my Flt Lt Mr so yet ones many thanks for you Sir and everything what did you for me Sir when I have been in that school. Let God keep you always safety for whole your life and let your life it will always happy.
But never sad that is wishes from one of your pupils from last course.
I am very sorry7 if something in this letter is no good English. With hoping you will always happy Sir!
Yours sincerely Polish pupil Waclaw Niezrecki
I did a bit of research and found he survived the war ending up with DFM and AFC and Flt Lt and in 1953 was on Meteor 7's as Master Pilot.
He was in 301 Squadron and was a Wellington Co Pilot involved in a crash 16th Jan 1942 on return from Hamburg and also 27/28 April 1942 again as co pilot crash landed back due flap damage. His No was 782373 No idea what he did in war after these two crashes.
The contribution made by the Polish and and Czech pilots should never be forgotten, especially for their sterling performance in the BOB. My father's primary instructor at 3 EFTS in June 1942 was a F/O Meretinsky. I have never been able to learn anything about him - would love to know his story.
Ian BB
Ian BB
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Further to my earlier post re Flight Sgt Niezrecki. I notice he was a co pilot in the Jan 1942 incident and three moths later he was still a co pilot in the end of April 1942 incident.
I mention this as my Uncle was the sole pilot in his Wellington from No 40 Squadron which came down in the sea off Wilhelmshaven also in Jan 1942.
When exactly did the RAF go to single pilot operation on Bombers? Apart of course using second dickeys for them to get experience before being let loose on their own something which I believe all pilots had to do initially.
Correction Just noticed my Uncle did have a co pilot so above question is pertinent.
I mention this as my Uncle was the sole pilot in his Wellington from No 40 Squadron which came down in the sea off Wilhelmshaven also in Jan 1942.
When exactly did the RAF go to single pilot operation on Bombers? Apart of course using second dickeys for them to get experience before being let loose on their own something which I believe all pilots had to do initially.
Correction Just noticed my Uncle did have a co pilot so above question is pertinent.
Last edited by thegypsy; 5th Nov 2017 at 09:21. Reason: Correction