Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
well, here's a Desert Spitfire in the garb. Not a million miles away from the Britmodeller version IMHO. I think we have to remember that there was a war on, and different locations would have varying batches of paint (especially if a local repaint was needed). It was obviously blue, rather than the sky of the UK. If it's of any consequence, trying to match the colours of Victorian railway coaches, internal and external, is even more challenging.
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Reader123 (#12454),
Lovely pics, note a point:
Pic 5 ("probably Calcutta") shows both types wearing the Aussie Bush Hat (far more convenient than the Cap SD, as you could screw the Bush Hat up and ram it in any nook or corner in your cockpit).
Did nearly four years out there (the best years of my life)
Cheers, Danny.
Lovely pics, note a point:
Pic 5 ("probably Calcutta") shows both types wearing the Aussie Bush Hat (far more convenient than the Cap SD, as you could screw the Bush Hat up and ram it in any nook or corner in your cockpit).
Did nearly four years out there (the best years of my life)
Cheers, Danny.
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Chugalug2 ... indeed, as ISTR there was a War going on. That profile resonates more than the Britmodeller one, as discussed already.
Danny42C ... hello! Phew! Welcome back!
Danny42C ... hello! Phew! Welcome back!
Before the days of computerised colour standards a Chief Engineer of the Southern Railway was on a visit to the Isle of Wight with his Works Managers. The group stopped outside an Opticians while the great man studied a lorgnette chord on display in the window. He went inside and purchased it. Emerging, he snipped it into two inch lengths and handed them out. "That is the colour I'm talking about gentlemen. That is the colour I want our carriages to be". Thus Ashford, Eastleigh, and Worthing had a unified data base to work from.
FWIW, here is the colour palette of the supposedly exact colours defined for RAF aircraft in WWII (from ISBN 0853682712 Aviation Colours of WWII) :-
I guess the colour in question is Azure Blue?
FWIW, here is the colour palette of the supposedly exact colours defined for RAF aircraft in WWII (from ISBN 0853682712 Aviation Colours of WWII) :-
I guess the colour in question is Azure Blue?
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Azure Blue agreed ... I have seen it written in one of my reference books.
Azure Blue came to my mind, but I wondered if I was right as I had an Azure Blue car, which was a totally different colour.
I think the film may have been orthochromatic which, from memory, could show yellow as black, presumably amongst other odd results. I just tried to check with Google to see if my memory was correct and there's so much there it's mind-boggling - so I gave up.
I think the film may have been orthochromatic which, from memory, could show yellow as black, presumably amongst other odd results. I just tried to check with Google to see if my memory was correct and there's so much there it's mind-boggling - so I gave up.
this thread is a PPRuNe fave of mine.
Lonewolf, you speak for all here in expressing your concern for our venerable Chief Pilot. His lucidity, wit, and energy in posting, not only on this thread but elsewhere, has always belied his years. Now we, like he, have been reminded that though the spirit is young the body is not.
We are all pitching for you Danny, and trust that Mary's loving devotion will return you to our cyber crew room in good form once more. I suspect though that both we and you must be patient and content with appropriately realistic expectations. The occasional post will be most welcome but please don't exert yourself unnecessarily on our behalf. You have inspired us all, your modesty and good humour a welcome change to the me first attitudes so prevalent today.
Rest and get well, Oh Happy Warrior, your battered armchair awaits you.
Chug
We are all pitching for you Danny, and trust that Mary's loving devotion will return you to our cyber crew room in good form once more. I suspect though that both we and you must be patient and content with appropriately realistic expectations. The occasional post will be most welcome but please don't exert yourself unnecessarily on our behalf. You have inspired us all, your modesty and good humour a welcome change to the me first attitudes so prevalent today.
Rest and get well, Oh Happy Warrior, your battered armchair awaits you.
Chug
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Folks, thanks again for your wonderful help so far, concerning my father-in-law's RAF service. To clarify, all we know of his movements are that, after completing basic training, he was posted to RAF Feltwell in February 1944 and appears to have stayed there until being sent to No. 4 PDC in May 1945 - but we don't know what he was doing there, so have no idea what his trade was. He then appears to have arrived at ACSEA (then in Kandy, Ceylon?) by June 1945 before being posted to No.227 Group (then at Agra, India?) in February 1946 before being posted to Chaklala in April 1946. He then appears to have come back to England, via Worli, in April 1947. Again, if anyone can provide any information that would 'flesh' out our skeletal knowledge of his career, my wife and I would be very grateful. Cheers, Andrew
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The Burma Star story thickens, as Chaklala and potential Air Despatch was post-War! Kandy is closer to the action, but still seemingly ex-theatre from this aspect. I shall muse further ... it’s intriguing!
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Many thanks MPN11. I just wish I had more information to work with! I can't even be sure that he went to Kandy - it's just that he was posted to ACSEA and I think it's headquarters were there at that time...... I really appreciate your help!
AC, have you checked the Air of Authority site yet? The stations listed show all their various lodger units and dates, ie Chaklala and Feltwell. May be of some use to you:-
Stations-C
Stations-F
I would add that though one might be posted to an AHQ, Station, or Unit, one could be detached from there to anywhere within the Command, maybe for weeks or even months at a time. For example I was posted as a co-pilot to 48 Squadron FEAF, but the Squadron's operational supply dropping was done by detachment of crews to RAF Kuching, some 450 miles due East of our Changi base. I doubt you would find Kuching in my records (other than in my Log Book of course) but I was awarded a GSM for those detachments, not for being at Changi. Just a thought...
Stations-C
Stations-F
I would add that though one might be posted to an AHQ, Station, or Unit, one could be detached from there to anywhere within the Command, maybe for weeks or even months at a time. For example I was posted as a co-pilot to 48 Squadron FEAF, but the Squadron's operational supply dropping was done by detachment of crews to RAF Kuching, some 450 miles due East of our Changi base. I doubt you would find Kuching in my records (other than in my Log Book of course) but I was awarded a GSM for those detachments, not for being at Changi. Just a thought...
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Folks , thanks again for your wonderful help so far, concerning my father-in-law's RAF service. To clarify, all we know of his movements are that, after completing basic training, he was posted to RAF Feltwell in February 1944 and appears to have stayed there until being sent to No. 4 PDC in May 1945 - but we don't know what he was doing there, so have no idea what his trade was. He then appears to have arrived at ACSEA (then in Kandy, Ceylon?)
Bit puzzled about your "4PDC" (obviously "Personnel" - something - Centre)", but would guess it would be a "Transit Camp", where he would've been issued Tropical Uniform (Khaki Drill for India - complete with "Bombay Bowler" !), inoculations brought up to date (plus Yellow Fever), and generally kicked around from dawn to dusk till he embarked on the Clyde when his ship came in. Do you know where this "PDC" was ? - many of the India contingent (including myself) went to Blackpool for overseas preparation beforeembarkation at Liverpoolor the Cyde.
ACSEA was in Ceylon, with Lord Mountbatten commanding. Unlike India (where there were no female British forces), he had Wrens in Ceylon, hence:
" I'll be an ACSEA hero,
And never see a Zero !
Why would I need an Enemy,
When We've got this Wrennery ? "
Good hunting ! Danny.
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Invidious to name names, so thank you all for the concern, good wishes and sympathy heaped on me and my Mary (she is, literally, my "Life Support Machine").
Must be costing the NHS an arm and a leg to keep me alive. That being so, I say again "Dum spiro, scribo", and intend to be with you a while yet.
Life in old dog yet ! ........Danny.
Must be costing the NHS an arm and a leg to keep me alive. That being so, I say again "Dum spiro, scribo", and intend to be with you a while yet.
Life in old dog yet ! ........Danny.
Andrew (your #12470)
4 PDC is a Personnel Despatch Centre
I've checked my Service Record and when I was posted to S. Rhodesia in 1951 immediately before departure I attended 5 PDC at Hednesford in Staffordshire where one was kitted out with tropical kit etc. Record also shows that in 1956 before departure for the Far East I attended 5 PDU (Unit?) which had moved to Innsworth in Gloucestershire.
he was posted to RAF Feltwell in February 1944 and appears to have stayed there until being sent to No. 4 PDC in May 1945 - but we don't know what he was doing there, so have no idea what his trade was
I've checked my Service Record and when I was posted to S. Rhodesia in 1951 immediately before departure I attended 5 PDC at Hednesford in Staffordshire where one was kitted out with tropical kit etc. Record also shows that in 1956 before departure for the Far East I attended 5 PDU (Unit?) which had moved to Innsworth in Gloucestershire.
Last edited by Warmtoast; 5th Nov 2018 at 22:18. Reason: To add PDC / PDU numbers from my Service Record
My late father served as an officer in the Royal Bombay Sappers and MIners. He once mentioned that the WRNS in Ceylon were very friendly....
Rather wasted on Lord Louis though?
Rather wasted on Lord Louis though?
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Warmtoast, my kitting for the Flakands in 83 was also done in a black wooden hut at Innsoworth. Retrns were, however, done at parent Unit ... in my case Uxbridge, parent Unit to the whole of MoD and much more besides (as I was posted from Stanley to 11 Gp at Bentley Priory).
The entourage behind the Admiral in Warmtoast's pic seems to be almost as long as the Wrens' front rank. Presumably those Wrens didn't suffer a corresponding indignity to we Flight Cadets at Sleaford Tech, of the Inspecting Officer saying, "Take his name", despite the SNCO doing the 'taking' knowing it anyway! Just as well if the instruction had to be passed along the length of that queue.