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PART 4
RAF PILOT TRAINING IN WW2

POSTED TO NO 22 Senior Flying Training School, Thornhill, Nr. Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia.

29.6.45 Fri.
Arrived at 10.30 am. Wizard billets.

3.7.45 Tue
Introduced to the North American Harvard today. My instructor, Sgt. Moffat, spent 45 mins familiarising me with the controls and handling of the machine. Quite a powerful beast compare with the Cornell, Unfortunately the large radial engine stops you from seeing straight ahead when taxying and you have to zig-zag continuously to avoid other aircraft.
We have a proper tarmac runway here with a flight control caravan and radio communication although only a few Harvards had radios fitted.. Training is beginning to be serious.

4.7.45 Wed.
Sgt Moffat. Medium, climbing and gliding turns, taking off into wind, powered approach and going round again.

5.7.45 Thu.
Sgt Moffat. Taking off into wind, approach and landing.
6.7.45 Fri.
Sgt Moffat. Taking off into wind, approach and landing.
FIRST SOLO - Rather surprised to be going solo so soon. Circuit was uneventful, but I burst a tail wheel on landing and had great difficulty controlling the aircraft. Did a big ‘S’ down the runway. My short legs don’t help. I couldn’t put full pressure on the rudder controls.

7.7.45 Sat.
Sgt Moffat. Flapless powered approach and landing, steep turns, stalling off steep turns, high speed stalls and cross wind take-offs and landing.. He crammed a lot into 90 mins.

10.7.45. Tue.
Sgt Moffat. Taking off into wind, approach and landing.
SOLO. Taking off into wind, approach and landing.

14.7.45 Sat.
Flew to Cranbourne with Sgt Moffat. Cranbourne is close to Salisbury and is the S.F.T.S. for bomber pilots. Pleasant trip. Booked into the Services Club, Saw Joe, Bill and Ricky Reed.

15.7.45 Sun.
Had lunch with Sgt Moffats friends, Mrs Kinfoil and her daughter Geraldine.. Very pleasant day and flew back to Thornhill at 3.30 pm.

16.7.45 Mon.
Sgt Moffat. Crosswind take-offs and landings.
SOLO. Taking off into wind, powered approach and landings.

17.7.45 Tue.
Sgt Moffat. SPINNING, steep turns and forced landings.

18.7.45. Wed.
Sgt Moffat. Instrument flying.

19.7.45 Thu.
Sgt Moffat. Precautionary landings.
SOLO SPINNING, Steep turns, forced landings, aerobatics.

20.7.45 Fri.
Sgt Moffat Instrument flying.

21.7.45 Sat.
Sgt Moffat Precautionary landings .
SOLO Precautionary landings
24.7.45 Tue.
Sgt Moffat Precautionary landings
Flew horribly and threatened with circuits because of my bad landings.

25.7.45 Wed
Cold coming on. Slight temperature and stuffy nose.
First Pilot Navigation Test. Got lost. Missed Golden Ridge, missed Nkai and ended up at Queque. FAILED TEST.
Also in trouble over my trip to Cranbourne. Apparently I made a mistake in my log and Group H.Q. Navigation Officer saw it. He calculated we had flown at speeds of 500 mph and 50 mph, both of which are impossible on a Harvard. Sgt Moffat, my instructor, was reprimanded.
Sid has also failed his 1st P.N.T. so he isn’t very popular with his instructor either.

26.7.45. Thu.
Sgt Moffat took me over the Nkai route this morning and I found the pin-points easily. Best of all I made a really wizard cross wind landing at Thornhill, the best ever.
SOLO. SPINNING, Steep turns, cross wind take-offs and landings, forced landings, aerobatics.
27.7.45 Fri.
Took my P.N.T. again today with F/L Loewe and passed.

28.7.45 Sat.
Flew down to Cranbourne this morning with Sgt Moffat. Uneventful and didn’t make a mess of my log this time. After booking in at the Services Club, we bought tickets for the "Merry Wives of Windsor" and stuffed ourselves with coffee and cream cakes followed by strawberries and cream. Afternoon was spent watching a rugby match. Bit too hot for me, but the game was worth watching. Evening of course was spent at Shakespeare’s play, and despite my tendency to fall asleep I enjoyed it immensely.

29.7.45 Sun.
Wonderful weather. Went to Kinfoil’s for lunch and managed to take half a dozen shots of the park.
Returned to Thornhill by air at 3.45 at low level chased by Butcher in another Harvard. Whizzo!

31.7.45 Tue.
Handling check this morning. Just passed. Instrument flying, aerobatics and forced landing O.K. Boobed on flapless landing and joined circuit at 7.50 am. Moffatt far from pleased.
FIRST ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED TODAY. I wish the bomb had never been discovered because I am sure that the world today is not fitted to control such a mighty weapon. If we are not careful we shall destroy ourselves and all civilisation.
However training continued.

1.8.45 Wed.
Sgt Moffatt. Spinning and aerobatics.
SOLO Stalling, steep turns and aerobatics.

2.8.45 Thu.
F/L Nicholson Aerobatics and low flying.
Passed signals test.

3.8.45 Fri.
SOLO Steep turns and forced landings.

5.8.45 Sun.
Lonely and miserable today. Church parade at 9.00 am and you never saw such a load of "bull" in all your life. Felt like handing in my resignation straightaway. After all, aircrew are volunteers.
The padre is leaving next week and we shall miss him. He’s a grand fellow.

7.8.45 Tue.
F/O Mendham. Preliminary handling test.

10.8.45 Fri.
SOLO Stalling, spinning, steep turns, aerobatics. slow rolls
Sgt Moffat pointed out a split in the fuselage when I landed. I said it may be that I did seven slow rolls in succession. He reminded me that you practice slow rolls one at a time.

11.8.45 Sat.
Disgraceful exhibition of instrument flying this morning. My take-off under the hood a was a duel of strength between Moffatt and myself owing to a misunderstanding.
Sgt Moffatt. Instrument flying, flapless approach and landing.
SOLO Stalling, crosswind take-offs and landings, steep turns, aerobatics.

12.8.45. Sun.
Quiet day. Fred Allen and 25 others have come up here from Cranborne to finish their training. Apparently the engines are dropping out of the Mk V Oxfords and two instructors have been killed.

13.8.45 Mon.
SOLO. Stalling, spinning, steep turns, aerobatics. Trouble on take off this morning. Revs slipped back and I only had 1800 unknown to me. However I managed to get airborne at the end of the runway and then realised what was the problem. Also trouble with engine cutting out during aerobatics.

15.8.45 Wed. PEACE DAY
I got a lift into Gwelo at 6.30 pm and went to the Cecil Hotel as I knew the rest of the boys would be there. I found them in the lounge chatting to a Mr. and Mrs. Horden , who turned out to be a gold-mine owner and his wife. (Apparently Ken had been in the services and invalided out. The government had then given him a grant of £5000 to start his gold mining venture). As it was Victory night I relaxed my resolution not to drink until the end of the course and had a couple of brandies and ginger. This livened me up somewhat and we all decided to go to the Victory Dance, but first Mr. and Mrs. Horden begged us to run over to the mine with them and have a drink and something to eat.

They asked Geordie if he would go first with Kitty (Mrs. Hordern’s sister) and Grandma to take the children home and put them to bed, and then return to pick us up. Well we waited until about half past eight but still no sign of Kitty and Geordie with the car, so Ken (Mr Hordern) began to get really annoyed. He swore he would never lend her his car again as she always wrecked it. So we went down to the clock tower and sat on the kerb to wait for a taxi. We were all pretty merry then and I couldn’t help laughing to myself at the sight of seven of us squatting there and passing the brandy bottle round.

The first taxi to come wouldn’t take all of us despite our threats to the native driver, so eventually we got out again. Larry, who was beginning to get rather pleased with life, began to stop any other passengers getting into the taxi. Eventually he became a darned nuisance and I had to shut him up or there would have been a fight. At last a taxi came along that would take the lot of us, so we piled in and set course for the Lost Donkey mine.

After what seemed an endless ride along what were no more than car-tracks we came to Geordie and Kitty in the other car stuck at the side of the road. Kitty was rolling drunk and Geordie wasn’t much better. Apparently they had lost a tyre and ridden on the steel hub for about a mile entirely oblivious to what had happened. Eventually they couldn’t understand why the car wouldn’t climb a hill. When Geordie got out he discovered that they had hit a rock and the tyre was missing. I don’t think they were particularly worried and as far as I could make out they had occupied their time necking in the back of the car. However we carried on up to the mine in the taxi and then sent it back to pick them up.

The "house" was a long low white building built of mud and sticks with a thatched roof. The floors were of mud and where the legs of the furniture stood great holes were made in the floor. The only light available was an acetylene miner’s lamp and a candle, and as the lamp soon died out we were left only with a candle. When Geordie and Kitty returned they sent back the taxi before we could stop them and so we were marooned for the night. No car or telephone was available for at least six miles.

Then the row started. There was Kitty (a horrible bitch by the way) rolling about helpless, swearing she hadn’t touched a drop and trying to give a reasonable explanation to Ken and his wife of the accident. Larry was about all in and we took him outside and gave him a dose of Worcester sauce to make him sick. We left him asleep in the garden for an hour to cool off. In the next room the old grandma, who was partly insane, was screaming and swearing at the top of her voice cursing everyone in the vilest language imaginable. Kitty went into her to explain and then we heard a terrific rumpage as if there was a fight going on and eventually Kitty returned rather the worse for wear. I was cold sober by this time and fascinated by this insight into the way some people live. They all started drinking again now and although I had a little drop I was determined not to let myself go as I could see they needed someone to look after them. (I bet I was a pompous prig in those days). After a time the native brought some fried eggs, bacon, sausage and chips

By now it was pretty late so Ken brought a mattress in and some blankets and left us for the night. I pushed a couple of armchairs together for Larry and managed to topple him into them so he was quite happy. The other boys started singing with Kitty on the sofa so I laid down on the mattress and left them to it.

I woke up about 5 o’clock and they were sprawled about the room in various attitudes. Geordie was on the mattress beside me breathing beery fumes down my neck and making horrible snorting noises. I couldn’t stand it so got up, had a drink of water, and wandered into the garden for a while, Then I returned, made him face the other way and laid down again for another half hour. The grandma came in cursing about how many cadets there were and cleared out again muttering to herself. About 6 o’clock I got up and went for a tramp in the Bundu. It was wonderfully clear and fresh and it was grand to watch the golden clouds scudding across the horizon as the sun rose. For a few moments I was able to forget everything but the beauty of it. The so-called gold-mine seemed to be a large hole in the ground with a wooden superstructure over it. Then I retraced my steps to the house to find everyone still in a state of stupour. Next door Kitty and her mother were having a most glorious row and I was shocked to see three small children sleeping in the same room. What effect must such a life have on the minds of those children.

A little later Ken came in and told us a piece of news so sordid that it seemed unbelievable. Apparently Kitty’s husband had been seriously ill and was dying. She knew this and her husband had actually died while she was getting drunk and making love to Geordie in the car they wrecked. Have you ever heard of anything so ghastly! You wouldn’t believe people could sink so low, and what made it worse still was that the row continued most of the morning with not a mention of the poor chap that had died. The argument was about the car chiefly and I’ve never heard such a display of beastliness in all my life. Five small children, all under seven years of age lived in the house and no attempt was made to feed them until about ten o’clock when we managed to get some eggs, bacon and sausage from the native boy. Even then Kitty wouldn’t allow them to eat decently at the table, but gave them a piece of meat or toast in their fingers and told them to clear off outside. It nearly broke my heart to see them and to know that I could do nothing except be kind. Later in the morning Ken managed to get a car from a friend and took us back to camp. We arrived back twelve hours overdue but nothing was said at the Guard Room as it was Victory Day. Ken and his wife asked us to go back with them for the evening and the other four agreed, but I didn’t feel I could bear the sight of that house again.

17.8.45 Fri.
Went with Fred into Gwelo for the Victory celebrations. At three o’clock there was a garden party in the park and for while we stood listening to the band enjoying the happy crowds and sunshine. After a while a jovial old man came up to us and we spent an interesting hour chatting to him about Rhodesia. As he had spent forty years here he knew what he was talking about.An old lady then came fussing up to us with cups of tea and cream cakes, all free, and we had a grand tuck in. I managed to get a snap of the band and a couple of the tiny tots queueing up for their free lemonade and cakes. About five o’clock the band packed up and marched over to the Municipal buildings, There they stood on the portico of this impressive semi-circular white stone building and played the "Retreat" as the Union Jack was slowly lowered in the red rays of the setting sun. I photographed this too and also the local OTC as it marched past.

That was the end of the garden party, but now the real fun of the day started because in the Drill Hall grounds a barbecue and braivellaise was being held.I’ve heard of them in England, but this was the first time I had ever participated in one. They consist of roasting a whole oxen over a slow wood fire, and when it is ready slices are cut off and given to everyone present. There were six of the wood fires in long shallow pits and at a long trestle table a couple of local butchers were giving away sausages and steaks in prodigious quantities to be roasted on the end of a pointed stick in the hot embers. You’ve never tasted anything so scrumptious in all your life. In another corner of the grounds was the largest bonfire I’ve ever seen and round it all the boys and their sweethearts stood perfectly happy basking in the warm flickering rays.

Fred and I had booked for the pictures, so at eight o’clock we walked slowly down to the cinema, full of hot juicy steak, and took our seats. The film we saw was "Seven Days Leave" featuring Lucille Ball and Victor Mature. And what a laugh too! The performance was rather marred by the showing of an atrocity film at the end of the show, but perhaps it was fitting that in our rejoicing we should not forget those who suffered so intensively for this final victory.

18.8.45 Sat. BACK TO TRAINING
SOLO. Stalling, spinning, steep turns, aerobatics, forced & precautionary landings.
This morning we had a talk by a Government lecturer on the government’s plans to resettle us in civilian life after we are demobbed. There are some excellent schemes in operation and the one that affects me most, I think, is for chaps with the Higher School Certificate to be sent to University absolutely free of charge. All fees will be paid plus a living allowance of £160 a year. There is an additional grant of £110 if you are married.

I had been seriously considering joining my father’s bus service until I heard of this scheme, but I still long for a really good education. What exactly I could study I don’t really know, but I can’t make any definite plans until I return to England and see what vacancies there are are. (I subsequently got a place at Belfast University, but as I was then married I decided instead to join my father’s business.

If I had known that he was going to sell the business in 1950 I would probably have decided otherwise).

20.8.45 Mon.
Flew for four hours today.
Sgt Moffat Low flying and aerobatics. . SOLO. Steep turns, aerobatics, forced and precautionary landings. SOLO. Cross-country. Enkeldoorn and Seignury Drift.
Lost Brownie Box camera north of Enkeldoorn while trying to photograph Varley. I pulled the hood back and flew with my knees but the slipstream tore the camera out of my grasp. Rather scared him I believe by doing stall turns around him.

Unknown to me this was to be my last flight

End of Part 4

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