大象传媒

Joining the RAF in 1942,at the age of 20 years I went into Initial Training Wing Paignton, Devon to train formy twelve hour flying selection test that would be held in Cambridge. But first I had to secure pre-flying knowledge and skills such as morse code,map reading and the like before going solo at the Chief Flying Instructers finalcheck after 12 hours.
During my Initial Training wing I was billeted in the Timbani Hotel situated on the seafront.
Iplayed football for the Wing side during the 12 weeks course. I hope this is whythey kept me on foranother 4 weeks after the course had finished.I also went dancing every Saturday night with the WAAF cook. I supposed I led the 'life of Riley'for those 4 weeks. Breakfast was brought up to my room, football twice a week and dancing every weekend.
When it was time to leave the Flight/Lt in charge of the hotel came to see me off at the station. He said "O,Reilly we know you were out of bounds every saturday night until 12 o'clock, but what we dont know is how you got back into the hotel without being challenged by the guards?"
At this fortuitous moment the train arrived, I climbed aboard and waved goodbye.
I didn,t have to tell him that I used to climb over a few garden fences,through a courtyard door left unlocked by the WAAF cook. Up onto the roof and through a wimdow left ajar. I hope I can tell this story now without being put on a charge!
Before ITW and an engine training course at St. Athens I was moved up to Ludlow. I presumed this was a holding camp prior to training and eventually to posting overseas. It was towards the end of August 1943,even so it was quite cold to wash and shave in the stream that flowed past our tented camp. It began to strike me that it could be years before I saw my widowed Mother again(it was actually 4 years) soIdecided to take 'french leave'
OUr camp wasnext toan anti-aircraft site(Ack Ack).
Satursay morning I found a tent peg mallet and pretended to knock in loose tent pegs.
I worked my way across our site onto the army site and through their main gate all without challenge. I walked down into Ludlow.
A motor cyclist came along and stopped to ask the way to Coventry...manna from heaven.. I hopped on the pillion and directed him via Bromsgrove and then to Rubery and he dropped me 100 yards from my front door.
After my 'home visit Sunday afternoon found me on New Street station in Birmingham in civvies with my uniform in a small suitcase and being eyed up and down byMPs and SP's but again -no challenge.(It wasat this time thatone or two German parachutists were being dropped in the Home Counties and so exra vigilence was necessary.
Arriving back at Ludlow I used a toilet in a pub. and came out as a smartly dressed member of the RAF. I arrived at the main gate feeling very pleased with myself but my luck had run out and my own Corporal was checking every on guard duty. The nights were drawing in as I waited in line. When he came to three in front of me he looked down and I melted away in the darkness.
All I missed was an innoculation. which I had the next day.
After my ITW engine course and the 12 hours flying course at Cambridge I moved to Heaton Park Manchester to await the news confirming I would be a future pilot. The results came through quickly and so my stay was a short one.
I then moved to Liverpool to board the Orantes cruise liner. We set sail for S.A with 4000 aboard. In the Atlantic Ocean we hit a force 7 gale on our second night aboard. Most of the passengers and some crew members were sick.
Morning found the vessel in calmer waters but there were very few takers for the cooked breakfast.
We zig-zagged across the Atlantic heading for Freetown on the South African coast. On April 5th my 21st birthday, we crossed the Equator. I asked the Officer in charge if he could rustle up something special for our tea. Between sixteen of up we had 2 large tins of fruit!
OUr stay in Freetown was short. Not being allowed ashore we spent most of our time throwing pennies into the sea for the local lads to dive for.The length of stay under the water was remarkable.
On the way down to Durban we would often sleep on deck rather than swelter in the hammocks below.
After 6 weeks we entered Durban harbour to be greeted by foghorns and a large lady dressed in white singing 'Land of hope and glory' It was quite an emotional arrival.
We were whisked away to a campsite just outside Durban and were amazed at the amount of food on the tables,especially the marmalade and jam.
On 2 occasions I was nearly expelled from the flying squad,through Ifelt, no fault of my own. the first time was when flying Tiger MOTHS
My instructor was a Yorkshireman with a strong accent consequently I was not able to understandhim particularly i an open cockpit. The Randfontein no. 2 Air School had the reputation of being the 'Rinso' school. I believed that it had failed more potential pilots than most. The instructor had also failed 3 other trainee so I decided to go to the stations M/O, who gave me a hearing test which consisted of me standing at the far end of the room and him whispering words like London and such.
I was switched to a South African Air Force Officer named Lt. Northern and it was so that I went solo after after 13 1/2 hours.
On 28.01.44 after 260 hours of flying training I was awarded my wings. I set off to 73 OTU in Egypt.
These were a couple of incidents that happened to me there.
My firsttrip in a Spit Mark 1 was made on April 1st. As I took off I slid the hood forward and it partly came off its runners. The

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