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PART 3
RAF PILOT TRAINING IN WW2
THE STORY OF GEOFF WRIGHT

No 26 Elementary Flying Training School, Guinea Fowl,
Nr Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia

20.4.45 Fri
Arrived at No 26 E.F.T.S Guinea Fowl today to start my Flying Training Course. On arrival there found Geordie and Larry already billeted. I shared a room with Sid, but it’s a little dilapidated. One leg is broken off the table, the cupboard doors are knocked in and my locker is falling to pieces. Otherwise, except for the dirty floor, it’s not too bad.
We spent a merry evening in the canteen swapping yarns about our escapades in England at the bomber stations. Larry, Geordie, Geoff, Dicky, Miff, Jock, Sid and myself are the only ones of the original 25 here. Heard today from Winn that her grandmother had died.

21.4.45 Sat
Quite a busy morning. At 06.00 hrs we paraded for a lecture by the padre. This was immediately followed by the usual form-filling and then another lecture by the Chief Ground Instructor. The we went to the Orderly Room and Accounts, had our interview with the Chief Flying Instructor.
Geoff, Geordie, Larry, Jock, Miff, Sid and myself asked to be put in the same flight and we were put into D Flight, Group 4. The afternoon we spent swimming and the most amusing part of the day was when Miff got a tick on a most embarrassing part of his body.

22.4.45 Sun
After an excellent breakfast I bathed and washed my clothes. The rest of the day was spent in reading and writing.

23.4.45 Mon
We went down to the Flights today and after hanging about all afternoon I didn’t get a flight. I did see my instructor, Sgt Colmer however, and I liked him instantly. He shook hands and chatted informally and hopes we shall enjoy our stay here. Then he showed us over a Cornell (Chipmunk) explaining all the instruments and gadgets and promised to fly us tomorrow. He is young, tall, thin, dark and quite handsome.

24.4.45 Tue
Rushed up to Flights this morning at 5.30 am but had to wait 15 minutes until the aircraft were ready to be pushed out. At 6.0 am my instructor suddenly called me and by 6.15 we were airborne. For nearly an hour we stooged around seeing all the landmarks and getting used to the feel of the machine. Sgt Colmer is an excellent instructor and I think I shall do well with him.

26.4.45 Thu
Sgt Colmer - stalling, turns, taking off into wind, glide approach and landing.

28.4.45 Sat NO FIVE DAY WEEK ON THIS STATION.
Sgt Colmer - taking off into wind, glide approach and landing

1.5.45 Tue
Sgt Colmer - climbing and gliding turns, taking off into wind, glide approach and landing.

2.5.45 Wed
Sgt Colmer - climbing and gliding turns, taking off into wind, glide approach and landing..

3.5.45 Thu
Sgt Colmer - Stalling, turns, taking off into wind, glide approach and landing. SPINNING.
Sgt Colmer - taking off into wind, glide approach and landing.

4.4.45 Fri
F/O Cartwright. taking off into wind, glide approach and landing.
F/L Whaites. Solo test.
FIRST SOLO

8.5.45 Tue PEACE DAY (in Europe) (Far East for us now)
What a miserable day. We had a church service in the hangar at 10 am and I enjoyed the padre’s sermon. but for the rest of the day I was utterly despondent.

9.5.45 Wed
Moped about the billets all day. So cheesed off that I gambled in the evening with the boys at Pontoon, but it helped to pass the time away.

10.5.45 Thu
Lecture by CO at 3.00 pm re brawl between police from detention barracks and airmen from Guinea Fowl. The police are part of a small Dutch minority who are pro German. Action has been taken against them and tonight Gwelo was fairly quiet. Caught transport at 4.00 pm minus pass. Had a few sherries and a Pyms in the Midlands, did a little shopping and saw "Kismet" at the cinema.

11.5.45 Fri
Flying solo again this afternoon. After one circuit with F/O Cartwright I was sent on my own. Made one fairly decent circuit and as it was only 5.10 pm I made a dummy approach and went round again.

12.5.45 Sat
Flying with F/O Cartwright again at 6.30 am. Climbed to 9,000 feet and practised starting engine in flight, spins and stalls. Just before we started these exercises the recall signal went up but we continued for half an hour in spite of the fog rolling in. When we eventually did try and approach the aerodrome it was difficult to spot its exact position. We circled above and in the fog for 10 minutes and then decided to come down as the fog on one side of the field was thinning a little. We came right down to the deck, and after carefully avoiding the telegraph wires we made a safe landing 70 degrees out of wind.

14.5.45 Mon
Sgt Colmer. Climbing and gliding turns, taking off into wind, powered approach and landing.
F/O Cartwright. Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing.

15.5.45 Tue
Sgt Colmer Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing.
SOLO Taking off into wind, powered approach & landing.

16.5.45 Wed
Sgt Colmer. Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing, instrument flying
SOLO. Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing

17.5.45 Thu.
Sgt Colmer Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing, side-slipping, steepturns.
SOLO Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing

18.5.45 Fri.
Sgt Colmer SPINNING, side-slipping, steep turns instrument flying
SOLO Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing

"We carried revolvers when flying and the reason was that a cadet pilot force-landed recently. He was taken in by natives who fed him and and gave him a bed in their kraal. During the night they murdered him because the food he had dined on was giraffe meat, and giraffe was royal game. They were afraid he would report them and so committed the crime. One of the natives took the pilot’s wrist watch before they disposed of the body and that was how they were eventually caught by the British South African Police."

19.5.45 Sat
In the evening went into Gwelo and had a drink at the Cecil with the boys and then saw "The Phantom Lady" at the Royal.

VICTORY CELEBRATIONS IN THE BUNDU

20.5.45 Sun
Decided to go Bundu bashing. (Bundu is the name given to the Rhodesian scrub land). At 14.45, after borrowing Sid’s bush jacket, I booked out of camp and headed westwards along the Selukwe road. After I had walked for half an hour I decided to climb ——— Kop which lay over to my left. I followed a path for a short distance and then decided to take a short cut through the trees and long grass. At first it wasn’t too bad, I found a miraculously coloured butterfly and tried for 10 minutes to catch it in my topee, but it was too quick for me. Eventually I reached the top of the hill and had a wonderful view of the Sekondi range laid out before me. I could hear a native band beating out a wild rhythm in a large kraal on my right and decided to investigate. I descended the hill by a different route disturbing on the way some kind of deer. It rather startled me for a moment but it soon disappeared in a hurry. I just caught sight of it’s head but couldn’t identify it. It must have been 5 feet tall.

After a few minutes I reached the Selukwe road and met another airman gazing with interest at the "meningi ndaba". Apparently he knew a few of the natives and a little of the language, so after deliberating a few minutes he eventually said he would come with me. We wandered along the native tracks behind some unfuzio and eventually came to the clearing in which the ndaba was in progress. We didn’t relish going too close at first but one of the native boys beckoned us on and led us to a sort of decorated shelter covered with a Union Jack and containing a table and chairs. My pal declined to sit down in there as it was in fact the throne for the local chief in whose honour the festivities were being held. Dancing was in full swing, the women forming an inner circle next to the native band of drums and whistles and the men forming an outer circle.
There were three drums, one of which had to be heated occasionally over a small fire in order to keep the skin tight. Of the other two, one was a sort of kettle drum and the other about five feet long in the shape of a horn. You could see the resemblance to ancient war dances, and if it hadn’t been for the semi-europeanised nature of their clothes, the ndaba could have been quite a frightening affair. As it was, one or two who were half drunk on Kaffir beer were definitely looking dangerous and brandishing clubs.

After a time a procession started to form on one side of the clearing headed by a drum-major and three Union Jacks. The chief himself had arrived in a large red lorry and when everyone was in order the procession began. Behind the flags came the band, consisting of two drums, a bicycle bell and a tin whistle playing the "British Grenadiers. Following this came the chief dressed in white panamas and smoking a cigarette in a curved holder about a foot long. On his right was a personage who may have been the local witch doctor. He was wearing a crown and a richly ornamented robe. All around were the chiefs, other councillors, relations and wives (2 or 3). They marched solemnly once round the compound and then came towards the decorated shelter. A drunken native prostrated himself in front of the chief’s seat presenting him with money and showering earth over his head. Other natives also had gifts of chickens to offer. After the chief and his wives had been seated, a picture frame containing a photograph of King Edward and an advert for Lions Beer was held up for silence. A native then pretended to read a proclamation from an ancient copy of the "Picture Goer". The local prostitute was making a general nuisance of herself yelling and dancing in front of the chief and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

I took a reel of photographs and as the sun was setting we set off on our way back to camp. The other chap left me after a while and I finished my walk by getting a lift with an old man who knew the late Colonel Fenwick of Stenigot. (My grandfather had been his gamekeeper).

21.5.45 Mon
Sgt Colmer Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing.
LOW FLYING, Cross wind take-offs and landings, forced landings

22.5.45 Tue
Sgt Colmer Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing

23.5.45 Wed
SOLO Side-slipping, steep turns and forced landings

24.5.45 Thu.
Sgt Colmer Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing
SPINNING, instrument flying. 55 mins.
SOLO Stalling, SPINNING, steep turns
SOLO Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing

25.5.45 Fri.
Sgt Colmer Instrument flying, low flying, stall turns and loops.
SOLO Steep turns, stall turns.

26.5.45 Sat
Geoff has been scrubbed, so tonight we went into Gwelo for a last night out, and what a night. Sid and I were the only ones sober when the Cecil closed at 8.30 pm. We had a devil of a job getting the others round to the Princes Theatre. Eventually we gave up and went on our own. After a few minutes the others came in making a great noise and swearing. I couldn’t keep them quiet and after a time they mercifully had to go outside. Geoff and Geordie stayed outside and when the others returned they promptly fell asleep. I have painful memories of them in the back of the lorry throwing beer bottles in the air.
26.5.45 Sat.
Sgt Colmer Stall turns and loops. Formation flying.
SOLO Steep turns, stall turns, compass turns

28.5.45 Mon.
My first cross country this morning - Chatsworth, Umvuma, base. Sgt Colmer flew all the way and I was able to identify most of the landmarks and write a decent log. In the evening I had my first hour of night flying, and although I flew the circuit perfectly I was unable to land. I checked too low and ran into the deck hard, forgetting to open the throttle.
Later I went up again and did much better. Sgt Colmer says that one more circuit and I shall go solo. Altogether flew 10 night circuits and landings. Wizard !!

29.5.45 Tue.
Sgt Colmore Low Flying, Cross wind landings and take offs.

30.5.45 Wed.
Sgt Colmore Cross country - Umvuma, Chatsworth.

31.5.45 Thu
Cadet nearly killed today by tail wheel of kite landing on top of him.
F/Lt Whaites Progress Test

1.6.45 Fri.
Payday £8.(2 weeks)
Sgt Colmore Forced landings, aerobatics, formation flying.
SOLO Steep turns, slow rolls, SPINNING.
2.6.45 SAT.
Dull day. Spent the evening with Jack and Sid eating bananas and sardines on toast with a glass of beer.

3.6.45 Sun.
Went for a walk in the Bundu this afternoon, but saw nothing interesting. Very tired when I returned, but after tea went to church.

4.6.45 Mon.
SOLO Spinning and slow rolls
Sgt Colmore Instrument flying (this was done underneath a hood over the cockpit.)

5.6.45 Tue.
First solo cross-country flight. Base, Cotapaxi, Shobani, Base.
Impossible to get lost and returned safely. Aircraft swung across me on take-off causing me to turn four feet above the deck.

6.6.45 Wed.
Sgt Colmer Instrument flying, low flying, crosswind take-offs and landings. Forced landings.
7.6.45 Thu.
Sgt Colmer Taking off into wind, powered approach and landing.
SOLO Cross country - Base, Induna, Base. No problems.

Another cadet pilot who flew this cross country solo in a Tiger Moth did have a few problems, got lost and had to forceland. The next day ten aircraft, flying half a mile apart in line abreast, searched for him unsuccessfully. Three days later he turned up at a District Commissioner’s house way out in the bush. Apparently he had been uncertain of his position and had turned to find the Bulawayo railway line so that he could "Bradshaw" his way back.

Unfortunately in turning to find the railway line he had not realised that he had not already crossed it, with the result that he became more off course. He eventually landed in a field and after a while natives appeared, looked at him through the long grass and went away. He was afraid to contact them, having heard about the murdered pilot.

He spent the day emptying one tank in to the other using the cover of the upper identification light and stayed in the aircraft at night. The following day he took off but as he had no idea of his whereabouts and was running short of fuel, he landed again, damaging the aircraft. This time he persuaded the natives to take him to the nearest white man with the offer of one pound then and another pound when they reached safety. They set off at dusk and ran through the night, the pupil having to stop every mile to recover and terrified by the strange noises in the bush. Eventually they reached the District Commissioner’s Office who radioed FAFHQ to report his safe arrival.
Unfortunately the Tiger Moth had to be cannibalised as it was too damaged to repair on site.

7.6.45
Sgt Colmer Night flying - 4 landings.
SOLO Night flying - 4 landings
According to the airfield controller I was so low on one approach that he had difficulty in giving me a red owing to the trees being in the way. Luckily I saw the red and opened the throttle, being until this time totally unaware that I was just above the trees. After opening the throttle I caught a glimpse of the trees just below my port wing tip. Afterwards F/O Cartwright called me into his office and asked me whether I wanted to die young or was I trying to read the time on the Gwelo clock tower.

8.6.45 Fri.
Sgt Colmer Precautionary landings and aerobatics.

9.6.45 Sat
SOLO Steep turns, forced landings and aerobatics.
Went into Gwelo this evening with the boys. Met some of the instructors in the Cecil, very merry as a result of the champagne at F/L Whaites wedding.
Afterwards we went to the Princes to see "Trocadero" followed by an atrocity film.

11.6.45 Mon.
Sgt Colmer Low level cross country.
Sgt Colmer Rolls and rolls off.

12.6.45 Tue.
Sgt Colmer Instrument flying cross country.
Sgt Colmer Low flying, precautionary landings, forced landings, aerobatics

13.6.45 Wed
SOLO Forced landings and aerobatics. . Sgt Colmer Spinning, instrument flying and aerobatics

14.6.45 Thu.
Sgt Colmer Instrument flying.

F/Lt Whaites Progress Test

27.6.45 Wed.
STATION DANCE.
Remember Sam Williams in the trifle?. Also the fight between two cadets because they couldn’t remember each other’s names.

28.6.45 Thu.
Sid got drunk at rugby party tonight.

Training at Guinea Fowl completed.
Assessment of general ability 55.9 %
Ability as pilot 360/600 Proficient
Ability as navigator 32/50 Proficient.
Total flying hours to date.
Day dual - 49.15 Day solo - 25.35 Night dual - 4.00 Night Solo 1.00
Link Trainer - 12 hours
Previous hours on Tiger Moth. Dual - 11.55 Solo 00.15

End of Part 3

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