A Very Unusual Air War
Page 19
Oxford V3791 Self 1 passenger To Duxford −45
Oxford V3791 Self 1 passenger To base −30
FW 190 PM679 Self Air test −10
15th Oxford V3791 Self F/O Garvey To Swinderby & return −35
24th Spitfire VIII JF816 Self Escort ME109F of 1426 Flt 1–00
27th Oxford V3791 Self To Hucknall −30
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 880 hours 45 mins
27 October: I cannot remember why I did so little flying this month. It may have been bad weather or the time I spent in the Officers’ Hospital at Ely, under observation for a touch of stomach trouble. The continuing engine trouble with the FW190 obviously curtailed my flying programme severely.
Summary for:- October 1943 1. Oxford 3–35
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. FW190 −10
Date:- 1/11/43 3. Spitfire VIII 1–00
Signature:- H.L. Thorne
Signed: T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
After several short changes of O/C Flying, during which I often had to perform that function, Squadron Leader T.S. Wade took over the appointment and remained with AFDU until the end of the European war. Trevor Wade, from his build, was always known as Wimpy, in reference to the shape of the Wellington bomber, also nicknamed the Wimpy, both, I believe, taken from a cartoon character, J. Wellington Wimpy, in an American comic strip.
Trevor Wade, Wimpy, was a terrific character himself; someone should have written a book about him. He was, without doubt, the best aerobatic pilot I ever met. On bad weather days, he would perform over the airfield at very low level and we all turned out to watch. It was said that, when his wife was in a local nursing home awaiting the arrival of their first baby, he gave them a show that caused several ladies to give birth then and there. We became good friends and when their baby was christened at the Wittering Chapel, Estelle and I were guests. No baby had his head wetted as thoroughly as that one.
The district around the airfield, which bordered the Burghley estate, abounded with game, which we shot at every opportunity. On one occasion, Wimpy and I were driving in a lane just outside the boundary fence poaching, with some success, when we were caught by a gamekeeper, who bravely attempted to stop us. Wimpy kept going and the man hurriedly moved aside. This occurrence was duly reported to the Unit Commanding Officer, Allan Wright. He had us up on the carpet but, of course, we denied any knowledge of the matter and so it was duly reported back.
YEAR 1943 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
November 3rd Master Self F/Lt Taylor Dual instruction −25
Oxford BG549 F/O Walker Self To Hucknall −25
Oxford V3791 Self To base −30
5th Spitfire IX JK359 Self Fuel consumption test −15
Spitfire IX JK359 Self Fuel con-sumption test −30
FW 190 PM679 Self Air test −15
Spitfire XII EN222 Self Engine cutting trial −15
6th Spitfire VIII JF816 Self Cine gun −25
Spitfire V AF9 Self Cine gun −20
7th Spitfire XII EN222 Self Cutting test −20
Spitfire IX JF359 Self Fuel consumption test 1–35
18th FW 190 PM679 Self To Tangmere −55
19th FW 190 PM679 Self Co-op Typhoons −45
20th FW 190 PM679 Self Co-op Typhoons −45
23rd FW 190 PM679 Self To Dunsfold −20
24th Auster I Self To Redhill −25
Auster I Self To Dunsfold −25
FW 190 PM679 Self Co-op Mustangs −50
Auster Self To Redhill −25
25th Auster Self To Dunsfold −25
FW 190 PM679 Self To North Weald −40
FW 190 PM679 Self Co-op Mustangs −40
26th FW 190 PM679 Self Co-op Mustangs 1–00
29th FW 190 PM679 Self To Hartford Bridge −45
30th FW 190 PM679 Self Co-op Bostons 1–30
FW 190 PM679 Self To Wittering −40
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 896 hours 30 mins 3–30 9–15
60–00 823–45 16–15
3 November: I always enjoyed a trip in a Master; it was so easy to fly.
Flying Officer Walker, with Flying Officer Hugh Godefroy (Canadian) and I were regular members of the Detached Affiliation Flight. F/O Walker had quite a reputation with the WAAFs; it was said he took out a different one every night.
5 November: These fuel consumption tests were of the new Negative G carburettor.
I believe a ‘new’ engine had been fitted on the 190; one taken from another lost 190 that was damaged on landing.
The engine cutting involved deliberate mishandling of the throttle control while applying Negative G.
7 November: For fuel consumption tests the aircraft was fitted with a Kent Flow-meter by the Kent Company at Luton. The test would be at varying heights and throttle settings. From the longer duration of this flight I assume that this one was at a higher altitude.
24 November: Another visit to the old Squadron, back in 11 Group after their rest. They were now flying Spitfire IXs and could meet the dreaded 190s on better than even terms. Consequently, they were much happier but only two or three pilots were from the ‘old lot’. Where did that Auster I come from? I assume I borrowed it from one of the army co-op units at Dunsfold, another first flight in the logbook.
30 November: I was really glad to be back at base after my longest period of detachment, from November 18th to November 30th. It was 12 days of hard going. The Mustang and Boston boys really kept me busy despite some days of doubtful weather.
Summary for:- November 1943 1. Master −25
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. Oxford −55
Date:- 5/12/43 3. Spitfire IX 2–20
Signature:- H.L. Thorne 4. Spitfire VIII −25
5. Spitfire XII −35
6. Spitfire V −20
7. FW190 9–05
8. Auster 1–40
Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
YEAR 1943 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passengerw
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
December 1st FW 190 PM679 Self To Wittering −40
10th FW 190 PM679 Self Air test −15
11th Oxford V3791 Self F/Lt Aalpoel BAT practice 1–00
31st Mustang III FZ107 Self Experience on type 1–00
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 899 hours 25 mins 3–30 9–15
60–00 826–40 16–15
1 December: I am puzzled by this entry. The previous day, November 30th, my logbook shows a return to Wittering and again today, December 1st. The flying times are the same, so it appears that there must be a missing entry. Gremlins again!
11 December: This marked a spell of very bad/severe weather so a spell of blind landing practice was sensible. In the event, I spent the following ten days as a guest of Rolls-Royce at Hucknall on an engine-handling course. This was followed by a week’s leave, which Estelle, Gill and I spent in Redditch with her family and friends. We were very welcome as we were well loaded with pheasants and partridges!
31 December: I had flown the Mustang III and the Mustang X back in August. I believe they were basically the same version, the Mk X being the type converted by Rolls-Royce in England and the Mk III the final American-produced machine, with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines produced under licence by Packard and Ford. The modifications changed a fairly ordinary fighter into the world-beater it became. My flight on December 31st marked the start of major trials in which I was heavily involved. FZ107 was actually delivered to AFDU four days earlier, on December 26th.
Summary for:- December 1943 1. FW190 −55
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. Oxford 1–00
Date:- 1/1/44 3. Mustang III 1–00
Signature:- H.L. Thorne
Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
So ended 1943, an eventful year for me, flying
many new types and thoroughly enjoying flying the Focke Wulf FW190. By the end of the year its reputation as a killing machine (the Germans called it the Würger, the Butcher Bird, or shrike) had become somewhat tarnished. Later Marks of the Messerschmitt ME109 were now a more formidable proposition. Spitfire IXs, XIIs, VIIIs, XVIs and the XIVs, now strongly supported by the Mustang, were more than a match for the best the Luftwaffe could muster.
YEAR 1944 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
January 1st Mustang III FZ107 Self Speed runs −40
2nd Mustang III FZ107 Self Speed runs −45
Oxford V3791 Self A/C Roscorla To Romford & back to base 1–20
3rd Proctor DX220 Self Cpl Mauker To Luton −30
Proctor DX220 Self Cpl Mauker To base −40
4th Spitfire VII BS229 Self Dive break test −55
Mustang III FZ107 Self Climbs to 20,000ft −35
5th Mustang III FZ107 Self Climbs and speed runs −45
7th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Comparative speeds and climbs −35
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Comparative speeds and climbs −55
8th Spitfire V AD318 Self To Wescott, compass test −35
Spitfire V AD318 Self To base −35
9th Proctor DX220 Self To Langley 1–00
Proctor DX220 Self To base 1–00
10th Mustang III FZ107 Self Rate of roll −50
Mustang III FZ107 Self Dives, climbs & turning circles −40
18th Mustang III FZ107 Self Speed runs −10
21st Mustang III FZ107 Self Speed runs −45
Mustang III FZ107 Self Fuel consumption test 1–10
22nd Mustang III FZ107 Self To Cranfield and back −35
23rd Mustang III FZ107 Self To Cranfield −25
Mustang III FZ107 Self To base −25
Mustang III FZ107 Self Comparative turning circles −30
Spitfire IX JL359 Self Comparative turning circles −40
25th Spitfire IX BS582 Self Air test −30
Spitfire IX JL359 Self Fuel consumption test −25
26th FW 190 PM679 Self Air test −20
28th Tempest JN737 Self Zoom climbs −25
29th Tempest JN737 Self Speed runs −40
Tempest JN737 Self Operational climb −45
30th Spitfire IX MH415 Self Cutting −20
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 920 hours 30 mins 3–30 9–15
60–00 847–45 16–15
2 January: This entry is unusual as we actually landed at Romford but it is recorded as a single flight. I have noticed that this happened on one or two occasions.
3 January: Our ground crews really enjoyed a flight now and then.
4 January: The Mk VII was basically a Mk VIII with a pressurised cabin for flying at high altitude. It had elongated wings and some had cabin heating. By this stage in the war there was very little need for high-altitude work and only a few were built.
7 January: The last four flights would have taken place with the Spit IX and the Mustang III starting side by side or in formation so that direct comparisons could be made.
8 January: An excuse to land at Westcott and scrounge a lift to Poletrees to see Mum, Gwen and family. Joe again took me back and I obtained a temporary pass for him. He was able to look inside ‘my’ Spit, then watch while I started the engine, taxied out and took off. Afterwards he was escorted out by the guardroom staff. It made his day and was good for many pints at the local Crooked Billet pub.
10 January: These tests would have been made in conjunction with a Spit IX, probably flown by S/Ldr Wade (Wimpy). On the 23rd, I flew the Spit IX for the comparative turning circles.
21 January: The speed runs were carried out at intervals of 2,000 feet with the throttle set to maximum cruising first, then at full throttle. On the first run at ground level, flying straight and level, I recorded an indicated speed of 455mph, my fastest so far. At such low level the impression of speed was terrific. I wonder what went wrong on the first flight – ten minutes would be just up and down; probably weather conditions were no good.
28 January: My first flight in a Tempest I, the successor to the Hurricane and Typhoon. It was powered by a Napier Sabre engine of 2,400hp with a speed of nearly 450mph. Later versions had a Bristol Centaurus radial engine, first designated the Tempest II and later, the Fury. Its final top speed was nearly 500mph.
Summary for:- January 1944 1. Mustang 8–15
Date:- 3/1/44 2. Oxford 1–20
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 3. Proctor 3–10
Signature:- H.L. Thorne 4. Spitfire VII −55
5. Spitfire IX 4–10
6. Spitfire V 1–10
7. FW190 −20
8. Tempest 1–45
Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying A.F.D.U
YEAR 1944 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
February 1st Mustang III FZ107 Self Test long-range tanks −35
Mustang III FZ107 Self Comparative v. Tempest −45
2nd Tempest JN737 Self A/C Roscorla Comparative v. Mustang −50
Mustang III FZ107 Self Cpl Mauker Fuel consumption and firing 2–20
3rd Mustang III FZ107 Self Cpl Mauker Fuel tank change-over test 1–10
4th Mustang III FZ107 Self Climb to 35,000ft 1–30
Mustang III FZ107 Self Cine gun −15
5th Mustang III FZ107 Self Assistance to Typhoon −15
Mustang III FZ107 Self To Poddington −25
Mustang III FZ107 Self To base −20
6th FW 190 PM679 Self Air test −15
7th Mustang III FZ107 Self Comparative v. FW 190 & escort 1–35
FW 190 PM679 Self Comparative v. Mustang −30
Mustang III FZ107 Self Night flying trials 1–05
8th Mustang III FZ107 Self Clims to 33,000ft & cine gun −50
Mustang III FZ107 Self Comparative v. ’190 −45
9th Spitfire IX JL359 Self Fuel consumption −25
Mustang I AM107 Self Compass test −20
10th FW 190 PM679 Self Comparative v. Tempest −30
Spitfire Vb AB169 Self To Cranfield −25
Mustang III FZ107 Self Test bubble hood −30
Spitfire Vb AB169 Self To base −35
15th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Air test −20
Mustang III FZ107 Self Consumption test 1–00
18th Spitfire XII EN222 Self Air test −15
20th Mustang III FE107 Self Fuel consumption −40
Mustang III FZ107 Self Speed runs and climbs 1–05
Mustang III FZ107 Self Fuel consumption −55
22nd Mustang III FZ107 Self To Gravesend −50
Mustang III FZ107 Self To base −35
24th Mustang III FZ107 Self Climbs −35
Oxford V3791 Self F/Sgt Bristow To Cranfield −30
Oxford V3791 Self F/Sgt Bristow To base −30
28th Mustang III FZ107 Self Comparative v. ME 109G 1–05
29th FW 190 PM679 Self Comparative v. Spitfire L2C −30
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 945 hours 30 mins 3–30 10–20
60–00 871–40 16–15
2 February: The fuel tanks of a Mustang held 176 gallons against the Spitfire’s 96, giving the Mustang an endurance of a little over 3½ hours at normal cruising speed.
5 February: First trip. The ASI (Air Speed Indicator) had failed so I led the pilot in for his landing.
6 February: We are still trying our best to get that engine right.
7 February: To the best of my knowledge the Mustang was never flown operationally at night. However, with its long range there was always a possibility of having to land after dark, so we still had to check that everything was in working order.
10 February: ‘Bubble hood.’ This was the same type of canopy as was fitted to the Spitfire IX. It was called the Malc
olm hood; it bulged outwards and gave much improved all-round visibility.
22 February: To Gravesend. This was a winter cross-country exercise when I chose to fly there in order to visit my brother-in-law, LAC Ron Davies, who served in the RAF Regiment. It took me some time to locate him in an open anti-aircraft gun-pit on airfield defence duty. Although I arrived across the Thames in a blinding snowstorm, I treated them to 10 minutes of beat-up and low-level aerobatics. Stupid really, as gunners were notoriously trigger happy and quite likely to shoot at one of ours. Ron was frequently in action and probably saw more of the Luftwaffe than I did in this vulnerable and dangerous area of Britain.
28 February: The ME 109G, known as the ‘Gustav’, was the latest version of that excellent fighter and still able to give a good account of itself in the hands of an experienced pilot.
29 February: This was co-operation with NAFDU against a Fleet Air Arm fighter designated an L2C but actually a Seafire, used effectively as a carrier-borne fighter.
Summary for:- February 1944 1. Mustang III 18–00
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. Mustang I −20
Date:- 1/3/44 3. Tempest V −50
Signature:- H.L. Thorne 4. FW190 1–45
5. Spitfire IX −45
6. Spitfire V 1–00
7. Spitfire XII −15
8. Oxford 1–00
Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
YEAR 1944 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
March 1st Mitchell 208 F/Lt Lane Self Ait test −35
Tempest V 737 Self Air test −20
2nd Typhoon 512 Self Test drop tanks −40
3rd Typhoon 512 Self Test drop tanks −55
4th Typhoon 512 Self Cutting tests −30
5th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Comparative v VII −25