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Authors: Gill Griffin

A Very Unusual Air War (44 page)

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15 January
: This Mk IV was the best version of the Mustang. It had the one-piece moulded canopy and, with the cut-down rear fuselage, gave truly all-round visibility. A modified tail unit greatly improved stability and with six .5-inch machine guns it was a formidable aircraft. With its 6-hour endurance it was certainly one of the most successful weapons in shortening the war.

29 January
: It was in this test that the poor stability of the Mk 21 showed up most.

Summary for:– January 1945
1. Spitfire
1–55
Unit:– AFDS Wittering
2. Mustang
3–40
Date:– 3/2/45
3. Tempest
1–05
Signature:–
H.L. Thorn
e F/Lt
 
H.L.Thorne
F/Lt, pp S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDS

During this winter period there was extremely cold weather with several heavy snow falls. This explains the lack of flying activity during December and January. There was one particular day when Wimpy and I had to use a car to carry out an inspection at Colley Weston and he demonstrated his complete recovery from his night flying fright. We were on the country road south of Wittering, Wimpy at the wheel, driving at high speed over ice-covered surfaces. I expected to end up in a ditch but we got away with it; the drive scared the pants off me worse than any flying experience. Wimpy at his best!

YEAR
1945
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
Spitfire 21
LA201
Self
 
Cine camera
 
−35
 
 
3rd
Spitfire IX
JL359
Self
 
Cine camera
 
−25
 
 
4th
Spitfire IX
JL359
Self
 
Cine camera
 
−25
 
 
 
Mustang III
FZ107
Self
 
To Tangmere
 
−45
 
 
 
Mustang III
FZ107
Self
 
To base
 
−45
 
 
7th
Spitfire 21
LA201
Self
 
Cine camera
 
−30
 
 
9th
Spitfire IX
BS552
Self
 
To Boscombe Down
 
−40
 
 
 
Spitfire IX
BS552
Self
 
To base
 
−45
 
 
10th
Spitfire IX
MJ421
Self
 
GGS tracking
 
−40
 
 
14th
Spitfire IX
MJ421
Self
 
GGS tracking
 
−25
 
 
 
Tempest V
EN529
Self
 
GGS tracking
 
−25
 
 
18th
Spitfire IX
RR228
Self
 
(Cine camera) handling
 
−35
 
 
 
Spitfire IX
RR228
Self
 
Handling
 
−20
 
 
19th
Spitfire IX
PV295
Self
 
Cine camera
 
−40
 
 
 
Mustang IV
704
Self
 
Target
 
−35
 
 
21st
Boston
BZ363
Self
 
Air test
 
−20
 
 
 
Spitfire XIV
253
Self
 
Gunsight test
 
−15
 
 
24th
Boston
BZ363
Self
 
To Tangmere
 
−50
 
 
 
Anson
?
S/Ldr Wade
Self
To base
 
1–00
 
 
 
Spitfire 21
LA201
Self
 
To Tangmere
 
−40
 
 
 
Anson
 
Self
F/Lt Cull
To base
 
1–00
 
 
28th
Meteor III
EE263
Self
 
Local
 
−35
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 1,132 hours 50 mins
3–30
11–20
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
60–00
1058–00
16–15

4 February
: I had flown FZ107 on and off since December 31st 1943, completing the test programme and much flying purely for pleasure. It was with a sense of regret that I flew it for the last time. Goodbye to a friend.

24 February
: This was the start of our move to Tangmere. After D-Day this airfield was almost empty, all the operational units, aircraft and personnel had moved to the Continent. It was decided by the Air Ministry that various fighter test and experimental units would be merged into one organisation under the heading CFE (Central Fighter Establishment). Among the units was AFDS (now with squadron status), A & AEE (Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment from Boscombe Down), FLS (Fighter Leaders School), part of RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment from Farnborough) and others.

It was with great regret on all sides that Estelle and I left our rooms at Chain Cottage and started a search for new accommodation. With so many people moving to ‘Tangers’ this was not easy and we spent the first few weeks in one room in a council house at East Wittering with Mr and Mrs Kirby and their 12-year-old daughter. I remember only one feature of this house: in the front room was an Anderson air-raid shelter. We were pretty relieved to move into a furnished bungalow, near the seafront, in Bracklesham Bay towards the end of March. ‘Veronica’, a wooden bungalow just a stone’s throw from the beach, was very much a holiday home but ideal for us, with the spring and summer to come.

28 February
: The Meteor Mk III, with more powerful engines, was a great improvement on the earlier version of the aircraft.

Summary for:– February 1945
1. Spitfire
6–55
Unit:– AFDS Tangmere
2. Mustang
2–05
Date:– 2/3/45
3. Tempest
−25
Signature:– H.L.Thorne
4. Boston
1–10
5. Anson
2–00
6. Meteor III
−35
 
Signed:
T.S. Wade
S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDS
YEAR
1945
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
Meteor III
EE263
Self
 
Air test
 
−20
 
 
 
Meteor III
EE263
Self
 
Air test
 
−25
 
 
4th
Spitfire IX
MJ421
Self
 
Weather test
 
−30
 
 
 
Spitfire 21
LA215
Self
 
Gun platform
 
−40
 
 
17th
Spitfire IX
PV295
Self
 
Air test
 
−25
 
 
 
Anson
 
Self
Sgt Leslie
To Boscombe Down
 
−40
 
 
 
Anson
 
Self
 
To base
 
−40
 
 
22nd
Mustang IV
204
Self
 
Target
 
−30
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 1,137 hours 00 mins
3–30
11–20
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
60–00
1062–10
16–15

1 March
: Fun and games on the first flight: the starboard engine suffered a flame-out and I had to make my first single-engine approach and landing in a twin. To my relief it turned out to be a piece of cake. A minor fault corrected for the second flight but I did not go far from the airfield.

Summary for:– March 1945
1. Spitfire
1–35
Unit:– AFDS Tangmere
2. Mustang
−30
Date:– 2/3/45
3. Meteor
−45
Signature:– H.L.Thorne
4. Anson
1–20
 
Signed:
T.S. Wade
S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDS
YEAR
1945
AIRCRAFT
Pilot or 1st Pilot
2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass.
DUTY (Including Results and Remarks)
Flying Time
Passenger
MONTH
DATE
Type
No.
Dual
Solo
April
3rd
Spitfire IX
JL359
Self
 
Air test
 
−30
 
 
4th
Mustang III
890
Self
 
Handling at 25,000ft
 
1–25
 
 
5th
Mustang III
754
Self
 
Air test
 
−30
 
 
7th
Auster I
 
Self
 
To Westcott
 
1–15
 
 
 
Auster I
 
Self
 
Westcott to base
 
1–00
 
 
14th
Spitfire XIV
JL356
Self
 
Local
 
−30
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 1,141 hours 25 mins
3–30
11–20
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
60–00
1066–35
16–15

4 April
: This was not really a test flight. Climbing all the way to the south coast, at 25,000 ft I could see across the Channel to Cherbourg and the last of the Normandy invasion shipping.

7 April
: Many items of food, including eggs, were still rationed. The flight was one of a number that I made to collect a crate of 12 dozen eggs from my sister’s farm, for the Officers’ Mess.

On April 20th the European war came to an end and our work at AFDS came almost to a standstill. Like many servicemen, our own futures were in doubt and CFE in general and AFDS in particular were swamped by an influx of officers from Europe. The new CFE set-up was still being organised and a commanding officer had yet to be appointed. Wing Commander Douglas Bader, recently returned from his POW days at Colditz Castle, paid an escorted visit to Duxford and hoped to get the post. I was told that he was very disappointed to be passed over. Wing Commander Ronald (Razz) Berry, a hero of the Battle of Britain and the siege of Malta, was appointed commanding officer.

Summary for:– April 1945
1. Spitfire
1–00
Unit:– AFDS Tangmere
2. Mustang
2–10
Date:– 30/5/45
3. Auster
2–15
Signature:– H.L. Thorne
 
Signed
H.L. Thorne
, F/Lt Acting S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDS
BOOK: A Very Unusual Air War
11.94Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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