My War - Chapter 6 - AFU (Advanced Flying Unit

Chapter 6 AFU {Advanced Flying Unit.}

This time I had to report to R.A.F Wigtown to an advanced flying unit. Life was very hectic as we were flying day and night. On one occasion I had six hours sleep in two days and nights. It would have been three nights but for bad weather causing flying to be cancelled. We were flying in Avro Ansons and had to navigate round various routes which included one or more targets to drop a practice bomb.

A chap called Boulton was on a trip which involved flying north off the west coast of Ireland and the plane just disappeared. No messages were received so the cause was unknown.

One morning I was on a day trip. We flew to the NE tip of Ireland and then turned north. We were below the clouds and they were forcing us lower until we were down to 250 ft when suddenly the pilot said “we will go to Tiree” and he turned due east. I was sitting next to the pilot and hastily searched vainly for Tiree on my map. I knew that the coast of Scotland rose up to more than 250 ft so I said mountains ahead rising to 500 ft. The pilot grabbed my map and saw that we were heading for Scotland. He quickly did a 180 degrees turn and so we arrived at Tiree which turned out to be a small island almost uninhabited but for the large meteorological station used for flying out over the Atlantic taking weather readings. I think they were using Liberators. After we had landed the pilot marched us to the Sergeants mess it seemed that they served night flying breakfasts up to about midday.The food was much better than we got at Wigtown. In the afternoon I went to find the fitter to warn him that some practice bombs with the safety pins removed were on board.

The three of us, staff pilot and wireless operator and me, spent the evening drinking and telling tales. We found out that the local laird was Teetotal and did not allow drinks to be sold on the island so the residents came to the window of the sergeants mess to buy their spiritual requirements. On the second day I was feeling a bit unwashed so I decided to request towels from the store and I signed for three. The third evening we had just settled down to another session in the bar when we got a message to return to base. We quickly finished our pints and then we were off. That was the only time I flew after a drink. In fact the training schedules didn’t provide much time for drinking. The other lads on the course were surprised to see me back as they had assumed that I had ‘had it’.

I sent the towels home to be washed and saved for me as that sort of thing was on ration and in short supply. A few days later a female Pilot Officer sent for me and requested the return of the towels. When I told her that I had sent them home, she wanted me to get them back, but I told her that I was being posted the next day so she dropped the matter, but I had to pay for them. We got three good quality towels out of it without the family having to spend clothing coupons. Clothing was rationed in those days. So off on the usual indefinite leave, which usually turned out to be two weeks.

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