by Gill Griffin
On July 9th I made a 25-minute local flight in a Meteor III, No. EE243, then on the 12th I made a 1 hour, 10 minute flight in an Auster, taking as my passenger Lieutenant Colonel Sanderson, our next-door-neighbour at Bracklesham, a retired army officer and a gentleman of the old school. I gave him a trip round the locality, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
On July 13th I did a local GGS (Gyro gunsight) test for one hour in the Tempest V, No. EN529. I little thought that this would be my last flight as the Flight Commander and Acting O/C Flying at AFDS. One of the new boys took over, recently returned from a hectic tour in Europe, Flight Lieutenant Fifield.
The last of the piston-engined fighters, the Mk 22 Spitfire and the Tempest V version, known as the Fury or Sea Fury, were undergoing trials. A little later the last of the true Spitfires, the Mk 24, appeared. Later still the almost completely redesigned aircraft appeared. It would have been the Mk 25 but, with its wide track undercarriage and straight-edged laminar flow wing, like the Mustang and the German FW190, it was so different that the RAF version was renamed the Spiteful. Not many were built and most of them went to the Fleet Air Arm, where they were known as the Seafang.
Later versions of the Meteor were also undergoing trials. In fact, in 1946 a new High Speed Flight was formed, commanded by Group Captain R.A. (Batch) Atcherley, one of the pre-war team. My old friend Bill Waterton was a member of the team. That year a successful attempt by Edward Donaldson in a Meteor F Mk 4 briefly held the world speed record, following the success of the same plane in 1945, piloted by H.J. Wilson. On the coastal path between Rustington and Littlehampton in Sussex there is a bronze plaque confirming the event. Also appearing at AFDS was the single-engined jet, the DeHavilland Vampire. Sadly, I did not get to fly these new machines, something I now regret.
Summary for:– June, July 1945 1. Spitfire IX −50
Unit:– AFDS Tangmere 2. Meteor III −25
Date:– July 31st 1945 3. Auster 1–10
Signature:– H.L. Thorne 4. Tempest V 1–00
Signed H.L. Thorne, Acting pp S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDS
F/Lt Herbert Leonard Thorne, AE, MiD, 1945.
This certificate was awarded for flight testing under operational conditions the Spitfire Mk XXI in comparative trials against various RAF, FAA and USAAF fighters, for evaluating suitability for service use and for preparing and rendering a report and recommendations to the Air Ministry.
Towards the end of July 1945 I received a telephone call from a friend, a former AFDU Flight Commander, Wing Commander Ron Brown, to say that there was a vacancy at Staff level in the Air Ministry. The chosen candidate was to be attached to the MOS (Ministry of Supply) as a liaison officer between the service and the aircraft manufacturing companies. Although I thought my educational background would mar my chances, Ron suggested that I attend an interview with his Group Captain. So, in August on VJ Day, I presented myself to Thames House South in London. To my surprise I was offered the posting, on condition that I remained in the Service for at least three years. I remember walking back to the car park, watching the crowds on the Embankment setting off fireworks, dancing and singing to celebrate the victory over Japan.
As there was no Service accommodation in London it meant a move from Bracklesham and finding some furnished quarters in the London area. We found a furnished house on the south side of Slough, very near to the Eton College playing fields and only two miles from Windsor. The location was very handy for us to visit Doris, my eldest sister and her policeman husband Percy Climer, who was stationed in Slough. I had lived with them from 1934 to 1939, finished my grammar school education at Slough Secondary School and started my working life at the High Duty Alloys factory in the town, so I had many friends there. As Estelle had worked as a secretary in the CID police office she, too, had many friends in the vicinity. Shortly after we took up residence in Slough my old school friend Freddy Deeks and Dorothy were married on 18th May 1946, Gill’s third birthday. We remained lifelong friends.
On November 15th I flew a Spitfire VB from Hendon to West Raynham and back, each flight lasting 50 minutes.
In order to maintain our pilot pay status we were required to fly a certain number of hours annually. A special unit was based at Hendon, from which we could take our pick of the several aircraft types there. The aforementioned flights were some of these; there were others not recorded.
On June 13th 1947 I flew an Auster Autocrat accompanied by a Staff Pilot, making a one-hour local flight at Rearsby. Following a meeting at Auster Aircraft Company I was offered a flight in a new machine just off the production line. After a buzz round with the company’s pilot, I was free to do my own thing. This was my last recorded flight as a member of the RAFVR.
Flying time
Dual Solo Passenger
Night Flying 3–30 11–20
Daylight Flying 60–00 1074–50 16–15
GRAND TOTAL FLYING HOURS: 1149 hrs. 40 minutes.
I was released from active service on 2nd September 1948, although I remained a serving officer until the end of November and was able to continue wearing my uniform until then. This was also the day on which our second daughter, Penelope, was born.
For the next 33 years my time was fully occupied earning a living in civvy street and I was unable to take an interest in flying. After my retirement at the end of 1981 I was able to join a flying club at Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. In anticipation of my eagerness to fly again, earlier that year Estelle had given me a one-hour flight as a birthday present; but it was 1984 before I made further flights on a regular basis.
APPENDIX 1
LIST OF AIRCRAFT FLOWN
De Havilland Tiger Moth DH 82 Biplane Trainer Gipsy Major At EFTS Desford Sept/Nov. 1940
Miles Master Mk 1 Low-wing Monoplane Trainer Rolls-Royce Kestrel Series 1 At SFTA Hullavington Nov/April ’40/41
Miles Master Mk 2 Low-wing Monoplane Trainer Rolls-Royce Series 2 Instruct Bomber S/Ldr. Duxford ’42
Miles Master Mk 3 Low-wing Monoplane Trainer Twin Row Wasp Radial Instruct Bomber S/Ldr. Duxford ’42
Hurricane I Rolls-Royce Merlin III 8 machine guns SFTS Hullavington ’40/41
Hurricane IV Rolls-Royce Merlin XX 4 machine guns & 2 × 20mm. Cannons AFDU Duxford ’42
Spitfire Mk I Rolls-Royce Merlin III 8 machine guns. OTU 1st solo Speke ’41
Spitfire Mk IIa Rolls-Royce Merlin III 8 machine guns. OTU 41 Sqdn. Catterick ’41
Spitfire Mk IIb Rolls-Royce Merlin III 8 machine guns. OTU 41 Sqdn. Catterick ’41
Spitfire Mk Vb Rolls-Royce Merlin III 4 machine guns and 2 20mm cannon 41 Sqdn. Catterick and W. Hampnett ’41
Spitfire Mk Va Rolls-Royce Merlin III 8 machine guns 41 Sqdn. Catterick and W. Hampnett ’41
Spitfire Mk Vc Rolls-Royce Merlin III 2 machine guns and 4 cannon Duxford
Spitfire Mk VI As Mk Vb but with pressurised cabin AFDU Wittering
Spitfire VII As Mk above but with elongated wings for super high altitude
All following Spitfires at AFDU Duxford or Wittering
Spitfire Mk VIII LF Redesigned Mk Va but with Merlin 66 2-speed 2-stage blower for best performance to 30,000 ft
Spitfire Mk VIII HF As above but with max. performance up to 40,000 ft
Spitfire Mk IX LF As Mk VIII LF
Spitfire Mk IX HF As Mk VIII HF. The best of all the Spitfires
Spitfire Mk XI Similar to Mk IX HF but without armament for PRU
Spitfire Mk XII LF only Similar to Mk IX LF but with the new Rolls-Royce Griffon engine
Spitfire MkXIV HF As above but super performance up to 40,000 ft. Ceiling 43/44.000ft
Spitfire Mk XVI Similar to Mk IX HF but with American Packard built Merlin engine and .5 colt machine guns
Spitfire Mk XVIII Similar to Mk XIV but without armaments for PRU
Spitfire Mk XXI As Mk XIV but with more powerful engine and 5 bladed airscrew
Miles Magister Monoplane Trainer Gipsy Major 602 Sqdn. Kenley ’41/42
S
tinson Reliant American 4 seater light passenger plane Engine: Lycoming AFDU Duxford ’42/43
Boulton Paul Defiant Night Fighter Rolls-Royce Merlin AFDU Duxford ’42/43
Blackburn Skua Naval Fighter reconnaissance aircraft Radial engine AFDU Duxford ’42/43
Airspeed Oxford Twin-engined Trainer Cheeta Radials AFDU Duxford ’42/43
North American Mustang Mk I (P51) Alison water cooled Armament 8.5 colt m/g. 17.6 42, evaluation
North American Mustang Mk III (P51a) Packard Merlin 66 AFDU Duxford and Wittering
North American Mustang Mk X (P51d) As above but with Bubble canopy AFDU Duxford and Wittering
North American Mustang Mk IV As above but with Tear Drop canopy and ‘cut down’ rear fuselage AFDU Duxford and Wittering
Wellington Bomber Twin Bristol radial or RR Merlin engines Fighter Affiliation at Lakenheath
Aerocobra American Fighter Alison in line August.42 for evaluation
Gloster Gladiator Biplane fighter Radial Jan.’43 to Little Rissington for breaking up
American Thunderbolt (P47) Popularly known as ‘The Jug’ Wright double row cyclone Experience on type. Feb ’43
Hawker Typhoon Napier Sabre Evaluation and comparative performance April ’43
Heston Phoenix 4 seater light communication aircraft Gypsy VI
Grumman Martlet American naval fighter Wright Cyclone Experience on type, an unusual one for my logbook
Focke Wulf FW 190 German Fighter BMW 801 Radial Aug.43. Comparative trials and Demonstrations began.
Percival Proctor Light comm. Aircraft Gypsy Queen Sept ’43
Auster Army co-op aircraft Cirrus Nov ’43
Tempest I Sabre Performance testing Jan. ’44
Tempest V Bristol Centaurus Performance and dive bombing Oct. ’44
John Timmis, Len Thorne and Ron Rayner at Hullavington, 1991.
Len Thorne and Ron Rayner off for a flight with Bristol University Air Training Squadron instructors at Hullavington.
Len settling in to an ME109G at Duxford, after its rebuild, identical to the one which he flew in 1944 and crashed when the port oleo collapsed on take-off. ‘They wouldn’t let me fly it in case I broke the bloody thing again!’
Len Thorne in 1996 being shown the ‘taps’ on Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 trop 10639 (G-USTV) at Duxford Airshow.
Grumman Hellcat US Naval fighter Double Row Wasp Another odd one for my logbook
Fairey Firefly Naval fighter/Bomber RR Griffon Another odd one for my logbook
Firefly Fulmar Naval fighter/Bomber RR Merlin Another odd one for my logbook
US Boston (also known as the Havoc) Fighter/bomber Twin Wright Cyclones Evaluation and communications
Gloster Meteor Mk I RR B 23 Jet Attached to 616 Sqdn. Manston Nov ’44 for experience with Sqdn.
Gloster Meteor Mk III RR B 23 Jet Testing. Moved to Tangmere. Feb ’45
German Messerschmidt Me 109 G (known as the Gustav) Daimler Benz DB 605 Nov. ’44 comparative testing
Mustang IV Packard or Ford Merlin 66 built under licence Some testing, mostly bombing
Auster Autocrat At Rearsby factory, experience on type; my last flight as an RAF pilot.
Flown as a civilian pilot
Piper PA 38 Tomahawk Flown as a member of Wellesbourne Aviation Flying Club
A glider At Bidford Gliding Club
Cessna C152 At Wellesbourne Club
Katana DV 20 At Wellesbourne Club
Slingsby Firefly For aerobatics to celebrate my 80th birthday
Robin
Warrior Flown for BBC in connection with a News 24 item about FW 190s being built at Gamelsdorf, Germany
Flown as second pilot
Avro Anson (later flown as first pilot)
Avro Lancaster
Percival Q 6 (later flown as first pilot)
NA Mitchell B25 twin-engined day bomber
Flown as passenger
DC 3 Dakota
DC 4 (I believe it was called the ‘Pionnair’)
DC 8 DC10
Fuji Twin
DH Rapide
BAC 111
Boeing 727
Boeing 737
Boeing 747
Boeing 767
Concorde (most of this flight was spent on the Flight deck with the crew)
Airbus (various versions)
Tristar
Bristol Britannia (the Banana Bomber of Monarch Airlines)
APPENDIX 2
AERODROMES AT WHICH I
LANDED OR FROM WHICH
I OPERATED
Desford (Leics) 30–09–1940
Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS)
Braunston (Leics) 01–10–1940
Derby 08–11–1940
Satellite for practice navigation
Cosford (Salop) 13–11–1940
For first solo cross-country flight
Hullavington (Wilts) 11–12–1940
Service Flying Training School (SFTS)
Chipping Norton (Oxon) 05–04–1941
Babdown Farm (Glos) 30–03–1941
Satellite for night flying training
Upavon (Wilts) 07–04–1941
Hawarden 25–04–1941
Near Chester, OTU for Spitfire training
Speke (Liverpool) 25–04–1941
Sealand
Temporary use due to bombing of Hawarden and Speke
Catterick (Yorks) 11–06–1941
Homebase of 41 Squadron
Acklington (Northumbs.) 11–06–1941
Leeming Bar (Yorks) 17–06–1941
Spitfire Vb M Unit
Thornaby 24–06–1941
41 Sqdn Advance Base
Greatham (Durham) 24–06–1941
(Satellite to Thornaby)
Redhill (Surrey) 27–06–1941
11 Group, for operations over France
Kenley (Surrey) 11–07–1941
602 Sqdn operational base & sector station
North Weald (Essex) 21–07–1941
Merston (Sussex) 22–07–1941
Tangmere (Sussex) 24–07–1941
White Waltham (Berks) 24–08–1941
Little Rissington (Glos) 10–10–1941
Hendon (Middx) 01–11–1941
Manston (Kent) 08–11–1941
Shoreham (Sussex) 07–12–1941
Leysdown (Kent) 07–12–1941
Llandow (Glam. S Wales) 17–12–1941
Martlesham Heath (Suff) 29–12–1941
Bircham Newton (Norfolk) 24–02–1942
Langham (Norfolk) 24–02–1942
West Raynham (Norfolk) 24–02–1942
Duxford (Cambs) 29–03–1942
This was only a visit; I was not posted to AFDU Duxford until May ’42
Marham (Norfolk) 12–05–1942
Waddington (Lincs) 16–05–1942
Syerston (Notts) 17–05–1942
Scampton (Lincs) 30–05–1942
Famous as the home base of the Dam Busters
Matlask (Norfolk) 02–06–1942
Woodhall Spa (Lincs) 04–06–1942
Bottesford (Lincs) 07–06–1942
Digby (Lincs) 09–06–1942
Reading (Berks) 10–06–1942
Ludham (Norfolk) 18–06–1942
Honnington (Suffolk) 19–06–1942
Stradishall (Suffolk) 21–06–1942
Boscombe Down (Wilts) 22–06–1942
Fowlmere (Cambs) 23–06–1942
Lympne (Kent) 25–06–1942
Wyton (Cambs) 28–06–1942
Waterbeach (Cambs) 28–06–1942
Oakington (Cambs) 28–06–1942
Methwold (Norfolk) 29–06–1942
Feltwell (Norfolk) 01–07–1942
Lakenheath (Suffolk) 01–07–1942
Heston (Middx) 27–07–1942
Farnborough (Hants) 29–07–1942
Dishforth (Yorks) 04–08–1942
Middleton St. George (Durham) 05–08–1942
Hucknall (Not
ts) 19–08–1942
Rolls-Royce Aero Engine Division
Mildenhall (Suffolk) 20–08–1942
Upwood (Cambs) 21–08–1942
Colerne (Wilts) 24–08–1942
Cranfield (Beds) 27–08–1942
Nottingham 02–09–1942
Tempsford (Beds) 03–09–1942
Chelveston (Northants) 03–09–1942
Topcliffe (Yorks) 06–09–1942
Skipton (Yorks) 10–09–1942
Northolt (Middx) 16–09–1942
Thurleigh (Beds) 23–09–1942
Langley (Bucks, now Berks) 24–09–1942
The airfield adjoining the Hawker Aircraft factory. My nearest place for visiting the family at Slough
Wolsingham (Durham) 09–11–1942
Henlow (Beds) 13–11–1942
Bourne (Lincs) 27–11–1942
Warboys (Hunts, now Cambs) 01–10–1942
Burtonwood (Ches) 23–10–1942
Langar (Notts) 15–10–1942
Lichfield (Staffs) 15–10–1942
A Wellington OTU, handy for visiting my brother’s family
Fulbeck (Lincs) 26–11–1942
Foulsham (Norfolk) 07–12–1942
Hunsden (Herts) 13–02–1943
Bovingdon (Herts) 13–02–1943
Wittering (Cambs) 15–02–1943
The base for AFDU from March ’43 to Feb ’45
Ridgewell (Essex) 03–03–1943
Gransden Lodge (Cambs) 24–03–1943
Colleyweston (Northants) 29–03–1943
Joined to Wittering by a 3-mile runway cut between the two airfields to form an emergency landing strip for aircraft in trouble
