by Gill Griffin
Coltishall (Norfolk) 20–04–1943
Ibsley (Hants) 20–04–1943
Hixon (Shrewsbury, Shropshire) 03–05–1943
North Luffenham (Rutland) 13–05–1943
Woolfox Lodge (Lincs) 14–05–1943
Worthy Down (Hants) 21–05–1943
Manby (Lincs) 25–05–1943
Westcott (Bucks) 05–06–1943
A Wellington OTU, nearest airfield for visiting the family at Poletrees Farm, Brill
Hockley Heath (Warks) 05–06–1943
A small grass field for emergency landings – and visits to the folks in Redditch
Castle Bromwich (W. Mids) 20–06–1943
Adjoining the Spitfire production factory; also useful for visits to Redditch
Church Fenton (Yorks) 27–06–1943
Pershore (Worcs) 11–07–1943
The flying field for RRE (Radar Research Establishment) at Malvern, Worcs
Northcotes (Lincs) 17–07–1943
Newmarket (Suffolk) 06–08–1943
A wartime FFTS in the middle of Newmarket racecourse
Hornchurch (Essex) 18–08–1943
Biggin Hill (Kent) 15–08–1943
Exeter (Devon) 22–08–1943
Portreath (Cornwall) 23–08–1943
Aston Down (Glos) 04–09–1943
Benson (Oxon) 05–09–1943
The base for PRU where I met Air Commodore John Boothman, winner for Britain of the Schneider Trophy in 1931
Great Massingham (Norfolk) 13–09–1943
Rednal (Shropshire) 15–09–1943
Hibaldstow (Lincs) 17–09–1943
Eshott (Northumberland) 19–09–1943
Dunsfold (Sussex) 23–11–1943
Hartford Bridge (Hants) 29–11–1943
The first airfield to have FIDO (Fog Intensive Dispersal by Oil) Oil was sprayed under pressure from pipes laid each side of the runway and ignited. Landing was a most frightening experience
Luton (Beds) 03–01–1944
Podington (Beds) 05–02–1944
Gravesend (Kent) 22–02–1944
Spanhoe (Northants) 16–03–1944
Sutton Bridge (Lincs) 23–04–1944
Catfoss (Yorks) 20–06–1944
Thorney Island (Sussex) 13–07–1944
Doncaster (Yorks) 09–08–1944
Another horseracing track used as an EFTS during the war
Ouston (Northumberland) 05–09–1944
Swanton Morley (Norfolk) 13–09–1944
Millfield (Northumberland) 29–09–1944
Grimburgen, Belgium 14–11–1944
A large airfield used until a month earlier by the Luftwaffe; now the base for hundreds of USAAF & RAF fighters
Antwerp, Belgium 15–11–1944
Rearsby (Leics) 13–06–1947
My final recorded flight as a pilot in the RAF.
Len on a visit to Old Warden, sitting in the cockpit of a Spitfire that had flown in from Duxford.
Swapping memories with Stuart Waring, right, and Andy Sephton, pilot with the Shuttleworth Collection.
Len with Connie Edwards and Spitfire IX MH415 in Big Spring, Texas, December 2000. Len flew this aircraft as a fighter bomber in 1944. The story of the visit to Texas was covered in the Daily Express and on BBC News.
APPENDIX 3
CIVILIAN FLYING
Postwar as a Civilian
West Raynham – a cross-country test flight
Leicester East – an away from base landing lesson
Wellesbourne – 08–07–81
My base as a member of Wellesbourne Flying Club
Bidford (Bickmarsh) – 18–07–81
My one and only flight in a glider
For my birthday in 1981, Estelle’s present was a voucher for an introductory flight at Wellesbourne. Prior to this I had made a trial flight in a glider from Bickmarsh near Bidford-on-Avon. Following my introductory flight I made four other trips in 1984, 1985 and 1992 but it was not until I lost Estelle in 1997 that I joined Wellesbourne Aviation Flying Club. Originally I flew with the Avon Club but did not enjoy the high wing Cessna 196 so I changed clubs and started off flying the PA38 Tomahawk.
I started out to retrain and attain a PPL (Private Pilot’s Licence) but, even though I got a 50% waiver from the CAA in respect of flying hours, I would still have had to take full and regular medicals, all ground lectures and exams. My friend Rick Ions advised me that, as he was quite willing and happy to fly as my safety pilot, I would be better just to carry on with flying for fun. The following is a record of my civil flying, ostensibly as a pupil but actually flying as the pilot:
1981
18th July Glider With Don Carey From Bickmarsh 40 mins
1984 Introductory flight from Wellesbourne (date not recorded)
8th Dec Fuji To take grandson Andrew for a first flight on his 11th birthday. Granddaughter Rowena came too. 40 mins
1985
12th May PA38 G.BKCY With Rick Ions From Wellesbourne 1–00 hr.
1992
18th June “ “ “ 40 mins
Sept “ “ “ 1–00 hr.
1997
29th Aug “ “ “ 1–00 hr.
3rd Sept Cessna 196 With David ? “ 1–00hr.
11th Sept PA38 G.BKCY With Rick Ions Cross country 1–00 hr.
9th Oct “ “ Cloud & instrument flying 55 mins
15th Oct “ “ Touch & Go 55 mins
22nd Oct G.BRNJ “ Cross country 1–00 hr.
29th Oct “ “ Cross country & T&G 55 mins
7th Nov “ “ T&G Use of RT 45 mins
14th Nov “ “ Cross country 1–00hr.
21st Nov “ “ Tight turns and stalls 1–00 hr.
1998
28th Feb “ “ Cross country to Waddesdon 1–05 hrs
4th Mar “ “ Cross country in Cotswolds 1–05hrs
12th Mar “ “ Touch & Go −50 mins
20th Mar “ “ Advanced handling 1–00hr.
21st May Katana DV20 “ Handling new type 1–00hr.
20th Aug PA38 G.BKCY “ Local. Pinpoint navigation −55 mins
27th Aug “ “ To & land at Leicester East −35 mins
27th Aug “ “ Return to base −35 mins
8th Sept Cessna 152 With Paul Western Aerobatics 1–05 hrs
‘Orrible! I do not recommend aerobatics in this high-wing aeroplane.
17th Sept PA38 Self, Rick Ions Cross country to Waddesdon & Quainton 1–05hrs
27th Sept Concorde Pilot Unknown Took nephew Robin Thorne; with 98 other passengers, to Paris, landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport after flying supersonic. I was given VIP status when they found I had been a WWII pilot and was invited onto the flight deck for the latter part of the trip and landing, sitting at the back of the cockpit. Overnight stay in Paris. A truly memorable experience. 1–00 hr.
28th Sept Airbus 300 Return to London Heathrow 1–00 hr.
1st Oct PA38 Self, Rick Ions Low level to Staverton and the Severn Estuary 1–00 hr.
19th Oct PA38 Self, Rick Ions Avon Valley, Wyre Piddle, River Severn & Malvern 1–00 hr.
2nd Nov PA38 Self, Rick Ions Very poor weather. Flew locally, Astwood Bank & Studley −40 mins
Nov Airbus (Passenger) To Malta 4–00 hrs
Nov Airbus (Passenger) Return to Birmingham 4–00 hrs
1999
Apr Boeing 767 To Austin, Texas via Chicago (Passenger) 9–20 hrs
Apr Boeing 767 To Birmingham 7–40 hrs
2000
10th Mar PA38 Self, Rick Ions Base to Broadway, Evesham local round home 1–00 hr.
17th Mar PA38 Self, Rick Ions Cross country to Waddesdon; Navigation, instrument & cloud flying 1–00 hr.
24th Mar PA38 Self, Rick Ions Show off over Bidford & to Gill’s school children at Flyford Flavell School −55 mins
30th Apr Cessna Self, Rick Ions With Club group. Started fly-out to Duxford; aborted by bad weather −30 mins
5th May PA38 Self, Rick Ions Advanced handling
1–00 hr.
19th May PA38 Self, Rick Ions Speed turns. Round Walkmills Farm. Took photos of home (Wood Lane) 1–00hr.
7th Jun Firefly Slingsby Self, Adrian Burt Aerobatics to celebrate my 80th birthday 1–00 hr.
Having undergone surgery for bowel cancer only months before I had decided that, providing I survived the operation and reached my 80th birthday, I wanted to do an aerobatic flight. Once I had been given the all clear from the cancer, my doctor was quite happy for me to give it a go. The flight became a sponsored stunt, engineered by daughter Gill, to raise money towards the provision of a new playground for the Children’s Ward at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch. The flight was covered by local media. I performed loops, rolls, steep turns, climbs, an inadvertent stall and spin and a roll off the top. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The BBC gave a DVD of the event to me. Generous sponsorship by family, friends and neighbours raised £1,600 for the appeal.
8th Dec Boeing 747 Passenger To Austin, Texas via Chicago 10–00 hrs
During my holiday in the US in December, staying with younger daughter Penny and husband Phillip in Austin, Texas, we drove to West Texas to visit Connie Edwards, a cattle rancher and oil man, at Big Spring. Among his collection of World War II aircraft was a Mk IX HF Spitfire MH415. This was the same aeroplane I had flown during the war, as a fighter bomber. It was a thrill to sit again in the cockpit, which was still familiar to me after all that time. Many photographs were taken, some of which appeared in the Daily Express.
2001
12th Jan Boeing 747 Passenger To Birmingham 8–30 hrs
19th Jun PA38 Self, Rick Ions Trip over the Cotswolds 1–00 hr.
6th July PA38 Self, Rick Ions Local Flying 1–00 hr.
21st Aug Robin Self, Rick Ions Familiarisation to new type 1–00 hr.
1st Sept Robin Self, Rick Ions Gloucester & Severn Estuary 1–00 hr.
25th Sept Robin Self, Rick Ions ‘High’ flight to 8,600 ft. 1–05 hrs
In the course of this flight, I flew over Alcester, Warwickshire, then across to Malvern to fly down the length of the east side of the hills.
5th Oct Robin Self, Rick Ions To Aylesbury & Waddesdon 1–05 hrs
2002
22nd Feb Robin Self, Rick Ions Local flying −42 mins
2nd Mar Robin Self, Rick Ions To Waddesdon & Aylesbury 1–00 hr.
2nd Mar Warrior Self, Rick Ions and two BBC interviewers −40 mins
This flight was to record an interview about my wartime flying in the Focke Wulf FW190. It was paid for by the BBC and was filmed with me flying the Warrior and back at home. It was shown on BBC News 24 with other interviews made in Germany. Again, the BBC kindly gave me a DVD.
April PA38 Self, Rick Ions Local training −50 mins
7th July Robin Self, Rick Ions Flew over Alexandra Hospital to view the new children’s playground 1–05 hrs
31st Aug Robin Self, Rick Ions Cross country to Malvern for another view of the hills. 1–05 hrs
17th Sept PA38 Self, J. Jackson Visit to Kemble airfield, club and microlight hangar −50 mins
17th Sept PA38 Self, J. Jackson Return to base −35 mins
27th Sept Robin Self, Rick Ions Local flying 1–00 hrs
11th Oct Robin Self, Rick Ions Flew down the western scarp of the Cotswolds −50 mins
2003
25th Apr Robin Self, Rick Ions Local flying 1–00 hrs
9th Jun Robin Self, Rick Ions Flew over Burcot Grange near Bromsgrove and home (New End) −40 mins
GRAND TOTAL OF ALL FLYING HOURS AS PILOT 1,186 hrs 42 mins
During the last year I started to have difficulty in judging distances due to a developing cataract in my right eye. After two anything but smooth landings I decided very reluctantly to hang up my flying helmet. I remained an honorary member of Wellesbourne Aviation Flying Club and still looked in occasionally for a chat with Rick and other members of staff.
I flew nearly 70 different types and marks of aircraft, making over 2,000 flights. I made 1,400 Spitfire flights in approximately 150 individual machines, from the Mk 1 to the Mk 21. What a delight and privilege that was.
APPENDIX 4
SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF
THOSE I HAVE KNOWN
I read the book Aces High by Christopher Shores and Clive Williams and from it I extracted the names of some of those men I knew personally: they were heroes to me and many others. Originally, just for my own interest I called on my memory for comments about them and if I am able to give some further information as to what happened to them later, they are listed below.
David Atcherley. I met David Atcherly but I did not know him well personally. However, I knew his twin brother R.A. (Richard), popularly known as ‘Batchy’, fairly well. I met him at Kenley, Duxford, and when he was Station Commander at Rednal OTU. It was there I met David during my visit there to demonstrate PM678, the FW190 A3 I was showing. They were great jokers. A story told is that when David paid a visit to Rednal, he passed out of the main gate and when Richard followed a few minutes later the sentries were taken to task for not seeing him return.
S/Ldr Ivor Badger. From 1945 to the end of 1948 I was on Air Ministry staff attached to the Ministry of Supply at Millbank in RDQF, later RDQB, as a liaison officer to the aircraft manufacturing firms. S/Ldr Badger was also in RDQB and we often joined up for some visits. I remember him as having been a Halton apprentice and he had fitted various items to his car, in fact a journey in his motor was the first time I had experienced a car heater. One of our visits to AVRO at Chadderton was during the harsh winter of 1946/47 and we only made it as far as Potterspury near Towcester on the A1 and had to spend the night at a nearby pub, of which the landlord was a retired ex warrant officer. We drank steadily and at midnight mine host said, ‘I’m going to bed. Help yourselves to drink and put the money in the till. If there is a knock at the door, it will be the local copper. Let him in, give him a drink and send him on his way.’
G/Cpt. F.V. (Francis Victor) Beamish. One of the four Beamish Brothers from Eire who fought with great distinction for the RAF. He was our station commander at Kenley in 1942, a keen sportsman and a real disciplinarian but with fairness and a sense of humour. He flew frequently on operations, either with the squadrons or independently with the wing or squadron commander. On one such trip he and his colleague spotted and reported the German ships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on their Channel dash in the winter of 1942. On 28th March 1942 he led the wing on one of the dreaded trips to Lille. They were heavily engaged and the G/Cpt. was badly hit and disappeared into the Channel. I was on the fighter sweep from Hardelot, south to Le Tréport. We saw no enemy fighters but when we landed we found out that the G/Cpt. was missing. We were immediately ordered to fly a search so we patrolled the Channel until dusk and again the following morning in the hope of finding him. He was never seen again. On the same operation my friend right from training days, Sgt Desmond O’Connor, was also lost. Shortly before this sad day, ‘FV’ interviewed me for a commission; on his recommendation it was gazetted on May 1st after I had been presented to King George VI during a visit to Kenley.
W/Cdr Roland Beamont. We met when he paid a visit to AFDU at Tangmere in 1945 and he later became CO of the unit. We also met later at English Electric.
W/Cdr Ronald (Razz) Berry. He was also at Tangmere in 1945 and was the first CO of the newly formed Central Fighter Establishment, which combined various test and experimental units. Razz was largely responsible for welding the new set-up into one body. During the spring I had a break from flying and for two months became the range instructing officer at Selsey bombing and firing range. Razz and his family were some of the customers for the Selsey shellfish, crabs and lobsters newly caught and cooked I got hold of at that time.
W/Cdr Blackadder (popularly known as ‘the Bladder’). We got off on the wrong foot when he was appointed to command AFDU in 1944. He ordered me to ‘show him the taps’ of the FW190 so that he could fly it. I gave him the complete run through, warning him to be particular
ly careful, when landing, to maintain the correct speed and not to hold off too high. He did just that and dropped like a brick and hit the ground tail first. Although the damage was repairable it still put the aircraft out of action for some days. He always held this against me and seemed to blame me for the mishap. In my opinion he was not universally popular in the Unit and did not stay very long.
Eric Bocock. ‘B’ Flight commander in 602 Squadron at Kenley. Although I was the senior NCO pilot in ‘A’ Flight Eric signed my logbook a number of times.
W/Cdr Finlay Boyd was wing leader at Kenley in 1942 but I do not remember him staying very long. He was flying with ‘Francis Victor’ (above) when they spotted the two German ships in their Channel dash. I have a vague memory that he brought with him a reputation for violent weaving when in enemy territory. This made life very difficult for his number two, not only to stay with him but also because it used too much fuel making those violent manoeuvres.
W/Cdr John Braham. As mentioned earlier, in June 1942, when I had settled in at AFDU, Duxford, the CO encouraged me to take a living out pass and find accommodation so that my wife could join me. I said this might be difficult as she was of an age when she had to do war work. The Wingco said, ‘No problem. Take some leave, get her pregnant and get her released.’ It did not come to that. The Superintendent was a friend and he released her on condition that she did war work near Duxford. The first accommodation we had was at the Duxford vicarage, the vicar being the Reverend Dr Braham, the very proud father of John. John’s wife Joan and his baby son, Michael, also lived at the vicarage. Consequently we got to know them very well. Among my treasured memorabilia is a photo of them on their wedding day.
Harry Charnock. He was always known as ‘Chas’. Perhaps he is the most interesting of all those on my list. Probably not known by many people but to me he was something special. It says in Aces High that he was court-martialled for a ‘flying offence’. I think the offence was to fly under Tower Bridge. His exploit was seen and reported. In the book it says that he re-joined the RAF on the outbreak of war. However, my memory tells me that at the time I heard he was actually called up into the army. When it was discovered that he was a qualified pilot he transferred to the RAF. He spent several months with us at AFDU, Wittering in the winter and spring of 1944, first still only a flying officer but later as a Flt. ‘Loot’. He was completely mad and proved a perfect foil for Wimpy (T.S.Wade) and I could tell many stories about their activities. For instance, on the north side of Wittering there is a smallish lake on which, at that time, was a small sailing dinghy. One cold cloudy day, when flying was cancelled, Wimpy and Chas (even more so) got well tanked up during lunchtime in the mess. Egged on by the rest of us they took to the water and were soon in trouble when they were raising the sail. The sheet came off the top pulley. Chas attempted to climb the mast and the boat capsized, flinging them into the lake. They struggled to the bank, sent someone to fetch blankets and towels then, cheered on by the unit WAAFs, stripped starkers amid much merriment.
