A Very Unusual Air War (36 page)
Read A Very Unusual Air War Online
Authors: Gill Griffin
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.