Read Online They Spread Their Wings by Alastair Goodrum - Free Book Online
Authors: Alastair Goodrum
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training.
In October 1940, 18-year-old Jack Cheney began the transition from sixth-form schoolboy at Spalding Grammar to night-fighter pilot in the RAF, with a first operational posting at RAF Wittering. Jack entered the RAF in November 1940 as an airman in No 5 Flight of ‘C’ Squadron at No 7 Initial Training Wing (7 ITW) in Newquay. Posted to No 1 Elementary Flying Training School (1 EFTS) at Desford in March 1941, he underwent basic flying instruction on the DH82A Tiger Moth, then moved on, in May 1941, to No 15 Service Flying Training School (15 SFTS) at Kidlington where he converted to the Airspeed Oxford trainer. In August 1941 Jack was posted to No 54 Operational Training Unit (54 OTU) at RAF Church Fenton, which was the main RAF night-fighter training unit at that time, and operated the Bristol Blenheim Mk I fitted with Airborne Interception Type 4 (AI Mk IV) radar equipment. From there, now paired up with his radar operator, he moved to his first operational posting with No 1432 (Air Target Illumination) Flight based at RAF Collyweston/Wittering. He spent a substantial part of his operational career patrolling the night sky above the East Midlands and this chapter describes, in his own words, his experiences while training to become a night-fighter pilot, his involvement with one of the more unusual aircraft used in the quest for supremacy of the wartime night sky, and flying intruder operations over Germany in the superb DH Mosquito NFII:
Seated second on the left, wearing Spalding Grammar School rugby colours, Jack Cheney as a schoolboy in March 1940. (Spalding Grammar School)
Foreground, in flying suit with parachute slung nonchalantly over his shoulder, pilot under training Jack Cheney at EFTS Desford in March 1941. (J. Cheney Collection)
After three glorious weeks of leave at home in Spalding, looking up old friends, putting my feet up and sampling home cooking with my mother and three sisters, I was summoned to No 54 Operational Training Unit (54 OTU) at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire. This was to be the last stage of my training as a night-fighter pilot and I arrived at the station on 3 August 1941. I was not immediately impressed by what I saw of the base but later that day, I met up with ‘Tosh’ Bramley, Jimmy Smith, Arthur Howard and ‘Hammy’ Hamilton, all of whom had been with me on No 22 Course at No 7 Service Flying Training School, Kidlington (Oxford airport). Life, it seemed, would not be quite so bad after all. Church Fenton was considered to be the crack night-fighter OTU in the country but we soon discovered it had also earned a reputation as a killer station.
Now designated No 11 Course, we were obliged to do some day flying in the Airspeed Oxford just to get our hand in again. However, before being permitted to fly at Church Fenton at night we first had to go to RAF Catterick and do a few hours at night in Tiger Moths. We were at Catterick for only a week and flew from a satellite landing ground called Forest Farm. What a week that was! It was really great fun being back in the old Tiger again. All too soon though it was back to the serious business at Church Fenton, where night flying dual was carried out in the Oxford, augmented by day solo flights in the ropey old Bristol Blenheim.
September saw the arrival of our observers. For this seemingly important event, the actual teaming up process was, in fact, pretty informal. We were all assembled in a large room and told to get on with it. A fair-haired fellow about my own age, calling himself Sgt Mycock, made the first approach to me. We seemed to hit it off from the start and from that day he became, and still is, my observer. His name is James Kenneth Mycock but from that first day I met him I called him Mike and so it remained.
A tragic blow fell on 2 September, when my pal Arthur Howard and his observer were killed in an Oxford. Blokes were killing themselves right, left and centre in the ropey old Blenheims, which we had now
In October 1940, 18-year-old Jack Cheney began the transition from sixth-form schoolboy at Spalding Grammar to night-fighter pilot in the RAF, with a first operational posting at RAF Wittering. Jack entered the RAF in November 1940 as an airman in No 5 Flight of ‘C’ Squadron at No 7 Initial Training Wing (7 ITW) in Newquay. Posted to No 1 Elementary Flying Training School (1 EFTS) at Desford in March 1941, he underwent basic flying instruction on the DH82A Tiger Moth, then moved on, in May 1941, to No 15 Service Flying Training School (15 SFTS) at Kidlington where he converted to the Airspeed Oxford trainer. In August 1941 Jack was posted to No 54 Operational Training Unit (54 OTU) at RAF Church Fenton, which was the main RAF night-fighter training unit at that time, and operated the Bristol Blenheim Mk I fitted with Airborne Interception Type 4 (AI Mk IV) radar equipment. From there, now paired up with his radar operator, he moved to his first operational posting with No 1432 (Air Target Illumination) Flight based at RAF Collyweston/Wittering. He spent a substantial part of his operational career patrolling the night sky above the East Midlands and this chapter describes, in his own words, his experiences while training to become a night-fighter pilot, his involvement with one of the more unusual aircraft used in the quest for supremacy of the wartime night sky, and flying intruder operations over Germany in the superb DH Mosquito NFII:
Seated second on the left, wearing Spalding Grammar School rugby colours, Jack Cheney as a schoolboy in March 1940. (Spalding Grammar School)
Foreground, in flying suit with parachute slung nonchalantly over his shoulder, pilot under training Jack Cheney at EFTS Desford in March 1941. (J. Cheney Collection)
After three glorious weeks of leave at home in Spalding, looking up old friends, putting my feet up and sampling home cooking with my mother and three sisters, I was summoned to No 54 Operational Training Unit (54 OTU) at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire. This was to be the last stage of my training as a night-fighter pilot and I arrived at the station on 3 August 1941. I was not immediately impressed by what I saw of the base but later that day, I met up with ‘Tosh’ Bramley, Jimmy Smith, Arthur Howard and ‘Hammy’ Hamilton, all of whom had been with me on No 22 Course at No 7 Service Flying Training School, Kidlington (Oxford airport). Life, it seemed, would not be quite so bad after all. Church Fenton was considered to be the crack night-fighter OTU in the country but we soon discovered it had also earned a reputation as a killer station.
Now designated No 11 Course, we were obliged to do some day flying in the Airspeed Oxford just to get our hand in again. However, before being permitted to fly at Church Fenton at night we first had to go to RAF Catterick and do a few hours at night in Tiger Moths. We were at Catterick for only a week and flew from a satellite landing ground called Forest Farm. What a week that was! It was really great fun being back in the old Tiger again. All too soon though it was back to the serious business at Church Fenton, where night flying dual was carried out in the Oxford, augmented by day solo flights in the ropey old Bristol Blenheim.
September saw the arrival of our observers. For this seemingly important event, the actual teaming up process was, in fact, pretty informal. We were all assembled in a large room and told to get on with it. A fair-haired fellow about my own age, calling himself Sgt Mycock, made the first approach to me. We seemed to hit it off from the start and from that day he became, and still is, my observer. His name is James Kenneth Mycock but from that first day I met him I called him Mike and so it remained.
A tragic blow fell on 2 September, when my pal Arthur Howard and his observer were killed in an Oxford. Blokes were killing themselves right, left and centre in the ropey old Blenheims, which we had now
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