FlyPast – August 2018

August 2018 FLYPAST 63

just inland from the French coast.
The bomb sighting equipment was
quite primitive.
“Occasionally, immediately after
the invasion, Ernie authorised me to
lead the squadron. He commented
at the time that it would be good
experience for me. This assignment,
as I only held the rank of flying
officer, I considered to be a pat on
the back.
“I had deliberately omitted to
enter a few sorties in my logbook,

August 2018FLYPAST 63

“’I have no wish to be a damn instructor or fly a desk

for six months’. He countered with: ‘You will do as

you are told’”

Top left

A close-up of the Spitfi re’s

cockpit.

Top right

An air-to-air view of

MH434, showing its

topside camoufl age

markings.

an instructor. I was cheeky enough

to blurt out: ‘I have no wish to be a

damn instructor or fly a desk for six

months’. He countered with: ‘You

will do as you are told’.

“I continued to be difficult about

the situation. He finally said: ‘OK,

you can use your aircraft for a

week

to find a

legitimate

flying position

for the six months

you will be ‘off ops’.

I had not expected

any favours and was most

pleased with his authorisation

of the use of the aircraft.”

Above left

Display perfection at

the July 1988 Duxford

airshow. Mark and Ray

Hanna (foreground in

MH434) captivated the

crowd with their two-

ship ‘Piece of Cake’

routine. ALAN CURRY

as I realised

that I was

then right up

to the maximum

offensive hours

allowed for an

operational tour on

Spitfires. I was looking

forward to operating

from the continent, once

we were firmly established

in France.

“However, the winco

[wing commander] of the

three squadrons operating

from Friston on the south coast

[Sussex] was more wide awake than

I realised. We normally

handed in our logbooks at the end

of each month for our CO to check

and sign. These then went to the

winco for him to check and enter

his signature.

“In early July 1944 I was called

by the winco and he very bluntly

accused me of ‘cooking the books’

and stated – correctly – that I

had not listed some sorties in my

logbook. I was ‘off operations’ from

then on.

“He went on to tell me that I

would be posted to a training unit as