Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

Charney arrived in England as part of the Argentinian volunteer contingent in 1940 or 1941, after which he received flight training, but I cannot find out where. He was made a Sergeant pilot in April 1941 and joined 91 Squadron in June 1941 recording his first combat on 15 June 1941.

Can anyone tell me where he trained and when?

regards

Keith

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

KEITH,

I fully recommend you to contact Claudio Meunier, who wrote one or two books about the Argentinians in RAF Service.
I am following his steps and writing about the Brazilians in RAF Service...however my work already passed the 1,600 pages in 7 volumes...
Att.,
Adriano B.

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

Cheers Adriano, I had thought of Claudio having read various articles on the internet, but hoped the forum members would give me the answers I want.

Good luck with the Brasilians,

regards

Keith

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

Still searching for details of Charney's service. I believe he was either at 53, 57 or 58 OTU. If at 53 OTU he would have been on No.2 or No.3 Course which graduated on 27 May and 10 June 1941 resepctively. If 57 OTU then course 20 seems the most likely (completed 9 June 1941), while if he was at 58 OTU he would have been on No. 4 or No.5 Course. I am basing these dates on his award of Wings in April 1941 and before joining 91 Squadron in June 1941. Does anyone have details of who was on these courses?

regards

Keith

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

After a LOT of work I have the answer, I think.

Based on the records of other pilots and the ORB of 91 Squadron.

Charney was at 4 ITW in August 1940 before progressing to 9 FTS at Hullavington in December 1940. Having received his wings he joined 57 OTU (course 20) on 23 April 1941 and from thence appeared at 91 Squadron on 10 June 1941.

Well chuffed !

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

I am however missing his time at an EFTS in October-November 1940, where he flew Tiger Moths. Some sources mention he was at Cranwell but apart from a fleeting reference to 17 EFTS i cannot see a link.

Ken Charney - mentioned in Clostermann's book
 

In his book "Le grand cirque" (--> The Big Show, I think in fact it ought to be The Big Circus, one of those offensive RAF operations over the Europ. continent) Pierre Clostermann mentioned Ken Charney in the caption of a photograph showing a group of pilots (possibly a whole squadron's pilots). Of course this was after his pilot training. I can't remember if PC mentioned him in the main text.

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

Yep, Charney gets a few mnetions. Charney and he were friends and there's a good photo of him and Charney shaking hands after a sortie

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

Ken Charney later took command of 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron and ended up taking the Squadron to the Far East, where they landed in Hong Kong in early ly September 1945, before being disbanded 1946. Quite a bit about him, including claims, is in Aces High.

Cheers

Allan

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

His recent re-burial in Argentina was quite an event. Sadly he died in obscurity in Andorra from a mixture of cancer and alcohol abuse.

Ken Charney - as mentioned by Pierre Clostermann
 

Some days ago, after having read the various posts of this thread, I thought I could look for pictures and details on Ken Charney. I grabbed my copy of “Le grand cirque 2000” and I quickly found the photograph showing Clostermann and Charney shaking hands on behalf of some photographers (page 249). If there is an English edition (“The Big Show 2000”?) the page numbers are probably different but the “French” numbers give you an idea where to look for them.

It seems that such an English edition exists but without the “2000”. I found it on the Internet, searching for the title and, over it, Pierre Clostermann. Without this name you’ll get quite other results. There are many pictures showing various cover pictures including one which says: “For the first time complete and unabridged”. The photograph on the cover or dust jacket is precisely the already mentioned one with Ken Charney.

When looking for this pilot in my French copy I discovered that he probably is the second man most frequently named by Clostermann in this book, second only to PC’s buddy Jacques Remlinger. Clostermann and Charney were together in the same 602 squadron, Remlinger too, who was a 602 member before PC arrived there. On page 126 (French edition) there is a photograph showing Charney, Bruce Oliver and Remlinger, all three almost naked in the summer. Teresa Maria will be delighted to discover this work of art.

PC’s memories of 602 Sqn City of Glasgow begin on page 124 with the date “24 septembre 1943”. He flew often in Ken Charney’s section and this often together with Remlinger. Charney is mentioned, in many cases several times, on pages 130, 144, 147, 153, 163, 199, 348, 249 (“The” photograph). I’m not sure Charney is to be seen in the middle of the photograph on page 253 (?) – I can remember that the caption, in the 1948 edition, mentioned the name of this pilot but I can’t remember who it was. Perhaps somebody knows more.

On page 258 a rather poor photograph (too dark) shows eight pilots of 602 Sqn at the end of July 1944, “the survivors”. In the caption PC added, “Compare with the photograph from May 1944” (I suppose it’s on page 221; there the picture shows 17 men). This part of the book ends on page 259 (an exhausted PC (fighting over Normandy) was sent back to England at the end of July 1944).

The last sentence of this page and on this part of the war is the most beautiful sentence I read – ever.

Re: Ken Charney - training 1940-41
 

Dear Keith. I found your message, please write me of my e mail. claudio.meunier@gmail.com
My best wishes

Claudio