[timothy]

Sorry about diluting this thread, but I should reply to questions.

• Radio. Can’t think how we coped with the old HF radio & the archaic Are you receiving me? are you receiving me? routine. Actually, all signals in formation were given by hand. Strange – I don’t recall any of the Czechs being lost for words. Excited Briton? Never! I thought it was the Poles who were the excited ones? I have to recall here that my abiding memory of our Dispersal Hut was the smell of burning Perspex – the ‘boys’ were at their daily practice of making jewellery from broken canopies!!
• Hours? OTU? You’re joking? 170 on Tiger Moths, Hawker Harts & Hinds, 2 hours on a Miles Master & then the Hurricane – which was a Hind with the top wing taken off & a retractable undercarriage! First operational patrol 15 hours later. Very exciting but not very educative!
• Training. Not only did those like Karel Kuttelwascher have 5 times the experience, but also in combat!! I was about to question why he was not a ‘BofB pilot’, but found that my first patrol with him was in November.
• Visual Contact? Yes – a good thing. But, as I said, in the 10 seconds that you were searching the skies around you, the squadron had disappeared without you hearing any instruction. Be fair – for the 40 minutes before, I was doing an exemplary job!!

= Tim