Author: 2nd Lieut CDC Dunford Wood
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December 20th 1940 – Assam
Put in for 20 days leave until 6/1/41 so as I could get to Assam. Sanction never came but I was allowed to catch the plane on 18th, and so I may yet be recalled. With 44lb, a suitcase, blanket and the Winchester we leave before dawn in a Waco (aeroplane), AKI Manilal the pilot.…
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December 9th 1940
My slow rolls get worse and worse – I stick on my back and even Jones can’t see why. My knee gets jammed up against the petrol pump by the stick at times, when she is right over to the right, and I don’t think that helps much. Have half an hour solo, about two…
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December 1st 1940
Well. “Red Hot” has shown us loops, rolls and half rolls, but apart from loops, the others get worse every time I practise them. I’m flying the Tiger quite a lot but even so these bloody rolls are the bane of my life. The other day Jones produces his Rocket Loop, and bloody well blacks…
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November 21st 1940
Flying morning and night. Went off solo in the Tiger (Moth) for an hour yesterday, and was surprised how well I got on. Yesterday Jones taught us loops and today I go up for an hour and did 15 of them, a spin, and half a dozen stall turns; I did one and only lost…
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November 18th 1940 Karachi
Nearly scuppered. As my ‘A’ License expired on 15th inst. I had to have a medical exam for the renewal form. Crimes of Paris! As the saying goes. (JDW: As everyone who has been following this blog will know, my father’s eyesight was poor and he had only got into the RAF by cheating on…
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November 13th 1940
Got the landings taped – I had been flattening out too late. Did two hours solo yesterday and today. This morning went out to a village on the creek due east and then climbed to 8000′ – it was damn cold so I came down,doing a bit of side slipping. This evening we go up…
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November 11th 1940 – Karachi
Had the first game of Rugby since “Blighty” the other day – didn’t manage too badly except for having bars in my boots and so unable to move. It is played on the mud flats here, quite softish though I cut my knees a bit. Went out with Gillespie in the desert yesterday evening and…
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November 8th 1940
‘Red Hot” Jones got back Monday, so we have done four days flying since then. Circuits and landings and ten minutes solo the last two days. I get in a bit of side slipping for the first time. Jones takes us in a DH60 but he doesn’t wear earphones, and you can’t always understand him.…
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November 2nd 1940 – Karachi
EDITOR’S NOTE: The four Indian Army officers are accepted for secondment to the RAF. The Air Minstry gazetted them as Pilot Officers attached to ‘General Duties Branch, RAF’ in the London Gazette dated 30th October 1941, service numbers 47299 (Haig), 47300 (Pringle), 47301 (Gillespy) and 47302 (my father). They are posted together to the 4th…
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October 28th 1940 – New Delhi
In September I was talking to some of the boys from 6 Gurkha Rifles and they mentioned a request for applicants for the RAF. I pricked up my ears and being unable to find it in our office, I went down to the 6/GR office and took a copy of theirs. It read “Suitable BCOs…
A Story of War 