Category: 1941/04
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April 30th 1941
Yesterday evening all British women and children were evacuated from Baghdad, and it is said that the Iraqis were about to resist a landing of further troops of the force already here. This morning the alarm goes at about 4am and we go down to the flights and prepare planes for war. An Iraqi officer […]
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April 27th 1941
I read in “Aeroplane” about a new Waziristan medal for operations December 16th 1937 to December 31st 1939, so Teddie Humphries, Reggie Wall and myself go out and buy one and post it up. After all these years, too. Douglases keep ferrying troops up here, and most of the King’s Own are here. I met […]
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April 21st 1941
Camera obscura and wind finding in Oxfords. Then the other night Ling says something about “Dunford Wood my ace operational pilot”. I say “eh?” and then discover he didn’t know I was in the Oxfords. So today I go back to B flight and do message picking up, with White as my first passenger. My […]
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April 17th 1941
Got my ‘wings’ yesterday, Went up and found W/V by three course method (JDW: anyone have any ideas of what he is talking about here?) in an Oxford and didn’t do too badly. Then big flap yesterday and another formation flight ordered, this time presumably over Baghdad. I get a Hart to myself in S/Ldr […]
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April 14th 1941
The ‘anti-aircraft gun’ is identified as a field kitchen. Dined with young Stoney the other night and sampled some Mount Carmel wine. We discuss women – or rather they do. Letter from old Mike, in 2/West Yorks, with 2FFR and 6/13 GR down in the Sudan I believe. Today they decided to discontinue training and […]
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April 11th 1941
Ian (Pringle) and I put in for weekend leave on routine Valencia to Tel Aviv, and should have gone today if it hadn’t been for the damn trouble. We do a formation flight the other day of four squadrons – Harts with Oxfords circling overhead and the three Gladiators down below. I went in Dan […]
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April 8th 1941
Alarms and excursions. A few days ago the Regent was smuggled out of the country, the Prime Minister resigned, and the Army took over, one of the generals endeavouring to form a cabinet. Then occurs the most colossal flap. He is supposed to be anti-British, so the planes are bombed up, arms and ammunition dished […]
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April 4th 1941
Completed my 10 hours blind flying and worn out a few instructors in the process I think. I have an hour to go to complete 65 hours of Intermediate Training Squadron, and next week we have our exams in ground work. Shades of Sandhurst again. Finjan turning out to be a polo pony, I have […]