13 Venturas like this were sent on a raid to Yenniden Holland, 1 (the spare) returned. See www.raf.mod.uk

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0 mins. Attended board and was accepted at Bristol
2 mins. Zoo eating house. Monkey revenge
7 mins. Paighon ITW (Intensive Training ?), 6 weeks ground school, accepted as pilot/observer, August Bank holiday, holiday billeted at Timbani Hotel
* Train to North Country - Wilmslow RAF holding camp overnight, docks 4am
* 1500 persons on Highland Princess in the Irish Sea
* 50 ship convoy, 8 knots across the Atlantic, Submarine lookout, throwing siver overboard, land sighted! Bay of Fundy
* St Johns, Brunswick onto CPR train, lots of goodies
* St Lawrence and Exhibit
* To Toronto, 1000 going South East Air core in The States, hospitality by local citizens
* Segregation of Black Americans
* Maxwell field Montgomery, Alabama
* Arcadia by train thence to airfield (drained swamp), biplane Stearman
* Negro people sweeping the street, everyone had a "Coloured Attendant"
* Dunking solo airmen - war on the Americans!
* Other highlights of primary flying: "divebombing" fishing boats, trains and running out of fuel
* To Punta Gorda, Harry Elderfield, Gil Dent, mexican fishermen, homemade tequila, blind next morning, hitchhiked to base
* 3 of us including Joe Tall scrubbed from the course, disappointed at not being a pilot
* Train to New York via party in Taft Hotel
* AWOL! Forget the Airforce - stay for Christmas
* Given first class air tickets to Moneton, New Brunswick
* Time at RAF Moneton, changed to observer trade after trip to Trenton RCAP
* RCAF Portage by train for observer's course - near Winepeg
* Dropping camera from Anson
* Move to bombing and gunnery school at McDonald, Vicker's gas operated guns, ex Dunkirk Fairey Battles, practice bombs in Indian Village
* Leave to Minneapolis, Bess barley wine at the Nicollet Hotel - years old and free!
* Friends in medical profession
* Back to Rivers RCAF for Astro, slept in hangers, nearly failed but then got 95% in Astro!
* Got wings and made Seargeant, posted to RAF RedDeer north of Calgary, photography and navigation
* Posted to Penfield Ridge, Novia Scotia
* Ventura (twin engine bomber) crewed up with Bill Solime, disastrous new years day flights, hangover and crash on takeoff
* Posted Halifax holding depot, wait for ship, Queen Elizabeth arrives, posted - mumps outbreak - hospitalized in old prison on island
* Eventually took Louis Pasteur to Liverpool, UK Aircrew holding at Bournemont airfield, pub bombed!
* Mess up in post, posted to the wrong crew with old Venturas - RAF Methwold, rode Matchless motorcycle to Methwold
* Calamity: 13 Venturas sent on raid to Yenniden Holland, 1 (the spare) returned. Officer suicide.
* Navigation in new Moscquito with Flight Lt Winston-Smith
* Moved to Dunsfold, Colin Halliday (Australian), Ses Paranich

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Ansons of N0.217 Squadron on coastal reconnaissance, France 1940 (www.iwm.org.uk)

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0 mins. Dunsfold Missing tyres
4 mins. Australians shot down
5 mins. Chitting Fold, Alan Lynn
7 mins. Crash at Airfield
9 mins. Luxury ends. Left just after D-Day, 2nd TAF mobile under canvas
10 mins. Posted to 83 group - Tactical Airforce comms squadron at Thorney Island, Morris 10 convertible
13 mins. 1 Spitfire, 3 MkI Ansons, 6 Austers backing up invasion
14 mins. 151 Temporary airstrips, Trips across channel ad lib, backing up ZTAF fighters
17 mins. Collecting butter, camenbert, wine etc to swap for tyres, cigs, choe etc. Cordon Bleu for Harry Broadhurst
18 mins. Barrel of beer incident
20 mins. Victor Stevens (Steve), Nobbies pub in Hammond, Eve
22 mins. Calvados in Normandy, Comms flight to Brussels
24 mins. Battle at Caen, Canadians bombed accidently
25 mins. Eve Airfield taken, Germans left frozen beans - never seen frozen food before, new BMW car engine
29 mins. Sold 6 tyres for new Conn Trombone!
30 mins. Corso musicians, Jean - bass, got drugs for sick civilians in Brussels
32 mins. Front moves to Mense - past border of Holland
33 mins. Group band "Liberiars" organised, gala ball at Scharbook - Brussels, comm flight to Eindhovan, trees planted in middle of airfield
40 mins. Dutch underground - tank in the woods captured! Germans decent - give a watch. Starting Napiers
42 mins. Underground give a 1939 Buick as a present! Phillips goodies shop, RAF hospital, sabotaged radios
45 mins. Band keeps playing through air-raid
46 mins. Christmas 1944 - Comms flights for extra food etc
47 mins. Steve and self volunteer for emergency flight to Blackbush in very bad weather - dead reckoning navigation, well earned Christmas in UK
55 mins. Back to Eindhoven - Germans break gentlemans agreement and attack in ME109s, our aircraft is the only one left!
57 mins. Top brass meet with U.S., Maastict, keeping eyes on the road, pistol traded for carbine and Jeep repairs, REME shop - repairs traded for shoes
70 mins. Back at Eindhoven, Jeep and radio bits given as a present from U.S. Major as thank you for whisky!

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Auster (from www.leics.gov.uk)

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Notes:
0 mins. Hospital in Eindhoven and met up with Alan Lynn again and got navigator position
4 mins. Brussells: Gnome motor cycle, electric bike, swap for tyres
8-27 mins. Tyres for money: Gosport to Courtrai.
27 mins. Arnhem debacle
28 mins. Melsbrooke bombing ops to Ruhr. Flying Mitchells in formations of 54 planes
31 mins. Climbing through cloud in formation, lost in enemy territory, bombing unknown target
35 mins. Fighter excorts
37 mins. Towards capitulation, got electric bike home and written up in "Motorcycle"
41 mins. Rode bike in Gospot at declaration of peace celebration - EOR91
42 mins. From Elswood, Brussels to Gutersloh via Auster, map repository vandilised by U.S. hooligans, took set of UK maps
47 mins. Detmold, discovery of gliding extablishment in hills, Polish gliders stacked in hanger, requisition of houses and ex-Luftwaffa club in Gutersloh, parties.
60 mins. Aquired Mercedes, POW workers, acquired Fiesler Storch - very slow flying plane, POWs become friends
67 mins. Recreational activities - flying football team to Copenhagen, visit to Danish property in country, small taxis - Adlers - wood burners, horse stud, log fires
72 mins. Found 20 lovely Bucha 151s aircraft in Vaerlose (near Copenhagen) and flew them back

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