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Commodore Sir Quinton Brand, who had served as a Home Defence pilot
during World War One, gave a lecture on night-fighting on the 29 th .
The most significant event for the junior ranks was the promotion of all
aircrew to the rank of sergeant, with effect from 28 th May. This Air Staff
policy directive was enacted to ensure that non-commissioned aircrew were
entitled to be treated with some respect by the enemy, should they be
captured. The decision was not, however, universally well received in the
Sergeant‟s Mess. According to George Evans, a number of regular NCOs,
not unnaturally, did not take kindly to the invasion of their domain by a
number of „jumped up sprogs‟ who assumed ranks they themselves had
taken so long to achieve by merit and service. The situation was not helped
by a number of the new mess members doing their best to annoy the
regulars at every opportunity, by enacting practical jokes and monopolising
the radiogram. 32
Much of May and the early part of June were taken up with daylight
patrols over Dunkirk (the last were flown on the night of 3/4 th June) and
work was beginning on introducing AI radar and VHF radio telephony
(R/T) sets into the Squadron‟s Blenheims. The installation of AI Mk.II sets
began sometime between March and April/May. However, from June
onwards No.32 MU began the delivery of the improved, but by no means
perfect, AI Mk.III set. It is probable that 604 received reasonable quantities
of AI.III equipped Blenheims in June or July 1940, since the ORB states
that five AI operators were posted to the Squadron in June. These
unfortunates, classified simply as „operators‟ were non-technical men drawn
mainly from the ground radar trades, some of whom had seen action with
the AASF in France. Their job was to interpret the signals on the screens of
two cathode ray tubes (CRT) and from this information provide steering
instructions to the pilot. Though not technically qualified in radio, or radar,
and hardly knowing one end of an aircraft from the other, they were
expected to fly at all times of day or night. Finally, like the regular NCOs,
the operators were badly treated by the air gunners, as Jimmy Rawnsley
describes:
„They had neither distinguishing flying badges nor NCO rank …..
they trod on all the wrong places; they picked up their parachute
packs by the rip handle; they tried to walk into propellers. And since
they were classed as aircraft-hands, neither technical tradesmen nor
aircrew, they were easy prey to every Disciplinary Flight Sergeant
who might be looking for hanger sweepers, ablution cleaners or extra
32 George Evans, op cit, pages 62 to 64.
64