COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

COMBAT AND COMPETITION
flying opportunity coming up at Glosters. Phil Stanbury, who was
responsible for development flying on the Meteor, wished to retire in
the near future.
A new single engined jet fighter prototype, the El744, was on the
stocks and a development test pilot would be needed to take this on.
Glosters would be happy to offer me the job, provided that I could
organise myself a test pilot's course before leaving the RAF, and there
was one due to start in January 1946.
Returning to Hildesheim I put in an immediate application for
ETPS3 , hoping that it might produce the desired result, and then got
on with the job in hand. There was still plenty of flying to be done,
maintaining operational standards, and the squadrons were targeted at
450 hours a month.
Leading a formation low level, on a visit to the Mohne and Eide
dams, the urge to divert briefly and beat up a nearby USAF base
proved irresistible. Their Mustangs returned the compliment in much
larger numbers, and with immaculate timing, catching us all at tea in
the mess a few days later. Johnny Wells was highly suspicious but
nobody said a word.
Soon afterwards tea time and tragedy coincided. A visiting flight
commander from 33 Squadron, had just taken leave of us in the mess.
He made his departure fast and low and attempted to sign off with a
slow roll. Moments later we were looking at a mass of smoke and
flames, rising from the far side of the airfield, where his Tempest had
gone straight in. To have survived the war - and then that - it was
such a waste.
Our first and last officers mess dance was held at Hildesheim. The
dining hall was almost unrecognisable with an imported band on the
balcony and the tables decorated and candlelit. Even the garden was
a mass of fairy lights, as if Christmas had arrived early, and we were
all in our best blue.
Sadly, apart from some slight evidence of returning civilised
behaviour, it became just another thrash. Perhaps it was still too soon
for most of us to behave otherwise. There was more activity around
the downstairs bar, and skittle alley, than on the dance floor. Even the
puking bowls, those thoughtfully provided Luftwaffe creations for the
seriously inebriated, may well have been back in use.
"Herr Hauptmann! ist verboten auf weinstube. Ausgehen sie schnell
nach der krankenschale. Jawohl Herr Oberst!"
To be remembered, and perhaps best forgotten as the ultimate
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