THE MOVE

As soon as the Headquarters Order was received the unit began preparations for the move to the new airfields. From 25th July 1942 daily motor transport convoys moved ground equipment to Milfield where a prior advance party had already been established to assist with the off-loading.

The first aircraft movement took place on 2nd August when eleven Hurricanes, six Master 111s and five Battle Target Tugs flew to Milfield.

The following day ‘X’ Squadron moved from Crosby to Milfield and on 4th August the main party moved from Longtown to Brunton while two Hurricanes flew from Crosby to Milfield.

All flying was suspended from 5th to 10th August to enable the unit to become established at its new base.

Four Hurricanes and two Master 1s flew to Milfield on 5th and 6th August, the advance party moved from Crosby to Milfield by special train. Meanwhile the rear party moved from Longtown to Brunton.

Special trains conveyed the main party from Crosby to Milfield on 8th August and the last movement of aircraft took place on 9th when 46 Hurricanes, eight Master 1s, two Master 111s, one Battle T.T., one Dominie, one Tiger Moth, one Magister, and one Oxford flew to Milfield. In addition two Master 1s flew Longtown to Brunton.

The rear party moved Crosby to Milfield on 10th thus completing the move in accordance with Fighter Command instructions.

SETTLING IN

As both airfields had only recently been completed it was a busy period getting settled in and also keeping on the flying programme. At this time Wing Commander Aitkins was O/C flying while Wing Commander Jackson was O/C Technical Wing.

The night flying was carried out at Brunton and the approach lights, energised by a 240 volt supply, were fixed to trees and telephone poles in the vicinity of the airfield. The trees belonged to Lord Grey of Falloden and although it was strictly forbidden to use the telephone poles for this purpose somehow the O.T.U. managed to overcome the problem.

Milfield also had night flying facilities in that it was equipped with Glim Lamps which were put out each night on the runway, but there were no approach lights.

Group Captain Kearsey, the Station Commander, was concerned that there were insufficient Glim Lamps allocated to Brunton but at that time the technical wing were committed to laying out the flair path by Air Ministry orders.

At this time very few airfields were equipped with what was termed Drem Lighting, which was a permanent installation fed by underground cables. Other airfields were instructed to fix lamps to poles, each being supplied with a separate battery. Such had been the installation at Crosby-on-Eden. When the installation was completed at Brunton night flying was carried out regularly. In addition a squadron of Hurricanes engaged on North Sea patrols used the airfield.

As well as this, night flying could be carried out in daylight using Miles Master aircraft fitted with a sodium lamp installation which illuminated only the blind flying panel. The pilot under training wore goggles which allowed vision of only the sodium light on this panel and the sodium flare path which was a line of trolley mounted lamps energised by a 240 volt supply and placed along the runway.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

Aircraft servicing at Milfield was divided between Nos. 1 and 2 hangars, with No. 1 being nearest Station Headquarters and No. 2 situated near the Milfield road. Division of responsibilities in the early days was allocated on the basis of No. 1 hangar servicing Battles, Masters, Martinets, Station aircraft and the overflow of Hurricanes from No. 2 hangar. The philosophy for this stemmed from Crosby-on-Eden where Nos.1 and 3 hangars serviced all the Hurricanes whilst No. 2 hangar serviced the remaining aircraft types.

On arrival at Milfield personnel from Nos. 1 and 3 hangars at Crosby took over No. 2 hanger at Milfield and personnel from No. 2 hangar at Crosby formed the service party at No. 1 hangar at Milfield, thus retaining a basic form of identity and establishing a basis for competitive spirit.

The hangars at Crosby were Bellman T2s as were those at Milfield but the Milfield variety were about 1½ times longer and infinitely more draughty than those at Crosby.

Agreed minor servicing was carried out at flight level but it was considered merely token.

Brunton was responsible for servicing up to 30 hour inspections and beyond this the aircraft were flown to Milfield. However, in the case of snags, repairs or backlog of work personnel from either hangar were detached to Brunton.

FIGHTER PILOT OPERATIONAL TRAINING

The basic training for embryo fighter pilots at an operational training unit was carried out under the following seven categories:
• How to fly in formation and the various types of formation used by the squadrons;
• How to shoot and the various types of attack that were used by squadrons;
• R/T procedure and homing bearings;
• Dog fighting;
• Aerobatics;
• Low flying;
• Dusk flying.

The pupil strength was 96, comprising 3 courses of 32 pupils, who were allocated to 6 flights of 16 pupils, each flight being composed of 2 squads of 8 pupils.

96 pupils passed out each 9 weeks. The required time on the Hurricane was 58 hours of which 11 hours were spent on air firing. Ranges for the unit were established at Holy Island, Goswick Sands and Fenham Flat. In addition, air to air firing was carried out over the North Sea at towed drogue and sleeve targets. Initially the tugs used for this work were Fairy Battle aircraft, a single engined low wing monoplane, but these began to be replaced by Miles Martinet target tugs in February 1943.

The first phase of a pupil’s training lasted three weeks at the parent station and comprised :-
Ground lectures;
Initial flying, generally Master 1, 11, and 111, and introduction to the Hurricane;
Initial synthetic training.

The second phase, also of three weeks’ duration, was carried out at the parent station and comprised:-
Advanced flying training;
Advanced synthetic training;
Air firing training
Four intelligence lectures.

The third phase of training took place at the satellite airfield at Brunton and was also of three weeks’ duration. Here the pupils:-
Completed all training and
Carried out simulation of actual squadron conditions.
Generally two Masters were allocated to each training flight, but not to the advanced flights at the satellite airfield.

THE FIRST FEW MONTHS

On 18th August one of the unit instructors, the famous one-armed instructor pilot, Flight Lieutenant (Acting Squadron Leader) J.A.F. McLachlan D.S.O. D.F. C., was posted out. Prior to his arrival at 59 O.T.U. McLachlan had commanded No. 1 Squadron at R.A.F. Acklington.

No. 19 course passed out on 25th August with 37 pupils whilst on the same day No. 22 course was posted in with 45 pupils.

At the end of the first month at Milfield the unit strength comprised 78 Hurricanes, thirteen Master 1, nine Master 3, six Battle T.T., one Tiger Moth, one Magister, one Dominie and one Oxford.

Personnel comprised 96 officers and 1,379 other ranks. A creditable 2,829 hours had been flown by day but as yet no night flying had taken place.

On 2nd September the Air Officer Commanding Fighter Command, Air Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas K.B.E., M.C., D.F.C, inspected the unit at its new quarters and expressed satisfaction in the smooth way in which the transfer had taken place.

No. 20 course, comprising 41 pupils, passed out on 15th September whilst on the same day No. 23 course arrived for training.

The first fatal flying accident occurred on 21st September when one of the instructors, Pilot Officer (Acting Flight Lieutenant), J. Metham was killed.

Two days later a further fatal flying accident took place when Sgt. Hartley, flying Hurricane R4115, crashed in an attempted forced landing at Sleinsford, Northumberland.

The Air Officer Commanding 81 Group, of which 59 O.T.U. was a part, visited Milfield on 24th September and carried out an inspection.

At the end of the month of September the Hurricane strength was down to 60 aircraft. In addition there were twelve Master 1s, nine Master 3s, seven Battle Target Tugs, one Tiger Moth, one Dominie, one Magister and one Oxford.

Hours flown during the month were 3,832 of which 53 were by night, the lighting system at Brunton now being operational.

On 17th October 1942 Harrow K6937 from 271 Squadron began a series of visits when it arrived at Brunton from R.A.F. Station Dyce. It returned to Milfield on 2nd November from Doncaster and remained there until 6th when it flew to Brunton with 3 passengers, finally leaving that airfield on 7th for its base at Doncaster.

No. 2772 Anti-Aircraft Squadron was based at Milfield on aerodrome defence during October and carried out a number of exercises.

A replacement Hurricane V6809 was received from A.F.D.U. on 21st October.

3,422 hours were flown during October 1942 of which 146 were by night.

Another fatal accident occurred on 6th November when Flight Lieutenant Mortimer (Instructor) and W.O. (I) G.H. Neate (pupil), R.C.A.F., were killed when their Master 1, T8431 failed to recover from a dive and crashed 3 miles SW of Cornhill, Northumberland. W. O. Neale was buried with full military honours at St Gregory’s Church, Kirknewton.

On 15th November F/Sgt. McDermott (pilot) and L.A.C. Kyle (target towing operator) were posted missing, believed killed, after their Battle T.T. L5761 crashed in the North Sea. The Battle in question was on the most northerly range, probably in the region of St Abb’s Head and 15 to 20 miles out to sea. Firing had been completed and the Battle, which was unescorted, should have returned soon after the firing sortie. Therefore, one aircraft had been lost in the sea north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Aircraft strength at the end of November 1942 was 64 Hurricanes, twelve Master 1s, ten Master 3, six Battle T.T., one Tiger Moth, one Dominie, one Magister, and one Oxford. Hours flown were 3,431 of which 317 were at night.

Personnel comprised 78 officers and 1,007 other ranks R.A.F. and the W.A.A.Fs had were 7 officers and 257 other ranks.

No. 23 course passed out on 8th December with 7 pupils having started training on 25th September, the same day as No. 26 course was posted in with 25 pupils.

Master 111 Dl670 was returned to 20 M.U. on 23rd December.

No. 24 course with 24 pupils was posted out on 29th December whilst on the same day No. 27 course with 35 pupils was posted in.

During December bad weather reduced flying hours to 2,231 of which 154 were at night.

THE NEW STATION COMMANDER

Group Captain J R Addams was posted in as C.O. on 1st January 1943. Jimmy Addams had been a test pilot in Los Angeles, USA, and while there had married the film actress Arlene Judge. They had one daughter, Dawn Addams, who also became a film actress.

Group Captain Addams was an excellent leader and organiser with a wonderful personality. He arranged many pleasures for the airmen and airwomen and it was believed that because of his ability the unit was later chosen for its important role in training for Operation Overlord.

Between the communal site and the airfield was a complex of buildings called the training site. One of these buildings, of good size, was converted into an excellent theatre and cinema. The unit was visited by first class ENSA shows and was blessed with a resident band. The conversion was done by unit personnel and the money came from the unit’s P.S.I. fund.

The whole project was a great asset to both the unit and the neighbourhood.