I am new to the forum. I am hoping to publish my late Uncle's diary and came across the forum when I looked up some of the chaps that are mentioned in the Diary (which ends in Oct 1942) before he went on active duty to the Far East. He was then flying with No.160 Squadron which has a great website, newsletter and downloads of "events" and casualties. P/O Joseph Cohen was from Melbourne, Australia and was Missing in Action on 22/09/1943, Car Nicobar Islands, India. I want some more info about the soldiers and townsfolk from the two training periods: 1. South Rhodesia and Sth Africa from Apr 1941 - Feb 1942 2. Silloth, Wick, Thorney Island, Aldergrove, etc. from Apr - Oct 1942
Welcome JCohan What type of information are you after? Anecdotes, technical training information, people who trained there? For stories about the latter bases have a look at: The Wartime Memories Project - Preserving Memories of The Great War and World War Two The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Silloth Silloth Aerodrome, Pill-box, Air-raid Shelter and Hangar The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Wick etc For South Rhodesia, there is a book that details the training undertaken there, focussing on the Australians. Unfortunately I cannot remember the exact title at the moment but I know Antipodean Andy has a copy. For South Africa, the Joint Air Training Scheme is probably best covered in Yellow Wings by D. Becker. However, it maybe worth while asking specific questions on RafCommands Forums - Powered by vBulletin too
Welcome to the forum, Thought this might be of interest, RAF Aldergrove 1942. Tried attaching a photo, didn't work, any ideas?
Welcome JCohen, hope you enjoy it here. I certainly do have the book Kyt mentions. Noble Six Hundred gives good info on the training scheme in Rhodesia and also provides biographies of varying lengths on each of the Aussies who passed through. I'll have a look and get back to you.
Noble Six Hundred Thanks for the effort - I am awaiting your comments. I am amazed that so many people are doing what I am: "looking for the missing pieces of the puzzle". On a trip to Australia 9 years ago, the War Memorial in Canberra did not even have any information for me.
Bit of a delay but here we go: From page 121 - G.L. (Joe) COHEN, No. 401141, was a member of 10 Course and the fifth draft. Leaving Rhodesia on 16th February, 1942 with the rank of Sergeant, posted to India, he was despatched to the United Kingdom to ferry a Hudson to Karachi. That task done, he joined a Liberator Squadron in the India Command and Dave Borthwick advises that, as well as normal squadron operations, he was given the task of flying Sir Staffor Cripps about India and attained the rank of Squadron Leader before he was killed over the Andaman Islands. Colin Maplestone, on the other hand, wrote home that he had me Joe in the South West Pacific. A bit of conjecture and hearsay here but some of the facts do match. The entries in this book vary from the length you see here to several pages dependant on what the author has been able to hunt down of course. Colin Maplestone was on 12 Course. From page 111 - The fifth draft included men from 9 and 10 Course who embarked in S.S Ceramic, a ship of 17,000 tons, which left Sydney on 27th March, 1941 and after taking the extremely southerly course which had become customary deposited them in Durban on 24th April, after calling at Adelaide and Fremantle and providing the comfort and amenities found on a passenger liner which she still was (terrible sentence!). These comforts, however, were marred by a very severe storm which reduced their speed almost to a standstill for four days anbd washed overboard all of the railings from the forward portion of the ship and most of the lifeboats. The passenger accomodation was floded to a depth of about a foot and many of the passengers suffered so badly with mal de mer as to be unable to eat for the four days. Passengers on the Ceramic included Polynesian troops, Free French sailors, civilians returning to the UK and a number of British seamen from ships which had been sunk. One of these ships was well known to Australians as the Rangatiki. All were glad to see Durban although the ship sat outside the harbour for a week before entering. After an enjoyable stay in Durban the members of the draft reached Bulawayo on 26th April, having had the same interesting and enjoyable train journey as the other drafts. Like earlier drafts, they were allotted to flying training school without undue delay and the training of those who were not posted to the General Reconnaissance School, retained in Rhodesia or otherwise delayed was completed in about six months.
