Qualified "Above the Average" Pilot - 51 OTU - RAF Cranfield

In all the excitement of describing how my Grandfather, H.C.Kelsey, had his first experience of piloting a Bristol Beaufighter whilst training at 51 OTU (operational Training Unit), I have bypassed filling in what life was like at RAF Cranfield, the base he was stationed at throughout March 1943.

RAF Cranfield - pilots eye view after the War

Cranfield was built pre-war as a result of the general militarisation of Europe that the rise of Hitler had caused. So, unlike it's twin airfield, RAF Twinwood, Cranfield was comfortable, with a full range of facilities. The trainees slept in proper barracks rather than Nissen huts, although 30 men slept in blocks designed for 15. The food was excellent as the catering officer was an ex-chef from the Savoy. There was an on-site cinema, a well stocked library, sports facilities plus a stage area which held regular live music events, often with big name singers such as Gertrude Lawrence

I recommend that you read www.wartimememories.co.uk, with a wonderful section written by Ralph Woodgate, a RADAR technician at Cranfield and Twinwood during the war. He writes that "Generally life in the RAF was not bad, long periods of utter boredom interspersed with a few exciting episodes." Those "episodes" tended to be rather dramatic, including attacks by German raiders or flying bombs, but also the sad sight of trainee pilots crashing which was very common and frequently fatal. Ralph's job, then, was the rather gruesome one of retrieving the secret RADAR equipment from the blood stained wreckage.

RAF Cranfield main hangar 1946

Although my Grandfather had encountered many crews from Commonwealth Countries already, Cranfield trainees were a very cosmopolitan bunch, with recruits from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Jamaica all sharing a barracks. Then, in early 1943, the unit started training USAAF crews. I remember that my Grandfather wasn't too impressed with his encounters with American pilots, who were very confident of their own abilities and thought they would have the war wrapped up in no time. Night-fighting and A. I. (Airborne Interception) were brand new to the American pilots, in fact, at this time, Britain was at the forefront of this technology. Early in the war, the British RADAR systems were freely handed over to the US forces along with the British "boffins" and their valuable knowledge and expertise. From then onwards further RADAR development occurred in tandem. After the War, Boeing made a fortune selling this technology back to the RAF!

The American 414th NFS had expected to train in American P-61 Black Widow nightfighters at Cranfield, however these aircraft were still not in full production, so the shortfall had to be filled with the Bristol Beaufighter.  There was a mixed reaction when the US airmen were introduced to the Beau, few thought it the prettiest aircraft they had seen and many were to take an even more jaundiced view when experienced RAF pilots whispered to them that the Beau was "the most difficult of all british aircraft to fly"

A star-spangled Beau MK VI with AI MK IV radar - IWM

Indeed, the Beaufighter's vicious swing on take-off and heavy airframe, would account for rather too many crashes by US trainee pilots. One such was Lt Govoni, who on one occasion, swung on take off and "pancaked" between two buildings just off the runway. The Beaufighter came apart into small pieces and when the wreck came to rest, Govoni was able to unbuckle and step straight onto the ground. (Bristol Beaufighter - Jerry Scutts). He later applied for a transfer, having decided the British aircraft was not for him.

A Beau with US markings following a belly landing - J. V. Crow

In spite of all this, most 414th pilots mastered the Beaufighter. The squadron became operational on 10th May 1943 in Algeria and ended the war with eight victories.

USAAF Beaufighter Vif "Fluff" - Algeria - 1943 - Simon Parry

Ultimately the USAAF thought that a heavily armed daylight bomber was more accurate in hitting the target and would get the job done quicker. Therefore the training for nightfighters was sidelined somewhat. Sadly, this theory was to prove very wasteful of aircrews until the long range P-51 Mustang escort came into service much later in the war.

Pilot's Log Book - March 1943

From my Grandfather's Log Book, we see he had three flights in Beaufighters on 26th March 1943, all with Sgt. Smith as his Nav/Rad. The first in number 2082 was a N.F.T (night flying Test) and Ciné Gun test for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Next was in Beau number 2080 doing gunnery and cine gun exercises for 2 and a half hours at night. The third flight for 1 hour 55 minutes was for A.I.(Airborne Interception) training and Search Light Cooperation, also at night. Sadly Beaufighter 2080 eventually crashed into anti V-bomb balloon cables in 1944, killing the pilot F/L George L Barker.

My Grandfather finished his training at 51 OTU with a flight in Beau 2100 performing Gunnery exercises, both Air to Air and Air to Sea for 2 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. Beaufighter 2100 had already had a busy war with 219 Squadron, one of the first four squadrons to get Beaufighters in Sept. 1940. She was a distinguished "old gal" having seen service on the night defence of Britain during the Blitz.

Beaufighter

The Log Book shows my Grandfather's final "Assessment of Ability" as a N. F. (Night Fighter) Pilot by the C.O. of 51 OTU, W/Cdr V. R. Moon, was "Above the Average". He was about to finally become "operational" as a very well trained officer, with 1,353 flying hours under his belt. Gone where the Battle of Britain days where pilots were thrown into the fray with a couple a weeks training behind them, now they were finely honed technicians of their craft who expected to not only compete with the German Luftwaffe, but beat it. He was young, confidant and well trained, so look out Jerry!

The war that my grandfather was about to enter was still not going well for the allies. Although Monty's Eighth Army had broken through the Mareth Line in Tunisia, the Battle of the Atlantic was reaching a climax with 82 merchant ships sunk this month after the Germans added a refinement to the enigma machine, blinding the codebreakers at Bletchley. The clamour for a second front in Europe was getting more fierce with the Daily Worker calling for more help for the beleaguered Russian forces.