RAF lulsgate Bottom training

[SimonRoots]

Hello.

I posted several weeks ago regarding a relative who was a FO at RAF Lulsgate Bottom, Harold Henry Victor Roots.

The question I have is this, does anyone know why he would be training a FL with a D.F.C in a training 'plane (Airspeed Oxford) when the FL is clearly a qualified and decorated pilot? What could be reason for being in a basic training plane?

With thanks.

[bruce dennis]

Hello Simon,
The Oxford was a twin engined aircraft, perhaps he was instructing someone who had previously only flown singles.

Bruce

[SimonRoots]

Bruce.

Thank you for the information and taking the time to reply.

[David Duxbury]

Simon,
The Oxford was an ADVANCED training aircraft, so I am wondering, do you have the logbook of your relative? Or is your information derived from letters home? Presuming the latter, as the logbook would contain all your answers, such as unit, exercises, etc. Oxfords were used by the RAF for many things, including multi-engine training for new pilots u/t, for twin-engine conversion as already suggested, for SBA (Standard Beam Approach) training, and also for familiarisation flights in the UK for pilots arriving from overseas (in units known as Pilots' Advanced Flying Units), who would be totally confused by the UK's continuously changing weather patterns, including fog, and industrial haze, by the barrage balloons (thousands of them), by the tightly packed aerodromes practically anywhere there was flat ground (perhaps I have exaggerated their numbers slightly), by tens of thousands of villages scattered everywhere, plus intensive networks of canals, roads and railways, and by the very large amount of air traffic all over UK, as well as random enemy activity thrown in for additional interest, which also made the local A/A batteries jittery.
David D

[Magda]

My husband LH Tolchard was at Lulsgate Bottom from March 1944 till 8 th April 1944 Out of his 38 flights , 23 were self and 15 were Instructors.

F/Lt Stapleton. F/O Carrington F/O Evans F/O Stow F/O Denis.. They did Steep turns, Low
flying, Precautionary, climbing Stalling. Flight commanders Test . Forced Landings , Engine failure. They do all have codes.attached.
Les qualified as an Instructor April 1944.

Regards.
Magda

[SteveBrooking]

To save people wasting their time guessing it would help if you provided more detail on your relative especially his normal operational role and the dates he was at Lulsgate Bottom.

Depending on the circumstances I think it was quite common for junior officers to train more senior officers - sergeants quite often trained officers. No. 1540 Beam Approach Training Flight was based at Lulsgate Bottom and most BATFs were equipped with Oxfords.

[SimonRoots]

Hello.

My apologies for the late response to the replies very helpfully posted.

My cousin was attached to 3 FIS Lulsgate Bottom. I have had his admin records from the RAF. I was hoping for more but was told I need to apply elsewhere for more detailed information such as The National Archives, RAF Museum etc. I don't have any of his log books etc. I am new to research so mistakenly thought applying as only surviving next of kin would have produced more.

I knew his trainee was FL Peter Cadman DFC who had been attached to 77 Squadron and awarded his DFC for an operation to Dusseldorf in November 1943. I have only found information today that Harold was training Peter as a Flying Instructor.

I am indebted to those taking the time to reply to my thread, I get a bit frustrated in my hunger to find more information about my cousin.

If anyone has any advice of how I can progress my research around more of his records, I would be most grateful.

Simon.

[SimonRoots]

Apologies.

For those that didn't read my original thread, Harold and Peter were killed aboard Airspeed Oxford L4616 when it crashed following an engine explosion on 6th June 1944. They were conducting what were described as circuits.

Simon