Service record queries

[jonny]

I have just been looking in RAFWEB and starting in 1944 there was a trade group title of 'Airfield Controller'

It is surprising how a wee bit of research will help. Due diligence was performed in this case, before I made a "guess."

Rgds

Jonny

[bvs]

baz,

I have just edited this response. I was going to say that I was unaware of a medical problem other than that he had to have corrective lenses in his goggles. I have just realized that the reference to being fit pending corrective lenses was dated November 1942. He had only flown 10 ops in North Africa before going to 2 METS where he had 3.4 hrs flying in Sept and Oct 1942 and never flew again according to his logbook. So perhaps his eyesight was the issue. He had survived unscathed from 3 cat E crashes, of which two were at 15OTU (one a fatal) and the third was his fourth op with 148. In all cases he was the second pilot.

Certainly would not have helped - having to depend on corrective goggles is a bit dodgy for an operational pilot,although not so bad if spare glasses carried.Could have been a combination of eyesight and perhaps after effects of 3 serious accidents - might not have helped his confidence as a pilot.He certainly seemed to be shifted around quite a bit,maybe they were a bit unsure what to do with him for a while.Would be interesting to find out why he was posted to Hurlands Farm - it is a lovely polo field at Selham/Ambersham but it was never much of an airfield (lovely smooth grass though :) ) - loads of Dutch Barns for A/C Storage and of course it was a Navy airfield.
I used to live just up the road from there when I worked at Dunsfold.

regards baz