Free The Diary of a RAF Lancaster Bomber Pilot by Les Joy Page A

experience. Nothing compares to the flying experience of the Tiger Moth and that was why I loved them so much, and still do.
Being selected as a Pilot
    In July 1943 we were sent to the Air Crew Allocation Centre (ACAC) at Heaton Park in Manchester. It was back up North for me. According to our aptitude we were selected as either Pilots, Navigators, Gunners etc, based on our record so far. I was overjoyed at being selected as a Pilot, but I lost a few good mates who had been with me since inception. But, we were all selected for different aircrew duties, therefore we had to part.
Canada
    In August of 1943, just a month after being selected as a Pilot I found myself boarding The Queen Elizabeth which was docked in the Clyde, Scotland. She had been fitted out as troop and transport ship and we were sailing for Canada. It was so exciting and yet I was apprehensive at the same time. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) we were to be fully trained as Pilots in the safety of Canada.
    The QE was more than capable of doing the trip across the Atlantic without a Navy convoy. In just under a week we made it across as she was fast enough to outrun the Nazi U-Boats. She used her high speed engines and a certain zigzagging navigation technique so they could not line up their torpedoes to try and sink us. The speed and unusual strategy of navigation meant that the U-Boats couldn’t attack and we made it across in safety, this time.
Me and my fellow trainee Pilots disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia and then we were held at the Air Crew Holding Unit (ACHU) at Moncton, New Brunswick.
    After a long 3 day train journey across Canada, I arrived at the Elementary Flying Training School No 5 (EFTS) in late August 1943. This was at a place called High River in Alberta south of Calgary close to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Here we were introduced to the Canadian built Fairchild Cornell, a single engine monoplane used for pilot training by the Royal Canadian Air Force, although funnily my main instructor was a New Zealand pilot. From the moment we arrived through to October of 1943 we were in the Cornell’s being put through our paces.
Fairchild PT-26B Cornell
     
Across those three months I racked up 76 hours of flying time, here’s the flying hours from my RAF log book.
    L Joy Log book entry
At No5 EFTS High River, Alberta
Flying hours on Cornells
August 1943 to October 1943
Daytime = Dual 38hrs Solo 35hrs
Night time = Dual 3hrs
Total = 76hrs
    After my time at High River I was on the move again and posted to No10 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) Dauphin, Manitoba, north of Winnipeg. We flew in twin engine Cessna ‘Cranes’ also called the ‘Bobcat’ in the USA where they were built.
The Cessna T-50 Crane, or BobcatCessna’s over Dauphin, 1943
    L Joy Log book entry
At No10 SFTS Dauphin, Manitoba Flying hours on Cranes
October 1943 to February 1944 Daytime = Dual 97hrs Solo 47hrs Night time = Dual 10hrs Solo 9hrs Total = 163hrs
Graduation
     
After more than six months in Canada and some intensive training, flying at day and at night, dual and solo, in Cornell’s and Cranes, I GRADUATED as an RAF Pilot!
     
We were presented with the coveted Pilots ‘wings’ and proudly had our photograph taken.
     
    That’s me 1 st from left in the middle row. You can see us all proudly sporting our new wings and stripes. It was a great day and a huge sense of achievement, although we had really only just begun.
    My 21 st , New York City and the terrible voyage home
    In March of 1944 we were given leave and with a friend and colleague, Reg, I travelled to New York City. It was great fun and very exciting to see the Big Apple. Don’t forget I was still only 20 and a very very long way away from home in Bradford.
    After a few days in New York City we hitch-hiked over to Chicago and stayed with Reg’s relatives where I celebrated my 21 st Birthday. After Reg’s family treated me to a great 21 st Birthday celebration we headed