10/11/42 No.2 (O) Advanced Flight Unit (Course 87). Millom, Cumbria

I currently have no explanation for the relatively large gap of time between the order for Bob’s re-mustering and his arrival at No. 2(o) A.F.U.  –  it might simply be related to the length of an A.F.U. course and therefore based on a set ‘start’ date. Having arrived at the A.F.U he began his training as an Air Bomber. This training included, owing to physical proximity, gunnery practice as the front guns of the Stirling (and also the Lancaster) were sat above the Air Bombers nacelle at the front of the aircraft. The training also included navigation and basic flying. After a question posed on the RAF Commands forum regarding A/B training I received the following from Alan F/ 149nut;

The decision to implement the new Bomb Aimer/ Air Bomber category was put forward by Arthur Harris at the 29th March ’42 meeting under Portal, to discuss composition and training of crews on medium/heavy bombers. (AIR 2/2662 refers) It was decided to make Bomb Aiming a discreet trade to be conducted by a dedicated crewmember. Bombardier was the initial title, but this was soon changed to Air Bomber (AIR 6/73 refers) the new Air Bomber also became the “Pilot’s Assistant” (June 42 – only for Stirling and Halifax). Primary task of the Air Bomber was aiming and dropping bombs. He was also to be trained in Navigation, Gunnery and basic Pilot skills. (Bombing, map reading plus gunnery in an emergency. Also to act as pilot’s assistant. i.e. able to fly straight and level and steer a course – Ref Jefford). This meant that their entry standard was similar to Pilots and Observers, with similar pay, and commissioning quotas. ( Ref – Jefford )

As I noted in my reply to this information, I wonder if the absence of any obvious flying training at Millom suggests that this had been completed (Despite Bob’s damming personal assessment of his skills) at 15 E.F.T.S

Date	Hour	Aircraft & No.		Pilot		Remarks	Flying Time
26/11/1942	12.40	Defiant	G5	Sgt.	Mathieson	Tracer Den (Duty	20mins
27/11/1942	10.20	Defiant	G5	Sgt.	Forest	Beam Airfiring (Duty) No.3 stoppage. No rounds fired	20mins
	11.50	Anson	59	Sgt.	Edwards	WSD (with a triangle symbol) (Duty) Vector Error 9	1hr 25mins
02/12/1942	14.25	Defiant	G4	Sgt.	Scott	Air Firing – Beam (duty) 4 hits	30mins
03/12/1942	11.20	Anson	26	Sgt.	Tims	WSD (with a triangle symbol) (Duty) Vector Error 4	1hr 20mins
08/12/1942	14.00	Anson	26	Sgt.	Tims	B2 (duty) – I think this denotes ‘second bomber’ in exercise. Exercise abandoned Weather U.S	40mins
09/12/1942	10.55	Anson	9	Sgt.	Greville	Navigation (duty) Map Reading	3hrs
20/12/1942	0.40	Anson	18	P/O.	Waters	B2 (duty) Exercise abandoned Weather U.S	50mins
22/12/1942	12.05	Anson	12	Sgt.	Greville	B2 (duty) Exercise abandoned Weather U.S	45mins
30/12/1942	10.55	Anson	53	Sgt.	George	B2 (duty) Exercise abandoned – signals indicated target u.s. – returned to base	50mins
30/12/1942	15.30	Anson	9	Sgt.	Greville	B2(duty) 6 bombs dropped – 65 yards error – 10000”	2hrs 10mins
31/12/1942	11.40	Defiant	G4	Sgt.	Mathieson	Cine Gun (duty)	1hr

Date	Hour	Aircraft & No.		Pilot		Remarks	Flying Time
04/01/43	14.35	Defiant	G7	F/Lt.	Ritchie	Beam Firing- fired 200 rds 1 hit	35mins
09/01/43	16.20	Anson	51	Sgt.	Scutts	B2 – exercise abandoned	55mins
14/01/43	17.10	Defiant	G7	Sgt.	Youens	Beam Firing	20mins
15/01/43	10.20	Anson	53	Sgt.	Timms	B2	1hr 25mins
18/01/43	11.20	Anson	47	Sgt.	Monniea	B2 – excercise abandoned – cloudy	25mins
21/01/43	13.15	Anson	15	Sgt.	Edwards	B2 – 6 bombs dropped 4G 76yds – 1000’	2hr 50mins
28/01/43	9.15	Anson	48	Sgt.	Corewyn	B2 – excercise abandoned – cloudy	30mins
29/01/43	11.35	Anson	5	Sgt.	Walker	B2 – 5 bombs dropped – 160 yds Close group 10008’	2hr 25mins

Date	Hour	Aircraft & No.		Pilot		Remarks	Flying Time
01/02/1943	9.30	Defiant	G9	Sgt.	West	Cine Gun  (duty) 18 feet fired	5mins
01/02/1943	13.50	Defiant	G9	Sgt.	Johnson	Relative Speed (duty)	25mins
02/02/1943	15.20	Anson	51	P/O	Graham	Combined Exercise (duty)	2hrs 50mins
06/02/1943	13.45	Anson	7	F/S.	Sanson	B2 (duty) Weater u.s. Exercise Abandonned	40mins
07/02/1943	16.40	Anson	39	Sgt.	Stein	B2 (duty) 5 bombs 120” Group (Close) – 10000”	1hr 50mins
12/02/1943	14.15	Defiant	G9	Sgt.	Matieson	Beam Firing (duty) 80Rds Fired. 2 Hits	35mins
16/02/1943	14.10	Anson	44	P/O	Watson	Combined Exercise (duty)	2hrs 45mins
17/02/1943	17.30	Anson	31	Sgt.	Corewyn	B7 (duty) 8 bombs dropped Average error 46” & 35” 500”	1hr 5mins
18/02/1943	22.15	Anson	8	Sgt.	Tims	B5 (Night) 11 Bombs dropped – 2 close groups. – 10000”	1hr 50mins
19/02/1943	1.55	Anson	44	P/S.	Miller	Navigation (Night) Map Reading. Base – Catterick – Hexham – Ayre – Base	2hrs 50mins
21/02/1943	16.45	Anson	37	Sgt.	Carter	B8 4 Bombs Dropped – Average error 13×1,500’	1hr 20mins
23/02/1943	17.30	Anson	17	F/S.	Jennings	Combined Exercise Base – Whitehaven – Skares Rock – M. Galloway – Chicken Rock – Base Bombing Skares Rock. 3 Sticks Bombs with 2 bombs per stick	1hr 40mins
24/02/1943	16.35	Anson	16	P/O	Graham	B8 4 Bombs Dropped Average Error 13×1500’	45mins
26/02/1943	10.45	Anson	27	F/S.	Tobias	B3 Exercise Abandoned – Weather u.s.	1hr 5mins
26/02/1943	14.35	Anson	37	Sgt.	Haynes	B3 6 Bombs Dropped. Close Group 93×10000’	50mins
27/02/1943	8.25	Anson	18	Sgt.	Tims	B3 Exercise Abandoned – Weather u.s	2hrs
27/02/1943	13.40	Anson	8	Sgt.	Corewyn	B3 Exercise Abandoned – Weather u.s	45mins

05/03/1943	13.30	Anson	30	Sgt.	Malone	B3 6 Bombs Dropped. Close Group90′-10000′	1HR 51mins
06/03/1943	16.15	Anson	4	Sgt.	Simpkins	Combined Ex. Base-Kirkby Stephen-Carlisle-Dumfries-Corsenall PG-Whitehaven-Base Bombing Askam 2 sticks 2 Bombs Each	2HR 50mins
09/03/1943	12.10	Anson	47	F/S.	Tobias	B8 4 Bombs Dropped	1HR 15mins
09/03/1943	16.10	Defiant	G5	Sgt.	Youens	Airfiring Q.C.U. 200 RDS Fired	20mins
09/03/1943	16.55	Defiant	G3	Sgt.	Johnson	Airfiring Q.C.U. 30 RDS Fired. Stoppage Belt Jammed	25mins
09/03/1943	18.00	Defiant	G16	Sgt.	West	Airfiring Q.C.U. 200 RDS Fired	30mins
11/03/1943	8.05	Anson	7	F/S.	Stern	Map Reading Base-St. Bees-Ballymoney-Chicken Rk-Base	2HR 55mins
11/03/1943	16.05	Anson	7	F/S.	Greville	Combined Ex. Base-Kirkby Lonsdale-Wellington-Welshpool-Wrexham-Crannage-Kirkby-Base Bombing Duddon. 8 Sticks. 2 Bombs Per Stick	3HR 20mins
12/03/1943	10	Defiant	G10	Sgt.	Scott	Air firing R Speed 200 RDS Fired	25mins
12/03/1943	11.5	Defiant	G8	Sgt.	Youens	Air firing R Speed 10 RDS Fired. Links Jammed in Feedway	30mins
14/03/1943	8.05	Anson	34	P/O	Morgan	B3 6 Bombs Dropped. Close Group 122 x 10000′	1HR 30mins
14/03/1943	15.45	Anson	51	Sgt.	Carter	B4 4 Sticks of 2 Bombs Each. Group 98 x -10000′	1HR 45mins
18/03/1943	15	Defiant	G8	Sgt.	Youens	Air Firing RS 200 RDS. 14 Hits	30mins
21/03/1943	9.15	Anson	24	Sgt.	Eslick	Combined Ops Starboard Engine Cut – Returned Base	1HR 35mins
21/03/1943	15.15	Anson	53	Sgt.	Mousdell	Combined Ops B.B.A Prestwick – Returned Base	2HR 50mins

Above, the first 2 pages of Dad’s logbook showing his completion of initial gunnery and bombing courses – interestingly, he seemed to be better at gunnery (exam mark 78.5) than he was at bombing (68.5)