Lancaster
Peter Munson remembers his time in the Lancaster Bomber during the latter part of World War II.
In 1941, at the age of 16 I enrolled in the newly formed Air Training Corps and with a view to an Air Force career as a Wireless Operator, spent many hours learning how to transmit and receive in the Morse Code. In consequence, I was thrilled when accepted for deferred service by the RAF until I was called-up at the age of 18 in January 1943.
After kitting, much of our time was spent polishing boots and buttons until we were formed up outside the Admin Building to complete our records where I was suddenly confronted by our Sergeant who on placing his face close to mine yelled in a voice that could be heard easily all over the airfield, “ You’ve had it! You’ve had it! You’re going to be a Flight Mechanic!“
Thus was my introduction to an engineering career!
The start of a long road I was posted to an operational training
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unit as an maintenance assistant (literally a flight mechanic’s ‘side kick’) who could only be entrusted with the more menial tasks such as draining oil, cleaning plugs or running errands for spares, etc.
In 1943 I was posted to the School of Technical Training for my Flight mechanic’s course and it was there that I was informed of vacancies for flight engineer training. I volunteered and after being successfully processed by the Air Crew Selection Board was classified as an Air Crew Cadet and able to wear the coveted white flash in my cap. I was elated.
However, on completion of the flight mechanic course, I was posted to a maintenance unit in South Wales and it was not until April 1944 that I received my posting to the Air Crew Receiving Centre in London where most of the processing took part in the dressing rooms at Lord’s cricket ground! The flight engineer course although
comprehensive, took place entirely on the ground with no flying training. In fact, we were almost at the end of the course before we even saw an aeroplane! There were Rolls Royce Merlin engines many of them sectioned for instructional purposes besides diagrams of the lubricating and fuel systems which lit up while a droning robotic voice explained their function. Very soporific! Part of the course included an interesting week at the Avro Factory near Manchester. While still attending classes, we were given plenty of time to wander around the factory and to view the assembly of the aircraft.
After graduating on D-Day 6 June 1944, I was sent to a heavy conversion unit at Winthorpe where I joined my future crew and spent four months flying in Short Stirlings after which we were posted to the Lancaster Finishing School at Syerston for our first introduction to the famous Avro Lancaster. The LFS course being mainly for the benefit of the Pilot (Skipper) and
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