June 1944

Richard Hall is sharing his father’s diary and part of his log book. Stanley Hall is with RAF 76 OTU at Aqir.

No. 76 Operational Training Unit RAF (76 OTU) was a Royal Air Force operational training unit during the Second World War.

The unit was formed at RAF Aqir on 1 October 1943. Throughout its existence it was equipped with Vickers Wellington bombers and trained crews for night bombing operations with RAF squadrons in the Middle East. The unit was disbanded on 30 July 1945.No. 76 Operational Training Unit RAF (76 OTU) was a Royal Air Force operational training unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed at RAF Aqir on 1 October 1943. Throughout its existence it was equipped with Vickers Wellington bombers and trained crews for night bombing operations with RAF squadrons in the Middle East. The unit was disbanded on 30 July 1945. (Source Wikipedia)

2nd June

Did first x/country flight yesterday, posted a parcel to Thelma and sent EFM for Janet’s birthday.

3rd June

Went on decompression test today.

6th June

Did 3rd x/c flight today, they are getting longer each day. Travelled over 600 miles today.

News of 2nd front is good so I hope it won’t be long before the Western side is cleaned up but it looks as though I’m going to miss out on it as I have yet to do a conversion to Liberators.

9th June

Did my longest x/c flight yesterday lasting 6% hrs and covering about 1000 miles.

Starting night flying now so it is really the last leg of the course here and will last about 3 weeks.

12th June

Have had a lazy day as I didn’t get to bed until 5 this morning after night flying, however I soloed after 1 few dual landings so am quite happy about it.

13th June

I’m a bit disappointed not flying tonight, some of the chaps messed up their 6½ hr day cross country flights and so now I’ve had to wait until they get them done so that we can keep our night flying programme to date.

Out of twelve aircraft which set out on the last x/c there were only two of us who completed the trip and bombed the target. Others were running short of fuel, got lost or had engine trouble and landed at other places so sometimes there is a bit to contend with and I’ve had good luck I suppose.

18th June

Did my first night x/country last night.

We had searchlight co-op over one place and the idea was to keep out of the beams if possible. It was great fun but they are very blinding and once coned it is hard to get away.

25th June

Yesterday a nice lot of mail came in and also I have received some parcels so at present have a good stock in. The chocolate will be good to have in the air as a 15000′ x/c for about 6 hrs gets a bit tiring towards the end.

I was going on one two nights ago all set to go but when I tested the engines on the ground they gave trouble so I didn’t get off.

I have three more night trips to do to finish the course and will get one done tonight.

I am getting another flight engineer, the one I had was good enough in the air but has been in trouble all the way through the course through laziness, unpunctuality and lack of interest in ground work so I gave him a good chance but after a while it began to reflect upon myself as captain so the chief instructor took him in hand and has replaced him. All the rest of the boys are o.k.

Log book page for June 1944

From Robert Davis’ log book for June 1944… He flew nine times as part of Stanley Hall’s crew. The last training flight he took was on June 29 on Vickers Wellington Mark X, serial number LN965.

Next time July 1944..

For more about the Wellington Mark X, click here.

The Wimpy

The Wellington was the most important British bomber of the initial war period. Designed to meet the requirements of Air Ministry specification B.9/32, the prototype first flew in June 1936. Deliveries to RAF bomber squadrons began in 1939. Commonly named Wimpy by its crews (after J. Wellington Wimpy, Popeye’s friend), the Wellington remained in service as a land bomber for five and a half years, its first operation being an attack on German warships at Wilhelmshaven on the day after war declared, its last raid on Previsio in Northern Italy in April 1945. During war period it operated from bases in Great Britain, India, the Middle East, North Africa and Italy.

Although fairly modern by its looks, technologically the Wellington was very much a product of an era past. By 1942 slow speed, limited ceiling, and a small bomb load made the Wellington obsolete in the European theatre of operations. It flew its last offensive sorties against Hannover on October 8, 1943. Although once it had been supplanted from the European theatre Lancasters and Halifaxes it flew until the war’s end in other roles and in other theatres. In particular, it had been used by RAF. as trainer until 1953.

A total of 11,461 Wellington’s of all variants were built – the most of any British bomber design.

The Wellington ser.no MF628 presented below is on display at RAF Museum in Hendon, UK. It is one of only two complete Wellingtons still in existence.