Story Archive - My years in the RCAF - Ronald Gaudet

My Years in the Royal Canadian Air Force - Part 6 [Back to England] By Ronald Gaudet On 2 May I boarded the Ile de France from Tufik and arrived in Aden on 5 May. We refueled and joined a convoy of freighters. The ship departed on the 6 May at 5 pm and arrived in Durban on 16 May. Four of us took a taxi and told the driver to take us to the best food in town and wound up at the Hotel Edward which was a high class place and we were a little apprehensive thinking maybe the food would not be too good. They only served people signed in by one of their guests so one South African Army Officer signed us in. We had to wait for the dining room to open so we sat in the bar and listened to a five-piece band play and we really enjoyed it. It was a full course meal with fried sole to start and we asked if we could have steak, eggs and chips as it was not on the menu. The waiter said it was no trouble and they were huge steaks and then we asked if we could have a dish of ice cream not on the menu and we each had two dishes of it. I saw someone eating grapes and asked if I could have some and the waiter brought a big basket with a variety of fruit and we cleaned it out too. There was a pineapple on top and Knox said his wife loved them (she was an English girl in England) so I told him to take it home for her but he said he could not carry it so I shoved it in his tunic pocket as he was pretty tight by this time. The food was excellent. When we got up next morning and Knox reached for his jacket he said “what in hell is in my pocket” and I explained what happened the evening before so he had a good laugh also. What a time we had getting it out as it was a tight fit getting it in the smooth way but coming out the spines were grabbing and it took us some time. Of course a few days later we had to eat it as it started to spoil. 17 May I was down town with Knox (an American in the RCAF) and two Englishmen, Powell and Clayton, and went in a big department store to get some silk stockings for Knox's wife. The clerk said, “don't you know there is a war on you can't get them now” however, he asked her to let him have some from under the counter that she kept for special customers and she denied this. He kept at her until she finally sold him two pairs and talked her into getting three more girls and going to a dance that night. We picked the girls up that evening and went to the dance that was crowded with sailors of course both British and American. We sat at a table close to the bar and after awhile a sailor who was getting tipsy came over and asked Powell's girl to dance and she refused. He came a couple more times with the same results but by this time our friend was getting angry and started to say something but Knox gave him a kick in the leg from under the table. He wanted to know what that was for and was told that if he said anything a fight would start and we would get clobbered. Then Knox said to look out as the sailor and his friend were going to start a fight and get us into it. Sure enough a fight started and Knox told us to get up and dance for the door if we could and get out. Somehow the two navies started fighting with each other and we got to the door and out. By this time some were piled up by the door; and those around were throwing glasses and bottles at them. As we were going down the street the Military police were speeding in. I often wonder what would have happened if Knox was not there. He was a sailor in civilian life and sure knew his way around. On the 17 and 18 May, met Mac and had a good meal at the Playhouse and of course it was steak eggs and chips. He told me that Rodney was a prisoner and not dead as we thought. On 21 May 2 went to a dance at the Canadian and American Club and had free pop and lots of chocolate cake with frosting on it. We left Durban 22 May and sailed around the Cape and on the 26 saw snow for the first time in a long while. The seas were pretty rough and as our deck was around 50 feet above water line they came up to and one came in one of the windows. We no longer had boat drill as we only had summer dress and it was too cold as we were down around 52 deg south. The weather calmed down and we headed for Rio de Janeiro. Measles broke out on children coming back from India so we were quarantined out in the harbour, and had a shipload of very unhappy people. Took on some fuel and was out of there in 36 hours. I guess they were afraid of personnel trying to get ashore as they would not let us gather in groups of more than four out on deck. On 11 June arrived in Freetown and saw the French submarine Argo and natives diving for money we threw over the side. We sailed next day and on the 14 June we saw what looked like a cruiser or destroyer and put on speed and zigzaged away from it as we did not know which side it was on. Next day we passed the Canary Islands and were told to sleep with our clothes on from now on. After all this shunting around we sailed up along the French coast to Scotland and anchored in the Clyde on 20 June 1943. I left Greenock at 5 pm on 21 June and arrived in at London 7 am on 22 June. I was given some leave and told to report to Holton Hospital on 29 June 1943. I met a S/L who told me that Andrews was repatriated with one arm off and Maise was a prisoner of war. I went to Uxbridge and got paid and from there to the Beaver Club then to book a room in the Red Shield Club. Bought some fresh cherries and they tasted very good. I booked in the Halton Hospital on 29 June and met some of the boys I was in with in Egypt. I heard that Mac is in England too. To pass the time I started making a model of Boston bomber but left before it was finished and the boys were disappointed as they figured it was the best in the ward. I signed out on the 13 July and was given two weeks leave so, I went to London. On 16 July I had my kit broken into and lost three cameras. On 29 July I had an ex-ray then a medical and was grounded for three months. There was another medical at the end of that time. I tried to get back to Canada as had 23 days leave owing me but no dice. Eventually posted to Cranfield, a servicing unit, on 6 September. My job was to taxi aircraft from point A to B. How thrilling. On 26 September I caught the train and saw Clifton Outhouse as he was staying at the house of his Pilot near London. His leg was in a cast at this time but he looked pretty good so we had a good talk. I Saw him again 3rd October. When I first arrived here and went out to the field to taxi in an aircraft the engines were cold and in poor shape which was why they were there. Normally, the engines were warmed up by the ground crew before we climbed in so just had to push the starter button and the motor started. To start a cold engine there was a formula for using the primer to get the correct amount of gas. The first time they told me the formula however it didn't work so the mechanic said, "You drivers of airframes can't start an engine." There was good natured rivalry between the ground crew and aircrew. He got in and started it up so I watched what he did and this happened quite often with the different mechanics and after about a month I had learned all the little tricks of each man. Then, if I went out and couldn't start an engine they didn't even try and got a mule {small tractor) to tow it into the hangar. 10 October I went to London and trying to catch the last train at North Harrow it started to pull out and I dashed across the platform and grabbed the handles of the last car and wound up against the side of the station. It was the last time I tried that trick. On 14 October I worked on a Merlin engine along with a W.A.A.F. On 18 October went to Knightsbridge and found out my W.O.1 was in and could wear it as soon as it came out in P.O.R. By 27 October I was pretty fed up by this time so told the medical board I felt fine and they gave me a A2h BH which gave me non- operational flying. This made me very happy indeed and I felt as if I could fly right then without a plane. ON 28 October I helped our C.O. Boardman repair the springs in his car. The next day helped him and F/O Dickson install a camera in the wing of a Tornado, which was to find out how to do for a Typhoon as the wings were the same. I came up with an idea to save a lot of time and the Engineering Officer was really impressed. My first flight in ten months was a 30 min dual and a 20 min. solo in a Miles Magister on 3 November. I was posted out on 31 December 1943. On 11 November I was watching a Beaufighter and a Dominee (five passenger biplane) come in to land and the biplane was above the fighter and when the safety man gave the red light the fighter pulled up into the other and both crashed and burned. No one got out so waited until the ambulance left before going over. I knew there was a W.A.A.F. in the rear seat of the fighter as they were giving her a lift from another field. When I looked in the rear seat her thighs were sticking out of the mess as they had not got her out yet. There were 8 killed in the crash. On 17 November I fixed a clock for Sgt. Massie. I was posted to 57 O.T.U. at Eshott and was able to get 11 hrs. 45 min. on Miles Master 1 and 111 but not the Spits as they needed them for training pupils who were operational. The pilot who checked me out in the Master was P/O Farfan who was with me in 80 Sqdn. I did some shooting on the range and did real well with a 45.5 revolver (issued to British Officers) so I bought it. I was next posted to 288 Squadron on 20 March 1944. It was an Army Co-operation Unit flying Hurricanes. That night the pilot I shared the room with gave me the ``gen`` for this station. One of the rules was if someone gives you control when flying dual you must answer that you have control. The reason for this was a few days ago two were flying in a Tiger Moth and suddenly they were skimming the deck and a few trees came up so the kite lifted up and over coming back to near deck level. This happened several times until they came to a large amount of trees and flew right into the woods smashing the kite up but the pilots were not hurt. They both got out and at the same time and said, " I thought you had control". Both were setting there thinking the other was flying very low. He assured me the story was true as he was one of the pilots. On 22 March 1944, I flew a Hurricane for the first time since 27 December 1942 and no problem at all as if I never stopped. However, on 28 March I was up and clouds and mist caught me and on some vectors control gave me I was 90 degrees out so they sent another kite to lead me back, it was an Anson. I was up for two and one/half hours, not much left in the tank. Getting out of the cockpit I happened to look at the compass and noticed a set of lines at right angles to the set going all the way across, these were only half way. Now I knew why I was 90 degrees out as had never seen this before and looking over the stick could only see one set at a time. Should have told the Flight Commander but did not and needless to say was posted out next day.