Training pilots in Canada

Talking about her father Gerald Croker

Gerald was born in 1910 and had been in Australia, expecting to stay there. He returned to the UK due to his mother's ill-health and worked in the Insurance industry.

By 1940 he was learning to fly. In June 1941 he was posted to Canada as a flying instructor. His log books have survived. These details all the different planes he flew, the type of training and the pupils he taught. These were pilots from all over the Commonwealth and the UK. He felt he hadn't had the same experience as others because he hadn't had to fight. The planes included Tiger Moths, Oxfords and Dakotas. He was based in Calgary, Alberta throughout the war.

In 1945 he was seconded to what was the start of BOAC covering Nairobi, South Africa, Iraq and the Middle East.

In 1948 he had a non-flying accident at Herne airport (hit on the head by a swing door) that resulted in a detached retina.

His new area of work was to set up wool shops in southern England (he turned down a ground job in Cairo). There was a quick turnover of trainees in Canada. On returning to the UK they would go on conversion courses for the planes they would be flying on active service. He did conversion courses himself.

He collected photos of his time in Canada and the UK. These were of individuals, groups, planes and places. He also collected postcards. These and his log books are available to be copied for the archive. The record also includes his passport. Had a large picture of a Mosquito (plane). The log-books include his own training in Tiger Moths and Oxfords. By July1941 he was training others. Included RCAF Flying School No 3.

By 1944, he was back in the UK flying Ansons, Wellingtons and Walrus from Prestwick. He went on a B.AT. course (This was a Blind Approach Training course - a fixed narrow radio beam gave out a continuous tone signal when the aircraft was correctly in line with the runway, dots and dashes were heard on either side when flying off line. The pilot had to keep the aircraft flying along this line of continuous tone until he reached the airfield and was able to land.)