Initial Training - England - 6th September 1941
No. 8 Initial Training Wing
Newquay
- Cornwall
Tom
and many others volunteering for the R.A.F. would have assembled
at an Initial Training Wing (ITW). Tom Fee and possibly my grandfather
were very probably staying at 'The Crescent Hotel' or 'Beach View'
in Island Crescent overlooking Towan Beach.
A
course followed of approximately 10 weeks which including lectures
and grading in maths, navigation, signalling in morse (sending and
receiving using a morse buzzer and Aldis lamp), hygiene, law and
administration, arithmetic, aircraft and ship recognition and anti-gas.
My
grandfather wrote his marks and final score on the back of the ITW
photograph;
Having
passed these exams Tom was now a LAC - Leading Aircraftsman.
The
Initial Training Wings must have been processing massive amounts
of potential aircrew as this excerpt from No. 7 Initial Training
Wing's record book from the Public Record Office;
June
14 124
u/t pilots posted to Arnold No. 2
July 31 70
u/t pilots posted overseas for training in the U.S.A.
Aug 1 50
u/t pilots posted to U.S.A. for training
Aug 20 82
u/t pilots posted to U.S.A. for training
Sep 1 40
u/t pilots posted to U.S.A. for training
Sep 19 50
u/t pilots posted to U.S.A. for training
Nov 15 41
u/t pilots posted form UNIT for training in the U.S.A.
Tom
could have been in any one of these pilot groups. He may have missed
the following rather alarming statement...
On
October 1 instructions were ordered;
"ORDERS
IN EVENT OF INVASION"
INTENTION
- It is not the intention to use cadets as infantrymen so that in
the event of invasion every effort is to be made
to extricate all personnel from Cornwall. Training is to be carried
on until invasion is imminent, therefore no movement will take
place until the order "ACTION STATIONS" has been received.
ACTION
STATIONS - On the receipt of this order, unless a cancellation
to these instructions is received from high authority
the WING will proceed on foot to the Wadebridge Railway Station
at short or immediate notice.
I
copied the following busy daily routines from No. 7 ITW from a Public
Record Office document:-
STATION
ROUTINE: Monday to Saturday Sunday
| Reveille |
06:30
hrs |
| Breakfast |
07:00
hrs |
| First
Working Parade |
07:55
hrs |
| Sick
Parade |
08:00
hrs |
| Break |
10:15
- 10:45 hrs |
| Cease
Work |
12:30
hrs |
| Dinner |
12:45
hrs |
| Second
Working Parade |
13:30
hrs |
| Cease
Work |
18:00
hrs |
| Tea/Supper |
18:15
hrs |
| Tattoo
Roll Call |
22:00
hrs |
| Staff
Parade |
22:15
hrs |
| Lights
Out |
22:30
hrs |
| Reveille |
07:00
hrs |
| Breakfast |
07:45
hrs |
| Sick
Parade |
09:30
hrs |
| Church
Parade |
|
| Dinner |
12:45
hrs |
| Tea |
16:00
hrs |
| Supper |
18:30
- 19:30 hrs |
| Roll
Call |
22:00
hrs |
| Staff
Parade |
22:15
hrs |
| Lights
Out |
22:30
hrs |
