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Radar Operated Rear Turret – Fatal Flight
Mr. Warren is returning to base in formation with the radar equipped bomber, when the bomber suddenly drops its nose and plunges into a pasture, killing all aboard. Sadly, this was to have been the crew's last tour of duty.
Radar Operated Rear Turret - Testing
Mr. Warren becomes involved in the testing of a new radar operated gun in a rear bomber turret. His role is to act as the enemy fighter while tests are run on the new radar's accuracy. Mr. Warren is impressed by how well the new technology works.
The New Spitfire 9
Mr. Warren receives a newer Spitfire 9 fighter which is the equal of German fighter aircraft. The new Spitfire can fly at much higher altitude, and with its auxiliary fuel tanks, has a much greater combat range.
The Spitfire was A Poor Night Fighter
Mr. Warren is in one of three squadrons trained for night fighting. He describes being nearly blinded by flames from his Spitfire's exhaust ports, which made takeoff and landing very difficult.
Fuel was Critical
Mr. Warren describes several of his combat tasks; sweeps (searching for targets of opportunity), dogfighting and bomber escort. The length of these missions was short due to the Spitfire's small fuel capacity and high consumption rate.
Value of his Ground Crew
Mr. Warren discusses the importance of his ground crew, and his sense that they were responsible for his safely completing his tour of duty.
Aircraft Shortages at Flying School
Mr. Warren describes a shortage of Anson aircraft at Elementary Flying School in High River Alberta. His tongue-in-cheek sense is that more value was placed on recovering the wheels from a downed aircraft than on its pilot. Later, at RAF flying school in Medicine Hat, he retrains in a single engine Harvard which eventually leads him to becoming a fighter pilot.
Mistaken Identity
Mr. Warren, who enlisted with his identical twin brother, describes an ironic situation which occurs while training in a Link Trainer at High River, Alberta. Mr. Warren's twin is having trouble in this machine, and unbeknown to the instructor, they trade places. Ironically, the marks Mr. Warren gets for his brother are higher than his own.
You can't judge a book...
Mr. Beall describes having to deliver a British diplomatic bag while in Ankara, Turkey. It's a canvas sack which he feels is more vulnerable than the flashy American leather valises he'd seen. His contact assures him that the British bags are better.
Scavenging German Electronics
Mr. Beall describes spare part shortages and using scavenged parts from abandoned German electronic equipment to help maintain his equipment.
Reassignment a mixed blessing
Mr. Beall describes being given the responsibility for sighting all of the GCI (Ground Control Interception) radars in North Africa. As important as his task was, he felt resentment from the ground troops because in his job he avoided the front lines.
Mine detection in the Suez Canal
Mr. Beall describes how the Suez Canal would be covered each night with netting. Holes in the netting would then reveal where German mines had been dropped overnight.
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