So now it was off to I.T.W. [Initial Training Wing} down at, or if you came from the South Island, up to LEVIN. For the last time for a while at least I was in civilian clothes having been discharged from the Army. On arrival at the camp we were firstly kitted out into Air Force uniforms and to top off the ensemble a summer uniform in original designer khaki, complete with wide, and I do mean wide long shorts or short longs depending on your leg length, as there was no discrimination in height or the colour of your skin what you got was what you were expected to wear. And as you were in the Air Force now just don't forget it.           

 

Leading Aircraftman Trevor Pearce, with aircrew flash in his hat

But one thing in our wardrobe that to me at least that was of immense pride was the forage cap complete with a removable white flash this to be worn only by aircrew under training [be it a pilot, navigator, or air gunner] and only to be removed on graduation or if you had failed and had been reassigned.

Our rank at this time was LAC or to put it another way a Leading Aircraftman. At least we were not the lowest rank.          

At this time we were assigned to our very own living quarters which consisted of a raised wooden floor with timber half way up the sides and to top it off a canvas cover, a la a tent which was surprisingly comfortable inside. If I remember right and providing the Alzheimer's doesn't kick in there were four of us to each hutch, whoops sorry hut. So after getting settled in our training started in earnest. It was a pity Earnest wasn't there to participate in our unbridled enthusiasm.           

Our first task was to go for just a short run around the block. What was not conveyed to us was that it was A COUNTRY BLOCK. Things are calculated differently in the country. Yes you guessed it, each leg was approximately 3 miles long making a grand total of by my calculations - and remember that I am pretty good at math’s - was a total of 12 miles to run. Boy was I thankful that at this stage I was pretty fit, due of course to my stint in the army.        

Now prior to going on this meander we were informed, no told, that if anyone was caught attempting to take a short cut across the fields [remember we are in country territory] we would be taken back to the starting place and made to start all over again but [notice that word again] this time you would have a personnel trainer with you in the form of a P.T instructor, just to make sure you were doing the right thing. Oh yes some tried it and got caught so were late for the evening meal. No worries as most who were caught were not feeling very hungry anyway. I wonder why? It seems the powers that be had seen it all before.

The six weeks we were there went all too fast or so it seemed as time was taken up with lectures, lectures, and more bloody lectures crammed into our tiny brains and to add interest P.T etc. We were also tested on a gadget [and that's all I can call it] very similar to a link trainer. This consisted of a dummy [for dummies] cockpit and inside it was a joy stick, a throttle, and on the dash a cathode tube with a red light one side and a green light the other side. The cathode tube had cross hairs in the center and the idea was to keep a white dot in the center of the screen then when the red light came on you pushed the throttle forward but if the green light came on you pulled the throttle back. This was to test your reflexes

Another gadget was two pieces of string attached to a board in front of you but at least 3 ft away. On each piece of string was a pointer and the idea was to move both pieces of string and align the pointers together If you think that it is easy just you try it. Oh and the background was painted black.

It was always a pleasant interlude when one heard the sound of a Kestrel motor buzzing around and attached to it a HAWKER HIND fuselage which then came in to land in the field adjourning us as this field was a satellite field for OHAKEA and where the trainee pilots could practice their skills. Also if they had a prang [accident - see I'm learning the language already] the pupil's instructor would not see them and therefore would not be seen gnashing his teeth or pulling his hair out.

If permitted we would go to the fence to drool over being so close to a real live aircraft and marvel at the pilots skill in being able to fly it . Occasionally we would get a visit from an over grown TIGER MOTH [now here's a good word] aka a VICKERS VILDEBEEST  

This was a huge machine with a 13 ft wooden propeller which because it turned rather slowly made a "wish, wish" sound and also because the aircraft had a different type of motor a radial instead of an inline motor. This was a BRISTOL radial, a type I would become very familiar with in the months to come.

Now comes close to the time for our exams and during revision some of our instructors would say “You may get this question or maybe you could get this one" and so it was a wise man or boy depending on your state of mind to take note of the question and study them, for come exam day low and behold these were some of the questions asked. As the Air Force was desperate for aircrew I can only assume that the powers that be obviously turned a blind eye to these antics.

Shades of LORD NELSON, at least he did have one shade. The pass rate required was high but because quite a few were down on marks the passing percentage was dropped down to 75% and while some got to that figure the numbers required was still a bit low and so the percentage was dropped still further down to 50%. Eureka they got the number of airman required to be trained for further slaughter. So much for higher education. Those in the lower bracket were destined for training as gunners

This was done on my course [Course 25], so I do not know what went on in later courses. You must remember that this was a period of rallying to the flag so every able person that could be utilized in the best possible way was just another bod in the gun. And yes I did pass with fairly high marks even though I struggled with Trigonometry. Ronnie could not save me now so I had to pull finger out and make sure that I passed if I was to become a pilot.

On graduation there just had to be a parade through the center of the town [one street] LEVIN. So the CO [Commanding Officer] decided to march us through the town in our Air Force designed newly issued khaki summer uniforms complete with our knobbly knees showing and all. Boy, were we proud - not of our knees you under stand as these were standard individual issue - but of the mere fact that we had crossed the first hurdle to our aspiration of becoming fly boys.

The crowds, all two dozen of them [nearly the whole population] gave us a rousing three cheers at least 3 or 4 times, but it made us feel very important strutting there in our beautifully pressed uniforms [via under the mattress technique] khaki shorts shirts and of course the forage cap complete with white flash worn at a very jaunty angle.

So at least we are part way to becoming aircrew be it a pilot, air gunner or navigator, who cared just as long as we were aircrew, although I was determined to become a pilot.

Whilst at ITW Levin, on one CO's parade on a very hot day [this was in mid November] I was very surprised to see the adjutant, whom we called the Admiral [maybe because he was 5'+5', that is 5' round by 5' tall] start to run towards us at a great rate of knots [see the navy in me] to grab an airman who was in the process of hitting the ground as he had just fainted. I had a lot of respect for him after that as I think most other trainees did also.

It was at this time we were told our next destination, mine being No. 2 E.F.T.S. [elementary flying training school] New Plymouth, or as more commonly known BELL BLOCK. So endith the first segment of the transformation from a sprog to a fully fledged pilot

 

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