One morning I was summoned before the chief engineer who asked me if I would like to go up on a "test flight" with "George". I couldn't believe my luck as no apprentice had been offered the opportunity before. But first I had to get permission from the Senior Master in the Apprentice School (Mr. Ben Gunn) who in turn approached my father.

A few days later there I was walking out onto the airfield with my instructor, and the pilot of the Fairey Swordfish in which we were to fly. I was helped up into the rear cockpit, and shown how to store my parachute in the rack provided.

As soon as we became airborne the pilot set course for the South coast and handed the controls over to the Automatic Pilot.
Before long we were circling the Isle of Wight still under "George's" control, until the engineer operated the attitude control which signalled the aileron unit to change course and turn the aircraft back towards Farnborough. Unfortunately, as we crossed over the South Downs, we ran into thick fog and lost sight of our landmarks.

A lot of our younger readers will question why reflected radio waves could not have been used to detect our position. The fact being that "Radar" was only in its development stage in 1937.T his being the situation our pilot was forced to switch "George" off, and take over manual control. He shouted to us via the intercom "look out for the RAE." Then, thinking he saw a large green common, he started to descend, only to find it was fields full of cows.

As he climbed up again he spotted a railway line. "We'll follow that," he shouted, "keep a lookout for Farnborough station."
As we passed over our local station he banked to the left and approached the airfield. It was with considerable relief that I felt the undercarriage touch down and we taxied towards the hangers.

I was in such a state of fear that as I made to climb out of the cockpit, instead of picking up my parachute by the lifting handle, I grabbed hold of the ripcord and in no time we were smothered in white silk.
Our pilot was scathing in his comments and I was punished for my carelessness by being made to sit for an hour or more in the balloon shed, while the ladies laid out and re-packed the parachute in its case.

It was not long after this incident that I left the RAE and travelled up to Manchester, where I joined Metropolitan Vickers in a supervisory capacity over a group of some thirty girls, who were employed in the mass production of the same Automatic Pilots which had been designed at the RAE. The Air Ministry gave an order for 3,750 units to be delivered to the RAF for use in bombers. Such was the accuracy required in making this ingenious device that twenty five sets a week was the output during 1940, but by 1943 this rose to 75 per week.

It was with great pride that I was associated with producing these units throughout the war. But I never found out whether I was the first - and last- apprentice to participate in trial flights with "George".

Ken Harvey

I pity the poor cafeteria manager who had to balance her budget in the face of the demands of several dozen young, hungry and aggressive male apprentices. It was definitely not a fair contest.

Hostel residents purchased a book of meal tickets at the beginning of each week, each ticket duly printed with the date and type of each meal. You had to have the correct ticket for the proper meal that was the rule, to be handed over at the meal counter when you got your food. The question for the apprentices was how to get more food?

One solution was to use a friend's ticket who was not in the cafeteria that day. That was semi-legitimate, the ticket hadn't been used before, but there were only a few of these.

The next best solution was to use an outdated ticket, but for that you had to be fast. Get it on the spike on the counter, get it covered and move on before you were spotted. But that technique was fraught with peril. If caught, you had to face
THE MANAGER, who would likely report you to the Apprentice Supervisor. And you didn't want your name to come up too often, no matter how nice a guy A.J. Armstrong was!

2,000 acres of grass land suitable for a cattle ranch. Wide tarmac drive over 2½ miles long; large number of barns and outhouses, complete home workshop. Needs extensive modernisation. Extras include - illuminations, VHF radio, and hot and cold running water.

Enquires to:
Messrs. Mumble, Mumble, Mumble, Mumble & Grumble, Apprentices Hostel, Farnborough.

Editors Note :-- Things do not change after 40 years, it's still for sale!