The Diary of a Flight Engineer in the Second World War (Don Gray)

The Diary of a Flight Engineer in the Second World War (Don Gray)

Don's autobiography begins with him leaving school and starting a correspondence course in aeronautical engineering. Although he wanted to be a pilot, the RAF persuaded him that a flight engineer doubled as a second pilot.

Two printed sheets

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The Diary of a Flight Engineer in the Second World War

My name is Don Gray and at the outbreak of the Second World War I had just taken my School Certificate at the local Grammar School, Sir John Deane’s in Northwich, Cheshire. I had moved into the 6th Form to commence studying for my Higher School Certificate in 2 years’ time. I was mad on aeroplanes.

I found the course irksome, particularly with all the exciting war news continually pouring out of our wireless. I decided to leave school, much to my parents’ disappointment, and take a correspondence course in Aeronautical Engineering with a view to making a career in the R.A.F. I do not think I chose the right approach as I badly wanted to fly and, after my 18th birthday in April 1940, I became more and more restless and lacking in concentration on my studies.

In May 1940 I travelled to the R.A.F. Recruiting Centre at Padgate, Warrington and told them I would like to be a pilot. I passed all the medical checks but was then told that there were no vacancies for pilots but that I could be a Navigator, Bomb Aimer/Observer, Wireless Operator or Air Gunner.

I told them it was Pilot or nothing so they suggested that I trained as a Flight Mechanic as it would be easier to remuster to Pilot later if I was already in the R.A.F. I foolishly agreed.

I trained in Blackpool as a Flight Mechanic (airframes), did well on the course and passed out as a Leading Aircraftsman at the end of 1940. I served on various R.A.F. stations in the following 2 years, having repeated applications for remustering to aircrew turned down generally on the grounds that they could not waste the money they had spent on my training. So much for the advice I received when I joined up!

During this rather unhappy period of my R.A.F career, I scrounged flying lessons from understanding pilots whenever I could and spent as much time as possible on the Link Trainer in the hopes that the experience might count in my favour in my endeavours to become aircrew. At the beginning of 1943, when stationed at Swinderby near Newark, which was equipped with the dreaded Manchester 2 engined forerunner of the Lancaster, I was called to the Station Commander’s Office.

He thumbed through my many requests to become a pilot and asked if I had ever considered becoming a Flight engineer who, on 4 engined bombers, was the emergency pilot too. My experience over the last 2 years of servicing all types of aircraft would stand me in good stead (and also satisfy the R.A.F.’s conscience on wasting the cost of my training) and would be the quickest way of getting me airborne. I was pretty fed up with my ground job and, after a little thought, agreed to the remustering.

I was posted to R.A.F. St Athan in South Wales, where Flight engineers were trained, in February 1943 and passed out as a qualified Flight engineer in November of that year.

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Flight Engineer Don Gray. DFM

[symbol] Joined R.A.F. June 1940
[symbol] Trained in Blackpool, passed out as a L.A.C. (Leading Aircraftsman) December 1940
[symbol] Seconded to A.V. Roe 1941/42 at Chadderton, Manchester assembling Lancasters
[symbol] Flight engineers Course, St Athan, S. Wales February 1943 to November 1943
[symbol] Crewed up January 1944. Trained on Halifax’s at Blyton, Lincolnshire February 1944
[symbol] Converted to Lancaster at Hemswell 15th March to 8th April 1944
[symbol] First op. 9th April 1944
[symbol] Wounded on 6th op. 27th April 1944, re-joining crew on 15th June 1944. Flew with them until they finished on 4th August 1944.
[symbol] Completed my tour of 32 ops. with various Pilots on 27th September 1944
[symbol] Orderly Room Flight Sergeant at Hemswell until 22nd April 1945
[symbol] Glider Pick Unit, Ibsley 25th April 1945 to 1st May 1945. Qualified as pick-up winch Operator
[symbol] Flew out to Karachi 23rd May 1945
[symbol] To Calcutta 12th June 1945
[symbol] Akyab, Burma (our base) 30th June 1945
[symbol] Flew until 3rd October 1945
[symbol] Then ground jobs Rangoon and Seletars
[symbol] Sailed home from Singapore on Capetown Castle
[symbol] Discharged from Kirkham April 1946

THE CREW LANCASTER J.A.683 D2

[symbol] Pilot F/O D.J. (Dan) Cullen (Duke) D.F.C. R.A.A.F.
[symbol] Flight Engineer W/O D.A. (Don) Gray (Junior) D.F.M. R.A.F.
[symbol] Bomb Aimer W/O Arthur (Robbie) Robinson R.A.F.
[symbol] Navigator F/S W.H. (Bill) Gray (Senior) R.A.A.F.
[symbol] Wireless Operator F/S R.W.R. (Ross) Yates R.A.A.F.
[symbol] Mid-Upper Gunner F/S C.H. (Col) Wheatley R.A.A.F.
[symbol] Rear Gunner F/S A.W. (Arthur) Knapp D.F.M. R.A.F.