Derek Skinner’s Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book

Derek Skinner’s Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book

Derek Skinner’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book from 2nd May 1939 until 7th December 1941. During this time trained as a pilot. Trained at No. 13 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School, No. 4 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School, No. 11 Flying Training School, 14 Operational Training Unit, before being posted to 106 Squadron in July 1940. Quick posting on to 44 Squadron for operations. At the end of his first tour, posted to 271 Squadron in March 1941. In May posted to Overseas Air Delivery Flight. On arriving in Egypt posted to 216 and then 117 Squadrons carrying freight. October 1941 saw a posting to the Communications Flight. Second operational posting to 148 Squadron in November.
Last entry in log book is an air test flight on 7th December 1941 but then there follows a Death Presumed stamp.

Served at RAF White Waltham, RAF Brough, RAF Hullavington, RAF Shawbury, RAF Cottesmore, RAF Finningley, RAF Waddington, RAF Doncaster, RAF Kemble, RAF Portreath, RAF Heliopolis, RAF Khartoum, RAF Kabrit.

Aircraft flown were Tiger Moth, Blackburn B2, Avro Cadet, Oxford, Anson, Hampden, Hereford, Boston, Bombay, Valentia, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero, Wellesley, Blenheim, Magister, Wellington II.

With 44 Squadron, Derek flew a total of 34 operations (28 night bombing, 4 night minelaying, 2 night patrols). His targets were Cologne, Merseburg, Magdeburg, Brest (Jellyfish), Berlin, Le Havre, Boulogne, Kiel, the Scharnhorst at Kiel, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven, Leuna Oil, Dortmund, and the Ruhr. His night patrols were over Oxford and Birmingham. His pilot for the first few operations was Pilot Officer Ridpath. He then flew the rest of the operations as pilot.

During his time with 148 Squadron, he flew at least 2 night bombing operations as second pilot. The targets were Benghazi and Derna. His pilots were Squadron Leader Duguid and Flight Lieutenant Baird.

Printed book with handwritten entries

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