Page 5 - Robert Joseph Harding

passed out as ʽabove averageʾ undertook a flying instructors course between May
27 and July 22 , the location he took this course at is not documented.
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On October 14 Mary gave birth to their first son Robert Joseph in Derby.
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Promoted Temporary Sergeant (Pilot) on December 31 1942 and assessed as
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'Very Good', Robert was posted to 14 Elementary Flying School (Advanced) on July
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11 1943. This training unit was based at RAF Ossington in Nottinghamshire,
between Worksop and Newark and equipped with the Airspeed Oxford, a twin
engine trainer nicknamed the ʽOx Boxʾ by aircrew. It served Training Command well,
being easy to fly and prepared pilots for Operational Training Units that would be
equipped with the Barnes Wallis designed twin engine Vickers Wellington
medium bomber.

On November 3 1943 Robert was posted on to RAF Holme on Spalding moor some
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23 miles North West of Hull. 76 Squadron, a Handley Page equipped Main Force
squadron occupied this airfield, part of No.4 Group RAF Bomber Command. His
duties here are not known but his stay at Holme was short lived, Robert leaving the
station on December 31 1943. On this date Robert was promoted Flight Sergeant,
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this rank he must have held in a temporary manner for some time previously as
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records indicate he was commissioned as Pilot Officer on January 1 1944.
Because of his exceptional flying performance during his flying training Robert was
selected to be a flying instructor and pass on his skills to novice pilots. This was
standard RAF practice to divert the best pilots back into the training system and not
waste the talent by sending them to Main Force squadrons and the risks involved in
losing the pilot on operations. For Robert this was a timely intervention by his
superiors as by early 1944 Bomber Command was trying to destroy Berlin, the
German capital.

The operations against the city known as the Battle of Berlin failed with the loss of
492 Heavies and 2,690 aircrew dead with over 1,000 taken prisoner of war. The
distance to the ʿBig Cityʾ as crews called Berlin, its extensive Flak defences and the
appalling weather conditions of late 1943 early 1944 endured by crews trying to fly
over 600 miles to Berlin defeated Bomber Command.

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On January 1 1944 Robert as Pilot Officer was posted back to 14 E.F.T.S at RAF
Ossington as a pilot instructor, staying at Ossington until February 20 Robert was
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then posted on to 9 E.F.T.S at RAF Ansty, 5 miles East of Coventry. This unit was
equipped with the Tiger Moth biplane, one of the RAF’s basic trainers.
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By March 9 Robert was back at Ossington were he stayed until April 1 when he
was posted to 10 Flying Instructors School, part of 50 (Training) Group. This unit
was stationed at RAF Woodley, now redeveloped as a housing estate in the suburbs
of Reading. Robert would have undergone an intense training course covering the
training of novice pilots.

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On April 6 Mary gave birth to their second son Miceal John in Solihull.