27 Air School, B Squadron, Service Unit
At the service hanger on Bloemspruit aero drome near Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa 1941 -43,where pilots for the RAF and SAAF were trained.
5th from the right Sgt Jock Brown , next to him in dark overalls Spike, centre sitting down with hat on and a very handsome chap Dac Dacre, ex apprentice like me , went back to UK with me and turned up on an operational 'drome later flying as Flight Engineer with a Polish or French Bomber Squadron flying Handley Page Halifax III bombers.
The aircraft in the back ground are Miles Master II aircraft made in the UK by Miles Aircraft (no relation!!) Master I's were fitted with a Rolls Royce Kestrel water cooled 12 cylinder V engine, Master II's with a Bristol Mercury Radial Aircooled engine, the Kestrel was the fore runner of the Merlin and the Mercury one of a long line of Radial engines built by Bristol, the Magister only one of the other 'planes made by Miles. Masters were all wood and you will note in the photos the wide centre section which is not removable unless destroyed, reference to this was made in earlier pages of my bio when removing crashed ones from Shawbury which got stuck on humped back bridges.
You will be aware that these photos have been subjected to the ministrations of my four children , poor storage and a fair amount of travel sickness during the years, travel in the bottom of a kitbag when returning by troop ship to England only one of the perils they have faced, so I am lucky and so are you that I still have them
Reg Miles
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