Name : Alfred E. Prentice

Rank : Wireless Operator / Air Gunner

Ser. No. : 755400 R.A.F.V.R.

Dates at Cranage : Oct 1940 - Dec 1943

 

Below are three letters and a short piece about a very specific flight out from Cranage.

Letter 2, Letter 3, “Oo, me Sir? - or "how not-to-check if the weather man is telling the truth"

 

Letter 1

20 - 09 - 2003

I recently received, from an ex-R.A.F. colleague and amateur radio operator living in Sandbach, copies of June & August Community News, in which it is mentioned the WWII activities of R.A.F. Cranage and in which it is mentioned that you would be interested in receiving information regarding the airfield.

The No.2 School of Air Navigation, with which I served as a W.O.P./A.G. [Wireless Operator/Air Gunner], moved from R.A.F. St. Athan in South Wales to R.A.F. Cranage in October 1940. The station buildings were almost complete at that time, but the amenities were few, we had to go to the Northwich Public Baths for showers etc.

Cranage was NOT operational in 1939 and I see by my Flying Log book, that I made my first flight from there October 31st 1940.

No.96 Squadron had joined us by the end of 1940, they were flying Hurricanes as night fighters with which they had a few successes and in 1941 were further equipped with Defiant aircraft. Contrary to your information the Defiant did NOT have superior fire power, in fact it was equipped with 4 Browning machine guns as against the Hurricanes 8 Brownings.

However, the guns in the Defiant were mounted in a 4 gun rotatable turret operated by a second air-crew member - the air gunner, which allowed the pilot to concentrate on flying the aircraft. This aircraft was not a particularly great success as the additional weight of the turret and the gunner resulted in slower speed and it therefore had difficulty in catching the German bombers.

Later in the war, 96 Squadron moved to a purpose built station, with concrete runways, at Wrexham, North Wales and were equipped with the more successful Beaufighters, using the first A.I. Radar and heavier fire-power.

Cranage was the home of No.2 S.o.A.N. [School of Air Navigation] for 4 years, its purpose was to give already Battle hardened, experienced pilots and navigators a further long and intensive course in air navigation, which fitted them to the job of Station and Squadron Navigators, chiefly for Bomber Command plus other Commands.

My wife of 61 years and 2 days recently passed away after 62 years of suffering from injuries received in the 1940 London air raids. In 1943 she came up to Cheshire to live in Middlewich, which she did until I was posted overseas in January 1944.

In August this year I returned to England from New Zealand for a month during which I scattered her ashes in the Thames at our birth place in Essex.

Having flown over Cheshire so many times I feel I have an affinity with the county, a number of old comrades are buried in Byley churchyard, "They shall grow not old as we who are left grow old".

Hoping you find this information of interest to you in your research. Good Luck.

Sincerely

Alfred E. Prentice

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Letter 2

20 - 01 - 2004

Thank you for sending to me the interesting account of your considerable effort to have the old WWII airfield of R.A.F. Cranage preserved as a Historical place, I can only admire your tenacity!

I must offer my apologies to you for being so tardy in replying to you, it has been a "black" time for me since my dear wife of 61 years departed last year, however, I have been fortunate with the support of my two sons and daughter, helping me to come to terms with life without my life's companion.

You & I must have a similar love for our old country, History & Geography were my best subjects at my school in Tilbury, Essex in the 1920s & '30s.

Your request for information has given me the idea to jot down my memories in chronological sequence, I have to do it now because I am shortly taking a Driving Test, Medical, Eyesight etc. for my 84th birthday in March - in NZ [New Zealand] us oldies are subjected to these tests every 2 years - 80-82-84-86 etc., etc. Our N.Z. A.A. [Automobile Association] calls it unfair discrimination against people who helped build and save the nation!!

My first connection to the No.2 S.o.A.N. was on October 4th 1940, when at the conclusion of over a years training as a W.O.P./A.G. I was posted to St. Athan R.A.F. Station in South Wales, where the unit had been operating since being moved from Marston, Kent on the outbreak of WWII.

Within a week or so of my arrival as a "Sprog" aircrew member, the whole Unit was shifted to the wilds of Cheshire, to R.A.F. Cranage. The flying programme was interrupted for a short while as the Unit settled down in an incomplete station, all the technical buildings, hangars etc. were ready for use but the domestic facilities were a bit crude for the first month or so.

However, by the end of October '40 things were underway with the teaching of Advanced Air Navigation to already trained and experienced "observers" as they were then named ["navigator" came later].

As you noticed in my first letter, my first flight with No.2 S.o.A.N. was October 31st 1940, having had numerous earlier flights during my training in Scotland, England and in the Isle of Man. I was a member of No.2 Flight commanded by F/Lt. Hunt who had flown Fairey 'Battles' in France.

The School was set up with 4 Flights of about 10-12 Avro Anson MK.I's, and the ground work & instruction was carried out in School buildings.

The 4 Flights that did the actual flying were originally housed in 4 of the 8 Bellman Hangars, but as a result of the heavy German bombing of Liverpool and Manchester, the aircraft and Flight officers, crew rooms etc. were later dispersed to around the airfield which entailed a lot of walking in full flying kit, parachute & harness, log books, and additionally for the W.O.P./A.G.s, a Lewis machine gun and two heavy pairs of .303 ammunition!!

The flying exercises were usually of 2 - 31/2 hours duration and were flown over Western England, Wales and the Irish Sea, Scotland and some fewer flights at night over the whole of England [Bomber Command Country].

In 1941-42 the PM, Winston Churchill, had a deep and serious inquiry into Bomber Command night raids on Germany and it was found that only a small proportion of the bombs dropped actually fell near or on target.

This caused the setting up of the Pathfinder Group, needing greater accuracy of Air Navigation - some of the courses at Cranage were for 81/2 months for experienced navigators, most of whom had survived a "Tour" of operations [30] over Germany & Europe.

In August '42 the Unit was re-named the "Central Navigation School" [C.N.S.]. Day and Night Flying exercises were stepped up to meet the needs of Bomber, Coastal and Fighter Commands. One of my original colleagues from Essex, RAF Volunteer Reserve who was a Radar Navigator on Night Fighters, 600 Squadron using Beaufighters, did a short course of 2-3 weeks at the C.N.S.

Most probably Sqn/Ldr Cunningham's Navigator did this special course.

Also taught were Hurricane pilots for "low flying navigation' [very difficult] to enable them to do their "Loco Busting" over France.

In addition to aircrew navigation courses the C.N.S. also trained "Compass Adjusters", all ranked Sergeant in a highly skilled job which entailed some flying.

We had a number of fatal crashes mainly through bad weather, in one night in January '43, we lost 3 out of 12 Ansons crashing in bad weather, I was flying that night myself, it was through my radio operating, that I was able to assist in locating RAF Wrexham in the filthy weather!

I have included a photo of Byley Churchyard, of a Special Service to commemorate 50 years [April 1992] of our worst crash in which 9 colleagues lost their lives.

In addition to our flying duties, we Sgt. W.O.P./A.G.s had other ground duties such as Orderly Sgt. and Sgt. in charge of the "Flashing Beacon" - a powerful set of lights that flashed a 2 letter code [C.G. I think] to identify the airfield, this was sited at any one of 8 sites about 5 miles from the airfield - I remember my first time in charge of the Beacon - it was Christmas Day 1940, and we were located on a farm at Goostrey - the kind farmer and his wife let us sleep in the farm house when all night flying was cancelled on account of bad weather. We even had farm cooked eggs & bacon for breakfast before proceeding back to Cranage as 7.30am!

After the No.2 S.o.A.N. had been stationed at Cranage for a couple of months, a Flight [part] of 96 Squadron Hurricane Night Fighters came to operate from Cranage in defence of Merseyside  and Manchester etc. I think they had a few successes, but the Hurricane was essentially a Day Fighter, the Boulton Paul Defiant two seater fighter which later equipped this Squadron, was marginally better than the Hurricanes, but it was not until later in '41 that the first Radar equipped night fighters were able to tackle the German night bombers more successfully.

To conclude this poorly written epistle with a few comments about myself & family. I stayed with the C.N.S. at Cranage until until Jan '44 when I was posted to another Unit - I married my teenage sweetheart Phyllis in June 1942 at Grays, Essex, Parish Church, she had been seriously injured in October 1940 by a German bomb and could not work for long periods - she came up to Middlewich in April '43, so we were able to "live out of Camp" when I was not required for flying.

I was eventually posted to Southern Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe] instructing in Morse Code etc. - but when the Americans dropped the Atomic Bombs on Japan, all aircrew training stopped and I was put in charge of a Radio Control Station until December 1945 - On Christmas Day 1945 I sailed from Capetown in the "Aquitania" and was eventually "de-mobbed" in February '46.

We had 3 children, my eldest son John a teacher at a boys high school, my younger son, Derek, who makes a good living by restoring Classic Cars, employs 12 men - and my daughter Elizabeth who teaches agriculture etc. at the local college. They were all well loved by my dear wife.

I must finish on this sombre note and I trust my poorly written meanderings are of some practical use to you.

Not many photos - unfortunately - we were officially not allowed cameras during the war.

May you be able to achieve your target re. R.A.F. Cranage.

God Bless

Sincerely

Alfred Prentice

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Letter 3

04 - 04 - 2004

ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION CRANAGE

The History and Evolution.

My memories of the three years service at this station - October 1940 to December 1943.

I arrived at St. Athan R.A.F. Station early in October 1940 having just completed my training as a W.O.P./A.G., having joined the R.A.F.V.R. [Volunteer Reserve] as a trainee, part time, earlier in June 1939 at the Reserve Depot at Southend-on-Sea.

The unit I joined was the No.2 School of Air Navigation, which prior to the outbreak of WWII operated from RAF Manston, Kent, moving to St. Athan to make the airfield to Fighter Command, 11 Group.

Late in Oct '40, the No.2 S.o.A.N. was moved to Cranage, as St Athan was in the "front line" for German bombing.

Cranage was a small, grass, airfield, no runways, all eight hangars and most other buildings had been erected, an existing large farm house was being used as offices, electric power was on, but some other facilities were not yet installed. Truck loads of airmen were taken in to Northwich Baths to shower and bath.

No.2 SoAN was soon up and going, teaching mainly experienced observers/navigators in more advanced air navigation. There were 4 flights of Anson aircraft, about 36 aircraft, which were dispersed to separate each across the airfield, with each Flight having an officer and crew room in each of the hangars facing the tar-mac apron.

Also at Cranage at the end of 1940 was a small detachment of Hurricane night fighters of 96 Squadron, these were painted black, single seat, eight gun, day fighters being used in a "stop gap" position until more advanced and dedicated aircraft i.e. the Beaufighter with a crew of two, early radar, machine guns and cannon, became available some time later.

96 Squadron was also later to use the 2 seater "Defiant" aircraft with limited success, these did not carry radar, were under powered because of the heavy 4 gun turret and air gunner.

I did not know any of 96 Squadron personnel except one air gunner who had been a bus conductor near my home, Tilbury and Grays in Essex.

Cranage was one of the few stations that could put up aircraft in Defence of Merseyside & Manchester in 1940-41, against the German bombing [at night]. They had a few successful interceptions, I cannot remember the exact results.

The main purpose was as a base for advanced navigation training. Later in the War, Vickers-Armstrongs built a small plant to assemble Wellington twin-engined bombers at Byley, a temporary road was cut to enable the Wellingtons to be towed to the airfield and flight tested by experienced pilots. I recall watching with many colleagues, a Lt. Commander pilot from the Fleet Air Arm crash to his death on his landing of a brand new Wellington!

The aircraft stationed at Cranage 1940-41 were the Hurricane & Defiant night fighter aircraft of 96 Squadron and the Avro Anson Mark I of No.2 S.o.A.N. These Ansons were armed with a fixed Vickers gun controlled by the pilot, and a dorsal mounted manual gun turret with a Lewis air gun, which was the duty of the W.O.P./A.G. to man in emergencies. The third member of the Ansons crew was a navigator, in a training flight sometimes 2 or 3 navigators were carried, the training flights across England, Wales, Irish Sea etc. were usually of 2 to 3 hours duration, sometimes a little more. For the first year of operation from Cranage we did no night flying, when the bombing of Merseyside & Manchester ceased and the airfields night flying conditions improved, then about 33% of training flights were done at night.

I remember a few U.S. airmen coming to the No.2 SoAN for special navigation training, the Americans did not usually operate at night from England.

In either 1941 or '42 the Prime Minister ordered an urgent review of Bomber Command's efficiency over Germany, it was revealed that only a very small percentage of bombs dropped fell on or near the target. There were a number of reasons for this, among the most important was the inability to locate the target due to faulty/night navigation.

This report/review resulted in numerous steps taken, in Radar, Target Illumination etc. The Pathfinder Force came into being and there was a huge advance in the percentage of bombs falling on the target.

Cranage and the No.2 S.o.A.N. were training men who had already completed a "Tour of Operations", these highly trained navigators were sent to serve as Squadron Navigation Officers on Bomber & Coastal Command Squadrons.

I'm sure every man serving in the wartime R.A.F. thought he was "doing his bit" and 96 Squadron certainly made the Luftwaffe aware that there were defending aircraft up against them. Considering the Air Council's failure to provide proper night fighting aircraft and equipment, 96 Squadron played its part while stationed at Cranage.

I simply do not know what happened to Cranage after the war. When on holiday from N.Z. in 1963, I visited the old airfield with my younger son, it was a forlorn looking place, all the hangars & most of the other buildings had gone - I could not help remembering the words from the U.S. Air Force song "and we'll all be forgotten like the rest".

I have my own personal flying log & book, listing over 500 flights I made mostly from Cranage, from Oct. 1940 to Dec. '43, which reminds me, that the No.2 S.o.A.N. was re-named the "Central Navigation School" [C.N.S.] sometime around July 1943.

Air Defence at Cranage was "NIL" on the actual airfield. There were of course, A.A. Batteries [Anti Aircraft] in Cheshire, and Crewe had some Barrage Balloons [into which one of our Ansons flew and, luckily, escaped to tell the tale].

The C.N.S. moved to the permanent RAF Station at Shawbury, so as to, among many things, operate its larger aircraft, I believe it was from here that one of C.N.S's Lancasters "Aries", made a record breaking flight over the North Pole soon after the end of the war.

 

Addendum

Please remember that I was a 20 year old Sgt. W.O.P./A.G. in 1940, so there may have been many other uses of Cranage airfield that a humble young bloke like me was unaware of.

I do remember we also taught Hurricane Fighter Bomber Pilots, who were successful in the very dangerous action of "Train Busting" over N. France - low level navigation which was very difficult.

Also, Night Fighter Radio Navigators had an intensive 2 week course, at Cranage.

Non-aircrew pupils taught at Cranage were highly skilled "Compass Adjusters", a trade which carried the rank of Sergeant.

Reading back through these notes, I notice apart from poor writing [arthritis & 84 years] I failed to mention that after 96 Squadron departed Cranage in '41 the 4 Flights of No.2 S.o.A.N. were dispersed in newly erected building around the perimeter of the airfield. This entailed a long walk around the airfield for the aircrews - for my part I remember walking half a mile in flying kit, helmet, 'chute harness, a Lewis gun over one shoulder, 2 heavy pairs of ammunition clipped to the 'chute harness, signals, log book, breach block for the pilots gun, and my parachute in the other hand - the shortage of motor transport kept us all fit!!

I hope these notes are of some value to you in your dedicated research - I realise now I've finished my meanderings, that I should have used a tape recorder!

Looking back 60+ years, I believe the main thrust to the War Effort was the very important Air Navigation School at Cranage, of course 96 Squadron's contribution was spread over a few months of '40-'41 and was vital to the Defence of Great Britain at that time.

Wishing you success with your project.

Happy Landings

Alfred E. Prentice 755400 R.A.F.V.R.

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“Oo, me Sir? - or "how not-to-check if the weather man is telling the truth"

Time  :  Winter 1941/1942

Location  :  No 2 School of Air Navigation, Cranage, Cheshire

Scene  :  Crew Room

What a winter!  None of our Ansons had been able to get off the deck for sixteen days and the Wingco’s Flying and Instructing were getting very concerned that their programmes were getting behind schedule.

On this particular morning (damp and foggy as only Cheshire can put it on!), about eight ‘bods’ were siting around a table in the Crew Room, playing pontoon at a ha’penny a time. About another twenty Staff pilots and WOP/AG’s were clustered around, watching the changing fortunes,  when the main door crashed open to reveal an agitated Wingco Instruction. Moustache bristling,  eyes shooting sparks, in a loud voice he shouted to the nearest W.O.P./A.G. (me!), “Sergeant, get your gear on,  we’re airborne in two minutes!”. In a stunned silence that followed, my quaking voice was heard to say, “Oo, me Sir?”.

The Anson, Mk 1. K8719, was already ticking over on the tarmac, Wingco sitting with hand on throttles, while I scurried around, throwing on my Irvin jacket, grabbing the necessary ‘gen’ books,  rushing to draw out a ‘chute and scrabbling aboard the old kite which started to move as soon as I set feet inside.

The purpose of the flight was for the Wingco to find out for himself whether the situation was as bad as the met people said it was. Within a minute we were airborne and climbing up through the gloom, ‘yours truly’ winding up the undercarriage by an endless number of turns, and resuming the W/Op’s seat on the completion of that task.

Horror struck, I went forward to the pilot to report that we could not use the radio, as there were no ‘accs’ or HT battery for the R1082/T1083 with which we were still equipped. The Wingco had taken an Anson from the hangar that had just passed an inspection OK - but no radio!

Fortunately, he was a good pilot, ex-Bomber Command Whitleys. He climbed out of the murk to 6,000ft, and flew due west until he estimated we were over the Irish Sea. Luckily, a break in the clouds relvealed grey water below. Down we went to 1,000ft, just below the ceiling.

Turning on a reciprocal,  we eventually made the Dee estuary, where we descended to 500ft and map read our way home at church spire height, back to where we thought our base might be.

The Cheshire weather had not eased at all, but by good luck and familiarity with the surrounding countryside (parties of aircrew, in varying states of jollification, cycled their way around to the various local hostelries), I was able to assist map reading at a low level. “Turn left at the next crossroads” and “Right at the red brick garage”, etc. We finally made Byley church and the airfield.

Doing a tight circuit at about 1000ft (I thought we had ‘had it’ when the camp water tower loomed up, but Wingco calmly lifted the starboard wing over it), we ‘plonked’ the old ‘Annie’ down on the wire mesh runway, to the relief of the aircraft’s crew!  All in full view of a thousand personnel.

For weeks later, Sgt W.O.P./A.G. ‘Tank’ was greeted with “’Oo,  me Sir?”, and I did not know until later that my ‘oppos’ were arguing at the time over my pre-war size 9 flying boots!

Happy days!!

Alfred Prentice

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