Our big day

 Like Russ H. I was a new guy in the 42ECS.  I had just returned from emergency leave, perhaps a week or ten days before the mission.

The squadron was in a tizzy, but it wasn’t clear why.  Lists of names appeared and disappeared on the duty desk grease boards.

Unlike Guy Gibson or Paul Tibbets, our leadership was silent, so we unread were free to speculate.

I was due for a check ride, so Zbob and I flew with two of the ‘initial cadre’ guys as check airmen.

The check crew did a wild overshoot on the join up, which was unusual.

The ride went well until we climbed into the jamming orbit.  When I threw the ‘ Master Radiate’ switch to on,  We promptly lost a generator.  I switched the jammers off.

“Don’t say anything” said Zbob.   In order for the check ride to count we had to do at least one jamming orbit.

So we drove around not jamming.  We wondered if the check guys knew you can look at a Raven and tell if the jammers were radiating.  In standby a vent door was opened halfway.  This door opened all the way when radiating.

They didn’t say anything, so when we finished the orbit we declared an emergency for the generator.  This ends the checkride.   

We returned to Heyford with the check crew in chase.  As we were on final the check crew said “we’re going to Lakenhealth, debrief on the phone”.

We were like WTF!   Check ride debriefs usually are long torture sessions.

So we go back to the squadron.  We get a phone call.  It one of the check crew.  “We dinged you for the rejoin, sat overall, bye [click]”.

We shrugged our shoulders.

Shortly thereafter I was read in to the obvious and tasked to help with putting together books of charts and divert field info.   We had a big ass paper cutter, so I risked my pinky finger to support the mission.

I was in the planning area when a General showed up right before the combat crews were going to start their formal brief.

I was expecting a Henry V Saint Crispens Day speech.  But  no.  The general was almost in tears as he begged the crews to not die “because we can’t afford to lose an airplane.

[postscript]

I was duty officer shortly after the mission.  Somehow a list of names, mostly initial cadre, appeared on the grease board.   Probably while I was in the John.

Latter Russ gave me a stern lecture on the “ sanctity of the grease boards”. 

Russ, it could not have been me, I have horrible handwriting, and the mystery list was written in very neat handwriting.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.