The following notes on the Rhodesian Air Training Group (and 28 EFTS Mount Hampden in particular) and its role in the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) are taken from an article written in “Flight” magazine in November 1953 by C Nepean Bishop.

The first station to open in the area was at Belvedere, Salisbury in May 1940, this was designated No. 25 EFTS equipped with DH82A Tiger Moths under the command of W/C David, soon to be followed by No. 20 SFTS at Cranborne, also in the vicinity of Salisbury.  This unit was initially equipped with Harvard Is and Oxfords, commanded by G/C Chick.  

August 1940 saw No. 26 EFTS opened at Guinea Fowl, near Gwelo flying the ubiquitous Tiger Moths, the commander being W/C Marlow.  A second SFTS followed a month later, also in the Gwelo area, this being Thornhill which was designated No. 22 SFTS.  G/C Chick moved from No.20 to command the new unit.

Attention now turned to the Bulawayo area – No. 21 SFTS opened at Kumalo flying Oxfords in November 1940 under G/C Dalzell; one month later No. 27 EFTS started at Induna in the same locality.  Hillside, the Initial Training Wing to which all pupils were sent prior to their allocation to their schools, was also near Bulawayo.

1941 saw a continuation of the Group – No. 28 EFTS began operations at Mount Hampden, which was about 12 miles outside Salisbury under the command of W/C N C Hendrikz.  The unit started flying on 1 April and was followed by No. 23 SFTS at Heany, Bulawayo in August 1941 with G/C French in command.   An Air Observers, Navigation and Gunnery School was opened at Moffat near Gwelo.  Initially equipped with Battles, Oxfords and Ansons, it was commanded by G/C Summers.

Final arrangements at the Service Flying Training Schools saw Thornhill and Cranborne equipped with the Harvard 2, 2a and 3 whilst Kumalo and Heany became Oxford schools.  Moffat lost its Oxfords but retained both Ansons and Battles until the end of the war.

The last airfield to open in the Group was Norton, situated in the wilds of the “bundu” or bush, it became the home of the Central Flying School previously located at Belvedere and known as No. 31 Flying Instructors’ School.  It was commanded by G/C Craig.

The Headquarters of the Group were at Salisbury, AV-M C W Meredith being the commanding officer in charge.

At a latitude of around 20 degrees south and an altitude of 4 – 5000 feet above sea level, the sub-tropical climate had a significant effect on the way in which the training was planned on a daily basis.

The turbulent air in the middle part of the day was far too extreme for the training of new pilots in their light Tiger Moths; as a result flying started at dawn which in the summer months was around 6.00am and half an hour later in the winter months.  EFTS flying continued until 9.00am, at which point the SFTS pupils took over the air space until mid-day.  If a course got behind schedule, there would be further flying between 4.00pm and 6.00pm.

In the evenings there was night flying for all courses once or twice a week, though this was easy in Rhodesia since nothing was blacked out and visibility for most of the time was very good, in the region of 100 miles or more.  (Dad recalls that on occasions even the railway lines could be seen at night since sparks from the trains set fire to the vegetation bordering the tracks.)

Mount Hampden had the reputation of having the finest food of all the stations.  The airfield was built near a small kopje called Mt Hampden.  The sandy soil was a constant problem to the engines, which had to be serviced more frequently than their normal intervals.  The climate, hot with regular torrential downpours of rain between December and March, could do drastic things to the canvas and wood structure of the Tiger Moths.  Another climatic problem which affected these aircraft in particular were the “dust devils” or small whirlwinds which raced across the airfields in the hottest part of a summer’s day.  The turbulence could have disastrous effects if flown through at low altitude or when taxying.

The pupils of Mt Hampden shared the same patch of sky as those at Belvedere, some 12 miles distant so it was decided to give the Tiger Moths of Mt Hampden a distinguishing mark so that pupils transgressing flying orders in any way could be easily identified.  The TMO at the time was F/O “Red” Danes, late of 56 squadron, so he had the red and white chequerboard of his old squadron painted around the aft fuselage of each aircraft, which showed up very well against the all-yellow finish of all the training aircraft.

Cross country training and navigation flights posed few problems, though some pupils inevitably got lost.  The official route was to the neighbouring town of Gatooma, some 90 miles distant, the pupils each doing one dual trip there and back followed by a solo.  An instructor went off in advance and checked them in and out, with the pupils spaced suitably far apart so that they were unable to follow each other.  On landing at Gatooma to refuel, pupils were met by ladies from the local WVS who dispensed tea, coffee, cakes and sausage rolls.  The advent of the Cornell with a greater range brought an end to this custom, with Gatooma now being merely a turning point at the end of a leg.

From 1943 onwards, the FIS at Norton took on a new phase with the training of new instructors, of which Dad was one.  As each of the courses at the various schools drew to a close, the CFI had to “cream off” six of the best pupils who were kept at their station for a further four weeks during which they were given 80 hours more flying, receiving a great deal of instruction and solo practice in aerobatics and also in general and instrument flying.  After this they were sent to Norton returning after two months as fully qualified instructors.