A. Stewart MacDonald DEC, MD‘ C..M.

flew another seven trips to the Ruhr. On Neuss, Ruhr, we seemed late and I asked the Pilot to go up another 1,000 feet and fly as fast as the plane could go above the group, and as a result I was 12 seconds early, while the average time of the rest was six minutes later. I was in charge of

gtraining on the squadron and I did not want to be late.

1 December was a busy month. We had five more trips to Ruhr Valley and had some training flights in gaggle formation which is flying in a group somewhat like the Americans but no lead Navigator - all our Navigators have to be individually responsible for their courses.

On the 24th we had our famous gaggle on Dusseldorf, Ruhr. I used the same tactic as before and flew higher than the rest, and was one of the leading planes and bombed on time. This was Christmas Eve, and no doubt, we knocked down some Christmas trees. We arrived at our base to be told that we were to land further south by 200 miles, although we could see the airport as the fog was just starting. Orders are orders. I could not find the station on the map for a few minutes so I gave the course of 180 degrees straight south, when I found the station and drew my flight path. I stayed on the line without ever changing course until we landed on the airdrome at Wethersfield where all our squadron landed.

The instructors tried to encourage sky navigation - there was a gold scroll to the Navigator who got the most stars - one for one on the ground, three for one in the air and 15 for a three star fix in the air. I figured I was going to get the scroll. I used to sit on a chair at the corner of our hut and take shots and then work them out. I took extra flights to get stars, and when I got 300 points the nearest to me was 50. The instructors were so mad at me, and I never got the gold scroll, but would have to say that during my entire time of operations, I never took a star shot. In the

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