Short Biography of Brian Iles In Jun08 the Web Master received the following e-mails:

"Mick, I've only just found your superb RAF Jever website and the information it contains regarding Brian Iles.   He is of great interest to us because we have his Miles M18 G-AHKY in the collection.

Of particular interest is the film clip of Brian with the M18 which appears on the website.   This is video Su001 (stationpic937.htm see playing above) and I wondered if it would be possible to get a copy of this for our files.   This would add greatly to our record of the aircraft.   Do please let me know if this would be possible.

Ian Brown
Assistant Curator, Aviation

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield
East Lothian Eh39 5LF
Tel +44 (0) 1620 897246
Fax +44 (0) 1620 880355
e-mail i.brown@nms.ac.uk
http://www.nms.ac.uk"

and:

"I am currently researching Heston Airport history and believe that Brian Iles flew into here in November 1960 in his Miles M18, G-AHKY and it possible that Eric Pigdon may be able to throw some light on this and also some of his service history.

If you are able to help in my enquiry, I would be very obliged.

Lawrence Hole
(ex RAF Flight Ops, ATC)"

Sir John Sutton kindly agreed to sending Ian the clip which is playing at the top of this page.

I passed Lawrence's request for more information about Brian to Eric Pigdon and as a result he wrote the following:

We did serve together on a number of occasions as follows:

1.   ITS RAF Cranwell Dec51 to Feb52, I was an Officer Cadet at the Cranwell ITS from Sep51 to 6Feb52, Brian joined us as an ex University Entrant as a Flying Office having a Cambridge Degree and a post graduate qualification from Loughborough University before joining the RAF, he was to join us for his pilot training.   We passed out on 6Feb52 and were Commissioned on 13Feb52, then we went on 2 weeks leave prior to posting to Canada.   While on leave I was informed that Canada was cancelled and that I had to report to RAF Feltwell.   On arriving there I discovered that I was one of 24 we were to have a sort of Grading period on the Prentice trainer prior to selecting 21 we were going to the USA for their Pilots course.   Brian and one other ex university entrant Flying Office made up the 21 who completed the solo flights and testing and departed for the USA by Hastings a/c over the Easter weekend of 1952, we landed at Prestwick, Keflavick and Goose Bay on route to New York.

Here we were briefed over two days on the US/NATO training course we had been assigned to.   We were split into two's and three's to 9 flight training schools to fly T6G's (Harvard's).   I went to Greenville Mississippi with John Oxenford and Ray Smith, Brian went to a school, in I believe South Carolina with one other student.

2.   After an initial 6 months we came together again at San Marcus AFB at San Marcus in Texas (Our number reduced to 18) where we should have continued our training on the, new into service T-28, unfortunately this a/c was experiencing technical problems i.e. the prop came off in flight.   The replacement a/c, was T-6 D, E & F's all rather old and worn, on which we would start Formation, and Instrument flying for 3 months.   We lost 2 of our number in a mutual Instrument flying sortie, Brian was the senior British Officer of the British Student Officers and had to look after their affairs.

3.   On completion of the 3 months our group moved on block to James Connally AFB at Waco Texas to complete our Jet Pilot training to wings presentation on 1May53 on the T-33 Trainer.   During this 3 month period Brian Iles, John Jack and I had the same Instructor which was interesting in that we all went to Jever for our first operational posting (Photo attached).

From Here's Charlie 1953.   The Course book for the Jet phase of flying training at USAB Waco Texas.   24Feb to 1May53.   LT Barnett E Brooks USAF Instructor, Lt John W Banks 2nd. USAF, Flt Lt H Brian Iles RAF. Plt Off John Jack RAF, Plt Off John E Pigdon RAF.

During this period we pressed Brian to present our claims for two things.

a.   That, we should all pass out together and complete out training in order to get back to the UK in time for the Queens Coronation on
2June53.   We sailed for home on the SS Queen Mary as a party of 14 on about 7 May 53.

b.   As we were not being awarded our pilots wings until after Jet training we were at a disadvantage to those of our fellow ITS cadets
who trained in the UK and got their wings, along with full flying pay, after piston training 3 months ahead of us.   It took some time for
Brian's presentation of our case to win through.   I was still an Acting Pilot Officer for some time at Jever before I was Gazetted as a
Pilot Officer one week, and in the next, to Flying Officer so my pay and Flying pay jumped up very quickly.

4.   We reported to RAF Valley No. 292 AFS on 9Jun53 for six weeks to be checked out on RAF methods and to get an RAF instrument rating etc.   Our group then split up, some going to RAF Chivenor for weapons training (Brian Iles and John Jack were in this group).   I was with the remainder going to 233 OCU at RAF Pembrey about two weeks later on 9Aug53 for similar training.

5.   After the OCU myself and Pat Whitelaw were posted to 2 ATAF, No 93 Squadron at RAF Jever arriving on 14Oct53.   Brian Iles was also of 93 having arrived at the start of the month (John Jack was on 4 Sqn).

On 29Dec53 the Sqn went to RAF Sylt for a months Weapons Detachment, Brian and I travelled by road in his old Riley sports saloon.   It was a successful detachment in that the Sqn won the 2 TAF Air to Air Gunnery Trophy for the year (Duncan Trophy).   We both returned to the UK for a short Easter leave at the end of which we joined up at Croydon Airport and flew his Miles M18 back to Jever via Brussels.

Soon after arrival back at Jever we departed to RAF Wildenrath for our Sabre Conversion Course which started on 9Apr54.   During the summer I helped Brian with some work on the M18 and one Sunday afternoon Val my Wife was taken for a flight round the local area.   On 20Sep54 the Sqn departed to Sylt on another Weapons Detachment, Brian and I flew there together in the M18 and during our time there flew to Copenhagen for the weekend in the M18.   We had two nights there and tried to return to Sylt, en route the weather clamped down and we diverted into Odense staying two nights until the weather improved.   Later in the detachment I broke my right wrist when I fell over jumping down from my aircraft, it was with my right arm in plaster that we departed on Sunday afternoon, 19Oct54 in the M18 to fly back to Jever.   We were not far south of Sylt over the mainland when the cloud base lowered to the point that we were weaving slightly left in order to see ahead.   On reaching the Kiel Canal, Elbe River junction with the cables over the Canal above us and no sight of the expected weather clearance that we turned North alongside the canal making for RAF Schleswig.   We were below mast height on some of the ships we passed and had to detour round the high bridges until we reached Rendsburg when we turned port to follow the rail lines to Schleswig were we found the airfield, made one pass and landed.   No 20 Sqn from Oldenburg were there on detachment and made us welcome for the week we had to stay there until the weather improved enough for any sort of flying.   Even when we did depart because the wind was so strong the two pilots from 20 wing walked us to a perimeter track facing into wind near the hangar, Brian opened the throttle and we were airborne.   On arrival at Jever we landed into wind across the Parade Ground to the wing walkers waiting for us.

In 1955 Brian planned the 6 week trip to Bulawayo, Rhodesia with Brian Sanderson in the M18, (See above).   I assisted Brian with the modifications needed for the long stage lengths and instrumentation, some of the route planning, compass swings etc.   It was a successful trip and shortly after their return Brian was posted to be a Flight Commander on 4 Sqn.   On 8Dec55 while I was on leave Brian fixed it for me to fly one of 4 Sqn Hunters on my quick unofficial Conversion Flight to the new a/c which we would be receiving at the end of Jan56.

6.   I left 93 Sqn on 14Apr57 and spent the next 3 years with Durham University Air Sqdn and 13 Air Experience Flight and then 2 years as an Operations Officer in Tactical Operations at RAF Khormaksar, Aden.

Special Refresher Flying Course RAF Cranwell 1962. (About 6Aug to 28Aug62).
L to R standing: Flt.Sgt. Winchester, Plt. Off Guy Eddy,
Flt Lt Brian Jones, Flt Lt John Boyle, Flt Lt Eric Pigdon,
Seated: Flt Lt Brian Webb, Sqn Ldr Brian Iles, Flt Lt Neil Davidson, Flt Lt Doug Smith.

On my return to the UK in Apr62 I was posted back onto flying duties to be proceeded by a flying refresher course.   This course was a one off special, held at RAF Cranwell during the College Summer stand down period.   I had lost touch with Brian for this five plus year period, apart from the odd mention in the press of him becoming the British Air Racing Champion etc.   Suddenly we were on the same refresher course.   The course was wonderful, small number of students, an aircraft each, and we flew up to 4 trips per day.   Pat, Brian's wife visited us and I heard that she had been in the Tiger Club when they got to know each other, she suffered with back problems which stemmed from a period of wing walking on the Tiger Moths.   After the course I heard that Brian went as CO at Cambridge UAS.

The next time I received any news of him was in about 1977 when a fellow Associate Member of the Officers Mess at RAF Binbrook told me that he had known Brian in the Tiger Club and that he had died recently of an Embolism following and underwater dive in Malta, where he was living after his retirement from the RAF.   (Mike Popoff currently lives at The Orchards, Main Road, Utterby. Lincs. 01472-231681).   He flew his own aircraft at this time which I recollect was a ZLIN or some such name.   The USAF 53C Course letter sent out to past students lists him as having died of Cancer.

I recall that Brian's father was an ex Air Cdre engineer and that they lived near Walton on Thames, Surrey.

Sir John Sutton added the following to Eric's excellent narrative:

"Thank you for including me on the distribution of Eric's memories as I was going to add some details but see that Eric has already done so - and far better than I could have done.   I seem to remember that Brian and I were together at Fighter Command Headquarters when he won the Air Race.   I remember him wandering around muttering "I need the effect of five more horsepower" - which he calculated was needed to win with his handicap and had ideas of shining up the prop and using molybdenum oil.

The only fact I would add to Eric's account is that Brian had an 8mm cine film of the M18 trip he and Sandy made to Africa.   Sandy came from there and they went back on his Dom Col leave.   It may be that Pat has the film and if she has and would be happy to release if for a while, it could of course be copied if anyone was interested.   By any standards the flight to South Africa was an impressive undertaking for an aircraft of such limited range.   Even arranging fuel at some of the out of the way places was a formidable task.

Ken Senar also added the following:

"The original idea was that, given approval, Sandy would be able to visit his father (a clergyman) in Africa.

An extra fuel tank was fitted near enough over the centre of pressure so as to give increased range, and this was a DIY job.   It was actually situated over the knees of the person in the rear cockpit, and just cleared the stick and throttle. Brian told Sandy off for drilling through a stressed member of the airframe!   The tank had, fitted on its face, an ASI and an altimeter.   A compass was fitted somewhere nearby.   This was so that Sandy, in the back seat, could take over control to give Brian a break.

When the trip was first planned it was frowned upon by their superiors, but when it was realised that the two really meant it, the attitudes of brass-hats began to change.   I know that Air Ministry was contacted and sanctioned the whole idea, at which point there was active encouragement by all concerned.

Special maps were provided from public funds and advice on international landing rights and flight plans was freely given.   The consular service was also informed.

They could only fly under VFR rules although, in the event, this hardly interfered with their adventure.   No radio was carried and Gosport tubes, with hand signals as a back-up, were used for in-flight communication.

The longest sea crossing was from one of the Greek Islands to a landing strip in Egypt, and this distance was close to the maximum range (with a very small safety margin).

Brian sought my advice as to buying and using an 8mm movie camera to record the trip.

While they were away they sent to the Officers Mess, regular telegrams telling of progress, all of which were signed 'Brandy'.

Much ciné film was taken and brought to me so that I could teach Brian the rudiments of editing.   He then took my equipment to his room to complete the work.   There was excellent photography and I was privileged to see some of the excellent shots which were regarded as surplus to the story and later discarded.   The final film was first projected against the wall of my room (as a screen) using my Specto projector.   Afterwards it was shown to audiences at various venues at RAF Jever, but not always using my equipment as, I think, Brian purchased a projector himself."

Ron Gray looked up the Miles M-18 in the Civil Aircraft Register at:

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1

and found that Brian owned the Miles from 9 March 1948 until 25 October 1969 - 21 years and 7 months.

---

On 9Oct09 Gerry Shipley added the following information:

One of life's fine coincidences was that I met up again with Brian Iles' M18, GAHKY, in later years.   I was working for Air Service Training at Scone when the Scottish Aviation Trust acquired the aircraft from the Strathallan museum and based it at our airfield where they undertook a full restoration to flying condition.

Initially the flying was in the hands of Group Captain Colin Bidie, who gave a number of displays in it.   When I showed an interest in the project and mentioned to him that I remembered the aircraft being at Jever in the fifties and in September 1984 he asked me to accompany him in the Battle of Britain open day display at Leuchars.

When Colin decided to retire, the Scottish Aviation Trust asked me to take over as KY's pilot and between April 1986 and June 1987 I flew KY for a total of some 12½ hours including taking it to Leuchars for the 1986 BoB display.   It somehow seemed appropriate that in her latter days KY was again flown by a JSL shareholder!

My connection with the Miles came to an end when I transferred allegiance from AST to the BAe Flying College in August 1987, but I do intend to go to East Fortune one day to see how she looks in retirement.