Three days later we went on a map-reading cross-country, without the use of radio aids, as one might have to do over enemy territory. Things come up very quickly even when flying at medium altitude. Railway lines, water features, prominent hills and large conurbations were the most useful landmarks.
During the final two weeks of the course we were taken to see a radar station at Exminster. We were told almost nothing about the use of radar other than it being an aircraft detection system used during the war to locate suspected enemy planes. We had no formal radar instruction at all and had little idea what to expect.
We arrived on a bleak site close to the river Exe and the Exeter canal. We first saw that there was a security fence and a small Guardroom. Inside the fence stood what looked like a group of derelict buildings. There was a mist blowing across from the river and I don't think any of us saw any aerials; they were certainly not pointed out to us but they must have been there somewhere. There were a few old huts and an obvious latrine block which must still have been in use. Near these stood a brick building surrounded by a brick and earth revetment. Inside this building there was little light, and a smell of damp and of ozone generated by electrical apparatus, such as one expects at some of London's underground tube stations.
I recollect there was a main room with racks of electrical apparatus towards one side, a small plotting table, a switchboard, and several of what looked like oscilloscopes. I saw no more than six personnel. One was wearing a head and breast set and was apparently connected to a headquarters by telephone line. Another sat at an oscilloscope, another was by a plotting table and the other three didn't seem to be doing anything in particular. During the hour we were there we were told practically nothing other than that this Station was used for detecting aircraft approaching from over the sea, and had been built at the outbreak of war. No-one explained to us how the aircraft were detected or what happened next. We didn't find out whether the personnel lived at the site or came to work from another, larger, RAF Station. As far as we were concerned the entire trip was of little interest or value to us. We thought someone had lost the point of the visit and should have told us more. No one ever did. The one thing we agreed among ourselves was that if anyone wanted to catch tuberculosis it seemed the right sort of place to be posted to. This was the only time radar was mentioned during my entire flying training.
During the third week of June I took my Instrument Rating Test. Flt.Lt. McMahon, Officer Commanding No.1 Squadron at Merryfield was my examiner. The flight lasted an hour, of which 35 minutes was under two stage amber, with ten minutes 'actual' flying in cloud. I passed and therefore retained my White Card rating. Two flights later I had my Final Handling Test taken, surprisingly, by Fg.Off Bennett, my usual instructor. It lasted 50 minutes and I passed that too.
My last but one flight from Merryfield, which I had to complete in order to pass the course was my solo, landing away, cross-country. The weather had clamped down and most airfields which were used as destinations for this exercise were closed. As there were no diversion fields open near them my flight was delayed almost until the last minute. In desperation, with the flying part of the course drawing to a close, I was instructed to fly to RAF Shawbury and, if it was open, to land there and then return to base. I took off, climbed north, and soon found myself above cloud and then flew into a wall of cloud. Flying on instruments, I suspected that something was wrong. My airspeed seemed to be dropping, I was in level flight, the engine was behaving, and my altitude was as it should be. It took a few minutes diagnostic thought to gather that for some reason my Air Speed Indicator (ASI) had decided to malfunction. I became busy. Without indication of speed I had no means of accurate navigation. Not to be outdone I called for a series of VHF/DF fixes at regular intervals and plotted these on the map strapped to my right knee with my 45