CURNOCK, Clifford Alfred Noel

Stats:

rank: F/L
status: survived
airforce: RAF    (no: 174425 )
born: 1920-12-25 United Kingdom

added by: Robert Curnock

My Dad joined the RAF in October 1940. He was transported to the US over the North Atlantic crossing to train as a Pilot starting in January 1941 based at the Southeast Air Corps Training Centre in Alabama .
On his return to the UK in 1942 he spent time at 17 AFU at RAF Watton, Norfolk training on Master II's and then with 55 OTU in Annan Dumfriesshire training on Hurricane I's.
He was then transported to India where he Flew Hurricane 2c's, then Spitfire Vc's and VIII's with RAF 607 Squadron 'A' Flight from 27-10-1942 to 09-01-1945 which was the end of his active service stint with the Spitfire.
He then had a short spell with 222 Group out of Ceylon and then he completed a No.3 Pilot Instructors course with No.1 CFS. He then trained pilots with 151 Squadron OTU in Peshwar flying Harvard II's, Hurricane II's and Spitfire Vc's/VIII's from April 1945 until he returned to the UK in October 1945.
His final Spitfire flight was with 151 OTU in Peshwar in Spitfire Vc - MA341 - on 12-09-1945, an aircraft he had actually flown in action back in March 1943.
During his service he was promoted from F/Sgt to P/O, and then finally to F/Lt in Early 1946.
He was De-Mobbed late in 1946.

As I grew up he rarely talked about the War and only occasionally attended the Burma Star Reunions as I think many of the memories of experiences and lost friends remained painful through to his death in 1985.