Walter Bowles - Pilot of the 50's

Flying in the 1930s, 40s and 50s

Walter Bowles
(1901 - 1992)

The photos on these pages are taken mostly from my grandfather's archives, with some additions from other people.

Walter Bowles obtained his British Empire FAI Aviator's Certificate on the 11th March 1936, endorsed as a "First-Class" Pilot's Certificate by Colonel R.L. Preston, secretary of the Royal Aero Club on the 23rd June 1952. In 1949 he obtained his Private Pilot's Licence for single and multi engined aeroplanes, a simple matter of converting his Aviator's Certificate.

He first flew a de Havilland Moth early in 1935, from Hanworth aerodrome on the edge of London. (See this list for complete details of the aircraft he flew.) My grandmother had seen an ad in the local paper offering a complete course of instruction for just £15. After just 4 hours 15 minutes of instruction he was introduces to the art of spinning, and went solo at 9½ hours. Having got his licence he then joined the London Aeroplane Club at Hatfield, and took further instruction in aerobatics, ( a note in the log book for 13 January 1939 just says "looped." He did some touring in the UK and into Europe with F.J. Bush, owner of the Tiger Moth G-AAAA, visiting the Lancashire Aeroplane Club at Barton, and flying via Lympne to Paris (Le Bourget) on more than one occasion.

His first aeroplane, a Kronfield Drone G-AEKU with a 32hp engine, was not a great success, being too slow for his comfort, and this was soon sold. Touring in Hornet Moths was next, including G-AESE which survives in immaculate condition to this day. Still based at Hatfield, Bedford, Stapleford, Brooklands, Bristol, Sywell, Henlow and Heston all appear in his log book for this time.

de Havilland Hornet Moth

The war brought a instructor's posting as Pilot Officer at Induna near Bulawayo in what was then Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe.) My grandmother, mother and uncle followed in the City of Nagpur which was torpedoed and sank 1,000 miles off the Irish coast. They were spotted by a Catalina Flying boat and subsequently picked up by HMS Hurricane. A second journey followed without incident, and the family were reunited in Bulawayo.

While in Rhodesia he instructed in Tiger Moths, Harvards, Oxfords and Ansons, but possibly the most spectacular (and surely the most tedious) achievement was 5,000 hours in Link trainers.

Link Trainer
photo courtesy Kevin Moore

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Flying in the 1930s, 40s and 50s	Walter Bowles (1901 - 1992)
The photos on these pages are taken mostly from my grandfather's archives, with some additions from other people. Walter Bowles obtained his British Empire FAI Aviator's Certificate on the 11th March 1936, endorsed as a "First-Class" Pilot's Certificate by Colonel R.L. Preston, secretary of the Royal Aero Club on the 23rd June 1952. In 1949 he obtained his Private Pilot's Licence for single and multi engined aeroplanes, a simple matter of converting his Aviator's Certificate. He first flew a de Havilland Moth early in 1935, from Hanworth aerodrome on the edge of London. (See this list for complete details of the aircraft he flew.) My grandmother had seen an ad in the local paper offering a complete course of instruction for just £15. After just 4 hours 15 minutes of instruction he was introduces to the art of spinning, and went solo at 9½ hours. Having got his licence he then joined the London Aeroplane Club at Hatfield, and took further instruction in aerobatics, ( a note in the log book for 13 January 1939 just says "looped." He did some touring in the UK and into Europe with F.J. Bush, owner of the Tiger Moth G-AAAA, visiting the Lancashire Aeroplane Club at Barton, and flying via Lympne to Paris (Le Bourget) on more than one occasion.	Walter Bowles (1901 - 1992)
His first aeroplane, a Kronfield Drone G-AEKU with a 32hp engine, was not a great success, being too slow for his comfort, and this was soon sold. Touring in Hornet Moths was next, including G-AESE which survives in immaculate condition to this day. Still based at Hatfield, Bedford, Stapleford, Brooklands, Bristol, Sywell, Henlow and Heston all appear in his log book for this time.	de Havilland Hornet Moth
The war brought a instructor's posting as Pilot Officer at Induna near Bulawayo in what was then Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe.) My grandmother, mother and uncle followed in the City of Nagpur which was torpedoed and sank 1,000 miles off the Irish coast. They were spotted by a Catalina Flying boat and subsequently picked up by HMS Hurricane. A second journey followed without incident, and the family were reunited in Bulawayo. While in Rhodesia he instructed in Tiger Moths, Harvards, Oxfords and Ansons, but possibly the most spectacular (and surely the most tedious) achievement was 5,000 hours in Link trainers.	Link Trainer photo courtesy Kevin Moore
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