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This was the Base of A.I.D;Inspection
Unit, which consisted of six Inspectors under the Command of a brilliant Engineering Officer, F/O;Mandawalla. Every call into his office indicated another urgent A.I.D;
Inspection was under-way, it was imposible to guess what or where it might be. A newly installed engine down on power, ground test and reject it to be returned to what ever unit had rebuilt it. Ground testing had to be 100% sure, sure that a pilot would get off when he was called upon. I seemed to get
lots of Spitfires to ground test after repair
which involved a rough journey by dispatch riders side-car to the Dunlop testing unit near Birmingham, put it through its paces up to take-off, shut down and stamp its docs as fit to fly. Then back to Newark for the next job. I was getting used to this trip when I remembered one Spitfire was a regular?? what was happening I found out, was the Dunlop pilot was bringing the fighter in under conditions that a rookie pilot might do, with the Brakes still On. That tipped the
Spit onto its nose, a new propeller A.I.D, Test and back to work. Of course as you would expect there was a Unit car and WAFF driver, but I think that was for the F/O.

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