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I am Brian Barnes, aged 61, and found my Dad's log book in the loft a couple of years ago and I became interested to find out about his training in the USA. I searched the web and found references to Darr Flying school in Ponca City,Oklahoma and an e-mail address. I am now in contact with 2 pilots in his class and I will be meeting them at their reunion in Oxford in October 2005 and will take my 85 year old Mum as well. We will look at the many photos that Dad took in 1941/42. Dad died in 1986 without talking much about his time in America. My father, William Henry Barnes (Bill) was stationed at the Reception Centre in the Palace Hotel Babbacombe in Devon for RAF training with lectures in the Theatre. Then he was at Unit 2359 4 Wing, West Kirby on 13 September 1941. Then he was transferred by sea to Canada. He was at No 1 Initial Training School at Manning Depot in Toronto, housed in the Coliseum of the Canadian National Exhibition.
He was transferred to No 6 British Flying Training School, Ponca City in the Army Air forces unit 323rd Flying Training Detatchment as "Air crew under training" on 6th October 1941
His Log book records his training in great detail learning to fly PT 17 Stearman, BT 13A Vultee Valiant and A6a Harvard planes.
He trained at Ponca City till 21st February 1942.
He has over 30 photos that he took of the other students, the planes and a local family who befriended him.
He was unable to become a pilot due to perforated eardrums caused by explosion of a land mine very close to him. He went into the Royal Signals instead stationed in Cairo
Later in life Dad took up flying for a hobby at Biggin Hill from 1965 to 1980 and trained others and kept the planes ready with fuel

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