Owen then spent a month training in Gipsy Moths at No. 18 Elementary Flying Training School in Fair Oaks, Surrey, England.  Chief Instructor J B Wood observed ...
"This officer has shown exceptional keeness and ability throughout the 5 weeks pre-A.F.U. Course on this unit."

I'd always presumed that my father served most of his time as an airman in England flying Halifaxes in 462 Squadron. My presumption was based on the numerous photos in his album and the deep affection with which he spoke, although very occasionally, of the crew.  This was reinforced when the RAF Engineer, Bill Chidlow, briefly visited Australia to reunite with the crew. Such gestures, it seemed to me at least, stemmed from close bonds forged in many months, even years of battle.

So, it was a revelation to read Owen's log book and discover that he and his crew were only with the 462 (100 Group) for three months even though he, Maurie, Hugh, Kevin, Bill Mac and Bill Davey had trained together as a crew for over three months at No. 21 O.T.U. Moreton-In-Marsh (Gloucestershire) and No. 1659 H.C.U. R.C.A.F. Station Topcliffe (Yorkshire) before joining the squadron.

In nineteen short months in Britain, Owen had no less than seventeen postings, flying anything from Tiger Moths (DH 82s), Ansons, Oxfords, Wellingtons to Halifaxes. In less than three months with 462 Squadron, Owen completed just over 70 flying hours.

Here is an extract of his flying log book at this time.

Year 1945	Aircraft Type No	Pilot/1st Pilot	2nd Pilot/ Passenger	Duty - Result & Remarks
	O.T.U. 21 - Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire
February 13	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Bligh	Revision 'K' test
March 2	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Rough Air & compass tests
March 3	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Billingham	General flying practice
March 6	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Oval beam orbits
March 6	Wellington III	FO Dobbie	Self FO James (N) FSgt Gibson FO Cahill FSgt McNeel FSgt Davey (WO Jenkins, Screen)	Familiarisation, Petrol Starvation, Feathering, Stalling, Single Engine Flying, Circuits & Landings
March 7	Wellington	FO Dobbie	Self & Crew	Circuits & SE Circuits
March 8	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Homing to beam (3 methods)
March 9	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Back beam orbits
March 9 - 13 April	Dinghy & Parachute drills with crew -signed completed F/O Beechet (Bucler?)
March 10	Wellington	FO Dobbie	Self & Crew	Circuits, SE, Flapless & Overshoots
March 10	Wellington	FO Dobbie	Self & Crew	Circuits, SE & Flapless landings
March 10	Wellington	Self	Crew	Circuits
March 11	Wellington	FO Dobbie	Self & Crew	Circuits & SE Circuits (dual check)
March 11	Wellington	Self	Crew	Circuits & SE Circuits
March 12	Wellington	Self	Crew	Circuits
March 14	Wellington	FO Grimmett	Self & Crew	X.C. Stbd Engine U/S, R.T.B.
March 14	Wellington	FO Grimmett	Self & Crew	Dual Bombing 155yds, 10,000', 8lbs
March 16	Wellington	FO Dobbie	Self & Crew	XC Frome, Scilly, St Davids Head, Priors Hardwick^, Odstone^, Base, 18,000', Oxygen
March 17	Wellington	Self	Crew	XC Gt Dunmow, Scunthorpe, Thirske, 54º00'N 02º00'E, Welles, Cheltenham, Base. 18,000', Oxygen, SBA, Stick Bombing, Targets on Track, Air Firing.
March 18	Wellington	Self	Crew	XC Gt Dunmow, Thirske, Epperstone ^, 54º00'N 02º00'E, Welles, Priors Hardwick ^, Odstone ^, Cheltenham, Base, 18,000', Oxygen,
March 19	Link Trainer	Self	W/O Greenhead	Homing & beam orbit (drift & rough air)
March 20	Wellington	Self	Crew	Bombing 14,000', 142yds, 8 bombs
March 21	Wellington	Self	Crew	XC Wells, 54º20'N, 02º30'E, Welles, Newmarket, Trowbridges, Diss, Priors Hardwick^, Odstone^. Base, 18,000', Oxygen, SBA.
March 22	Link Trainer	Self	W/O Greenhead	Back beam orbit (drift & rough air)
March 22	Wellington	Self	Crew	Fighter Affiliation CCG.3.
March 22	Wellington	FO Cunliffe	Self & Crew	NT Fighter Affiliation CCG.3.
March 24	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Beam homing & orbit (R/T Procedure)
March 24	Wellington	Self	Crew	Bombing 14,000'. 230yds.
March 25	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Rothery	As above with drift
March 28	Wellington	FO Dobbie	Self & Crew	Circuits & SE Circuits
March 28	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Homing & beam orbit (drift, R/A, & INSTs U/S)
March 29	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Nuttall	Back beam orbit (Drift & R/A)
March 29	Wellington	F Lt Dobbie	Self & Crew	Circuits& SE Circuits
March 29	Wellington	Self	Crew	Circuits
March 30	Wellington	F Lt Dobbie	Self & Crew	Dual Check, Circuits & SE Circuits
March 30	Wellington	Self	Crew	Circuits & SE Circuits
April 3	Wellington	Self	Crew	Circuits & SE Circuits
April 4	Wellington	PO Abell	Self & Crew	XC Conway.Castle Douglas.Barnard Castle.Priors Hardwick^Odstone^Base^ 18,000', Oxygen
April 5	Wellington	F Lt Dobbie	Self & Crew	Bombing, Idlicote ^ 12,000' 215yds
April 5	Wellington	Self	Crew	Bombing, Idlicote ^ 12,000' 146yds
April 8	Wellington	Self	Crew	XC Frome.St Marys.St Davids Head.Priors Hardwick^.Odstone^.Base.18,000'Oxygen, Air Firing
April 9	Wellington	Self	Crew	XC Conway.Castle Douglas.Ramsey Bay N ^ 52º00'N, 04º20'W, Priors Hardwick^, Odstone^,Base 18,000',  Oxygen
April 11	Link Trainer	Self	W/O Greenhead	Link Golf 55
April 11	Wellington	FO Grimmett	Self & Crew	Fighter Affiliation
April 12	Wellington	Self	Crew	Fighter Affiliation
April 12	Wellington	Self	Crew	Fighter Affiliation
April 13	Wellington	F Lt Brophy	Self & Crew	Fighter Affiliation
April 13	Wellington	Self	Crew	Fighter Affiliation
April 13	Wellington	Self	Crew	Bullseye London, Base, Peterborough, Green Park (sim.Bombing Red T.I.'s) Beachy Hd, Dover, Aylesbury, 52º50'N, 05º05'W, Priors Hardwick^, Odstone^, Base, Air Firing, Oxygen, 17,000', . SBA. Coned, London Area.
April 15	Link Trainer	Self	Sgt Rothery	Unknown beam QDM
April 15	Wellington	Self	Crew	XC Frome.St Marys.St Davids Head.Priors Hardwick^.Odstone^.Base.18,000' Oxygen
April 16	Wellington	Self	Crew	Bombing 14,000' 208yds
April 18	Wellington Course completed - signed by Sqdn Ldr W E Eagleton & Chief Instructor James
April 18	Advanced Link Trainer completed signed F/Lt D H Coleman
April 18	Basic Bomber categorisation for 21 O.T.U. Moreton in Marsh 'B' signed F/O Baldock Bombing Leader. Completed - Proficient signed W/Cdr James
May 1945	No. 1659 H.C.U. R.C.A.F. STATION, TOPCLIFFE, YORKSHIRE
May 23 - 27	A.N.T. Link	Self	Sgt Pettapiece	4hrs 45mins bombing revision and exercises Assessment Category 'B'  signed F/O E G Holmes for Bombing Leader 1659 H.C.U.
May 24	Halifax III	F/O Moore	Self FO James (N) FSgt Gibson FO Cahill FSgt McNeel FSgt Davey Sgt W Chidlow	Familiarisation, Local area, Three engine flying, Circuits & landings
May 24	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Circuits & landings
May 26	Halifax III	F/O Moore	Self & Crew	2 & 3 engine flying, 3 engine landings
May 26	Halifax III	Self	Crew	3 engine flying, circuits & landings
May 30	Halifax III	F/Lt Appleton	Self & Crew Screens F/O Coulter, F/O Mazer	Dual bombing & Fighter Affiliation 95 yds & 105 yds
June 11	Halifax III	F/Lt Moore	Self & Crew	Formation & Night circuits
June 11	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Night circuits
June 12	Halifax III	F/O McKay	Self, Crew & 2 Screens	Radar dem.
June 12	Halifax III	F/O Moore	Self & Crew	Dual fighter affiliation
June 12	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Solo fighter affiliation
June 13-14	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Cross Country, Base, Reading, Paris, Cherburg, Bournemouth, Base (Day 5hrs 10mins)
June 14	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Base, Reading, Paris, Cherburg, Pickering ^. 6 bombs 265 yds, Base (day 6hrs 10mins)
June 15	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Base, Winchester, Cap Gais, Nez, St Quentin, Ostend, Snape ^ 6 bombs 265 yds, base
June 16	Assessed as a Halifax Bomber pilot - Above average (7) F/Lt C Appleton for Officer Commanding (illegible)
	No.462 (R.A.A.F) Squadron, 100 Group, Foulsham, Norfolk
June 21	Halifax III	P/O Smith	Self & Crew	Local area familiarisation
June 21	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Local and circuits
June 25	Halifax III	Self	Crew	XC See & H2S, 12,000', Base, Gloucester, York, Blackpool, Leicester, base
June 27	Oxford	F/Lt McGindle	Self	Local S.B.A. & V.H.F., B.A. revision
June 28	Link	Self		Beam oval orbits
June 29	Halifax III	Self	Crew less Chidlow Plus Hewlett (window) Fink (Spec OP)	Air-min post mortem Ex German radar in Denmark. Early return PO. Feathered, oil cooler shutters U/S
July 1	Halifax III	Self	Crew less Chidlow Plus Newstead (window) Billin (Spec OP)	AM German radar, post mortem, Ex mainstream, Target Flemsberg Denmark. Early return PI feathered oil leak.
July 4	Halifax III	Self	Crew less Chidlow Plus Coleman (Spec OP) Crawley (ABC)	ABC, Carpet & Window
July 6	Anson III	F/O Sherren	Self, 3 Spec OPs	Driffield, Birmingham, Base Early Warning Location Training
July 6	Anson III	Self	F/O Sherren	Circuit & landing
July 7	Halifax III	Self	Crew less M.U.G.	Base - Grove (Denmark)
July 7	Halifax III	Self	Crew less M.U.G. Plus 8 passengers	Grove - Germany - Holland - Base
July 20	Halifax III	Self	8 passengers
July 20	Halifax III	Self	Crew & 3 LACs & 2 WAAFs	Base - Walcheren Is - Cologne - Dortmund - Rhur Valley - Base
July 23	Halifax III	Self	Crew & Sqdn Ldr Jones & 3 LACs & 2 ACWs	Base - Antwerp - Acchen - Cologne - Dortmund - Rhur Valley - Wesel - Base
July 24	Halifax III	Self	Crew & F/O Cairns & Crew	Base - North Creek (171 Squadron)
July 24	Halifax III (171 Sqdn)	Self	Crew	Bomb Disposal - North Sea
July 24	Halifax III (171 Sqdn)	Self	Crew	Bomb Disposal - North Sea (2nd trip)
July 24	Halifax III	F/O Cairns	Self & 2 Crews	North Creek - Base
July 25	Oxford	Self	F/Lt Langworthy F/Lt Smith	Base - Earls Colne Earls Colne - Base
July 26	Link	Self		Beam measuring & oval orbits
July 27	Oxford	Self	F/O Grant	V.H.F./B.A.
July 31	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Air Test
August 2	Anson	Self	F/O Britt & Crew	Base - Bruntingthorpe
August 2	Anson	Self	Solo	Bruntingthorpe - Base
August 2	Halifax III	Self	Crew & 2 Mosquito Navs & R.D.C. Observer	Base - Sidmouth - Northampton - Base
August 3	Oxford	Self	F/O James (Nav)	Swaffenaah - Base (recover A/crew after forced landing)
August 14	Oxford	Self	F/Lt Dickson F/Lt Van Welie	V.H.F. Beam
August 14	Sikorsky R4B Helicopter	Sqdn Ldr Thielman	Self	Local Backwards, sideways, up & down
August 27	Halifax III	Self	Crew	Circuits & Arrivals
August 28	Halifax III	Self	Crew & A/C Sybliss ACW Robertson ACW Taylor	Rhur Trip
August 31	Halifax III	Self	F/O Cairns & Crew	Local & circuits
September 5	Oxford	Self	F/Lt Arkinstall P/O Austwick	V.H.F. B.A. & S.B.A.
September 6	Oxford	F/O McGindle	Self, Cahill, James	Base - Swanton - Morley - Swannington
September 6	Oxford	Self	Cahill & James	Swannington - Montrose - returned Stbd Eng U/S
September 6	Oxford	Self	Cahill & James	Swannington - Montrose
September 7	B-17 Fortress	F/Lt Rix	Self, crew & 10 passengers	Edzell - Base
September 12	Summary for 462 R.A.A.F. Squadron 70.05hrs flown signed S/Ldr Swann (O.C. 'B'FLight 462 Sqdn) and W/Cdr P M Pauls (O.C. 462 Squadron)