An excerpt from
‘The Mad Major’

The Autobiography of Major Christopher Draper DSC

pp. 207 & 208

The reception by the Squadron at Abu Sueir was past description and the presentation ceremony magnificent.

At a reception on the first evening, the Station Commander, Group Captain Lousada, said to me: “Well, Draper, I suppose you want to fly while you’re here”, to which I immediately replied: “Thank you very much. I’m so glad you suggested it, for it saves me coming to you cap-in-hand begging for permission.” “We thought you would”, he replied, “it’s all laid on”.

The Squadron was equipped with Gloster Meteor jet fighters and with Flight Lieutenant Bradley, the senior Flight Commander, I had 45 minutes in a Meteor 7. He would only let me have control for part of the time, and then proceeded to carry out some pretty hectic low flying above, within and around some horrid-looking valleys , the sort of thing I was so accustomed to doing myself.

I managed a few rolls, but when I wanted to come down low and shoot up the camp, where I knew everyone was sleeping off the effects of the strenuous morning, he made some feeble excuse about the time and the fuel! Writing to me on December 4, from Abu Sueir, Bradley said: “… I’m so glad you liked the trip in the ‘Seven’. I was really in a bit of a quandary, I have known men, half your age and experienced pilots, to be very sick when they haven’t been in the air for five minutes straight and level. That wasn’t the object on this occasion, but on the other hand I did want to think I had frightened the ‘Mad Major’ just a little bit. I appear to have failed.” In this he was wrong, but I never told him so.