training francos airforce

[looseforward]

I met a sir hadyn Bolton DSO DFC RAF (retd) who told me he helped train Francos airforce in North Africa. As the gentleman is now deceased I am after any information as to the veracity of this statement. This same gentleman was also instrumental in training South Africas airforce at its initial development.

[Macaca sylvanus]

Wasn't aware of this, although it wasn't a secret that Britain was supporting Franco's bid for power in Spain, most notoriously by turning a blind eye to the air bridge from North Africa to Southern Spain and the Republican naval blockade in the Straits of Gibraltar.

[VMICadetJNA]

Britain turned a blind eye yes, but outright training of Franco's forces was carried out by what would become Condor Legion at the request of General Mola. The thing you have to remember is that it was German aircraft and personnel that got the Army of North Africa to Southern Spain, not Spanish. The Spanish Air Force, especially in North Africa consisted of a few small transport aircraft MAYBE numbering in the tens if not less. After that, aviation on the Nationalist side became basically the responsibility of the Condor Legion and the Aviazione Legionaria, the Italian airpower contribution. The only way that I could see your friend helping in actually training Nationalist pilots is if he was a foreign volunteer training a volunteer unit, which is certainly possible, however that would jeopardize his future with the RAF once that pesky Hitler went about attacking Europe. For that matter any contribution on any side in Spain would have put his job in England at risk. Basically, if he was there 1936 or before, he would have been training pilots of the Spanish Republic, if he was there late 1936-1937, he would have been training Mola's troops not Franco's, Franco was still commander of the North African Army, therefor supported through the air by the Germans and Italians, not by indigenous pilots. And if he was there any later than that, when Franco was actually in control, he wouldn't have been in the RAF anymore. But I'm pretty sure Britain just stayed out on all sides, save for the foreign volunteers.

[nemowork]

I wouldnt be too sure about that. It wouldnt be unknown for a few officers to get 'extended leave' to have a bit of a nose around at what the potential opposition was doing.

When the British set up the Local Defence Volunteers and later the Home Guard a notable contribution was by ex-Republican Spanish and Internalional Brigade veterans at a private training ground called Osterley Park (http://www.lacolumna.org.uk/article_The_Home_Guard_A_Peoples_Militia.htm)

Ive seen interviews with veterans of that place (although they might be politically biased and not reliable) who said a major factor in their not being taken too seriously apart from their political radicalism was a number of British officers who had been attached to the Nationalist side and who were now involved in the Government end of setting up the home Guard.

Now that might just be sour grapes, they got shut down because the Government didnt want the socialist/communist element infiltrating the Home Guard but it suggests the British government did accept back serving officers who had experience of German fighting methods.