My grandad served in the RAF, and he trained Battle of Britain pilots to fly using the (ground-based) Link trainer (the contemporary version of a flight sim!)
He also had some considerable personal flying time on the Tiger Moth and the Avro Anson (both aircraft modelled in CoD).
For more information about the Link trainer, see below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_Trainer
http://www.aviationmuseum.net/link_trainers.htm
(it seems even the Luftwaffe had experience of Link trainers!!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cessna1...er/1186929478/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickb6265/3573289919/
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/f5403031.html