大象传媒

My five years in the RAF, like many others was very varied. I joined up in December 1940 but because the RAF was swamped, I was sent home ( from Padgate ) on 鈥渄eferred Service鈥� 鈥� that means they will send for you when they are ready! My call came in July 1941 when I reported to Blackpool for three months recruit training. After that I had three months Technical Training at Compton Basset Radio School in Wiltshire. After passing the course, I was selected for further training on Radio Direction Finding 鈥� the early system which RADAR made redundant.

I was then posted to RAF Bottesford in January 1942. A 5 Group Bomber Station, it was equipped then with MANCHESTER Bombers 鈥� the disastrous type with two engines that the crews hated. It was soon fitted with four Merlin Engines and became the now famous LANCASTER.

After about six months I was posted to Swinderby, another 5 Group Station, and after a few weeks I was sent to Lerwick in the Shetland Isles. Whilst there we did long stints on the out-station鈥檚 mobile Transmitter / Reciever Trucks which extended the range of radio towards Norway, of the BEAUFIGHTERS.* A bit isolated but we were all young. We were issued with a tot of rum and a Vit.C tablet to combat Scurvey.

After eight months in Shetland I was put on a Conversion Course at Cranwell in Lincolnshire. Three months to do a peacetime three year course. After passing out at Cranwell I was posted to 53 OTU** at Kirton Lindsey 鈥� a Spitfire Unit. I always felt I had been posted there because my name was Roberts and everyone else was Welsh!

In the Spring of 1944 I was posted to 33 Air Sea Rescue Marine Craft Unit at CALSHOT. + After various activities centred on the Mulberry Harbour at Courselles, after D. Day the unit moved (in their boats ) to Ostend, which had just been taken by the Canadians.

I , who could drive, had to take our Radio Van with another party ( in *** a Queen Mary ) with equipment, over in an LST to meet the Unit in Ostend! This was before the helicopters made our boats U/S. Our Unit was ordered back to the U.K. on V.E. +1 to refit on bigger launches for the Pacific. After about two weeks , this idea was squashed and the R.N. said this was a job for Destroyers!! After a frustrating period when we were sent from pillar to post, I was posted to Sea Palling in Norfolk 鈥� billeted with some super Norfolk people (H.Q. was Coltishall ).

When the war ended I ( with a low demob number ) was posted to Naples, Italy. This entailed several days in a train called Medlock 鈥楥鈥� 鈥� it pulled up at intervals and everyone got out for a meal, got on and off we went again! After seeing Germany 鈥� all in ruins 鈥� we emerged into Switzerland, which was like a fairyland 鈥� lights, etc. and little trains taking the skiers here and there. Our first real stop was Milan. In Italy , at that time, all the bridges were Bailey Bridges to replace the proper ones, lost to bombing. We arrived at last in Naples to find the Unit we had been sent to was an Army Unit 鈥� we were two RAF Wireless Operator Mechanics in BLUE amongst a sea of KHAKI It took some time to find what this was all about 鈥� this Unit was fighting it鈥檚 way up Italy ( in August 1944 ) . They had perfected a method of calling in RAF Typhoons ( carrying rockets ) when they met a strong point. They had asked for some RAF Wireless people to help co-ordinate with the Typhoons. A good idea at the time, but not so good now!

We were sent to Graz in Austria where the RAF HQ was and I was eventually sent to Klagenfort in Southern Austria where an RAF Squadron was busy overseeing Tito. They were photographing the area daily from the strict air-corridor allowed. We had to maintain Radio Transmitter power in case of power failure. We had big diesel engines driving generators, in case they were needed.

Eventually my discharge number came up and I came home, via Villach by train to Wednesford and was demobilised there. I came home on my own on the normal bus service.

I saw service in Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Air Sea Rescue, etc. The RAF system of individual postings meant that many people had such a war as this.

*BEAUFIGHTERS were twin-engined Fighter Bombers.
** OTU is operational Training Unit.
*** 鈥� QUEEN MARY 鈥� is RAF slang for a 60ft. Articulated Vehicle, meant for transporting aircraft.
+ CALSHOT is opposite the ISLE OF WIGHT.

This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of MR. ROBERTS and has been added to the site with hIS permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site

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