大象传媒

I was a driver in the RAF; an eighteen year old keen for some action. The telegram came whilst I was on leave. "Leave cancelled. Return to base."

From Norfolk, I was posted to Morecambe and kitted-out in a khaki uniform and bush hat. So we knew we were going somewhere hot!

I joined a group of thirty other airmen, all of different trades. We left at midnight and joined a big convoy off the coast of Ireland; I remember seeing the Straights of Gibraltar. I was more worried about sea sickness than submarines.

All the lads were excited when we arrived at Port Said, wondering whether we'd get off there. We averaged 430 miles in 24 hours.

We travelled to Port Suez, where we disembarked. Without pausing, we did a ten mile route march. This was to get rid of our sea legs.

Back on board the ship, we were told we were heading for Bombay. The journey on the troop ship lasted 32 days.

From Bombay, we travelled to Calcutta and down to Chittagong. Then to Aqubar on a ferry. The airfield there, where I was a driver of a fire engine, took a pounding from the Japanese.

Later that year, I was posted to Shanghai and eventually Hong Kong.

Almost immediately, I went down with typhoid and malaria. I spent three months in hospital. I was pretty skinny when I left there.

The unit was closed down at Christmas 1946. I remained in Hong Kong till I was posted home in June '47.

I'm privileged to obtain a lottery grant to go back to Singapore on the 8th September for the 60th year celebrations for the end of the war.

A chance to pay my respects to those who died there.

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