大象传媒

My Father Harold Tarlton was Senior Observer at Harold Hill Essex Post 1940-- 1945, he was due to be called up for the RAF but because he was in the Royal Observor Corps before the war started they wanted him to be retained.

The post at Harold Hill had a searchlight batterty on one side of them and an AA battery on the other side,one evening early in 1940 sounds of aircraft engines were heard and the recognised signal was sent to find out friend or foe, this was repeated several times and there was no response, so Father decided it was an enemy aircraft, the searchlight battery attempted to find it but there was heavy cloud so he asked the AA battery to open fire, this duly happened, and the aircraft was heard to come down a short distance from them,it had in fact crash
landed and the furious pilot eventually made his way to the post with some very shaken up
MOD staff who had been spotting for any lights showing up in the area, he had also fallen in a cow pac and was somewhat covered,who the hell gave the order to open fire he said to my Father, who by this time was overcome with embarrisment, with the rest of his team, having great difficulty controlling their mirth I did he replied you did not return the signal so orders were followed.
This story was in fact in the history of the Royal Observer Corps

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