- Contributed by听
- Bobby Shafto
- People in story:听
- Pilot Officer J A Martin DFC and Sergeant Barker
- Location of story:听
- RAF Poolbrooke; RAF Leconfield; RAF Lynam; RAF Stoney Cross; Singapore; Habbaniya; Karachi; Dumdum
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A4000113
- Contributed on:听
- 03 May 2005
This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer on behalf of Pilot Officer John A. Martin DFC (retired) Larne, N. Ireland and been added to the site with his permission. Mr Martin understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.
After working on the Flying Fortress at Poolbrooke in Norfolk, I was then posted onto Sterlings working for Sergeant Barker at RAF Leconfield. The next time I encountered Sergeant Barker was at Habbaniya in the Middle East when I was attched to Transport Command 51 Squadron flying freight and passengers between UK and Singapore. I had, by that time, attained my commission and was now a Flight Engineer. We landed at Habbaniya en route to Singapore and guess who was holding the ladder as I got out of the aircraft, it was Sergeant Barker, his startled comment to was me was, 鈥淲onders will never cease.鈥 Every time after that, when we landed at Habbaniya Sergeant Barker arranged for me to take stockings home for him to his wife, back in England. We flew reconditioned Sterlings which had the turrets removed. The aircraft was similar to an airliner and carried freight between UK and Singapore. I flew on this route until 1947. We flew from Lynam or Stoney Cross to Singapore, the journey would take several days. We flew from Lynam to Malta, Malta to Habbaniya in Iraq, Habbaniya to Karachi in Pakistan, Karachi to Dumdum in Calcutta, Dumdum across the bay and into Singapore. The return route was just the reverse.
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