大象传媒

During the war I served in the Royal Observer Corps, I was in the RAF together with my father. A lot of people mentioned how unusual it was to have a father and a daughter serving together with such an age difference, he was late 55 and I was 23.

When they first started the scheme between the air ministry and the war office it was an experiment, and they were appealing for volunteers to take part. My father was one of the first men to enlist 鈥� there were only three other men from the village and women were not allowed at that time. However, when women were allowed, in 1942, I signed up straightaway with a school friend and the wife of one of the original volunteers, which made a seven volunteer force. Two people had to be on duty all the time.

We three girls had to learn, with all possible speed, how to work the equipment at the post/ The equipment consisted of a stand 鈥� some 4 or 5 feet in height 鈥� with a round table on top with a diameter of 40 inches. This table was marked out with squares each representing a mile 鈥� a radius of ten miles. In the centre was an instrument rather like a telescope with a small wheel on the right side of it and a chain with a pointer hanging from it.

On sighting an aircraft, one observer would identify it by using binoculars, while the other observer looked into the sighting arm and got the aircraft visible. Then, moving the wheel up or down, got the height from figures on the side. Then, moving the arm left or right, followed the track of the aircraft while the pointer indicated the square number on the table. The speed had to be estimated but we got very good at this with practice. All this information was passed to the Operation Room or Centre in Durham City, which served both counties of Durham and Northumberland.

As an aircraft left our area it could easily be picked up by one of the cluster of posts which formed our cluster of four 鈥� Otterburn to the North, Hartburn to the east and Whittingham to the South West. Our cluster of four was linked by telephone to each other and to the centre. All the clusters of posts made up a network over the whole country, so that no aircraft could possibly be lost 鈥� or enemy aircraft sneak into the country, flying low to avoid the radar beams.

We were called by the Royal Air Force 鈥渢he eyes and ears of the RAF.鈥� The motto of the Corps on our badge was 鈥淔orewarned is forearmed,鈥� which certainly turned out to work very well indeed.

The lookout post was built of cement. It was a small, square building about eight or nine feet high, with wooden floors and corners, and wooden things to stand on to look out. There was also a dug out with a wooden stove to heat things on, a shelter with a tiny little window and a browning rifle. You had to learn how to fire that and how to fix bayonets 鈥� my father taught me how to as he was good at it. We had large tarpaulin to go over in the case of bad weather or if there were any German aircraft around. We did see one or two, which were obviously on reconnaissance, the Luftwaffe were clever and eventually knew where information was being sent to the operations room and they were able to get this to fighter squadrons.

We had to be on our guard at all times. There was an exclusion zone around the post 鈥� a bus would take us to Acklington aerodrome for training. The RAF felt that the more we saw of aircraft and the more we were able to go into aircraft, the easier it would be to recognize them. It wasn鈥檛 too bad to identify planes when the skies were clear, but in bad weather it was more difficult to see so we had to be right on the ball. We also had training lessons in the Odeon cinema in Newcastle on a Sunday when there were no shows on. The RAF would provide training films where an aircraft would appear on the screen for just a few seconds, and we would have to describe what it was. It was sort of a test, really, and there were also written tests on RAF procedures. In time I got my first class certificate, but there was also an even higher grading, which was called the master test.

For the master test, fifty aircraft would appear on the screen, one after another, and we had to correctly identify 95% of those aircraft. There was also a written paper which went with it, and you had to pass that with 95% too. It wasn鈥檛 easy, but if you did pass you were given a little, pale-blue spitfire badge to sew onto the sleeve of your battle dress. Right before the end of the war, I got mine.

鈥淲e鈥檒l meet again鈥�

In a way it was lucky that I had this job that I adored, and which I could throw myself into. My husband was in the army, and in 1943 his regiment was sent out to Salonika. I remember seeing him off, we鈥檇 been to a dance the night before and the Mayor of Whitby had been there. He stood up and made a speech, saying how nice it had been to have the squadron with them, how sorry they were to lose them and he hoped that they had good fortune with whatever lay ahead. We all held hands together and sang, 鈥淲e鈥檒l meet again.鈥� Whenever I hear Vera Lynn singing that now, it brings all the memories back. I was so upset when he left - my father always used to say 鈥淒on鈥檛 cry, be a brave little soldier.鈥� I didn鈥檛 much feel like a brave little soldier, but I managed to pull myself together.
We were able to write backwards and forwards when he was in Salonika, but the letters, which were called blue pencils were heavily censored, and any doubtful information had to be deleted from them, so really the letters amounted to 鈥淗ope you are well, hope your parents are well, I am well, love Bob.鈥� But all of a sudden, these letters stopped, and I couldn鈥檛 get any information. One of the captains eventually came to visit me and told me that my husband had been sent out on a special mission and had not returned. He was never found, and finally, presumed dead.

That was a real knock for me and I was glad that I had this very interesting job that I could throw myself into. The aerodrome was mainly used for fixing aircraft and training air cadets, but occasionally a squadron would come in. One time I was shown around a Lancaster bomber by the pilot. Now I was a slim girl at 23, but at the back, where the rear gunner sits, was a little sliding door and a bench, and I had a real job getting into it! How an ordinary man was able to get up into the pilot鈥檚 seat, I have no idea 鈥� it was a sort of spiral staircase leading up to it. I wondered how on earth they would get out if they were hit 鈥� the sad truth was, many did not.

鈥淚f any observer would like to take a flight鈥︹��

We were also taken out on flights wherever possible. My first flight was on a Avro Anson, which was a twin-engined plane. Over the tannoy had come an announcement 鈥� 鈥淚f any observer would like to take a flight, please report to hanger number one. My father said to me 鈥淗ere鈥檚 your chance,鈥� so I rushed up to the hangar. I had to sign a document to say that if the plane crashed, the RAF would not be responsible; these sheets were called 鈥渂loodchits鈥� by the pilots, but I signed it blissfully!

I dashed down to the aircraft to find five young air cadets at the door waiting for it to be opened. They stood back and let me get into the co-pilot鈥檚 seat 鈥� there weren鈥檛 any other seats on the plane so the rest of them had to sit on the floor. I鈥檝e never known anything as exciting in all my life. I could hear the aircraft straining to get off the ground, we flew out over the sea. I never knew the sea had so many shades of blue. Then we flew over Warkworth castle and I thought 鈥渢his is for me!鈥� The pilot didn鈥檛 need to ask if this was my first flight, it was written all over my face!

They also had the 鈥渓ink trainer鈥� which was a simulator. The first opportunity I was given I went in to try it, and I was actually amazed to see how realistic it was. I was instructed by a man called Crasher Bates 鈥� I didn鈥檛 ask why though! After a few attempts I managed to take off, and it was so realistic. Landing, of course, was more difficult, and I had several bad attempts, especially when Crasher said I would have taken the top off the control tower!! But he just laughed and said 鈥渢hat鈥檒l wake the bs up!鈥� Whenever I could I went in, and at the finish he said that, although he couldn鈥檛 get me into an aircraft to take a test, he had no hesitation that I would pass.

Crash!

In 1943 a plane came down. I鈥檇 been on duty since two o鈥檆lock in the morning on an eight hour shift. It had been a quiet night for a change. It was one of those beautiful September mornings, all the Northern hills and moors were covered in purple heather. And I was thinking 鈥渨hat a lovely sight!鈥� - when the phone rang, and it was the centre to say that two Barracuda aircraft were coming up from the South, they were on the secret list on their way to Lossiemouth. When they came up they were flying in line and as they approached I thought there was something wrong with the one that was flying behind.

The engine sounded really rough to me, and he was sort of flapping his wings. I knew there was something wrong, but we had no means of communication with the pilot like some posts with their RT sets. He indicated he was going to try to land, but there was nowhere to the North, only moors; Moors to the west. A deep cleft valley further down and the village below, so there wasn鈥檛 a great choice and he was losing height bit by bit. I was on the phone to the operations room, and the controller came on, and he was so wound up about it I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He kept saying 鈥榢eep your eye on it鈥� and I said 鈥業 have no intention of not keeping my eye on it鈥� and of course eventually the plane had to come down. The field he had to come down in was very small and at the side of that A4 road were telegraph poles, so he had to keep above those. It was like an uphill field then it ended with a very old row of trees on the West with a low stone wall and he came down with a bang and there was a cloud of dust and smoke. It was quite a time before he emerged and fell to the ground. We鈥檙e not supposed to leave the post with one observer on, so I had to ask permission to leave the post. The controller said 鈥榃hy, what are you going to do? 鈥楢nd I said 鈥榃ell I鈥檝e got a bicycle, and I鈥檓 going down there.鈥� He said 鈥榳ell it鈥檚 top secret that aircraft鈥� and I swear never in my life have I pedalled so fast. My legs were aching but I kept thinking 鈥榠s that pilot alright鈥� so that spurred me on. When I finally arrived and pushed open the gate into the field I was breathless, the first thing I saw was the tail-wheel in bits and pieces. The pilot was sitting propped up against the aircraft so when he saw me I think he was relieved to see someone in Air-force Uniform actually. I asked him if he was alright and he said he was bruised and he鈥檇 sprained his wrist but it was 鈥渘o thanks to that bloody kite鈥�. Then he sealed the cockpit, and stowed the papers because it was all top secret. We walked round the aircraft and decided it must have been a design fault. Then I asked him would he like a cup of tea. And he said you haven鈥檛 got one on your person have you? And I said 鈥渘o, but I live in the village nearby. If you鈥檙e alright Ill go and get you a flask.鈥�

So of course I got back on the bicycle and pedalled home. My mother was plying me with all sorts of questions which I couldn鈥檛 answer of course, so she made me a flask of tea and a few spam sandwiches and I filled a little bottle with some of my fathers whisky, and he was so grateful you know and was relieved to find out they had reported him to the operations room. I stayed with him and they sent someone over to pinpoint his position. It was a while before a jeep arrived with three airforce men in it. Two of them were going to stay and guard the plane while they took him back. I never got his name actually, but when I had this article published I had to get permission to print the picture of the barracuda aircraft .The fleet air arm tried to get in contact with the pilot but they just couldn鈥檛. They found out eventually it was something to do with the fuel intake and the way it was mixed and the engine wasn鈥檛 getting any fuel. The pilot said when he landed the stone wall was fast approaching and he had to close his eyes.

Everyone really pulled together during the war. I remember Winston Churchill saying 鈥淗itler is well aware that to win this war he must conquer these islands of ours, and we must see to it that he does not, so I appeal to every man and woman who can do anything to help to do so, because if we fail, then this country and the whole world, including the USA, will be plunged into the abyss of a dark empire and civilisation as we know it will be gone forever.鈥� Those words have stayed with me all this time. We were determined to stand together as a body. There was no desertion, no phrases like 鈥渉uman rights,鈥� 鈥渃ivil liberties鈥� or 鈥減ublic enquiries鈥� 鈥� everyone did what they had to do without question. I feel very proud to have been part of it.

Would I do it all again?

You can bet I would!!

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