大象传媒

After taking a medical examination at the recruiting station at Uxbridge in 1938, I was accepted into the RAF as a boy entrant, aged 16. From occupation in civil life as "scholar", to trade in the RAF as "Boy Wopv UT", with service number 553220, I had signed up for nine years.

I was posted from Uxbridge to 3 Wing No.1 E&WS Cranwell, to be trained as a wireless operator, which I tried to achieve. The RAF College was just a little way from my training school. The college itself trained our pilots to fly; many were killed during their training. The college was in a difficult position for the flyers to be able to find their landing position. Many mistook the red light on the college as a marker for the runway. I remember FLT Hill who used to fly his aeroplane through the aircraft hangers. He was grounded many times for doing this.

Regarding my own training to be a wireless operator, it eventually became too much for me. I was given a choice and the choice I was given I accepted. I was discharged from the RAF on 21st September 1939,
character "VG". However I did have the honour of playing cricket at the college. The cricket field was in front of the college itself, the building being very attractive. To say that you have played cricket at Cranwell, remembering that I was only a boy at the time, was very special.

I returned home to my parents who had moved to Kingston-on-Thames from Shepperton. I returned to civilian life again; thanks to my parents I had somewhere to live and be fed. During the short time I was in my parents business I met many famous personalities and Heads of State. My parents served the American General Ike, who was living in the White House opposite to Hampton Court Palace entrance.

Through pressure of my parent's customers, I suddenly walked into the recruiting office in Portsmouth Road, making enquiries and offering my service to them.

[Continued in "Basic Training in the Army at Chatham"]

(PK)

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