大象传媒

The accuracy of what follows cannot be guaranteed as much of the information comes from RAF service records which can only be as good as the compiler. Also, there has to be a certain amount of guesswork on my part.

Bill Williams; full name - William Thomas Williams was born on 29th December 1919 in Willesden, London. One of four boys he went to the local schools, the last being Acton County Secondary School. Like most lads of his era Bill was no different to anyone else.
In 1935 he left school and joined Lipton's, the tea company as a shop assistant. Here he met the love of his life, Irene, who he married in 1942.

Life as a shop assistant was very mundane for Bill and definitely could not be described as exciting. With all the talk of war he resigned from Lipton's in July 1939 and enlisted in the RAF on 2nd August for a 6 year commission. Heaven knows what his parents must have thought. The recruitment centre was No.3 Depot, Padgate near Warrington, and he arrived on 22nd September. This was the furthest Bill had ever travelled, before that it was Southend.

Life improved immensely as now there were real challenges to face. I would guess it was here that it was decided that Bill would join Bomber Command. New friends were quickly and easily made with a very good social life to boot. On 30th October he became a Trainee Flight Mechanic, something he excelled at. By now the war had started and Bill, along with all the other recruits had to learn their new trade quickly and thoroughly.

A first posting came through when Bill had turned 20. He was sent to 99 Squadron on 11th March 1940. This squadron was based at Newmarket and operated Wellingtons which were medium range bombers. Their main targets at this time were German battleships operating in the North Sea. On the 2nd May Bill was promoted to Flight Mechanic, only 9 months after signing on. Then, in July, he was recommended for training as an Air Gunner.

Posting number two came through to 221 Squadron on 25th November 1940. This came only four days after the squadron was reformed at Bircham Newton in Norfolk. Again, Wellingtons were used, this time for convoy escort patrols and shipping reconnaissance. In May 1941 the squadron was posted to Northern Ireland for anti - submarine patrol work. It is not clear whether Bill went with them.

The 10th July 1942 saw Bill going to 10 Bombing & Gunnery School, which was situated at RAF Dumfries. Two days later he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman. On completion he stayed in Scotland and moved to 19 Operational Training Unit. This was based at RAF Forres and he arrived on 16th August. Aircraft used here were twin-engined Whitley bombers. At about this time a further promotion came through; Trainee Sergeant and also Bill became an Air Gunner. It is known that he suffered with the cold, so taking into account where the various bases were situated and then becoming a gunner, a very cold position in a bomber, it is amazing how Bill survived as long as he did.

Guns were definitely Bill Williams' cup of tea, far more exciting than being a mechanic and as for being a shop assistant, there was absolutely no comparison. On his service record his proficiency comments for gunnery skills are recorded as SUPER.

It was his next posting that was to get the adrenalin flowing. This was 77Squadron, based in Yorkshire. He arrived on 8th October and Whitleys were currently being used. Bill flew as the "T.E.C." on missions to Le Havre, Wilhelmshaven, Emden, L'orient and Rostock. May to October 1942 was spent at RAF Chivenor in Devon when 77 Squadron supported 19 Group Coastal Command. Operations included escorting convoys, antisubmarine patrols and shipping strikes off the South West Coast of England.

The social life was very good down here. Bill had married in February and occasionally he would have his new bride to stay for a few days in the cottage he was renting. On one such occasion his sister-in-law also came down and they all had a marvellous time taking in many of the local hostelries! The worst part of these times was when there was a mission. The girls would wait for the planes to return and then count them all back in. When any didn't return there would then be the agonising wait to find out who it was that was missing.

On the return to Yorkshire in October the squadron was re-equipped with Halifax II Heavy Bombers. 77 Squadron did not become operational again until the end of January 1943. Meantime much training was undertaken with Bill going to 1652 Heavy Conversion Flight on 10th October. The 1st October had seen him promoted to Trainee Flight Sergeant. Two weeks later Bill returned to his squadron. Missions flown were similar to those flown in the Whitleys, with the additions of Nuremberg, St. Nazaire and Berlin, also some "gardening missions".

One mission that Bill never forgot was the raid on Berlin on the night of 29th March 1943. It was a tough night as usual, but very successful. On his return he was immediately informed that he was a father. He had his own "bouncing bomb" who he and his wife called Patricia Ann. It is thanks to her that we could do all the research. Soon afterwards, on 16th April, a mixture of a rest period and further night bomber training at 24 OTU followed. This was at Honeybourne in Worcestershire.

Promotion to Warrant Officer came on 1st October and he was made a Pilot Officer on 7th November. He went to Abingdon for the day on 18th November, returning the next day to 24OTU. It was probably about this time that Bill volunteered to join the Path Finder Force. This special force was commanded by Air Commodore Bennett who Bill would have met at 77 Squadron in 1941, as it was at that time that Bennett was the CO. AC Bennett was respected by all those who served under him and must have been a major influence for anyone joining PFF. As Bill had completed his first tour he could easily have put in for an easier posting. Making sure no close friends or relatives knew, he put in his request, which quite naturally was accepted. Keen, experienced officers were just what was needed. Mad or just plain courageous, nobody will ever know, but to someone who has never experienced the horrors of war, I think he, and those like him, were extremely brave.

So it was, that on 3rd May 1944, William Thomas Williams joined the newly formed 582 Squadron based at Little Staughton in Huntingdon. Aircraft used were Lancasters. Four days later he was promoted for the last time. This was to Flying Officer. Missions undertaken at this time were in support of the D Day Landings.

The night of 15/16th June 1944 saw several flights to bomb various installations in Northern France. Bill's flight was to Lens and Valenciennes and was directed against the railway marshalling yards. It was a very successful mission although several planes were lost. One of these was Bill's, believed shot down by a German night fighter. There was only one survivor. Bill and his comrades were buried in The Communal Cemetery at Arras in Northern France. They are also remembered in the Roll of Honour held at the parish church in Little Staughton.

In conclusion, I repeat that in my opinion Bill and all those like him who served in Bomber Command, and especially The Path Finder Force were extremely brave. Most were from ordinary backgrounds and lived every day as it came, and for many this meant making the supreme sacrifice.

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