大象传媒

This story has been added to the website by Clare Dutton at Bracknell Library on behalf of Eric Matthews, who has given his permission for this story to be on the website.

I was eighteen and a half when I joined up on 6th June 1941. I was a volunteer and was living in Morden in Surrey. I was a member of the air defence cadet core in Wimbledon - No. 18 F (Founder) squadron and was quite good at morse code so I thought - I'll join the RAF. They had a project where my tool-making skills would be needed. I went in as an apprentice and was trained in the RAF so I learnt my trade better than if I had stayed on civvy street.

I did one or two special projects in this country and eventually I went abroad to India, where I served for three and half years. I was based in Cawnpore in the middle of the country. It was quite an experience! It was the RAF's largest Maintenance Unit. The majority of the aircraft were American built. The principal project was set up to completely repair and rebuild the engines and equipment to serve the RAF and US Army aircore out there at the time. It was a temporary project and I worked there for two and half years. It was a rolling program - equipment was sent from the airfield to our workshops across the road and we sent it back when it was fixed.

I spent five and half years in service and was eventually demobbed in Kirkcombe, near Warrington in Lancashire. It was the end of 1946 and we were the forgotten army as there had been no ships to take us home. They were taking supplies to Europe. This lead to a RAF mutiny in India and the surronding areas. It was said it was a communist inspired plot, but that was rubbish, we just wanted to come home. Many of us had families and loved ones we were desparate to get back to so we downed tools. We may have had swimming pools and cinemas there, but there's no place like home!

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