大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Karolina Kopiec from GMR Action Desk on behalf of a person that wants to remain anonymous and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands website's terms and conditions.

I was a rear gunner 鈥� full tour of operations. I joined in 1940 when I was 20 and finished in 1946. 6 years in the Air Force. I feel war is a waste of time and life. Never the answer. When you see warfare on TV today, it makes me feel disgusted especially when I think of the colleagues I lost.
Before the war I used to go to church. I was in the church football team. At the age of 20 you had to sign up for National Service. The general feeling was 鈥渢o do what is wanted鈥�. We all decided to join the Navy. I volunteered but didn鈥檛 get it because I was too young, not yet 20.
I think he thought he was doing me a good turn.
A few weeks later I got calling up papers for Air Force. I passed all the tasks to get it. The Wing Commander interviewing read through all the jobs available and I鈥檇 promised my girlfriend than that I wouldn鈥檛 volunteer to fly. So I went into RAF Police...... Eventually I was on an air station. I used to cadge the odd trip and flight tasks and eventually I volunteered for the air crew. 2 陆 years later I was a sergeant in the RAF Police when my air crew came through. I then started at air school training and I volunteered to be a gunner. On balance, I should have stayed where I was and had a 鈥渟oft war鈥�. I completed 34 operations, in some many colleagues were killed. Eventually I ended up with a commission as a Flying Officer and that鈥檚 how retired from war in 1946. I then joined the police in Manchester.

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