大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Callington U3A csv story collector Judy Foweraker, on behalf of Frank Foweraker, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

While I was in the South Zeal Air Training Corps, one weekend we went on a visit to Yelverton RAF Station. There we were given jobs to do on the Saturday, helping the armourers, parachute packers and airframe fitters. On Sunday morning we were introduced to the Gunnery Simulator, this was situated in a dome and, one at a time, each of us got into a rear gunner鈥檚 seat with controls which let us swing the guns through 180O and elevation and depression. The WAAF in charge explained how, through the controls, you could hold the sights, which were 4 or 5 concentric rings, on to the aircraft that she would project on to the inside of the dome. She also said that, in order to score hits, you fired over if it climbed, under if it dived, in front for left or right, using the rings to judge speed and angle. I got into the seat. She switched off the light and there it was coming straight for me. I fired under and it swerved away, climbing. I got in front and above 鈥� there was a whining noise and a bang and I鈥檇 got it! The light came on and she said, 鈥淣ext鈥�. I was shaking with excitement, and knew what I wanted to be 鈥� an air gunner!

At dinner time on Sunday, an officer came along the tables asking, 鈥淎ny complaints?鈥� An aircraftman at the next table stood up and said, 鈥淵es鈥�, and after a few words a sergeant marched him out; it did seem strange to complain about food. I went off to the dome again on my own and tapped on the door. After several taps I heard muttering and the door opened a bit, and a different WAAF looked out and asked what I wanted. I replied, 鈥淚鈥檝e come for a go.鈥� She said, 鈥淎re you sure? There鈥檚 nothing booked鈥�. I told her the officer sent me. 鈥淐ome in then鈥�. Inside was an aircraftman fiddling about. She said, 鈥淗e鈥檚 just finished a service.鈥� Funny! He didn鈥檛 have a toolbox. He went, and I had two goes and hit the plane both times, even though the WAAF changed the flight pattern. When I came back to the billet, the officer asked where I had been. 鈥淟ost, sir鈥� I replied. 鈥淪o, you can fold all the blankets and wait for transport to the stores鈥�. When it arrived it smelt like a urinal. This RAF type, wearing Wellington boots and rubber gloves, said, 鈥淛ust put them in the back and climb up鈥�, only for me to find the floor swimming with effluent. On arrival at the stores a WAAF was waiting to check them in and complained of the smell. The driver said, 鈥淪ome of the dirty B鈥檚 have wet the beds鈥�. On the bus home I had a seat to myself!

Arriving at South Zeal, when it was quite dark, we were met by the village policeman, PC Lytton, and several Specials. He said we were to go with him. It seemed someone was lighting fires over Cheriton Coombe, so we marched out to Shelly and over the moor and started to stamp out the fires, and, because the heath wasn鈥檛 very dry, we soon got them out - only to see more break out further away. We came across some gorse, and broke it off with our bare hands so as to beat with it. When finally we had finished, Lytton said, 鈥淒oes anyone know where we are?鈥� Nobody answered! 鈥淗as anyone got a compass?鈥� Silence. I had a very small one on the end of a pencil sharpener, and, as nobody else spoke up, I offered it. The policeman took it, and by the light of his torch, set off. We stumbled behind and came out at Shelly, and then went off home. Next evening, when I returned from work Mother said, 鈥淭he bottoms of your uniform trousers and boots are scorched! What on earth were you up to last night?鈥�

As it was nearly time for me to join the Forces, I was called for a medical in Exeter, which I attended in my ATC uniform. When the RAF recruiting officer interviewed me he left me in no doubt! I could not be a tail gunner without being a Grammar School boy, but there were plenty of other jobs. Remembering the aircraftman with the lorry load of effluent, I said 鈥淣o thanks!鈥� I got called up for the Army on 29th June 1944, and THEN THE FUN STOPPED!

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