大象传媒

I was fifteen when the war started. I worked at Raleigh from the age of 14. It was turned over from making cycles to munitions early in the war. I was machining parts for Vickers Armstrong machine guns. It was hard work and mostly working seven days a week.

Then, in my late seventeens, two friends and myself decided to volunteer for the forces as at that time if you waited to be conscripted you had to join the Army. I wanted to join the Fleet Air Arm which I did. My other friends joined the Navy as seamen. I wished to be an engineer mechanic, but after exams and selections etc. it was decided I would serve better as an Electrical Air Mechanic.

After several months training and moving to various air stations in England and Scotland, servicing mainly Swordfish and Albacore aircraft, I was appointed to 817 Squadron, which was being reformed with new planes called Barracudas, dive bombers.

We went to Fairy Aviation works in Stockport to learn about the electrics and that was where the Barracudas were made.

Eventually we shipped out to India to await the aircraft carrier Indomitable on which we were to serve. It had been torpedoed in the Mediterranean and been to America for repairs. 817 and 815 Squadrons had been on board at the time equipped with Swordfish and Albacore aircraft.

After a few months in India at a place called Ulumdapet(?)We moved to Ceylon (now SriLanka)first to Kataharunda, then Trincomalee to pick up the Indomitable.

We did various raids on Japanese held islands including Sumatra, Java and Kiobar Islands. Other ships involved were HMS London, Queen Elizabeth Battleship and HMS Victorious.

We would move in at dawn to within a mile or so close to the coastline, we could sometimes see Japanese soldiers on the beach.

The aircraft would be dispatched to bomb targets on the island. Meanwhile the ships would open fire with shells.

After the planes had returned, if not shot down, we would return at full speed pursued by Japanese zero fighters.

We were battened down below in the hangers in flash gear, temperature about 130 degreees. We didn't know what was happening except for messages on the Tanoy system advising us of the approach of enemy aircraft. We could hear gunfire and probably bombs. We were very relieved when the Tanoy advised us we had outrun the planes and only suffered minor damage.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.