- Contributed by听
- newcastlecsv
- People in story:听
- Betty Whitfield, Freddie Whitfield
- Location of story:听
- South Shields
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A5274830
- Contributed on:听
- 23 August 2005
Betty retold the story of her husband, Warrant-Officer Freddie Whitfield DFM. Betty and Freddie had both worked at Croftons in South Shields. However when Croftons was bombed both lost their jobs. Freddie joined the RAF and trained as an air-gunner. Shortly after Betty was working in a factory at Solihull manufacturing, ironically, Merlin engines for Lancaster bombers. She recounted how thier war-time wedding in 1944 had to overcome the strictures of rationing.
Freddie survived 48 operations as a Lancaster rear-gunner - a remarkable feat in itself. However, perhaps his most noteworthy mission was in November 1944 when his squadron, number 9, combined with 617 (of Dam-busters fame) to sink the Tirpitz, the pride of the German navy and object of several previous attacks by both the Navy and RAF.
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