- Contributed by听
- Lawrence Weston Library
- People in story:听
- Pete and Peggy Harris
- Location of story:听
- Oldham through to South Africa!
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A3813833
- Contributed on:听
- 21 March 2005
I was in the Airforce from 1938-1956.
My job was a flight rigger, basically I looked after the body of the planes. I served from August 1939 until September 1940.
Half the time I was at Oldham, I went to Grangemouth with the squadron in October. Then I was posted to Gloucester on a conversion course. During this time I never saw a bomb or got involved in any action at all. During the first air raid on Bristol I was in Gloucester, we saw the glow in the sky.
My father was in the Royal Artillery, he was a Commander of a mine sweeper, my sister was in the WAAF and I had a brother in the Royal Artillery.
After Gloucester I passed out and went to Holton in Wendover, Hertfordshire, then onto south Wales as an instructor. 6 months later I was posted to South Africa to build aeroplanes. This was assembling flying planes to be used in training.
During this time, in someones kitchen I met my future wife. She liked my friend at first, but after 60 years of happy marriage, 2 daughters, 1 son, 4 grandchildren and 8 grandchildren later being posted to south Africa was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
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