大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Godfrey Roylance and has been added to the site with his permission. He fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

On Sunday 3rd September 1939, I stood with my pals (a typical bunch of teenage lads)discussing what we would do now war was declared.

Everything felt so unreal, and more so at night when all the street lights went out and all shops and houses had to have blackout curtains covering all windows. We were suddenly plunged into a strange world of utter blackness. All cinemas and theatres closed down and the only music on the wireless was solemn dirges. We then heard the sound of an aeroplane and wre convinced this was the first German bomber! The stars had never looked so bright! Eventually heavy shades were put on all lights and the total blackness became an eerie twilight world.

Eventually my calling up papers came for the RAF and I was told to report to the recruit centre at Blackpool. "Wow! I thought, Blackpool!" But the "Wow" factor only lasted until the drill instructors got hold of us and "square bashed" us up and down the promenade until we were declared the "finished" article.

Being a rather sporty youngster, I was earmarked for a Physical Instrustors' course and was posted to Scampton (of Dambusters fame)to await the formation of the course. Whilst there I worked in the Signals Office and Operations Room as a general clerk and witnessed the station's involvement in the first 1000 bomber raid. I can recall the sickening sadness the following day to learn of the loss (in the group) of around thirty-six aircraft and over 150 crewmen, many of whom I had been speaking to the day before!

Eventually my course started at the RAF School of Drill (a course which had to be passed before moving onto the School of P.T.) On passing that course, I found myself back at Blackpool (as an NCO) training the recruits in the same way that I was trained only eight months before!

It wasn't long before I was moved onto other units both recruit training centres and squadrons all over the country.

In the early days P.T.Is. were teaching foot drill, rifle drill, weapon training of rifles, sten guns, "Tommy" guns, hand grenades as well as assault course, unarmed combat, bayonet fighting and basic parachute training.

In 1942 came the wonderful news that a new unit was to be formed to take over all drill and weapon training as well as Airfield Guard duties leaving P.T.Is. free to concentrate on the physical training side. It was to be called the RAF Regiment and most will have seen the superb finished article at Remembrance Day Parades.

However, in 1942, the start in Stanley park, Blackpool was very different. The training was done from scratch and when completed the new instructors were sent back to their units.

It will come as no surprise to anyone from the Armed Forces that on another course a few months later, our instructors were, you've guessed it, the RAF Regiment telling us what we taught them at Stanley Park!

And so my career continued from training recruits to NCOs and finally officers. All in all I could say my career perhaps wasn't as exciting and certainly not as dangerous as Aircrew and others and, apart from airfield bombing, my only brush with death was being gassed with poison gas after an accidental discharge from a Gas Instruction School of which I was unaware at the time. My eyes crossed and my hair fell out and I was on "light duties" for about two months.

VE Night was unforgettable. We waited for the "Cease fire" announcement at midnight, then heard a noise which grew louder and louder, and found the whole camp had taken to the camp road (still in blackout) following a collection of every conceivable musical instrument being blown. We were swept along like the Pied Piper of Hamelin and finished up in one of the large hangars
where an impromptu concert was held. Everybody shaking hands and hugging!

I was demobbed in 1946 and am still here looking back with mixed emotions on those far-off days.

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