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I joined the R.A.F Volunteer Reserve at the age of 20. I had seen so much heartache on Birmingham New Street Station as children were separated from their parents. They were being sent to safer places away from Birmingham , which was being targeted.

I was posted to Kirkbride to guard an R.A.F Station.Two Years later . I volunteered for Overseas but that was cancelled. I was then posted to the Isle of Wight.

After all of my training , I volunteered for Aircrew. After a strict medical I was accepted. After numerous postings I became a Rear-Gunner in Bomber Command. My first flight was over Germany in a daylight Bombing Raid. After that , it was mostly night Raids. I flew in Wellington Bombers and being a Rear-Gunner is pretty frightening. I was the oldest Rear-Gunner in my Squadron at 24 years.

I walked away from 5 crash landings , so consider myself very lucky to be able to tell this story. I also flew in Lancaster Bombers.

My last job in the R.A.F was fetching the lads from Italy.

Before that,I flew over Holland dropping food parcels to starving people including Germans who were still occupying the Country. We were not fired on by the enemy although we flew housetop low - as they were also starving.

I hope this will be of a little help to your project. Details would take forever , some of which I cannot remember.

Mr Richard Milner - Aged 85 Years

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