大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from 大象传媒 Radio Berkshire on behalf of Jackie Bunce and has been added to the site with her permission. Jackie Bunce fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My father, Ronald Maryan, was a mid-upper gunner in a Lancaster from 1943 鈥� 1945. He was in the RNZAF 鈥� 75th Squadron. He joined when he was 19 years old. The crew came to the Worminghall-Oakley aerodrome in Buckinghamshire late 1943.

When the boys went for a drink at the local pub, the Clifden Arms, they met up with some of the local girls. Ronnie, as he was called, fell for my mother, Barbara. But she wouldn鈥檛 have anything to do with him. She was more interested in one of the Maori boys. My Father was English and a Londoner. In the end Mum agreed to go out with Dad.

The New Zealanders brought a bit of life to the tiny village of Worminghall and very often would sing, 鈥淣ow is the How鈥� but in Maori language. Some of the boys would go to my gran鈥檚 for supper and one lad ate a whole jarful of my gran鈥檚 pickles so he was known as 鈥楶ickles鈥� after that.

When the crew came back from a raid they would fly as low as they dare and dip their wings to say, 鈥淲e鈥檙e back!鈥� One young girl was out for a walk with her boyfriend and jumped in the ditch shouting, 鈥淭he bloody Germans are here!鈥�

Flying back home for a raid, my father鈥檚 aeroplane was shot at over the Channel. The pilot, Eddie Robertson, managed W-Willie 鈥� the Lancaster, as best he could and they crash-landed in some fields in the English coast. The back end of W-Willie was on fire. The crew managed to escape but some were badly burned. My father was burnt round his back and stomach. I can still remember seeing his scars.

Another episode was when the crew were over Germany and they got caught in a searchlight. A Lancaster behind them had already been shot down. So Eddie Robertson, or Robbie, the pilot flew the aeroplane right down the searchlight and luckily escaped being shot. It was always argued that he should have got a bravery medal. Like all other young men in the air force their bravery more or less went unnoticed.

My father and mother eventually got married in St Peter鈥檚 and St Paul鈥檚 church in Worminghall. Everyone clubbed together and the reception was held in the village hall. The previous night everyone was up late plucking chickens and getting whatever vegetables they could find. The local baker made the wedding cake. Apparently my father鈥檚 father got drunk and laid on the floor catching the beer from the dripping tap of a barrel with his mouth wide open.

Deanna Durbin was popular at the time with 鈥淎ve Maria鈥�, and that has remained the family鈥檚 鈥榯une鈥�, and also 鈥淣ow is the Hour鈥�. I came along October 1945. I now have the mirror that the crew gave to mum and dad as a wedding present. It has a piece of aeroplane polished up and engraved W. Willie. My father died in 1990 and my mother in 1997. One of my proudest moments was in 1988 when the 75th RNZAH held a reunion. My father had had a mild heart attack earlier that year and he looked quite ill, but he was determined to attend the reunion. The 鈥榖oys鈥� marched a good quarter of a mile from the war memorial to the village hall. All were marching in step, shoulders back, once again young men. When they passed the Air Force flag they were all 鈥榚yes right鈥�. An air force youth band played The Air Force March. It was so very moving.

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