大象传媒

My father left Ratcliffe school and joined the RAF in 1942, at the RAF's HQ in holborn he was interviewed by three men as he wanted to be an air gunner. the questions consited of; I see you play rugby for the school,yes sir. I see you also box, yes sir. Can you skate, only on ice sir. After some conversation the board refered my father to pilot training school.After a brief introduction to flying in England on Tiger Moths my father was sent to Canada to train on single seater aircraft. They travelled on the Queen Mary escorted by a destroyer across the Atlantic to Halifax, where the boarded a train for the RAF's training facility 41 SFTS in Weyburn, Saskatchewan.5 days later they arrived.Between November 1942 and March 1943 my father flew single engine Harvards and Masters accumilating 117 hours of flying experience before returning to England as an "average" pilot. Further training was undertaken in England on Masters during June, July and August of 1943, before he undertook further training in a Spitfire at No. 58 O.T.U. Between September 1943 and June 1944 he undertook further training on Hurricanes and Spitfires prior to his posting to 66 Squadron 132 Airfield commanded by "Sailor" Malan. He had a total of 42 hours of flying experience on Spitfires when he was judged operational in June 1944.He was 20 years old. After joining the squadron which was mainly Norwegians,Poles and Australians, he took his aircraft for its first air test, during which the engine caught fire and he had to perform a forced landing for which he was commended by "sailor" Malan for bringing the aircraft back.Operational sorties followed on a daily basis with beach patrols over the advancing allied troops, escort to bombers, scambles, target covers,fighter sweeps, convoy patrols etc until following D day, enemy or temporary airstrips were liberated and made available to 66 Squadron 2nd TAF. The airstips were given "B" No.s to identify their position within the advancing front. By July 1944 66 Squadron were based in various "B" airstips in France and Holland, living in very basic conditions and in the clothing they stood up in they continued to support the allied advance through Faliase and into occupied territory. Operations consisted of low level straffing of enemy airstips,low level bombing, attacks on enemy rail and road transport and escort to Mitchell and Lancaster bombers. Being the furthest most advanced RAF units they endured shelling and mortar fire from the enemy as well as regular straffing from the plentiful remaining operational Luftwaffe units.My father spent his 21st birthday in Holland sleeping under the wing of his aircraft to shelter from the rain as no tents were available. On 26th August my father was forced to bale out of his aircraft during an armed recce of the Seine area after flak hit the engine, on 3rd of November he was forced to crash land after flak hit the aircrafts fuel tank causing the engine to stop.By April 1945 he had flown 338.25 hours in Spitfires, 191.25 of which were operational, he was still only 21 years old.In July 1945 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his "keeness and enthusiasm" during his extended tour of duty.

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