大象传媒

DAD VOLUNTEERED FOR DUTY ON 21ST OCTOBER 1940 AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE RAF AS AN ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL TRAINEE.
AFTER A MEDICAL AND SOME BASIC TRAINING AT RAF UXBRIDGE HE THEN WENT ON TO HORNCHURCH FOR RIFLE TRAINING.
HENLOW FOR AC2 TRAINING THEN ONTO BRIDGNORTH FOR GROUND TRAINING..
THE NEXT MOVE WAS TO HEREFORD FOR FURTHER COURSES AND CONTINUATION, LEAVING IN 1941 AS LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN (L.A.C).
IN JANUARY OF 1942 HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO CANADA AS PART OF THE CANADA AND THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN WHICH RAN FROM 1939-1945.
LEAVING ENGLAND BY BOAT FROM AVONMOUTH AND ARRIVING 10-14 DAYS LATER AT HALIFAX RECEIVING CENTRE, THEN ON TO CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND ,JOINING AIR NAVIGATION SCHOOL No.32 WORKING ON HUDSONS WHICH WERE USED FOR U BOAT PATROLS.
HE WAS THEN MOVED TO No.31 ELEMENTARY FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL AT DE WINTON ALBERTA. HERE HE WORKED ON AND MAINTAINED LINK TRAINERS

BACK FROM CANADA IN THE MARCH OF 1944 HE WAS STATIONED AT RAF DETLNG IN KENT IT WAS FROM HERE THAT HE WORKED WITH SPITFIRES WHICH WERE BEING USED TO CHASE AND TIP OVER THE V1 DOODLEBUGS. , HAVING PROPOSED TO MUM, HE HAD THE WEDDING BANDS READ. HOWEVER HE WAS POSTED TO MIDDLE WALLOP JOINING UP WITH 56 SQUADRON BEFORE THE WEDDING AND HAD TO GET SPECIAL LEAVE IN AUGUST 1944
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AT MIDDLE WALLOP HE WAS WORKING AND BEING TRAINED ON THE NEW TEMPEST FIGHTER/BOMBERS, FITTING THE NEW AIRBORNE INTERCEPTION RADAR SYSTEMS,

ODIUM WAS NEXT 21ST OCTOBER 1944 WHICH IS WHERE HE UNDER WENT INVASION TRAINING
56 SQUADRON FOLLOWED THE ALLIED INVASION FORCES AFTER THE NORMANDY LANDING,INTO FRANCE AND BELGUIM,ON TO LILLE WHERE HE WAS LOANED TO A MOSQUITO SQUADRON FOR RADAR FITTING.BACK TO 56 SQUADRON,THROUGH HOLLAND INTO GERMANY AND UP TO DENMARK.
DURING THIS TIME HE BECAME INVOLVED WITH ENTERTAINING THE TROOPS BY HELPING PUTTING ON SHOWS AT VARIOUS AIRFIELDS IN EUROPE.(SOMETHING HE CARRIED ON WITH AFTER THE WAR,WITH SCOUTS AND YOUTH CLUBS,BUT NOT OF THE SIZE OF THE RALPH READER SCOUT GANG SHOWS)
HE ALSO RECALLS HIMSELF AND SOME MATES FROM THE SQUADRON, GOING TO LILLE ONE EVENING TO THE CINEMA,ON THE WAY BACK,THE THREE RAF LORRIES,ONE OF WHICH HE WAS DRIVING,CAME UNDER ATTACK FROM THE AIR.THEY ALL DIVED FROM THE LORRIES AND LAID IN THE DITCHES,LUCK WAS ON THERE SIDE,OR SO THEY THOUGHT, UNTIL THEY SAW THE STATE OF TWO OF THE TRUCKS,WHICH HAD BEEN HIT.
TYPICAL OF MOST YOUNG MEN AT THIS TIME,HE WAS MORE ANNOYED AT HAVING TO WALK BACK TO THE AIRFIELD BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THE REMAINING LORRY,THEN THE FACT THAT THEY GOT AWAY WITH ONLY SCRAPES AND SRATCHES.
AS ONE OF THE FEW MEN WHO COULD DRIVE,HE WAS ASKED TO HELP WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE JEWISH PRISONERS FROM A CONCENTRATION CAMP,BUT WILL ONLY SAY "IT WASNT NICE AND IS SOMETHING I WANT TO FORGET".

IN THE DECEMBER OF 1945 HE FLEW BACK TO ENGLAND FROM DENMARK AND WAS TRANFERED BY COACH TO STAPLEFORD TAWNEY AIRFIELD IN ESSEX, WHERE HE WAS DEMOBED.ON 14/12/45.

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