大象传媒

Prior to being conscripted into the Royal Air Force as a motor transport mechanic I was a part time fireman in the Auxiliary Fire Service, later to become the National Fire Service.
I received my 鈥渃alling up鈥� papers in late August 42 and was instructed to report to the recruiting centre in Penarth, South Wales on September 4th 1942. This was a bewildering experience it being only the second time I have left our village. At the recruiting centre there were lots of young men like myself wondering what was going to happen next. After a meal we were kitted out, medically examined and sworn in. Two days later some of us were sent to Weston-super-Mare where we were taught discipline, marching, saluting and the use of small arms, the rifle and Bren gun and given inoculations. Six weeks of training turned us into smart young airmen and proud to wear the uniform.
Along with twenty other airmen I was posted to Weeton, near Blackpool to a training centre for motor mechanics and drivers. On completion of this training and after seven days leave over Christmas we were posted to various units in the country. I along with another airman was sent to the MT section in Castletown on t he Isle of Man, this was termed as a cushy posting, it was difficult that there was a war on. All good things come to an end, in September 43a group of us were posted to Stow-Cum-Quy, Cambridgeshire to join 4858 Field Plant Flight one of the newly formed airfield construction units. Our job was to construct air strips near to the forward fighting areas so that the aircraft could be within a few minutes flying time of the front line. Our unit then moved on to Elstead Common in Surrey where we became 5022 Airfield Construction. We changed our airforce blue uniform for khaki battle dress. For most of my time with 5022 I drove a Ford 30cwt truck with a Petbow electric welding machine and other blacksmiths tools in the back. Two blacksmith/welders rode with me. We carried out rigorous training in the rapid movement of construction equipment, bulldozers, graders, dumpers鈥� and received combat training in order to defend our airstrips. We were taught how to water proof vehicles in the event of a wet landing. This training proved to be invaluable because when we landed in Normandy on D +20 we drove our vehicles off the tank landing craft into almost four feet of sea water. The first job we carried out in France along with our sister unit 5023 was to clear a road through Conde so that the 30th Armoured division could get to Caen. Our units progressed through France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany laying airstrips and repairing bomb and shell damage to airfields. We arrived on an airfield in Lubeck, Germany just before VE day, May 8th 45.
On May 25th about 50 members of our unit were posted back to the UK and after some leave were sent up to Liverpool where ten Liberty ships (Samboats) were being loaded with airfield construction equipment. Fourteen RAF personnel were assigned to each ship, I was on the Samstule. We sailed from Liverpool on July 22nd 45 bound for Okinawa in the Far East, via the Panama Canal. The war in the Far East ended shortly after we entered the vast Pacific ocean and our ship was diverted to Singapore. We arrived there on October 2nd and disembarked on the 12th. I left Singapore on November 9th 46 to come back to the UK via the Suez Canal arriving in the docks at Liverpool on the morning of December 7th. Demobilisation procedures started immediately and I returned home on December 11th 1946.

'This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by 大象传媒 Radio Merseyside鈥檚 People鈥檚 War team on behalf of Sam Webster and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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