大象传媒

My name is Edward Loofe, service number 3011772.

I was an aircraftman serving with a maintenance unit of the RAF in Lincolnshire at the time.

In March 1944, I had a 3 day weekend pass to go home. Unfortunately, owing to a mix up with the trains at the station, I returned back to base late.

When I returned back, I should have signed back in at the guard room. However, being only 18 years old, and a bit unsure of how to get myself out of trouble, I hid in the toilets.
Unfortunately the Military Police were already aware of my absence, as they had a list of who had been granted weekend passes and had not yet returned. (I didnt find this out until many years later).

After about 10 minutes hiding in the toilets, I felt a little braver and thought the coast was clear, so decided to come out. What I didnt know was that the corporal was waiting outside for me.

As it was already morning, he told me to report to the guard room after breakfast, and explained that I was to be arrested for failing to report for duty on time.

I went to the guard room and the Commanding Officer at the time "sentenced" me to 3 days 'jankers', which was basically military prison, where I had to perform various tasks. These included digging of ditches, whitewashing stones, and various kitchen duties, couple with obvious loss of all priveleges.
I also had to attend the guard room as the Air Force flag was lowered, 3 times daily (morning noon and evening), waring full kit. This was knows as 'Field Service Marching Order'. This was quite a task, as I had to appear very smart and presentable, with buttons polished, and not a crease out of place. Also, the kit I carried was extra heavy to make it that little bit harder as punishment.

On the final day of my 'jankers', my brother, Stanley Loofe, who was in the Army, had decided to come and visit me.

He had borrowed an Army vehicle and managed to trace at which base I was stationed. Upon arrival, he went to the guards room and asked for Aircraftman Loofe.

Stanley was incredibly impressed, as the immediate reply was "He'll be here in 10 minutes". He couldnt believe that out of a base of 1000's of servicemen, they knew exactly where this one aircraftman was. He thought I must have been someone extremely important for them to know where I was!.

After a few minutes, my brother could hear the disciplinary corporal shouting orders of "Left! Right! Left! Right!", which was getting louder as he got closer. All of sudden I appeared round the corner, wearing this full field dress and heavy kit, marching in time with the corporals orders.

Stanleys belief of me being someone important, soon vanished. Here he was, face to face with his brother, being punished amongst all these wrongdoers!

My brother was a very persuasive person, and he tried to coerce the corporal into letting me go early, so we could go for a drink together.
Unfortunately, the corporal was having absolutely none of it, and explained that I still had 3 hours left to serve before my last visit to the guard room. So we had to settle for a little walk about the base, and a quick cup of tea in the NAAFI.

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