大象传媒

It is a long time ago since I asked my dad, what he did in the war?. He died in the early 80's, so excuse the sketchy nature of this story.
He joined the RAF just before the real war started, and was chosen to be a wireless operator. As part of the training he was sent to a chateau outside Paris to learn morse code.
He was there when the Germany invasion of France began, he and his classmates were informed that they were going to make a dash to the northern coastline in an attempt to get back to England they did not have time to pick up their personal belongings. On the way they had to keep changing direction to the west and arrived on the Normandy coast just in front of the German army.
From there they where picked up by coal barges, (I think from Wales) and spent 2-3 uncomfortable days returning across the Channel, eventually being disembarked at Cardiff.
When ready for active service, he was made a sergeant and flew as a wireless operator in a Lancaster. Initial they provided cover for the Convoys in the western approaches looking for submarines etc. Later they went on Missions over Europe, and during one of these his plane was shot down. They were rescued, by a rescue patrol boat that patroled the North Sea at that time. My dad's lungs were badly damaged by the sea water, and he was hopitalised. While recovering in hospital he learnt that the rest of his crew had not survived thier next mission, crashing in flames. My dad was invalided out of the RAF, never fully recovering from his injuries, which contributed to his death many years later.
At the time of his discharge he joined the Home Office, and became a wireless operator at a Wireless station at Billinge, just outside Wigan, Passing on messages in morse code to the Army, Navy, Merchant Navy, And RAF during the remainder of the war.

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