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This story was submitted to the Peoples War website by a volunteer from Hastings Library on behalf of Frederick Shoesmith and has been added to this site with his permission.

RAF Regiment LAC Frederick Shoesmith Service No. 1446992.

I was 17 years old when war broke out. I was at a Boys Brigade Camp at Battle in Sussex on the first day of the war and we came home early to assist with the London evacuees who arrived at Hastings Railway Station. We took them to the Queens Hotel, a large building in the centre of town, where they were alloted to local families.

I was working at Lindridges, a local radio, music, piano repair shop in Robertson Street, Hastings. We had a rota for fire watching at night and on these occasions we slept in the show room. The company van was adapted with a metal frame with netting, which would have carried two casualties if required, in an emergency.

At 18 I went to Brighton for my medical in order to volunteer for the Navy. When I received my papers my 5 brothers said,鈥� Wait until you are called up officially at 19鈥�, which I did. In July 1941 I was enlisted into the RAF as a Ground Gunner, for which I was to receive the princely sum of 2/- per day. After training at Great Yarmouth I was sent to Harwell where I was posted for 6 months and the first person I met on this aerodrome was my brother Bert who had been called up into the RAF before me.

Over the next couple of years I was trained to fire various equipment apart from rifles and pistols. These included 3鈥� mortars, Tommy Guns, Sten Guns, French 75s, Bren Guns, 18 pounders, 2鈥� anti-tank Guns, Smith Guns, Anti-tank rifles, Quadruple Brownies, Lewis Guns and Vickers machine gun.

It was quite funny having had all the training when on guard early in my service, my personal weapon consisted of a pole with a bayonet welded at the end. When guarding the main gate to an airfield the guard duty had exactly 5 live bullets and these had to be counted out to the next guard duty. If you were on a smaller gate on an airfield, you had a policemans truncheon issued to you!

On February 1st 1942 a new regiment was formed and I became part of the ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT. We wore Khaki battle dress with blue RAF Regiment shoulder insignia and blue berets.

During my time with the regiment I was involved with D Day + 22, landing at Gold Beach. I was driving an old Crossley lorry dating from the 1930s, as my new vehicle, a Thornycroft had broken down.

I served in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark during the war, occupying and securing various airfields. My longest stay was at Eindhoven in Holland.

When the war ended I hoped I would be sent home. However I was sent to Egypt and Palestine where for 14 months I was chauffeur to the RAF Regiment Commander.

I left the RAF on the 14th October 1946 at 106 dispersal centre, RAF Hednesford, Staffordshire.

Frederick Shoesmith

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