- Contributed by听
- AgeConcernShropshire
- People in story:听
- William Henry Hayes GRAINGER; Mary ASTON (future wife)
- Location of story:听
- Peterborough, Cambridgeshire; Hucknall, Nottinghamshire; Bengal; India; Much Wenlock, Shropshire
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A6453164
- Contributed on:听
- 27 October 2005
LAC Bill Grainger 1940 (Bill is the 4th from the left.)
I was born in Much Wenlock, Shropshire in 1917, at the age of 23 on the 19 August 1940 I had to enlist. I enlisted with the Royal Air Force and was sent a Training Unit at Peterborough for 6 months. I then spent 3 months at Hucknall in Nottinghamshire.
On the 11 November 1941 I was sent to India and was there until the end of October 1945. I sailed out on the "DUCHESS OF BEDFORD". It took 2 months to to reach India but only 2 weeks to get back, as by then the War was over.
In India I served with 126 RSU (Repair & Salvage Unit) for 2 years; our task was to collect all the wreckage from the air-crashes. For the next 2 years I served in the Transport Section of 356 Bomber Squadron.
I have lived in Much Wenlock all my life. I married Mary (she was born in Bagley, near Ellesmere) in1946; our 3 daughters Jennifer, Susan & Rosalind were born in 1948, 1951 & 1952 respectively. I have 4 grandsons and 3 grandaughters.
My wife taught at the Primary School in Much Wenlock from 1937 to 1946. She had to stop teaching when we got married but when the girls were older and married women allowed to teach, she went back to teaching. She worked at a school in Broseley for 2 years, before returning to Much Wenlock Primary School. She taught there until she to retire because of ill-health.
I am President of the Much Wenlock Branch of the British Legion and it is my priviledge to read out the names of the fallen from both World War 1 and World War 2 at the Rememberance Service, at the Holy Trinity Church, every November. My wife used to be President of the Women's Section of the Much Wenlock Branch of the British Legion. I used to be a member of the Shropshire Burma Star Association.
I have 4 medals: the 1939-1945 Star; the Burma Star; the George VI India Medal & the Defence Medal.
Story: This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Muriel Palmer (volunteer) Age Concern Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on behalf of WHH GRAINGER (author) and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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