大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War Site by a pupilatEsher High School on behalf of Mr.Ernie Byford and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr.Ernie Byford fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
I joined the Hawker Aircraft Company in 1938, as an airframe sheetmetal worker at the age of 21. The following year I volunteered for the RAF and was instructed to present myself at an airfield in Langley, Buckinghamshire; attached to the Polish Airforce in a civilian status; to repair and modify Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tornadoes, Sea Hawks, Sea Furys and Tempests. Modifications,like enjection seats and cannon guns; these guns were fitted ino the wing structure, then the leading edge was covered in fabric and doped over to conceal them from the Messerschmitts; this was a secret project for some time until we lost an aircraft in France.
The first arrester hookwe fitted to an aircraft was a real disaster; wires were put across the airfield at Langley, but when "Wimpy" Wade, the test pilot, put the aircraft down and dropped the hook, it pulled the tail off!
Three sets of jigs and tools we made for the assembly of hurricanes in Russia, were sent to the bottom of the sea. . Finally , when a set did arrive, the war office had transferred the skilled personnel to Australia!(Typical!)
Bombs were dropped on the sheet metal shop at Weybridge and some of my mates were killed.I also workedat a factory in East Acton. This was in the middle of a little housing estate; on many occasions I was blown off my bike, but i was lucky. doodlebugs,bombs,rockets,incendiaries,youname it we had it.
Our little house in southall had the guts blown out of it twice, but my wife and daughter lived through it all. My parents lived in Bermondsey, London. They were evacuated to Feltham in Middlesex.

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