大象传媒

With the exception of Flight Sergeant Dooley, the Mid Upper Gunner, and myself the crew were all commissioned officers and so I saw little of them except at briefing and flying. The Pilot Wing Commander Alexander DFC had been a civil pilot with over five thousand hours. He was older than the average squadron pilot and had a son of thirteen.
Squadron Leader Dawson DFC DFM, the Navigator, by the end of the War had done 74 bombing operations (Missions) and received a bar to his DFC. He retired from the RAF in 1974 with the rank of Group Captain.
Flt/Lt Bently DFC, the Bomb Aimer, (a very nice chap) I knew little about or where he went to at the end of hostilities.
F/O Denham DFC, the Wireless Operator, was a Londoner and as far as I can recollect did well over 60 operations.
Flt/Lt Chalky White, the Rear Gunner and an Australian, had also donw well over 60 operations. Every Christmas he sends me a Calendar and a letter.
Flt/Sgt Dooley came from Huyton Quarry where his father, a policeman, kept a pub
Flt/Lt Thompson MC DFC with whom I flew a few times, was killed in a crash on the Berlin Airlift after the War.
Wally Bark, the Mid Upper Gunner in my first crew, who, when he left 97 Squadron at Bourn went to Silverstone as an instructor, went back on operation with 7 Squadron in early 1944 and went missing in May.
John Dow, the Wireless Operator in my first crew and who stayed with 97 Squadron, was awarded the DFM when a Flight Sergeant. He then took a commission and, as a Pilot Officer after 65 operations (33 in a Blind Marker Crew) was awarded the DFC. He continued operating and finished the War as a Flight Lieutenant.
At the end of the European War there was hardly any flying, and we played a few games of football and one cricket match, and one day we were taken into Cambridge for a conducted tour of some of the Colleges. Some days Dooley and I would go for a country walk.
I went on leave in June which Sylvia, my wife, and I spent at home in Surrey. When I returned to Oakington with many other members of the Squadron, I had been transferred to Transport Command in preparation for service in the Far East. I wasn鈥檛 too happy about it because my contract of service expired in August, but as the Japanese war was still in progress, my expiry date did not apply. I was now in a four man crew 鈥� Pilot, Navigator, Wireless Operator and myself a Flight Engineer. The pilot was Flt/Lt Pearmain DFC & Bar.
We eventually left Oakington for Morcambe where the RAF had the Midland Hotel for offices. With another airman I was billeted in a house where the old woman running it expected us to wash up. Over the next few days we were issued with tropical kit which included a parachute and a one man dinghy in a large canvas bag. We were then sent on leave taking our kit with us. I already had two kit bags and now the canvas bag to lug about. My leave was again spent in Surrey with Sylvia who was granted leave from the ATS. At the end of the leave, along with all the others on the posting, I had to report to RAF Talbenny overlooking St Brides Bay, 4 miles North West of Milford Haven. Talbenny was Transport Command No 11 Ferry Unit. We were not very well liked at Talbenny; I think there was a little professional jealousy and we were referred to by some of the WAAFs as 鈥淔air Weather Flyers鈥�. With their service and experience I suppose that was a fair assessment.
It was while I was at Talbenny, on the 6th August the A bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and we were then sent on leave by which time the second A bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The war was over. By that time my wife, Sylvia, was discharged from the ATS and went to stay with my brother George and his wife and family who lived at Kineton near Stratford. I then joined them and VJ Day was then declared on the 14th August which we all celebrated.
Just before my leave was over I received instructions to report to RAF Valley, Anglesey. The same crowd were there that I had been with since leaving Oakington. We were only there about ten days and it rained quite a lot. At the end of the ten days we were all posted to RAF Melton Mowbray. We flew to Melton Mowbray in a Canadian built Lancaster X Flight Lieutenant Flash McCullah DFC & Bar was the pilot. It was the last time I flew in a Lancaster.I cannot now remember where we handed in our tropical kit, but we unloaded it. After a short time at Melton Mowbray we moved to Dunkerswell near Honiton, Devon. By now my wife, Sylvia was at home in Grimsby so I went off to see her and during my absence our party was posted to RAF Pershore, 2 miles from pershore Town in Worcestershire. A mate, Warrant Officer Mutton sent me a telegram. When I arrived back at Dunkerswell everyone in my party had gone, and, after getting cleared, I arrived at Pershore about three days late, but little was said.
Pershore was No 1 Ferry Unit for collecting and ferrying various types of aircraft, but as the War was over there was little activity. It was a wartime station with a fair number of wooden buildings, but it did have hangars and even a square. My accommodation with other NCO aircrew was a wooden hut with a round solid fuel stove.
It was noe autumn, and I had only been at Pershore a few days when I received a communication from the Adjutant at 7 Squadron, who were now at RAF Mepal, near Ely, that I had been awarded the DFC. As the War was over it was quite a pleasant surprise. My father was very pleased although in the summer of 1939 he had tried to dissuade me from going into the RAF.
Some of the Canadian Mk X Lancasters were being ferried back to Canada and I thought that my crew might ferry one back, but it never came off. We did nothing all day. Some afternoons we would walk to Pershore Railway Station and go to Worcester.
Before leaving Pershore I was detailed for two duties. One was Witnessing Officer on a Pay Parade, and the other was taking a flight on a CO鈥檚 parade. On that parade I marched the Flight onto what served as a square and then handed over to an Officer. He was a Flying Officer Air Gunner. I had seen him about the station and I think he had some office job whilst awaiting release. He was a good looking chap with dark curly hair which was well over his collar. After handing over I fell in behind himat the head of the Flight. The band then struck up 鈥淥n the Quarter Deck鈥� and off we went on the march past. It was then that I realised that the Officer鈥檚 trousers were at half mast and that there were hardly any heels on his shoes, and there was a large hole in the heel of one of his socks. It was my last parade and the memory has stayed with me.
At Christmas 1945 thousands went home 鈥� pass or no pass. I went to Grimsby. As the New Year approached my wife Sylvia came to Pershore and we took a room at the Angel Hotel. My release from the Service was now getting near as my release group was 24 and I had done 5 months over my contract of service. At the Angel, although there was rationing we had a lovely dinner every evening.
My release eventually came through. Before leaving Pershore I had an interview with the Commanding Officer who had the opinion that I should stay in the Service. If I had been single I might have considered it. On 4th January 1946 I left the RAF for ever. The Demobilisation Centre was at Uxbridge. Sylvia travelled with me to London and then went on to my home in Surrey. I left Uxbridge in the afternoon still in uniform but with a large brown paper parcel containing a grey suit, brown shoes, a raincoat and a trilby hat. I cannot remember now if there were shirts, socks etc., but I suppose there must have been. As I travelled with the commuters who were reserved and silent on the Southern Electric Railway, I felt a little sad and I was well aware of the fact that, with thousands, I had now joined the homeless and unemployed.

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