大象传媒

I was called up in October 1939 and was sent to Filton near Bristol. We were given an airforce blue raincoat, and a navy beret with an RAF cap badge. No other uniform was available. We were paid sixpence a week for wearing our own clothes under the raincoat. When we went to West Drayton we were given uniform which included 3pr of airforce blue knickers, elasticated above the knee, and we called them "blackouts" because once they were pulled on everything went black!
In 1940 I went to North Weald Airfield, Fighter Command 11 group and was there during the Battle of Britain. I was on duty in the decontamination centre which was supposed to have been built to survive a direct hit. I was there when it got a direct hit, but the only trouble was that when they came to get us out they couldn't open the door! We were stuck inside for what seemed ages, talking to our rescuers through the door. They were worrying about the roof falling in when the door opened. It was a nasty moment.They decided in the end that they just had to open the door, and luckily we all got out safely. It was a sobering experience because when we did get out we discovered that there had been a direct hit on a billet of the Young Soldiers Company which was nearby. Later, I was moved to the eastcoast, to the radar stations. There was only a small number of people there. The Air Ministry decided that we should have an early warning system on the base so they sent us 5 geese in the charge of two airmen. They were ferocious geese but the airmen had them under control and even got them to march!

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