- Contributed by听
- Lynneg
- People in story:听
- Clifford Gascoigne
- Location of story:听
- RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A8726286
- Contributed on:听
- 21 January 2006
Extract from Cliff Gascoigne's RAF memoirs, 'The Life of an Erk.'
I had joined the RAF Boys鈥 Service in 1937, at the age of 16 years and 8 months and by the beginning of the war I was with 49 Squadron at Scampton in Lincolnshire.
On September 1st 1939 we were told we were to have a practice arming up of the squadron. We started work the next day at 4 a.m. and worked all day and night, through to 4 p.m. on Sunday September 3rd. Our meals were brought to us throughout, but finally we went to the Mess still in our dirty overalls, which was not allowed. The sergeant asked who we were and when we replied 鈥49 Squadron Armoury鈥 he put us in the Cook鈥檚 Dining Room at the back of the Mess and told the cook to look after us. We could have as much ham and eggs as we could eat!
I eventually got to bed about 5.30 p.m. only to be awakened about 6 p.m. to be asked if an aircraft鈥檚 guns were OK as they were taking off. At about 11.30 p.m. I was awakened yet again and told the bombs had been dropped in the sea and my presence was required to assist in putting some more bombs on the aircraft. (Aircraft were not allowed to land with bombs on board in the early part of the war).
This sort of situation went on all through the first week of the war. The only things we saw were the dispersals and our beds, except for the Thursday night when transport was laid on for us to go to the Black Bull at Welton. We were not allowed to go anywhere else in case we were required back urgently.
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