大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Lisa Butcher of Leicestershire Library Services on behalf of Desmond Starbuck and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."

The outbreak of war on 3rd September 1939 found myself, a youth of sixteen, listening, with friends Cyril Blanchard, Bernard Gamble and Ernest Beal, to the declaration of war by the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Immediately afterwards we cycled to Reid and Sigrist's Desford Aerodrome to observe what activities might be taking place, and found all the Tiger Moth aircraft (a sitting target for any marauding enemy plane). The surrounding roads were full of lorry loads of tins of paint and the camouflaging of the hangars was going on at great haste.

Life, and the phoney war, went on, with the call-up of friends and colleagues, reasonably normally until the fall of France and the ensuing threat of invasion by the Germans. By this time Winston Churchill had taken over as Prime Minister and one of the early precautions was the formation of the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers later to be renamed as the Home Guard). The call was for anyone over the age of seventeen to come forward and report to the local police station. This I did and engaged in argument with the desk sergeant, who said I was not old enough. I insisted and the matter was resolved by the sergeant going into the street, accosting the first passer-by with "do you have to be seventeen to join the LDV?" A reply of "Yes" and I was in! Training consisted of two hours each Tuesday and Thursday at Hugglescote Church School from 7pm to 9pm under the tutelage of World War One veterans. Main duty was a daily watch for German parachutists from Snibston pit-head bank between the hours of 6am to 8am and from 8pm to 10pm. I don't know what would have happened if the Germans had chosen a different timetable! Subsequent to this, 1188 (Coalville) Squadron of the Air Training Corps was formed, based at Bridge Road School, and I transferred to become a founder member. I stayed with the Squadron until I was called up on 31st July 1942.

Prior to that I had registered, under the National Service Act, at Ulverscroft Road, Leicester, where I stated a preference for AirCrew. After a mix-up with my medical grade- the RAF Recruiter had me Grade 1, my papers said Grade 2 and this was confirmed, so I had to settle for ground staff, stating a preference for work on aircraft as an armourer, and this was provisionally accepted. My father was not happy with my grading and did obtain the reason for it. Apparently the minimum weight required was 100lbs and I had weighed in at 95.5lbs.

31st July 1942 found me, early morning, on Coalville railway station on my first stage of my journey to No 1 Recruit Centre at Penarth. The first bewildering day was spent being issued with knife, fork, spoon, plate and towel followed by being marched to numerous centres for a myriad of tests. At the end of the day I somehow lost my towel, and that was to haunt me later on! For the next four days I was fully kitted out and then posted onto No 14 RC at Weston Super Mare. At Weston we were met at the station by a corporal who took us under his wing and set about allocating us to civilian billets. Just prior to our arrival the town had been subjected to a hit and run daylight raid by German aircraft and rubble was still in the streets and houses had tarpaulin over holes in roofs. Our corporal George, (ex Loughborough college student) rook great delight in pointing out all the damage to us. First night and the sirens went and with no instructions as to what to do, we stood in the street and watched the attack on Bristol. During the stay at Weston we had a kit inspection in a local park and with everything set out I was THAT towel missing. The inspecting officer halted at my display, looked long and hard (me with my heart in my mouth) and said, "Where is your button stick?" after a pause I remembered I had left it in my lodgings and explained. That brought forth a lecture on safety of kit, but escaped any further punishment - and I bought a new towel from stores very quickly!

I should have had eight weeks of "square-bashing", but the call for tradesmen was urgent and after five weeks it was deemed I had absorbed enough to be then posted to No 11 School of Technical Training at Credenhill, Hereford. The armourers course was due to last for six months. First day I met up with an old Coalville friend, Ray Smith, and during the next six months made many friends with whom I remained in contact. The six months, with its share of ups and downs was pleasant enough and at the end I produced results good enough to promote from AC2 Group V (GD) to AC1 Group II (Armourer, General). With postings looming, rumour was rife and with talk of 140 required for overseas postings a batch of us attempted delaying tactics by volunteering for the Fitter course, which should be at Kirkham, and near to the fleshpots of Blackpool! Oh yes, we got the fitter course alright, but were told that after the end of the course leave we should report back to Credenhill, prepared for another six month stint.

February 1943 and back to Credenhill for another 22 weeks. Things carried on as much as before and at the end, with not such quite good results I became an AC2 Group 1 (Fitter Armourer-General). As the AC2 Group 1 pay was less than previous I continued to draw Armourers pay - 6/9d per day. This time, at the end of the day, there was no choice with postings. All Armourers who had come from Squadrons for up-grading went back to their Squadrons. All married men had home postings, and the rest of us were detailed for overseas posting, and after end of course leave, were to report to No 5 Personnel Draft Centre (PDC) at Blackpool.

And so, in September 1943 I arrived in Blackpool expecting an overseas posting. Each morning we paraded at the Blackpool F.C stadium where names were called out and draft numbers given, but not for me and many others. So the rest of the day was spent at the Pleasure Beach, which had extended its season in view of the numbers of potential customers. At the end of the first week we were broke, and even volunteered for work in the orderly room. Another week passed and then we were told that as no postings were imminent, we would be temporarily posted to stations in the UK, awaiting recall. This was known as PWR (preliminary warning reserve). Told to draw double rations, I and one other airman from Leicester were handed travel warrants to No 32 MU, RAF St Athan, and so a long journey to South Wales.

St Athan was a huge maintenance Station, comprising 19MU (civilian manned) and 32MU (RAF and WAAF manned). The perimeter of the camp was reckoned to be 27 miles and within the camp were three railway stations. Awaiting major servicing were 600 Lancasters and 1000 Beaufighters. Wherever one looked, in spinneys, farm-yards, barns, everywhere were planes. Checked into my billet and was greeted by an old friend I had trained with. His words of advice were "Don't get lumbered with a job in the Hispano cannon shop". Needless to say, that is where I finished up. The camp had a reputation for very long hours, hard graft and oppressive discipline. That became clear when, eight weeks later, the two of us were to report again for overseas posting and by the time we reached the orderly room, thirty other personnel had volunteered to take our places. They were not accepted and within a matter of days we were on the move again, this time to No 2 PDC Morecambe.

And so I arrived in Morecambe in early December about 11pm and in pouring rain. This time things seemed rather more urgent as we were marched immediately to a disused Woolworth store and issued with a second kit bag with blankets. On then to a civilian billet where two spinster ladies were roused from their beds and we were settled in for the rest of the night. Next day we were issued with tropical kit and then went on to the armoury to be issued with rifles. These were issued by a Sgt Armourer, Jimmy Springthorpe from Ellistown, who had previously been a painter with the Co-op. Within days we were again on the train, heading for Gurrock and the boat. This turned out to be the SS Siberjak, late of Dutch East India Service. We embarked on a Sunday, surrounded by the might of the Royal Navy, and on Wednesday night we set sail, returning after a few hours on what was an engine test. We finally set sail on Thursday night. Awoke on Friday morning to a grey rolling sea, part of a large convoy and supported by two RN corvettes. A rough journey through the Bay of Biscay with the odd scare of enemy activity and eventually passing into the Mediterranean after a double attempt through the straits of Gibraltar. Now the convoy, being only the second one through since the fall of North Africa, was taken over by a number of destroyers and ships with barrage balloons. A low key Christmas was spent afloat and we arrived in Port Said on New Years Day after a journey of some ten days. Straight on to a train which took us to No 21 PTC (Personal Transit Centre) at Kasfareet on the Suez Canal.

After a short spell at Kasfareet getting used to the sights, temperatures and smells of the Middle East I was posted to No 78 OUT at Ein Shemer in Palestine. Arrived there after a 17 hour overnight train journey, which was an experience in its own right. Ein Shemer was a new station and was unprepared for us. There were no aircraft and very basic food, but over a period of weeks the planes (Wellingtons) arrived and the food improved. I was attached to the station Armourey and settled into a routine which would last until the end of the European War. There were the inevitable hiccups, spells of sandfly fever, a spell in sick bay and at No 3 RAF hospital, Televinski and an attachment to No 1 FTC (Fuel Transportation Company) to operate a sea bombing range at Athlit. During my stay at Ein Shemer I met Ken Smith from Bagworth (with the fire section) and Eric Harrison from Coalville (training for aircrew). One day Pete Thomas of Hugglescote arrived for a short visit during a short break in his flight with a Liberator bound for the Far East. I also had a visit one day from Arthur Underwood of Coalville who was with an Army unit based at Pardas Hanna. During my stay I had several uneventful leaves, but did manage a two week break in Egypt, visiting Alexandria and viewing amongst many sights, Pompey鈥檚 Pillar and the Catacombs, and then on to Cairo to visit the Sphinx, the pyramids, the dead City, Memphis and Sakkhara. Whilst at Ein Shemer I managed to pull in a trade test successfully and was promoted to AC1 Fitter Armourer. With the end of the European War, all attention was turned to the Far East conflict and to that end I was posted to No 1675 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) at Abu Sueir on the Suez Canal near to Ismailia. So once again that long overnight train journey.

Arrived at Abu Sueir on August 14th 1945 and the following day VJ was announced. After that we were engaged in servicing the Liberator aircraft on the station up to a standard where they would be accepted back by the Americans and thus taken off our huge 鈥淟ease/Lend鈥� account. Came the end of September and I was posted yet again, this time to No 160 MU at Aqir, Palestine.

And now for a spell at Aqir in the main armament workshops, awaiting the announcement of release group no 47, a vain hope as now, with the war over the Jews and Arabs felt safe enough to start their efforts to drive the British from the country. We armourers became all important and our release was delayed. Things became very tense and we were all living on our nerves. The Irgun Gang carried out a raid on the armoury and made off with 300 weapons and 250,000 rounds of ammo (which were all later recovered). Somehow I found time to take a further trade test and was promoted LAC Fitter Armourer (this bumped up my pay to 8/1d per day, made with 7/6d trade pay, 4d overseas allowance and 3d good conduct (un-detected crime) pay). With camp security regimes, to relieve the monotony I started a RAFA club with more than 100 members, and amongst the armourers we formed an 鈥淎nimal Club鈥�, with all members being allotted an animal name defining their particular characteristics. This life continued until early September 1946 when I was detailed for return to the UK, having completed my tour of duty. Late September and I was on my way once more to no 21 PTC at Kasfareet where I spent a fortnight before making my way to Port Said and embarking on SS Clan Lamont bound for Marseilles.

A five day voyage, a night in Marseilles and then on a train for the next 24 hours bound for Calais. A night there, and then to Dover on the Daffodil. After a meal at the Castle on to another train which deposited us in the middle of the night at a wayside station, Hunsdon. A night there and then home for 28 days disembarkation leave and with a travel warrant to return to RAF Silverstone. Arrived at Leicester station in the middle of the night and after three years away couldn鈥檛 wait for the morning train to Coalville so decided to hitch hike home. Hadn鈥檛 realised the effect of petrol restrictions and finished by walking the whole distance, with pack, to arrive home fifteen minutes before the morning train would have got into Coalville, and to discover that my father had got a car in the garage!

The month鈥檚 leave passed all too quickly and towards the end of October 1946 I received a telegram informing me that RAF Silverstone was closing down and I should now report to RAF North Luffenham. This I did, arriving late one evening to be told not to unpack but be on the parade ground at 10am next morning. A lorry was waiting and in short time was conveyed to No 17 OUT Swinderby. Attached to the Flight Armoury I was again working on Wellingtona. Early December my demob group number came up for release by Christmas, but upon reporting to the orderly room was told that as my documents had not been received from the Middle East I could not be released. I then started a campaign of harassment by practically living at the orderly room, and this paid off as temporary documents were raised for me. However, it was too late for me to be released by Christmas, although I did spend Christmas at home. I eventually reported to No 107 Release Centre at Warton on 1st January 1947. 2nd January I passed through the 鈥渕achine鈥�, handing in kit, receiving civilian clothing and a three-month leave pass. And so I completed my four and a half years in the Royal Air Force, feeling I had done my little bit to help the war effort.

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