- Contributed byÌý
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ LONDON CSV ACTION DESK
- People in story:Ìý
- Tina Merry (nee Dale)
- Location of story:Ìý
- Different RAF Stations in the British Isles.
- Background to story:Ìý
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:Ìý
- A7796893
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 15 December 2005
On my 18th birthday I went up to Odestrial House in Kingsway, London and joined the WAAF. Later that day I went by train to Gloucester Station and there I had to jump up into the back of a lorry, and we were then taken to RAF Insworth which was the station for new recruits. There I had the usual 2 weeks of marching and injections and things like that. My first posting was to Digby in Lincolnshire, a fighter station. I went in as a trained shorthand typist and I worked first of all in the equipment section there, and then in the station headquarters. There was a very good running track at the station and while I was there they had a sports day. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and also managed to win a few prizes!
I was sad when I was posted away after 4 months. I think, if I remember rightly, that was when I went to RAF Oakington which was in Bomber Command Group. I was in the Signals office for the wireless operators air gunners. I used to type out the call signs for the beacons helped to guide them home. I used to type these codes on rice paper so that if the men were unfortunate to be captured, they could eat the papers to keep them out of enemy hands.
While I was there, a notice came round about a new trade that had been formed in the WAAF which was to recruit aircrew into the most suitable positions where they would be most likely to succeed. Pilots, gunners, navigators — they were all chosen by psychological tests and I worked with some of these civilian scientists at Downing College, Cambridge for about 6 months, and it was extremely interesting how they validated these tests.
Then I worked on a number of selection boards all over the country — that gave me the chance to go to Belfast, to Edinburgh and to a number of other stations in the British Isles.
Altogether I really enjoyed my time in the WAAF and it’s been very nice keeping in touch with all my friends. I’ve also very much enjoyed this day of reunion at the old Croydon Airport.
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