大象传媒

I know Henry Kaye as a fellow volunteer worker at a London based Charity.

At a recent event we both attended,we got chatting about service careers and he mentioned that before he went into the RAF he had been in the Army and served with the 22nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers at Kirkintilloch in Scotland.

This rang bells with me, as it was the same unit in which my late brother Mick had served. Further talk and correspondence established that Henry did not remember knowing Mick but what was established was the remarkable service career that Henry himself had experienced. An abbreviated version of his service details now follows.

Henry fully understands the Rules and Conditions set out by the 大象传媒 and agrees to be bound by them.

Henry Kaye鈥檚 Service Career

In 1936 I began what I expected to be a five-year period of Articles in order to qualify as a Solicitor.

In 1938,1 had to register for Conscription, and was granted deferment from Military training to continue my studies.
After the War started, I was granted exemption from Military Service until August 1940, so that I could sit for my Final in June that year.

I passed the Exam, and within a week or two of the result I was a private serving in 22nd Battalion of Royal Fusiliers in Kirkintilloch in Scotland. Whilst there I had an attack of impetigo, and for a brief period was in Hairmyres Hospital for a short period with my head shorn . A few months later, I was detached from the 22nd Battalion, and posted to HQ. Royal Fusiliers in Hounslow, where I stayed I stayed about a month mainly avoiding the duty sergeant so that I did not go on Guard Duty!

I was then sent to 20" Battalion which was stationed at Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, which was mainly evacuated, and was the potential site of a possible invasion. For reasons which we never understood it was expected that if an invasion did come, it would either be at dawn or at dusk, hence we "Stood To" with armed rifles at those times.
I have often described my time at Ventnor (apart from sleeping and eating) as doing six things.... filling up sand bags and emptying them: digging ditches and filling them up; and putting up barbed wire, and taking it down. That is no exaggeration. Believe me that it was tough going.

In March 1941, I volunteered to go into R.A.F. on flying duties and I was transferred from the Army to RAF in May 1941, with the rank of ac2.

My RAF service was as follows: -
1. One week or so at Stratford being kitted out.

2. No 12 Initial Training Wing. St Andrews. Scotland, mainly doing squad drill and attending classes on theory of flight: navigation: meteorology, etc.

3. Although I became a solicitor in 1940,it was not until end of July 1941,
(whilst on a short leave,) that I enrolled myself as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court.

4. No.20. Elementary Flying School, Yeadon. Nr Leeds, where I learned to fly and went solo. At the end of the course, I was promoted "leading aircraftsman"

5. Instructors Flying School. Perth. Scotland. Learned to become an instructor on elementary aircraft. Gained wings. Promoted to Sergeant, and shortly afterwards to Pilot Officer.

6. From about December 1941 served as flying instructor on Tiger Moths and Magister aircraft. RAF Ansty. Nr.Coventry. My original task was to grade pupils, so that they could be assessed as pilots; or navigators; or gunners.
Later on, I flew with fellow instructors, teaching them advanced instructing techniques..

7. Promoted Flying Officer.

8. June 1943. instructor.A2 (Elem) category

9. July 1943. Transferred to Elementary Flying School at Derby as Flight
Commander.

10. Sept/0ct1944. Operational Training Unit. Rednal (Nr Oswestry) for
conversion onto Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft.

11. Promoted to Flight Lieutenant.

12. In Nov 1944 joined No. 154 Squadron. RAF. Biggin Hill where first I flew Spitfire V11's and latterly P.51H. Mustangs.

13. At the beginning of March 1945 the Squadron moved to Hunsdon(Nr Ware, Herts) flying Mustangs. At the end of that month 154 was disbanded, and I was transferred to No.611 Squadron at the same station.

14. From Biggin Hill and Hunsdon I flew a number of operational flights including Bremen and Berchtesgaden.

15. On VE Day the Squadron was transferred to Peterhead, Scotland,where it remained until 24th July 1945, when it too was disbanded.

16. Posted to an Educational and Vocational Course at Barton Hall Preston prior to return to civilian life..

17. Sometime after the War ended, I was posted to No. 11 .Group HQ. Watnall, Nottingham as Assistant P.1. in a Department dealing with Courts Martial; Courts of Inquiry, etc.,

18. Finally stationed at Fighter Command HQ (Stanmore) as Deputy P. 1.doing the same job.

19. Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette,January 1946

20. Demobbed 18th March 1946, and returned to civilian life.

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