I covered the gamut of World War II, first being evacuated with Rutherford Boys College to Carlisle for over a year. Then on returning home to Newcastle it was the regular air raids, and once being under an incendiary bomb attack. Then two years in 733 Squadron, Air Training Corps, volunteering for air crew at Doncaster in mid '43. But there was a desperate need for radar mechanics, then known as RDF/Wireless mechs, and my science education fit the bill. So I was persuaded to change my RAF ambitions, and I entered the RAF in later '43. After basic training, Radio School at Hull and Radar School at Cosford, I served with 466 RAAF squadron at Driffield with Halifax III's, then 149 Squadron at Methwold in Norfolk and Lancasters. I was trained in G-H, a very secret at that time radar blind bombing equipment, our G-H aircraft carrying twin horizontal yellow stripes on the fins and rudders, to allow other aircraft to formate and drop their bombs in unison with the lead G-H aircraft.
When the war with Germany ended I was assigned to 617 Squadron and Tiger Force, scheduled to head to Okinawa and take 10,000 and 22,000 lb bombs to the war in the Far East. But the atom bomb ended that and I spent the last 2 years of my service career in the radar development unit of Central Bomber Establishment, Marham, working with Lancasters, Lincolns and Mosquitoes, and even the 6 month visitors from the 8th Air Force, taking care of the British Gee sets in their B-17G Flying Fortresses and B-29 Superforts.
Author of 149 Heavy Bomber Squadron history (Strong by Night)published by Air Britain
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