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My father, John Martin, coming up to 18, joined the RAF within weeks of the declaration.He had been working as a clerk for Clevedon Oil in Avonmouth.During his lunch break he was enticed into the RAF recruiting office in Bristol and promptly joined up. After being immediately sent to Catterick for kitting out and basic training he soon found himself part of the Phoney War in Amiens, France. This he found no hardship having been brought up in a Catholic ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ run by the nuns.

Close by their quarters in Amiens was a cafe. My father, being handsome, youthful and athletic found some favour with the young daughter of the proprietor. He learnt to say, " Voulez-vous promener avec moi? " It seems that there were many compensations in being a young unattached English airman in France in the early Spring of 1940. To make life even more amenable his sergeant was a caring,protective family man who moreover recognised my father's sound basic education by entrusting him with the responsibility of receiving the coded signals.

One day in May my father received yet another signal. As usual he took it to his sergeant. There was an instant response, " Pack your kit bag son, and get on the back of the 'wagon'. Orders have come to move out; Gerry,s only two hours away. "

Within twenty four hours my father found himself still entrusted with the signals box, but on the sand dunes of Boulogne. He and his mate were ordered to guard the box with their lives, if necessary. It was thought that their tender years and lowly status would allay suspicion.

It was the Stukas who were interested in their lives. They came frequently and, according to my father, invariably just after he had received his meal ration. At first he lost his food in his desperate efforts to hit the sand. But, comically, he rapidly acquired the knack of safeguarding his food first, before then diving for cover. On a more serious note he recollected, with gratitude, that upon embarkation youngsters like himself were pushed forward ahead of older, more experienced men.

After the ordeal, back in England, he was granted a few days leave. He spent it in digs in Bristol. One afternoon he was resting in the upstairs bedroom. In his drowsy state he heard a siren. His spontaneous reaction was to jump out of the window to 'safety'.

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