ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Charles Thomas Elliot Holloway (‘Chas’ to all his friends) joined the RAF as a 16 year old Airman Apprentice in 1926 and by 1939 he had reached the rank of Sergeant - having retuned the year previously to the UK after 5 years continuous overseas service in both Iraq and on the North West Frontier of India (now Pakistan).

In October 1939 he was posted to the newly reformed Gloucester Gladiator equipped No. 263 Squadron at RAF Filton and got married to Betty. In January 1940 he was promoted to Temporary Flight Sergeant and by March was serving with No. 10 Observer Screen (and a month later with No. 11 Observer Screen). Chas then found himself involved with the Norway evacuation in May/June 1940 - one of his jobs apparently being to burn down a temporary RAF Officers’ Mess. He escaped from Narvik wearing civilian clothing, travelling on a Norwegian fishing trawler and later transferred to a British destroyer.

On 10 June 1940, after his escapades in Norway, Chas joined the newly formed RAF Radio Counter-Measures (RCM) group - a secretive radio and radar intelligence unit. The group was formed to provide counter-measures against German navigational aids for bombers raiding British-based targets. The RCM group was superseded by 80 (Signals) Wing on 7 October, under Wing Commander EB Addison. The Wing’s motto was ‘Confusion to Our Enemies’.

Chas would have at first worked in a requisitioned country hotel, Aldenham Lodge, in Radlett. Known for cockroach and rat infestation, the hotel did at least have a swimming pool that was regularly used. 80 Wing initially consisted of 21 officers and 200 other ranks. A year later its Operations Room moved to larger premises at a nearby disused golf course (known as ‘Newburies’). In January 1941 Chas was promoted to Temporary Warrant Officer (Signals) and by August he was living with his wife and young son in Gills Hill Lane, Radlett (but he also seems to have served at Templecoombe, Honington and Cheadle at various stages during this time).

The initial task of 80 Wing was the identification and subsequent jamming of the German Very High Frequency (VHF) blind-bombing system ‘Knickebein’ - which was being used to guide enemy bombers to their UK-based targets. The first jammers developed were simple sets which could be made to transmit a ‘mush’ of noise on the 'Knickebein’ frequencies (codenamed ‘Headache’). However, these were quickly superseded by a more high-powered system codenamed 'Aspirin'. These transmitted signals imitated the ‘Knickebein’ beam to confuse the German bomber pilots. Another method identified to nullify the effects of these beams was to mask the transmissions by intercepting and then re-broadcasting them. This second method was found to be more effective and became known as ‘Masking Beacon’ (or ‘Meacon’). Chas seems to have been heavily involved in the latter method - becoming a ‘Meaconing’ Officer, his official title though being the duller sounding ‘Sigs ‘G’ 80 Wng Ops.’

On 26 May 1942 Chas was commissioned from the ranks into the RAF Technical Branch as an Acting Pilot Officer (Emergency Commission) on probation. Around this time 80 Wing was also allocated a small airborne unit, the Wireless Intelligence and Development Unit (WIDU). It soon increased to Squadron strength and became known in its own right as No. 109 Squadron. The day before Christmas in 1942 he was further promoted to Flying Officer on probation and in July the following year he became an Acting Flight Lieutenant. By December 1943 the work of 80 Wing/No. 109 Squadron had reached such proportions, in the air as well on the ground, that 100 (Bomber Support) Group was formed. It eventually comprised 14 Squadrons, with 80 Wing becoming an integral part of this group.

In 1944 Chas gained the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and on 30 May he was promoted to Acting Squadron Leader. He was also Mentioned in Dispatches on 1 January 1945. Chas continued with 80 Wing until March 1945 - the Wing was disbanded on 24 September 1945, by then having grown to a strength in excess of 2,000 personnel.

In April 1945 Chas was transferred to the Air Division Control Commission for Germany (British Element). By 17 May, just some 2 weeks or so after the capitulation of Germany, he found himself based in Versailles, France with the Commission. For a short period of time he was also billeted in Detmold, Germany, and returned to Britain just after Christmas 1945.

Chas served with the RAF for another 11 years, taking early retirement in 1956. He sadly passed away after a short illness on 29 December 2000.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.