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1939, as a 16year old Boy Scout helping organise the messenger service with another senior scout of the 5th Oxford St Michael’s troop. We were at the scout leader’s house in Wolvercote (North Oxford) when war was declared.
That meant evening duties at the local council depot, in Juxon Street off of Walton Street in Oxford, with bikes at the ready.
Things just carried on. The British Expeditionary Troops were arriving from Dunkirk tired and bewildered and being marched up to Port Meadow where there was a large bell tented area where tents as soon as they were erected were being camouflaged, this would be their homes until sent elsewhere. A very strange sight for us youngsters bringing the war even closer to home.
My next sortie would be with the Local Defence Unit. Guard duty in Christ Church grounds patrolling the Broad Walk looking for enemy parachutists, (German planes used the features of the Thames to guide them further inland to places like Coventry) armed with a 22 rifle and a large stick. Our HQ was situated in the garages of Christ Church, still there, our CO at the time was Captain Packenham, later Lord Longford, he gave us orders to give them stick if they landed, quite exciting for us young lads, the imaginations ran riot. Captain Packenham didn’t think that our accommodation was up to standard and he managed to get better digs at Salter’s Boat builders on Folley Bridge.
From there we had to patrol along the waterside to Boney’s Bridge twice in each 2hr stag. Didn’t see any subs while we were on duty. Anyway enough of these memories.

18th Birthday - discovered that “The RAF want you to be a flight mechanic all training would be given at no extra charge”. This appealed to my fantasy, a “brylcreme boy” that should turn the heads of the young females!
I arrived in Bournemouth to start my training, 1 pause 2 pause etc, how I hated the PTI’s then after basics I was sent to St Athens, land of the rugby fanatics my first 14 days leave and then on to RAF Shawbury, along with hundreds of other lads. When I got there I wandered into the flight office. The chiefy was doing his nut posting lads back out as fast as they came in. He called out for 3 flight mechanics and three riggers, I happened to know two other flight mechanics from Oxford, one from the local MG factory and were we off to RAF Harwell.
From there we went to Hampstead Norris doing 40 ferry flights, we had the new “Wimpeys” (Wellington bombers)
40hr inspections and flights. Then they were off away to places new to start their sorties against the Germans.
One of my experiences was as an acting rear gunner in a “Whimpy” on a test flight, a bit un-nerving sitting in the rear of the plane no ammo for the guns but a fantastic view of Oxford from 10,000ft. times passed “Whimpeys” came and went. Some bright spark then decided that I should be posted to RAF Halton to do a conversion course to Fitter 2nd class, sounded rather good, after that I was posted back to Harwell, although they did want me in Hampstead Norris.
I remember a small village along the Wantage road called East Hendred that had some very good accommodation “Neigh Woa” yes a humble stable block, but don’t forget Jesus was born in one. It had a lovely 4AC SP early morning call at 6am with cocoa at 9pm to give you a good night’s sleep. The only drawback to our little Heaven was bikes; you had to cycle uphill to Harwell and back, mind you it kept us fit, thought nothing of cycling into nearby Didcot or in my case Oxford for a ‘Saturday night at the Stu in Walton Street’ with my mates on leave. Problem was that the bike could be very obstinate with no lights wandering all over the road.
At Harwell our dispersal pan was by a pub, which has just been demolished, behind the ‘Chiltern Garden Centre we didn’t mind how long the test flights lasted because the beer there was better than that in the NAFFI.
Checking orders one day saw ‘Volunteers wanted for Servicing Commando Units, so in for a penny in for a pound, sounded good, put my name down and joined the 3226 unit SCU. We were moved around the country until we were issued with our final marching orders, we left Liverpool and travelled to the Clyde and on 1st July embarked to Gibraltar and then onto Algiers. During the trip ‘Jerry’ had a go at our convoy but thankfully he was a poor shot and we arrived safe in North Africa where we were told that we would be taking part in the landings at Sicily, our task was to service Spitfires and Beaufighters aircraft in the advanced airstrips.
One of the airfields were we to operate from was at Catania, it was a hairy landing at St Augusta, an ammunition boat went up lighting up the sky, what a display. No transport available, it was still in Malta so we had to march on up to the airfield, through all this we didn’t even have any Mepacrine tablets talk about being short of things etc, no food rations only a standby tin of bully beef none of the lads were happy at this.
The Servicing Commando Unit transport arrived from Syracches and we were finally on our way again. The 600 Sqdn Beaufighter caught up with us at Cassibece at last, the other two flights A & B went on to Lentine where their CO got killed in an air-raid, there was nothing else to keep us there, so we were on our way to Milazzo to prepare for the Salerno landings. The American 5th Army rations were a lot better than our bog standard ones, prepared breakfast, dinner and even Tiffin and bumpaper we left for Salerno in 6 L.S.T.’s to join up with the main convoy, after five attempts at landing we made the shore, found our landing strip that had kindly been constructed for us by someone unknown and went to work. We were on standby for the Spitfires from 242, 232, and 152 Sqdns which were flying up from Sicily. There were daily attacks from Stukas but we survived.
As things progressed we advanced up into Italy to Monte Coruino and started to operate with the Beaufighters from 600 Sqdn night fighters. It was a 24hr on and 24hr off schedule tiring to all.
After a while things the constant pressure eased off a little, the advance units of the Sqdns were arriving so we were allowed to ease of slightly, even had a cultural visit to Pompeii, for youngsters like us it was an eye opener to see what they got up to in those ancient days, my dad never included the birds and bees in that manner shown on the walls of this city.

Anyway it was decided that we had worked hard enough and we could come home to ‘Blighty’ we loaded at Naples docks crossed to Algiers then a fast convoy to Liverpool aboard the SS Stranthaver, a P.O. boat. I was then posted to RAF Bicester where I worked on Mitchells, Bostons and Mosquitoes, remustered to F M/T usual chaos I went in for another 5 week training session (glutton for punishment) at Weeton before passing that then posted on to RAF Ossington
By then thankfully D. Day had past, I had got married in London to a wonderful Cockney Girl. Although we had to contend with the ‘Buzzbombs’ (Doodle bombs) that were hitting London another experience.
The German front was collapsing and I found that my next posting was to the Far East, travel the world came to mind.
I was given 14 days leave and so I brought my family to Oxford. Sickness took over and after reporting to the University Examination Rooms that had been turned into a Military Hospital the MO told me that I had severe laryngitis so that meant my posting would be delayed. It got me off a second posting again to the Far East.
Determined for their pound of flesh they sent me to A.O.C HQ a big transport garage at Port Marley 10 miles from Paris. My trip to “Pompeii” came to mind, very enlightening for a youngster.
Demob was a word every one wanted to hear, it meant getting back to our families after 9 months in France, a posting to RAF Hendesford, lucky me.

Finally I belong to my local RAF Association consisting of 9S.C.U’s. sadly at the age of 81 I am no longer able to march in the local Remembrance Parade or the parade at the Cenotaph.

If any of my former colleagues see this and want to get in contact please telephone 01865 430107 or write to Stanley Lester, 30 Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys, Oxford. OX4 6SX. I would really appreciate it and maybe talk about our experiences.

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