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While stationed at RAF Benson during the war as a photographer with 544 Squadron, I became involved in what is best described as an extramural activity. Although perhaps not a direct contribution to the war effort, I feel sure that it helped raise moral in certain quarters.
At that time Mosquito photo-reconnaissance aircraft were flying over Germany to targets that were beyond the point of no return to base. They flew on land in Italy where the Allies were pushing north.
One morning, after finishing glancing through the morning papers, during the NAAFI tea break, I thought how the lads in the photo section in Italy would like to read today's papers today. They must get their papers weeks, or even months, later. So we started putting all the dailies (everything from The Times to the Daily Worker) in with the photographic equipment.
The lads in Italy were indeed delighted. So delighted in fact that half a dozen bottles of wine were found nicely packed with the returning empty film magazines. The pilots knew nothing of this important import-export business that they were engaged in.
All went well until our overseas mates got over generous and the pilot found that his Mossie was not trimmed as it should be on the return flight. It was another case of all good things coming eventually to an end. _______________________

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