- Contributed byÌý
- hamiltoncowan
- Location of story:Ìý
- Newtownards and Berlin
- Background to story:Ìý
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:Ìý
- A3247175
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 09 November 2004
In 1938 as a16 year old golf enthusiast I was asked to caddy for a gentleman at scrabo golf club Newtownards co Down.The gentleman was very friendly ,very pleasant and was kind enough to give me a tip of half a crown.It was Herr Von Ribbentrop, the German foreign minister who was visiting Lord Londonderry.
In September 1941 I joined the RAF. Originally I was assigned to ground staff but due to heavy casualties among aircrew I volunteered to join bomber command as a mid upper gunner on a Lancaster bomber .After brief training I was assigned to 625 squadron Kelstern Lincolnshire. During my time at bomber command I took part in 6 raids over Germany.Two of the raids were over Berlin ; during the first raid we lost 94 aircraft.
It has always seemed strangely ironic to me that having caddied for Herr Von Ribbentrop and found him to be such a gentleman that I should come close to him again while bombing the foreign ministry in Berlin!
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