蜜芽传媒

The War

We were on church parade when War was declared on September 3rd.

The S.W.O. said 鈥淣ow I have got you鈥� with an evil grin but it was not for long as the unit was transferred to the control of Headquarters Training Command on the 20th October 1939.

1940

The year started off with a bad winter and flying was restricted.

Once again the unit changed its name and on January 15th became No20 group flight as H.Q.T.G. moved from Tern Hill to Reading. Soon after H.T.C. moved to Reading I went on a delivery flight to Reading in a Bristol Bombay which we left there and returned to Tern Hill by train.

Biggin Hill

On April 1st 1940 I reported to the guard room at Manston and told them I had been posted to 32 Squadron. The reply was 鈥淭hey have made an April fool of you, 32 is at Biggin Hill!鈥� I stayed the night at Manston and the next day set off to join the squadron.

Whilst waiting for the train at Margate I saw a Wellington Bomber flying out at sea with a large coil right around it, I found out later this was to blow up magnetic mines.

I only spent a few weeks on the dispersal at Biggin Hill doing D.I. and servicing before I went on leave for seven days. I returned on the 10th of May only to find a deserted airfield. Going to my barrack block I found it empty so I went to the N.A.A.F.I. to find out what had happened. I was told that 79 Squadron had gone to France and 32 were now at Manston. As there was no unit left I was attached to Station Workshops and so became involved with any aircraft which came to Biggin Hill.

Within a few days 32 had returned to Biggin but 79 had very few aircraft when they got back. As well as losses in France it seems that they had lost three more due to landing in the fog at Manston. The remaining aircraft of 79 Squadron got back to Biggin on the 22nd.

Dunkirk

We heard that the Army lads kept saying "Where is the R.A.F." while they suffered in the evacuation, but our aircraft were there. Not mainly over the beaches, but further inland trying to prevent the bombers taking off. We were doing what we could and pressure to keep the aircraft serviceable was so great that we started to work 32 hrs on and 16 hrs off. Life became just bed and work.

The main job at the time was to fit drop tanks to the wingtips. In the day time it was good to see the ground crews at work. In fact it was much like the men in a Grand Prix racing team are today. Every man knew his job though there were some slip-ups. One pilot took off and when he tried to use his guns he found that no ammo had been loaded! Thankfully he did come back safely but the armourer got 56 days in the GLASS HOUSE (The army prison) for his negligence.

As there were no reserve aircraft, night times were very busy getting the aircraft ready for the following morning. Just before dawn all serviceable aircraft had to have had a D.I. and the engines warmed up, the pilots waited to hear the state of alert. If it was Red they stood near their Machines, some even sat waiting in the cockpit.

Station Workshops Biggin Hill

Here we did repairs which were too big for the ground crews to spend time on.

One pilot was lucky for we found he had had a direct hit on the front of his cockpit. Even though the windscreen was one and half inches thick the bullet had ground itself almost through (One like this can now be seen at Hendon)

We also changed a leaking tank and found a number of bullets inside so it had probably been hit while the tanks were full leaving no air to make the fuel burn. When an aircraft had been in action and the fuel level was low a hit with an incendiary bullet could easily blow it up.

One major job I did was to help a sergeant fitter to change a Merlin cylinder block, this was nearly always done at a M.U. but they were very busy and we needed the aircraft.

The Hurricanes were easy to patch up as you only needed a piece of linen and a pot of dope. Spitfires were much harder as they had metal bodies.

On July 12th 1940 I was posted to R.A.F. Hucknall as so often with these things I have never understood why!

R.A.F. Hucknall

This was 18 O.T.U. and to my surprise it was mainly Polish Airmen. Many could not speak English and it was difficult to make myself understood though I must say that some of those pilots were very good indeed. I saw one land with only one wheel down and the only damage done was to take the paint off the wing tip.

It was also there I saw some new recruits wandering across to the dispersal area. The next thing I heard was the sound of guns firing - one of them had pressed the red button in one of the parked aircraft!

At one side of the aerodrome Rolls Royce had a hanger where they fitted their engines in different airframes. One night I was on guard on the main gate. The air raid warning sounded and the next thing I saw bombs falling along the lane which was opposite the main gate. As I watched the bombs came nearer and nearer. I was relived to see the bombs run out before the aircraft reached me for he passed right over my head, I could even see the crew inside.

Whilst I was there I also saw a sight not many people have had chance to see - a whole Squadron of 18 Spitfires take off together wing tip to wing tip.

R.A.F. Cranwell

I was posted to No 2 F.I.S. on September 10th 1940.

We operated from the airfield next to the college with Avro Ansons. The task was originally to train instructors but with the shortage of Pilots it became No 2 Central Flying School.

It was in an Anson that I had my first experience of air pocket. As we came in close behind another plane our aircraft suddenly dropped several feet and my head hit the roof.

One morning whilst waiting for the hanger to be unlocked we heard an aircraft flying above. As it was very misty we did not see what it was. The next moment it dived down with his guns firing, I have never seen a group of men vanish so quickly.

When we were in training we were told firmly 鈥渘ever point a gun at anyone unless you mean to use it.鈥� This was very good advice! Due to the shortage of weapons we went on guard with D.P. rifles (without Firing pins) We used to put in a clip and eject the rounds. Then pins were fitted鈥︹�� One night I tried to eject the rounds as usual but when I pressed the trigger there was a bang and a bullet went through the roof. The station police came and asked "Did you hear a shot" our reply was that we thought it was a car backfire. We then dashed across the aerodrome and replaced the round with one from an aircraft.

Once again my luck was with me in December 1940. I was to go on leave for Christmas and changed with one of the men who was to go at the New Year. The night that I would have got to Manchester there was a large bombing raid on the Stations.

1941

In May 1941 something happened that was for us, at the time, really Beyond Belief and was an event which would also eventually change the R.A.F. (and flying) forever. One night a lad on hanger guard came dashing in saying "there is an aircraft just come in and it flies without a propeller鈥� I will not record what the replies were!!!! Two days later I saw Whittle鈥檚 jet take to the skies with my own eyes.

As I was an L.A.C. I could not go any higher in rank so I was sent on a fitters course.

More Training

May 5th I was posted to No1 school of technical training R.A.F. Innsworth for a course. We had to learn about engines in more detail to enable us to become group one fitters. Though we still had to do drill but most of the time was spent in school.

After my trade test I went on leave and at the end of it I had to report to 50 M.U. Chester. I arrived there on August 15th 1941. After the usual trail around the camp I reported to the engine repair section. Here the engines were dismantled and all parts cleaned. Then they were inspected in another section. I received my first good conduct stripe on September 1st and 3 months later was reclassified A.C.I

Chester

Whilst at Chester I started to go out with a W.A.A.F. When we went out at night we hid among the crates of aircraft which came as part of the Lease Lend agreement with the U.S.A. These were parked on the roadside to await assembly at Hawenden which was across the road to 50 M.U. This was an amazing sight as they stretched for more than a mile along the road.

1942

This was to be the most important year of the war for me as I married my W.A.A.F. Emily, during that summer.

I would love to turn the clock back to this time when everybody helped each other. A good example was one night when Em missed the last train at Chester. She was so upset that a train driver got his engine and made a special trip to bring her back to camp!

At this time many things took place without the public knowing what they were for. On a trip to Queensferry, North Wales we crossed a bridge and looking over the rails saw a boat yard in which they were constructing concrete boats. (We now know they were to be part of the Mulberry Harbour.)

On April 1st I was promoted to L.A.C and once again I was posted this time back to Tern Hill but on the other side to 24 M.U. which had been a storage unit.

Ternhill

When I first arrived here on the May 8th 1942 it was only a group of empty hangers. I went to one which was to become an engine repair section though for the first few weeks there was nothing to do. Then lorry loads of equipment started to arrive鈥�.

The unit started with Squadron Leader Howorth, Flight Sgt Shaw, Sgt Wild, four corporals and myself. Our job was to mark out where each section and machine was to go, then came the works dept to build the offices and dig the trenches for pipes and wiring. When I got the chance I would cycle to Chester to see Em. but I did not have to do this for long as she was posted to the same unit as myself! How lucky can you be?

We both went on leave and on the 6th July 1942 we were married.

Soon after we returned back from leave I had an accident when moving a hand press on a bogie. One wheel went into a trench and the hand lever came round and knocked me down into the trench as well. Again I was lucky for it could have killed me. It is strange how the mind works for I was told that I walked to the guard room but the next thing I recall was laying on the guard room floor with my officer standing over me. After spending five days in Tern Hill sick quarters I returned back to my section and my officer asked if I鈥檇 had any sick leave, which I hadn鈥檛. So he told me to make out two 48hr passes to run one after the other. Then he said 鈥渁nd I suppose you would like the wife to go with you?鈥� when I said yes he said 鈥渓eave it to me鈥� so once again we went on leave together.

September 14th brought my promotion to the grand rank of Corporal and I was put in charge of the dismantling and cleaning section. All the Pratt & Whitney and Allison engines were stripped down to the last nut and bolt then cleaned.

Then bureaucracy took over. Our C.O. was posted and in his place came a Wing Commander which we did not think was fair as the Squadron Leader had done all the work to get the unit started. I was replaced by a Flight Sgt. All the original N.C.OS put in for posting but it did not help. The Air Ministry even sent a team from London and wanted to charge us with mutiny but nothing became of it.

Em was discharged in December 1942 after discovering that we were to have a baby.

1943

Things were very much routine until March 25th when I went on a junior N.C.Os course which lasted until 2lst April when I returned to 24 M.U.

Testing

Soon after this I was transferred to the Test Beds which were working 24hrs a day due to the increased output of engines.

There were eight beds and when they were all running the engines could be heard miles away. When working we had to wear ear plugs and communicate by signs. Each bed had a frame on which the engine was mounted and a small office in which we could take readings of its performance.

These tests ranged from a few hours to twenty four. This was a good job because, as we worked strange hours, we could go to the cookhouse at any time for meals and even stay in bed when barrack room inspections took place! In the winter though it was very cold and we were issued with flying suits.

1944

One of my mates was to be posted and as he was living out I offered to take his place and this was granted. How pleased I was for this posting was to be in Lincolnshire, near where my wife had set-up home and where our first child had been born on June 1st 1943. We named her June!

Lincolnshire

19th May 1944 I reported to Kirton Lindsey. The next day I went to Hibaldstow and started work in the maintenance section working on spitfires. My job was to look after the engines which were changed on major services or if something went wrong. I had a small workshop in a corner of the hanger in which I prepared the engines for installation then removed the parts from the old engines not required by the M.U. The engine was then crated up for return.

I went on a Senior N.C.O鈥檚 course at Cardington for a month starting on July 6th 1944 and then a Rotal Propellers course on November 27th

When I returned from the propeller course I went on leave. Whilst I was away the officer in charge had changed. When I returned I found I was on the carpet for being away for a fortnight! Even though I could show that I had been granted the leave by the previous officer, I was out of favour from then on.

At Christmas time I was in charge of servicing for night flying but it was cancelled due to mist. In the night I heard a strange sound which sounded like an aircraft in trouble so I got dressed and went to flying control to find nothing. The next day I was told that it had been a V1 rocket launched by an aircraft off the East coast.

1945

Life was very routine until the night before V.E. I went to Scunthorpe to celebrate and after visiting many pubs I got drunk for the first time in my life. How I got back to camp I really do not know.

I went on leave on the 21st May and on my return I once again found a deserted airfield. I then went to Kirton Lindsey to find that I had been posted to 61 O.T.U. Rednall near Shrewsbury. I was only here for a short time before the unit moved to Keville in Wiltshire where I was put in charge of the tool store, an easy job.

AUGUST 14th 1945

What a great day this was as it was the end of the conflict with Japan.

Post script

It was only in 1995, 50 years after the war ended, that I found out that one aircraft of the scores that I had worked on had survived, this is AB 910, a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

I was a Cpl. fitter in the servicing flight of 53 OTU at Hibaldstow in 1944 and must have had some contact with this aircraft which was based there at the same time. A great number of ground staff must have worked on this aircraft over the years it was in service with the R.A.F. but I like to think of this as MY SPITFIRE.

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