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In 1940, aged 20, I was called up for military service and joined the RAF. I was selected for Air Crew Bomber Command as a wireless operator/air gunner.
My first posting was to Blackpool for ‘square bashing’ and wireless training.
I then went to Calne, Wiltshire where the pilots of the training aircraft were usually Polish or Czechoslovakian. I qualified as an air gunner, and was promoted to Sergeant. Posted to a bomber squadron in Lincolnshire, I qualified as a Bomb Aimer.
After about 10 raids on Germany and France in the Wellington Bombers, the squadron converted to Lancasters. Following 30 operations we were posted to another squadron for a rest period where I was recommended for a Bomber’s Leaders Course and promoted to Flight Lieutenant, becoming the squadrons Bombing Leader in charge of 25 Bomb Aimers of all ranks. My second tour consisted of six operations, but during rest periods, I stood in for sick Bomb Aimers.
I was awarded the distinguished flying medal in 1943. Accompanied by my wife and father, I was invested by King George VI at Bucking Palace. The King asked me about targets I had bombed and how long I had been an officer. I was demobbed in May 1946.

“To get weekend leave, when not on operations, we had to fly a minimum of 10 hours a month as a passenger and this is when I became a fatalist.
The squadron had 2 flights, A and B, and wanting leave, I phoned flight A but the phone was constantly engaged, so arranged it with flight B. We flew in formation to North Wales for training, and ran into a thunder storm, Flight A, flying along side us, was stuck and all the crew killed�

“There was to be a bombing raid on Germany. One of the bomb aimers went sick which meant the mission could not go ahead. I offered to stand in but my Commanding Officer said ‘No — you are more use to me on the ground’.
One of my pals took my place, and I went to the end of the runway to send him off. The plane exploded on take off and all the crew were killed�

“I had to go to hospital in Doncaster for an operation on my neck. Matron came to my room and said ‘As you are a walking patient I would like you to play with the children so that the nurses can get on with their normal duties’. My officer’s mess were having a party and my CO asked Matron if about 30 nurses could attend. Permission was granted and I was put in charge, with the strict instructions that the nurses were to be back by midnight. We got back at about 2am, one nurse missing, and found my bed full of cuddly toys that the night staff had put there!

“In the room next to me was a Canadian with 70% burns and completely covered in bandages apart from his nose and mouth. I used to go and chat with him and heard stories of his girl friend back in Canada. A WAAF came to visit another patient and I asked her to pretend to be ‘the girl friend’, she was a ‘Girl Friday’, she befriended him and even kissed him several times, despite the terrible state he was in, but he died a very happy man�

“In 1945 all those crews that had bombed Berlin more than twice were flown for a long weekend to Berlin, to see what damage we had done. It was such a HORRIBLE experience because of the burning bodies. We walked in the streets and there were women and children sitting outside with all their worldly possessions with them, for ‘bartering’. We were told to take bars of Cadbury’s chocolate and oranges as gifts. We gave them to the children and the women were ecstatic�

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