LM338 PO-U

THE MIGHTY LANCASTER

420775 F/O R. E. PECK
467 SQUADRON R.A.A.F.

THIS STORY HAS BEEN EMAILED TO THE SITE BY CYNTHIA TOMALIN

DAUGHTER OF F/O R.E.PECK, THE AUTHOR

eMail Cynthia for more info

Supreme and Proud
Author unknown

We had no common bond
Save that of youth.
No shared ambition
Except to venture and survive.
Until, aloft within that roaring fuselage,
Each dependant on the others
We found in wars intensity
Good cause to say with pride in later years
To those who chronicled the great events,
We flew in Lancasters.


THE CREW
Pilot L. S. AINSWORTH (LEN - 412108 - Aus.)
Navigator L.V. CONNOLLY (LEN - 413351 - Aus.)
Wireless Operator R. E. PECK (DICK - 420775 - Aus.)
Bomber Aimer R. G. IDDON (RON - 415904 - Aus.)
Engineer J. W. HILLIER (JIM - 1603755 - Eng.)
Mid Upper Gunner O.J. JONES (OWEN - 422643 - Aus.)
Rear Gunner J.V. JEFFREY (VERN - 427097 - Aus.)

View The Crew Missions

THE BEGINNING

At the outbreak of the World War II I was 17 years old and along with other young chaps around Narara, near Gosford on the central coast of New South Wales, we talked of joining up in the Forces. I didn’t want to go into the Army as Dad had told me terrible tales of life in the trenches and the waste of life during WW I, so I thought the Airforce was the thing for me, you flew over everything and didn’t have to slog through mud etc.

Three of us decided we would join the R.A.A.F. when the Recruiting Train called at Gosford N.S.W. in May 1941, as very shortly we would be recruited into the Army anyway. So one cold frosty morning in May I borrowed Dad’s T Model Ford and picked up Col Mosse-Robinson and Dick Grigg and reported to the train where they put us through a medical examination. I being a bit nervous at 'weeing' into a bottle couldn’t do it, so they sent me off to the Pub to have a couple of beers saying that will fix you and it did!

I was asked what I wanted to be, I chose Air Gunner thinking that with my education I wouldn't manage Pilot, Navigator or Wireless Operator, only to be told I couldn’t do that. However I could choose between Pilot, Navigator or Wireless Operator I opted for the latter (or as it was known at the time Wireless Air Gunner). I was a bit interested in wireless at that time having an old crystal set, if I failed I would come back to Air Gunner.

We were placed on Reserve and had to do 27 lessons this included Mathematics, Trigonometry, English and Morse Code, not having obtained my Intermediate Certification at school, this was to bring us up to Leaving level. It was decided that the place to study was Col Mosse-Robinsons’ as it was half way between my place and Dick Grigg’s. Col’s girl friend who was a school teacher, coached us in Maths, Trig and English she was quite often at his place, so I would ride my bike over once or twice a week. Mrs. Woodward who lived nearby taught us Morse Code. Then once a week we were required to attend Morse Code lessons at the School of Arts in Gosford run by Ron Evans who had been in Signals in World War I. Time passed and we finally completed the lessons, Dick who couldn’t cope with Trigonometry failed, but Col and I sat for our exam and passed.

We received our call up notice to report to Wooloomooloo in Sydney N.S.W. on the 8th of November 1941, for Col to go into the R.A.A.F. and for me it was to measure my left leg, which had the thigh broken when I was a baby. It was here I learnt that it was quarter of an inch shorter than my right leg, therefore I could not be a pilot but could go for either a Navigator or Wireless Operator. I chose the latter and was told to report for enlistment the next day 9th November 1941, which started my career with the R.A.A.F. with the number 420775 and rank of ACII (Aircraftsman 2). Col who went in the previous day had the number 420577.

I was taken by bus to Bradfield Park No. 2 Initial Training School (2 I.T.S.) as 22nd Course where I was vaccinated and had numerous injections and inoculations. For one month I learnt to march, drill and had lectures on Morse Code and Maths. It was here that I met up with John Haynes, we had been together in primary school at Narara Public, near Gosford NSW. From Bradfield Park we were sent to No. 2 Embarkation Depot (2 E.D.) Bradfield Park, Sydney N.S.W. From here we were supposed to go to Canada to finish our training in the Empire Air Training Scheme but this was not to be, as the Japanese came into the war by attacking Pearl Harbour on the 7th December 1941. So we marked time staying around 2 E.D. not doing anything very much, until we were posted to No. 3 Wireless Air Gunners School (3 W.A.G.S.) at Maryborough in Queensland on 5th March 1942. Whilst here we were issued with a rifle and 70 rounds of ammunition, as they thought the Japanese were about to invade Australia, I thought I had evaded running around with a rifle by not joining the army. I had owned a .22 rifle since I was 14 years old so they were no novelty to me. (This same .22 rifle is now owned by my son in law Brian Tomalin.)

We started an intensive course of Radio Theory, Morse Code and Procedure at the same time always carrying our rifle and bayonet with us. Then after lectures we would do Army training with rifle and bayonet, and at night sleep with it beside our bed. This went on until the scare was over a few months later. Finally the day came when we would put all we had learnt into practise, so it was on the 21st August 1942 I had my first two flights, one in the morning in A3-198 Wackett Trainer and an A3-185 in the afternoon and was air sick both times. I thought this wasn’t going to be too good if it kept up, but luckily I flew again next day and was not air sick, and have never been since.

Unfortunately John Haynes failed the WOP's course and went off to train as an air gunner, while at Gunnery School he was operated on for appendicitis. I didn't catch up with him again until 2 E.D. Bradfield Park N.S.W. we embarked together from 1 E.D. Melbourne, Victoria.

After two months of flying and practising operating a wireless transmitter receiver in the air I graduated as a Wireless Operator on the 12th September 1942 as Sergeant. We had a passing out parade and each was presented with his three stripes and Wireless Operator insignia also a big 'do' (dinner) at the Royal Hotel at night in Maryborough. Then off for one weeks leave before going to gunnery School at Evan’s Head N.S.W. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School (1 B.A.G.S.). It was during this leave that I was introduced to a young lady by the name of Ellice Pryor at a dance held in Maddock’s Hall, Gosford. This venue was a very well known dance hall in the war years, where dances were held to help the war effort. No sooner had we met than I had to return to Evan’s Head 1 B.A.G.S., but we started writing to each other and this continued for the rest of the war.
Poor Pym
At Evan’s Head we learnt all about machine guns, Vickers gas operated guns and the Browning, which were used in Aircraft at this time. We flew in Fairy Battles two at a time and took turns at firing at targets, each person having dipped his bullets in different coloured paint so as to tell who had hit the target and how many times. On one occasion I was up with a chap named Pym and it was my turn to shoot first. He was sitting on the floor of the aircraft as I opened up at the target. Suddenly there was much screaming and jumping about by Pym, it was then I discovered I had forgotten to put the deflection bag on the Vickers gun and it was spewing out red hot shells all over the place. Needless to say a couple of shells had gone down the leg of his pants and left the burnt impression of the shell case on his backside, he wasn’t impressed.

'Fully Fledged Airmen'
While at Evan’s Head we spent 48 hour leaves in Lismore and Casino cavorting. On completion of training here we were presented with our half Air Gunner Wing (A.G. Wing) this now made us fully fledged Airmen and very proud we were of it too. I served at 1 B.A.G.S. Evan’s Head from 12th September 1942 to 24th October 1942 then I was posted to 2 E.D. Bradfield Park on the 25th October 1942. From here I took leave, as we were expecting to go overseas very shortly, while on leave I saw Ellice many times.

The Win at Tamworth
To my surprise I was posted not overseas but to Central Flying School (C.F.S.) at Tamworth N.S.W. to work in the Telegraph Office taking messages in Morse Code. Here I met Col Ryden from Gosford who was a ground staff wireless operator and worked in the same office. He won a car in a raffle it was a 1924 model Dort which we drove from Tamworth to Gosford taking 12 hours to do the trip with 30 miles per hour about its maximum speed. We had one puncture at Maitland otherwise a good trip.

Christmas 1942 and Embarkation – Melbourne
Luckily I managed to get leave at Christmas time which I didn't think I would, as rumours were we would be going overseas at anytime. On returning from leave I was on my way to Melbourne (Victoria) within days to 1 E.D. where we stayed for a short period before embarking on the USS 'Westpoint'. This ship had formerly been the Miss America, a luxury liner of 40,000 tons. We sailed out of Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne in the evening with a destroyer escort which stayed with us until a day or so after leaving Auckland, New Zealand our only port of call. We stayed overnight in Auckland but no shore leave was given so didn't see any of the sites, leaving early the next morning. After the escort had left us the ships engines put on full speed which was maintained until an escort picked us up about a day or so out of San Francisco.

The Equator, John, myself and the gun
During the sea crossing, up around the equator it was very hot down below in the cabins so quite a few of us, John Haynes included, decided to sleep on deck. John and I took up a position near a large gun, nothing happened until one morning early there was a loud clanging of bells etc. and crew came running from everywhere all over us, we were quickly hustled below. They fired a few rounds from the guns whether for practise or real, I never did find out. Also we had a visit from King Neptune and all his crew when we crossed the Equator.
San Francisco – U.S.A.
We disembarked in San Francisco on the 15th January 1943, 18 days after leaving Melbourne Victoria, Australia. Boarding a train in the late afternoon we left San Francisco to commence our journey across America.

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

On waking next morning after travelling all night we were approaching the snow topped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Zig zagging our way over the mountains with two engines on the front and one at the back we finally came out on to the Mohave Desert which was the most desolate place I had ever seen. Our first stop was Barstow in the middle of the desert, where we spent about a quarter of an hour, the rest of the day we travelled across the desert stopping at a couple of small places in order that the engine could take on water. The desert had very pretty rock formations but no trees, completely bare. At dusk we pulled into Needles for about half an hour, and we were able to have a quick look at the town, the people had never seen Australians before and were quite surprised to find we spoke English! Crossed over the Colorado River after leaving Needles and next morning we woke to a snow covered scene with snow still falling, my first encounter of the stuff. Many snow fights took place at our various short stops because of the novelty. I have some 'snaps' of these goings on taken by another Gosford chap I knew Lance Frazer, who was also on the train. He was later to be shot down and killed on operations over Germany.

Continuing on we had many stops including Gallop, Dallas, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Dodge City, Newton, Kansas City, Waterloo and Chicago where we had a two hour break allowing us a walk around the city in the vicinity of the railway. Then on to Buffalo, finally arriving at Camp Miles Standish about 4 miles out of Taunton, which is not far from Boston, Massachusetts.

Five W/Ops.
After five days and five nights travelling we had arrived at our holding camp where we would spend about six weeks awaiting to embark on the next part of our journey to England.
By this time there were five of us who knocked around together all Wireless Ops. Joe Jeffrey, Frank Moss, Jock Neeson, Les McAlpin and myself, and on our various excursions into Boston, New York and Taunton we always went together.

American Hospitality
On the trip to New York the whole contingent marched down the street to a ticker tape welcome from the city of New York, we were the first lot of Australians in uniform to go across America. We were front page news with a large photograph in the paper and I featured very prominently, I sent Mum a copy which over the years has been lost. This same photograph was later reproduced in the Daily Telegraph (Australia) on 19th April 1943. After the march we went on to see the film 'Air Force' with Cary Grant. Later while standing on a street corner wondering what to do next in this big city, a chap by the name of Alan Corelli came up and spoke to us inviting us to go with him, but not saying where he was going. He looked a bit like a gangster to us but we reckoned five of us could handle him anyway. Next we approached Madison Square Garden where we entered by the stage door everybody 'bowing and scraping' to him evidently he was a 'big wig' in movies, only the Executive Secretary of Theatre Authority Inc. (of 545 Fifth Avenue, New York City). There we were introduced to all the actors and actresses including Harry Cary, Jan Kyphura, Hazel Moore, the Street Singers, Golden Gate Quartet and a lot of others. After leaving there we went to a night club restaurant the Greenwich Village Inn, where we had a meal at a table on the corner of the dance floor (cost a fortune) it was announced that we were there and who we were etc.

Television
After leaving there we were taken to Rueben's Restaurant where we saw Myrna Loy and husband Arthur Hornblow to whom he introduced us, we left there for our hotel the time being 5am. The next afternoon Alan Corelli took us to see Olsen and Johnson in 'Hellsapopping' introduced us to both before seeing the show. Next day looked over the Empire State Building the tallest building in the world at that time, also looked over Radio City and was televised from one room to the other. Television was very new then and had not been seen in Australia. Quite a memorable leave!
We had leave in Boston where we met some nice people Mr. and Mrs. A. Kenney who took us to their place for drinks and dinner, then a drive around Boston. Although at the time things were getting very cold and the roads were icy which prevented us getting to the high spots. Back at camp the temperature dropped to -20F.
It was a long walk from the train to Camp Miles Standish in the freezing conditions with very icy roads we couldn't stand up continually slipping and falling over. The only way to stay upright was to put our arms around each other and get along in this fashion. Some of the chaps had frost bitten ears and noses by the time we reached camp, fortunately I had a scarf which I wrapped around my head, Joe Jeffrey looked like a walrus with all the icicles sticking out from his moustache.
The shower rooms were straight across from our hut, but your hair instantly froze the moment you put your head outside the shower hut to make a dash back for the hut and what's more your hand stuck to the door handle when opening it. We stayed indoors until things warmed up even taking our meals in our huts cooking bacon and eggs on the top of the pot bellied stoves, there were three in each hut.

The Battle of the Biltmore
On one of our last leaves into Taunton there was ‘a run in’ at a restaurant which was next to the bus stop, the American M.Ps were out to get us, the R.A.A.F. that is. They came in the door as I was leaving to catch the bus so I missed it. But Joe Jeffrey and Les McAlpin who were just behind me were caught and given a beating, Les being thrown through a plate glass door receiving a large slash in his cheek. Both were put into hospital missing the boat as we left two days later. I didn't know about the fight until later and wondered where they were when they didn't catch the bus with me. This incident became known as the Battle of the Biltmore (Restaurant).

At last Great Britain
We travelled down to New York and boarded the Queen Elizabeth on the 11th March 1943 disembarking at Greenock (Glasgow, Scotland) on the 15th March four days later. From there we travelled by train to Bournemouth, England where we were billeted at hotels which had been taken over for that purpose and it was here Jeffrey and McAlpin caught up with me while awaiting further posting.

German Raid on Bournemouth
One Sunday we decided to go to Southhampton to watch a football match, as we caught a taxi to the railway station the air raid siren sounded as this happened almost every day not much notice was taken of it. We arrived at the station bought our tickets and walked to the platform when all hell broke loose, about 10 Focke-wulf 190 came in bombing and strafing. I made a rush for the waiting room diving under a seat for protection immediately followed by a W.A.F. who dived in against me, I offered to get out and let her right in but she refused and we stayed there until the raid was over. They strafed straight down the middle of the railway station and straddled it with 3 bombs which exploded about 50 yards away nobody was hurt on the railway station, this was a miracle. One of the bombs skidded along the ground going through the foundations of three houses blowing up under a fourth. They also strafed straight along the platform, which had had quite a lot of people on it minutes before including me! In the town 146 folk were killed. Parks and pubs were hit and as it was right on closing time, were crowded. The night before I had dinner at Jimmy's Restaurant being my 21st Birthday (5th April), it copped a bomb in the cellar and was completely blown up. After things quietened down the train came in and we continued on to Southhampton for the football match.
Up to this period I had been visiting a girl in London whom I had taken home the night before the raid on Bournemouth, she had been on holidays there, and had given me her address. As the part of Bournemouth where she was staying was hit pretty hard I hoped she had faired ok during the bombing. I received a letter from her mother telling me she was in hospital and had lost her leg from the thigh and asked if I would visit her. By the time I was able to visit she was out of hospital and home. I paid several visits there, even sleeping one night in a double bed with her father when I missed the last train owing to a raid. At this time I volunteered to accompany her father as he was a warden but he refused my offer as I didn’t have my tin hat which meant I ended up in the shelter with the rest.

John's War
I went to church with John Haynes one Sunday while in Bournemouth, a rare occurrence for me.
John left before me and was later shot down on a trip to Leverkusen on the 22nd-23rd August 1943. He parachuted safely down and was taken a prisoner of war (P.O.W.), we were not to meet again until after the war, he was my best man at my wedding.

The Five W/Ops. Split Up
Finally the other four chaps and myself were posted off to Bobbington 3 (O) A.F.U. (3 Observers Advanced Flying Unit) on the 25th May 1943 to train on the new Marconi Transmitter/Receiver. Here we did ground work and then finished off by flying in Avro Ansons both day and night working the sets, I received a pass after flying 29 hours 30 minutes.
Late one afternoon an officer came round to our hut and said, ‘one of you chaps will be going to Lichfield I don't care who it is you can decide yourselves but only one is wanted’. It was decided to draw straws the shortest being the one to go, I drew the shortest. I don't know whether I won or lost, so came the parting of the ways for the five, I was not to see any of these chaps again, except Les McAlpin, the only other one to survive the war. Joe Jeffrey was killed over Germany, Jock Neeson was killed in a crash while training in Scotland and Frank Moss was killed in training.
Before the five of us split up at Bobbington we had our first long leave so I decided to visit my Aunt Mary (Mum's sister) and Uncle Jack Christie in Aberdeen, Scotland, Jock Neeson not having anywhere in particular to go came with me, the others went elsewhere. We had quite an enjoyable time meeting all my cousins and grandfather also Aunt Barbara (Babs) and Uncle Duncan McPherson. Margaret and Barbara McPherson worked at the fish markets where they filleted the herring for smoking etc., boy could they use a knife on those fish.
My grandfather Richard Scott whom I'm named after, was known locally as Long Dick
(6' 4" in his younger years although when I finally met him he'd shrunk a bit) took Jock and myself on various trips site seeing around Aberdeen. I had missed meeting my Grandmother by a couple months as she had died.

27 O.T.U. Lichfield
On the 22nd June 1943 I departed alone for 27 O.T.U. Lichfield (Operational Training Unit), catching a train to Lichfield where I alighted. Gazing up and down the platform at all the people getting off amongst which I spotted a familiar uniform, he was an Australian pilot also heading to 27 O.T.U. We decided to share a taxi together to get to the drome, he was Sergeant Len Ainsworth, and seemed a nice chap as we talked on the way.
At 27 O.T.U. the first two or three weeks were spent in groundwork, lectures etc. I noticed then that most chaps seemed to be 'crewing up', I thought I'd better do the same, so at the first opportunity I asked Len Ainsworth did he want a Wireless Operator. Len said he'd let me know and a day or so later he came back to me with a positive response if I would like to fly with him, he had evidently checked out my credentials before giving an answer. A couple of days later he brought over a Navigator, Len Connolly; Bomb Aimer, Ron Iddon and Rear Gunner, Vern Jeffrey although I think Vern was allocated to the crew.
It was decided we would leave Lichfield and move to the satellite drome at Church Broughton, where we commenced flying as a crew in Wellingtons with the skipper first having to learn to fly one and us with him!

Church Broughton
While here we would go on weekend leave etc. to Derby where Joe Loss and his band used to play for the dances.
At Church Broughton we had pushbikes and used to ride to nearby pubs. On one of these occasions when returning from the pub Len Connolly and I had got well ahead of the others. Coming into the village with no lights of course on our bikes, I collided with the side of a police car that pulled out of a side street, Len just managing to pull up in time avoiding a collision. The local (cop) policeman was standing on the corner. He drank with us in our mess, but unfortunately I'd run into the inspector's car and he insisted I be 'booked'. Apologising the poor chap was forced to book me and Len Connolly who only came over to see what was going on, fortunately we managed to warn the others away.
I was booked a second time on Trent Valley Road, Lichfield while riding from town to the drome with other members of the crew.
We flew on daylight training on Wellingtons 111 for about a month then onto night flying for a month.

OPERATIONS

30th-31st August 1943, Operation No. 1, France in a Wellington 1601-G our last night training flight being a raid on ammunition dumps in forests of France which was counted as our first operation. I didn't find out about this target until later from records.
For our last training flight from O.T.U. we flew from Church Broughton to Lichfield in our Wellington de-rated 111, for briefing and 'bombing up' (this information we found out at briefing, we were expecting to carry leaflets). At the briefing the pilot had an argument with the C.O. as to the number of bombs on our aircraft, it being less powerful than the Wellington X at Lichfield. It was agreed to remove one 500 pound bomb and just as well, as we took the full length of the runway to get off and were unable to gain the required height for bombing at the target! Fortunately everything went off OK and we managed to get a photo of the target, the best to that time and remained so until after I had completed Ops. It's no wonder why this record held for so long considering the height we bombed from. We landed back at Church Broughton at 0040 hours after 4 hours 10 minutes in the air, the ground crew most surprised to find fuse wires dangling from the bomb bay and then realising we had carried real bombs not leaflets. Rollo Kingsford Smith also flew on this trip.
O.T.U. training complete we departed for Morton Hall on 3rd September 1943 to do a months Commando course to toughen us up for what was to come, here the Mid Upper, Owen Jones joined us. He walked into the hut one afternoon as we were about to leave for the pub, asking if this was Ainsworth’s crew?
As he'd come to the right place introductions went all round and Owen was invited to join us for a drink. He declined saying he was broke, so I loaned him a quid (one pound English currency) and we remained firm friends from then on, until his death in Sydney, Australia years after the war of a heart attack. We all headed off to the local pub and had one hell of a night everybody in the place was singing all sorts of songs including 'Roll me over in the clover'.
Shortly after Owen's arrival Jim Hillier the Engineer joined us, he was an Englishman, married with a family. We were now a complete Lancaster crew of seven members, six Australians and one Englishman, this crew composition being very uncommon at this time.
On completion of our commando course we were off to 1661 C.U. at Winthorpe (Conversion Unit) to convert onto Lancasters arriving there on the 1st November 1943. While at Conversion Unit we were doing Fighter Affiliation that is practising avoiding a fighter attack by doing a manoeuvre called 'Corkscrewing'. One particular day, the Spitfire came in to attack, the rear gunner called 'dive port corkscrew go', the pilot dived to port but over did it and we went right over on our back pulling out going back the way we came, very scary, Lancasters are not supposed to that! We didn’t see the spitfire again reckon he thought we’d had it. On landing an examination revealed all the rivets popped on the wings, one U/S (unserviceable) aircraft until fixed.

On one night cross country trip of about four hours flight, the rear gunner Vern was sick and Owen took his place in the rear turret. It was about half way through the trip when Owen’s electrically heated suit failed, he had near frozen to death and couldn’t get himself out of the turret. On opening the turret and in the process of dragging him out I had placed my hand on his back only to find about half an inch of hoar frost over it but in actual fact he was covered with frost! Eventually I was able to get him out and help him move up to the warmer part of the aircraft. It goes without saying that if he had been there much longer the outcome could well have been fatal as we were flying at 20,000 feet.

After a lot of circuits, landings, cross-country night and day flying we were finally ‘passed out’ as ‘A’ Class crew to go to 467 Squadron at Waddington.

ON SQUADRON AT WADDINGTON 467
LANCASTERS

19th November 1943, on our arrival and for the next few days we were fog bound, all I knew of my new station was from the Barrack Block to the Sergeants Mess, visibility being limited to 30 or 40 yards.
During these early days at Waddington the Pilot and the Navigator flew on experience trips. Len Ainsworth flew as second Pilot with P/O Fisher in DU277 on 22nd-23rd November to Berlin and again on 23rd-24th November with P/O N.M. McClelland to Berlin.
Owen Jones flew as replacement Gunner with F/Sgt. Gibbs to Berlin on 23rd-24th November.
Ron Iddon flew to Berlin on 23rd-24th November as replacement Bomb Aimer with P/O Coulson.

26th November 1943, Op. No.2, Berlin, our turn to go as a crew, we took off at 1721 hours in DU373 PO-R and set course for our target everything went well. I tested Aural Monica (fore runner of radar) which appeared to be working OK, anyway it did the right things when a bundle of window (strips of aluminium foil) was thrown out by the Bomb Aimer, that is to say, dots representing ‘pips’ which got further apart as the window went further astern. It reacted a couple of times after the Pilot corkscrewed but the gunners saw nothing. Opposite Frankfurt the Mid Upper Gunner reported a fighter on our starboard side which both the rear gunner and mid upper proceeded to watch, as he was just out of range and flying in the same direction parallel with us. The next thing a great burst of cannon fire ripped past on the starboard side and the Pilot went into a violent dive to port, the gunners hadn’t seen the second fighter, both Focke-wulf 190’s and therefore didn’t even get a shot in at them.
The Aural Monica never even let out one peep so wasn’t of any use, it did ‘pip’ again later when nothing was there which caused the pilot to corkscrew for nothing, so we finally switched it off as being totally unreliable.
When the fighter attacked we were at approximately 20,000 feet on pulling out of the port dive we found we were at 12,000 feet, also the starboard wing was making groaning noises and there was a strong smell of petrol in my position. I reported this to the pilot and asked that he take it easy with his ‘corkscrewing’ as the noise was most pronounced during this procedure.
We continued on to Berlin climbing as we went but could only make 17,000 feet on reaching the target, so bombed at that height. As we approached Berlin I decided to have a look out of the Astro Dome as the rest of the crew were saying what a terrible sight, it was awesome, after my first glance I quite agreed with them.
All I could see was a wall which appeared solid of bursting flak, searchlights, smoke, marker flares, bursting bombs and fires, I thought if we get through this we’ll be lucky.
We flew on did our bomb run, dropped the bombs and turned for home with nothing further happening to us.
On these trips I as Wireless Operator (W/Op.) had to listen out every half hour to a group broadcast for any messages, I was doing this as we were over the North Sea when our call sign came up, followed by a long message in code. I deciphered the message to find we were to be diverted to Lynton on Ouse near York as our drome was fog bound. We did over fly Waddington our drome but could not see a thing. On arrival at Lynton on Ouse we were told to join the top of a stack and wait our turn to land.
A stack is a number of aircraft circling the drome with 500 feet between them in height as each one lands so each aircraft drops 500 feet until all have landed.
We circled for what seemed ages, seeing other pilots of aircraft trying to land overshooting the runway, but from straight above it appeared quite clear. Then on our turn to land we found out the reason for the trouble, there was a ground mist about 100 feet thick which blotted out all sight of the runway as you did your approach. We came in but missed the runway so went around again, the Engineer saying you’ll have to get down next time as there is insufficient fuel to go round again. A second attempt was made, suddenly the runway lights appeared out of the mist and we were off to one side. The Pilot said, ‘hang on I’m landing on the grass at the side of the runway’, he regained the runway about half way along; we were guided to our dispersal the engines cutting out from lack of fuel just as we arrived. Then we were taken to the debriefing room where I was handed a cup of cocoa, I had to hold it with both hand as they were shaking so much ---- 'a dicey do!'
The fighter cannon shells had ripped open the top of the starboard wing and tailplane also ripping open the top of the petrol tank and damaging the main spar of the wing. They patched up our aircraft while at Lynton on Ouse putting sticky tape over the slits in the wing for our flight back to Waddington a couple of days later, but we were back to our original condition on landing as all the tape had blown off on the way. The starboard wing had to be replaced after we flew back to Waddington. At this stage the whole crew were of the same opinion that it would appear we weren’t going to last too long if all the operations were like that one. The trip took eight hours fifty minutes landing at 0211 hours.
We took part in no more operations partly due to bad weather until December.

2nd December 1943, Op. No. 3, Berlin, flying in LM376 PO-O this time it was clouded over and was a much easier trip than the last one.

3rd December 1943, Op. No. 4, Leipzig being the target flying in LM376 PO-O. The route for this was straight to within 50 miles of Berlin then a right angle turn due south to Leipzig which fooled the fighters as they thought Berlin was the target again, although the flak was pretty hot over Leipzig we came through OK. I had a look out my window here as the pilot and B/A (bomb aimer) were saying how hot the flak was, I no sooner pulled the blackout curtain back than a shell burst practically on the end of the wing, I very quickly pulled the curtain back and went on with what I had to do.

The rest of the month was taken up with training on the new Visual Monica, doing three training flights. Also this being my first white Christmas away from home in the Sgts. Mess being looked after by the officers who served our dinner.

1st January 1944, Op. No. 5, Berlin, flying in DU277 PO-L an uneventful trip as we had cloud cover again.
On long trips we could get a small packed lunch or fruit to take with us I never worried about it as you were unable to eat anything as you couldn’t take your oxygen mask off. On this trip Owen decided to take an orange with him in the mid upper turret and eat it when he got down to 10,000 feet over the North Sea. Unfortunately he found it had frozen solid and he was unable to bite or break it on the gun butts. The temperature had been down to -60° F, he was bouncing it off the concrete when we landed. Temperature variations experienced on trips varied from -20° F to -60° F.

5th January 1944, Op. No. 6, Stettin, flying in DU277 PO-L this time we were hit by a piece of flak over the target. It came through the skin of the aircraft and thumped the Bomb Aimer, a replacement named MacLeod, fortunately only bruising him in the ribs. The rest of the trip was uneventful but on landing in the dark the Pilot taxied into the bomb dump, the aircraft coming to rest with its nose over the detonator hut, three propellers sticking through the roof of the hut and all the barbed wire entanglements wound around all four props. We called for a truck to pick us up and left the plane, what a mess!
Two new engines and four new propellers were needed to fix the craft. The Pilot was not reprimanded as they classified it as 'an act of war.'

LM 338 PO-U 'U' for UNCLE

8th January 1944, at this time we took over our own aircraft LM338 PO-U doing our first air test in it. It was a second hand aircraft having done 40 odd trips and at this stage it had a bulldog tearing up a Nazi flag painted on the nose. Obviously it had been shot up before as it had a few patches here and there but we thought it was great having our own aeroplane.
As a point of interest the Pilot was offered R5 868 PO-S, S for Sugar which he turned down as being too old, this aircraft is now on display in the RAF Museum.
The next week or so was taken up with training flights until our next trip.

14th January 1944, Op. No. 7, Brunswick, where we had an aircraft above us drop its bombs on us. The 'cookie' (4,000 lb. Bomb) just missing the nose of our aircraft, we flew into a cloud of 30 lb. incendiaries one hitting the starboard inner propeller bending it and breaking the seal on the feathering mechanism causing hydraulic fluid to flow back onto the exhaust stubs. At first visually this appeared to be an engine fire, but soon went out when the oil was exhausted. Another 30 lb. incendiary hit the leading edge of the starboard wing putting a large dent in it, others skated off the bomb bay doors which were open at the time and wider than the aircraft. This now meant a long flight home on three engines which was accomplished without further trouble, except we had to wait until all other aircraft had landed before we were allowed to land. The reason being was in case we crashed and blocked the runway, preventing others from landing. We decided that if this happened again, we would not inform anyone until after we had landed.

On one leave whilst on squadron the crew went to Coventry to relatives of the flight engineer Jim Hillier, for part of the leave I went on up to Aberdeen and the rest went to Edinburgh. It was here that Len Connolly met up with a Scottish red head whom he married while we were still on the squadron. It all happened very quickly, why we didn't know, love at first sight I suppose, anyhow I was unable to attend the wedding 'a registry affair' I think. Owen was best man and at such short notice didn't have a clean uniform, jumped a rank and wore mine, a Warrant Officer for the day.

24th February 1944, Op. No. 8, Schweinfurt. Flying across the North Sea we were in company with another Lancaster which was about 500 feet blow us until approximately the Dutch coast, suddenly the mid-upper gunner opened up on us, we turned away from him and lost him. Our gunners wanted to give him a burst but the skipper said no, the rest of the trip was uneventful. On landing at base we found 14 bullet holes and a flat port tyre which caused us to slew around and finish up across the runway blocking all further aircraft from landing. Unfortunately another Lancaster was following us in and I had the colours of the day in the 'verey pistol' so had to do a quick change in order to fire a red flare. Pulled the trigger and had a miss fire tried again and the flare shot up causing the other Lanc. to open up his engines and fly off to another drome. Needless to say we weren't very popular with him*, I was commended for my quick action in firing a red, I didn't mention I'd had to change the cartridge and miss fired. Once again another hairy landing but we came out OK.
*Jack Colpus was the pilot of the following aircraft, speaking with him many years later he remembered, 'so you're the bastard that nearly shot me down with a red'.

25th February 1944, Op. No. 9, Ausburg. A routine trip for us.

9th March 1944, Op. No. 10, Marigane, near Marseilles in the south of France, this was a Group 5 special consisting of special markers, a master of ceremonies and bombing from low altitude most successfully an aircraft factory.
While flying near Reading going south (that is east of London) Owen our mid upper gunner suddenly reported a JU88 flying along with us. He asked Len our Pilot if he could give him a burst, Len’s reply was that we have more important things to do. I never expected to be flying along with the enemy over England.
We landed away from base at St. Evals as the weather had turned bad and flew up to our base two days later in another aircraft, our plane being U/S (unserviceable). A further two days on we were flown back to St. Evals to pick up 'U' for Uncle which we flew back to base.
On landing we did a bit of acting, getting dressed in flying gear while they took a movie of us, don't know what happened to it, never saw it anywhere.

'The boil'
It was during mid March that I ended up in hospital (on the drome) for a week with a boil above my eye missing two operations, the crew taking my cap with them each time for luck.
Taking my place on the 15th-16th March to Stuttgart was Sgt. Williams; and on the 18th-19th March to Frankfurt, Sgt Wareham.
According to the Pilot he had a very hairy trip to Frankfurt as the W/OP used the Elsan (toilet) and forgot to secure the lid. Having to do violent evasive action the contents of the Elsan flew all over the aircraft shorting out the intercom resulting in no communications.

22nd March 1944, Op. No. 11, Frankfurt, on the way home the port inner engine seized over enemy territory forcing us to continue flying and to land on three engines for the second time. In my position being right beside the engine the vibrations that resulted were particularly horrific.

24th March 1944, Op. No. 12, Berlin. The route was across the North Sea to Denmark, flying over Denmark to the Baltic Sea then turning south for Berlin. We had been designated to be ‘wind finders’ for this trip, only experienced crews were permitted to do this job. Firstly the Navigator had to work out the wind direction and strength; passing the information onto me I would put it into code and transmit it to the bomber force to navigate on, this was supposed to keep the force together. I had been doing this job since trips 10 or 11. On this particular night the wind was 120 mph from the north. Bomber Command thought this was ridiculous reducing the speed markedly causing the force to get all over the place when turning east across Denmark and the Baltic Sea. We seemed to take no time to reach Berlin after turning south the wind now being behind us helping us along.
This particular trip our aircraft was late being bombed up and there was a bit of a panic to get it done much to our later regret. Unbeknown to any body a can of incendiaries had gone in crooked and cut an hydraulic line. Later when the bomb bay doors wouldn't open we were forced to use a drastic strategy by dropping the 'Cookie' (a 4,000 lb. Bomb) fortunately forcing the doors open and in turn allowing us to drop the incendiaries. Now the problem was how to close the bomb bay doors? After unsuccessfully diving up and down numerous times, the pilot did a little flying on a course he didn't tell the navigator about. On finding ourselves over Hanover and getting plenty of attention from Predicted Flak some sharp words were exchanged between the Navigator and Pilot. Owen gave evasive action for the flak. I feel it was Owen's skill and experience that got us out of this very tight spot. We found that on getting out of Hanover we were headed back to Berlin. After a 'conference' between the crew it was decided to fly between Hanover and Bremen, as we could see their searchlights and flak. Having the bomb bay doors open slowed us up considerably making the trip home a long slow haul. To land the Pilot set his controls for wheels and flaps then I released the compressed air everything went down with a bang, allowing us to land safely.
Arriving back at base we found we had been 'posted missing', but this was soon wiped off the board by the pilot.

30th March 1944, Op. No. 13, Nuremburg, a normal flight for us only because the skipper having had some sort of premonition about the trip promoted himself forward into the leading waves. Ninety-eight (98) bombers were shot down and behind us all we could see was flaming aircraft going down all over the place. An account of this raid can be read in the novel titled 'The Nuremburg Raid' written by Martin Middlebrook.

Lots of drinking
Owen Jones and I used to always drink together and when on Squadron did most of it at The Horse and Jockey in Waddington, although at times we wandered further a field to The Bull which is on the way to Lincoln or The Saracen's Head in Lincoln itself. On one occasion we had been to The Bull and were walking back along the road to the drome when a farmer on a bike came along. Owen said watch me scare the daylights out of this bloke, he could pull terrible faces, he did this along with a lot of horrible noises and arm waving. The poor bloke ran off the road, fell off his bike, then got himself tangled up with it in his hurry to get back on, we nearly wet ourselves laughing. On other occasions such as cancellation of operations it would be a beeline straight for the Horse and Jockey.
On one night it had snowed so much while we were at the Horse and Jockey that everything was covered with about 18 inches of snow, levelling off the whole scene. The road from the pub to the drome had a right angle turn with a deep drain at the side, on this particular night I went a bit too far at the corner and ended up, up to my armpits in snow the others had to help me out.
Drinking was our main pastime, 'Drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.'
The crew whilst on Squadron never went to church although most were devout Catholics, the reason being, it seemed that those who went to church were the ones who didn't make it. We saw plenty come and go. There were two other crews or part crews in our room besides us, that is N.C.O's were housed in different quarters.

They didn’t make it – we were lucky
Taxiing around the perimeter track to the take off point preparing for our next trip (can’t remember now which trip) we had a near miss when another Lanc that was taking off for some reason the pilot lost control. The plane careered of the runway missed our tail by a few feet and crashed into the rifle range all were killed. We all carried on as expected.

'Death'
The chap who came around and gathered up the belongings of missing or killed crew was a pasty-faced individual whom we called 'death'.
One day I saw him collecting a chap's gear, he'd had a radio plugged into the light socket on the ceiling. 'Death' couldn't reach it so he cut it off with a pair scissors, we nearly had another death. After that little episode he looked even more like death.

11th April 1944, Op. No. 14, Auchen. An uneventful trip in 'U' for Uncle.

18th April 1944, Op. No. 15, Juivesey (Paris), another Group 5 special low level raid requiring very accurate bombing, with a master of ceremonies, on railway yards; a normal trip for us.

22nd April 1944, Op. No. 16, Brunswick, this time over the target the pilot opened up the throttles and one of the linkages came apart, the engine remaining at full throttle all the way home! He cut the engine in order to land, our third time landing on three engines.
Twice before he didn't inform control and we were able to go straight in to land, so he just did the same again.

'Curtins'
At about the time of the Brunswick raid we had a visit from the Australian Prime Minister who attended the briefing and etc. After take off and when we were over the English channel he sent a long coded message which I took and passed on to the crew. It ended with 'good luck, Curtin', we all commented that all that was needed was an 's' on the end of his name.

24th April 1944, Op. No. 17, Munich, a long trip which saw us coming out over Switzerland. I remember noting the 'ground return' on my Monica Set going up and down as we crossed over the Alps with a couple of thousand feet to spare. I was very tired after nine hours and forty-five minutes in the air. It was daylight on our return over England where we saw the 'Yanks' taking off for their daylight raid with Flying Fortresses everywhere.

The Second Front
It now being May 1944 the preparation for the second front started with bombing of targets in France mainly railway junctions, aerodromes etc. We did one trip each to Duisberg and Brunswick of five hours and fifty minutes and not running into any trouble, compared with previous trips deep into Germany we thought these shorter trips were 'snacks'.

8th May 1944, Op. No. 18, Brest Aerodrome. Flying LL789 PO-P and bombing from low level at about 8,000 feet as compared with previous targets, some aircraft going in even lower. One of which was piloted by 463 Squadron Wing Commander Bill Brill going in very low and was well and truly shot up receiving the D.S.O. for his trouble.

19th May 1944, Op. No. 19, Tours. Flying DU277 PO-W this trip we did have an U/S (unserviceable) bomb sight and had to return to base, this being the 'instruction', as the bombing had to be very accurate so as not to kill French people. Also on this op. we carried a second pilot for his first trip.
These returns were known as 'Boomerangs' and not usually counted as an operation, but this one was counted finally as we were especially instructed that if there was anything at all wrong with the bomb site we were to return to base and not bomb.

21st May 1944, Op. No. 20, Duisburg, back in our own kite U-Uncle. (Probably the aircraft had been undergoing a major overhaul, I've nothing noted and I can't recall now why it missed two trips.)

22nd May 1944, Op. No. 21, Brunswick. On our way home Owen opened fire on a fighter I didn't find out until later as I had been busy in the rear.

24th May 1944, Op. No. 22, Eindoven, we were recalled because of poor visibility at the target the Phillips Radio Works. We dropped our bombs in the North Sea, one crew did not receive the recall message and went on to bomb the target alone fortunately returning safely.

27th May 1944, Op. No. 23, Nantes, the target, gun emplacements.

28th May 1944, Op. No. 24, Cherbourg area bombing gun emplacements again.

31st May 1944, Op. No. 25, Saumur; returning on the following morning the 1st June. The last trip of the tour. The whole crew was quite nervous and on edge this trip knowing so many had gone down on their last trip. I had an argument with the pilot over the target, as he wanted a commentary of the aircraft in the vicinity. I would normally give a commentary, but not over the target as the screen of the Monica became too cluttered with 'blips' because there being too great a concentration of aircraft to distinguish any particular one, friend or foe. After a few words where I invited him to give a commentary if he could and he invited me to fly the aircraft we were cut short by Owen Jones, the Mid Upper Gunner, who told us, 'Shut up you bastards or none of us will get back!' After that all was quiet except for what had to be said.
We were all very pleased and relieved on landing back at base.
As I had missed two trips when I was put into hospital with a boil on my forehead I had it in my mind that I would have two more trips to do with another crew. Next day I met with the skipper and to my relief he informed me that the whole crew had finished together. This called for a celebration!

The Fate of LM338 PO-U
On the 7th-8th July 1944 on a bombing raid to St. Leu d'Esserant piloted by P.W. Ryan,
U-Uncle was lost and never found.

End of Tour Celebrations and 'D' Day 6th June 1944
We all went off on ten days leave, Owen and I going to Edinburgh where much drinking was done. I had been to Edinburgh quite a few times before and liked the city very much, it being one of my favourite places. While on leave in Edinburgh 'D' Day took place on the 6th June 1944, we missed it by five days and I was not to see anymore action as I had been posted as an instructor to 30 O.T.U. Hixon.

LEAVE ANECDOTES

While on squadron we had leave every six weeks so I took trips to various places.
I went to Aberdeen visiting my relatives, my maternal Grandfather, my mother's two sisters and lots of cousins, as all my mother's family lived in Scotland. Staying with Aunt Mary (Mum's sister) and Uncle Jack Christie on one occasion I was escorted by Jack and Duncan MacPherson to Granham Mills. This is where Mum had worked as a weaver on the looms before leaving Scotland. Here I met one of the older employees who had worked with Mum and we were able to have a good talk. I remarked to the Manager that the cloth looked like a blanket, he nearly had a fit and told me in no uncertain terms that it was the finest woollen material money could buy. He actually said a lot more, but it is quite unprintable!
I was the only one in the family to meet our Grandfather and both our mother's sisters.
My Grandfather would take me on trips to different parts of Aberdeen always on the tram, usually to the end of the line where he would get off and say, 'well we'd better have a drink'. After a few beers which I bought he would say, 'well we had better get back', he did like his grog. Although there were a couple of places with hardly a pub, but I think they were mistakes.
One time while doing a test flight in our Lancaster and knowing we were due for leave we decided to have a look around for what appeared to be a good place to go. We flew over the Lakes District but decided that it appeared to be a pretty quiet looking place, then had a look out to the west coast, finally deciding on Southport, with the whole crew going there.

The Temperance Hotel Lesson
We arrived in Southport, booked into an hotel then off we went out on the town finally arriving back at the hotel about midnight to find it shut up as tight as a drum. After much banging on the door it was finally opened by a very disgruntled person who stated that it was a temperance hotel. With much argument he let us in, needless to say we were very much under the weather and next morning we left all going our different ways.
Owen Jones, Ron Iddon, Len Connolly and myself went to London where we made sure our accommodation was appropriate and not a temperance hotel.
On this particular trip we found our way to a dance and I picked up a nice looking blonde, this was not to last too long as good looking blonde Ron Iddon took her off me. Anyway the dance ended and he told me he was taking her home so I wished him luck, saying I'd see him tomorrow as I started off up the road towards the Underground Station. Next thing I know I could hear Ron calling, 'wait for me Dick, wait for me', I waited. As he came trotting up I asked what was the matter, only to be told that she wanted five pound for the night to sleep with her and I believe that also included breakfast. We proceeded on our way back together.

A Brush with Fame
While on leave in London, Owen and myself went into a restaurant to have a meal and who should be sitting at a table there but Mickey Rooney and Bobby Breen both in American uniform of course

Thank God for Owen
On another of our excursions to London Owen and I met up with some friends and not having any accommodation organised we decided to stay in their room. During the night, or rather early in the morning, I needed to go to the toilet and forgetting to note the room number. I was wandering around scantily clad getting more than a little concerned as to what to do next, when to my relief I saw Owen emerging from the room.
In 1988 Ellice and I stayed in Piccadilly Circus at the Regent Palace, I'm sure it's the same hotel.

Rugby Test - England v Australia
Again Owen and his good ideas conned me into a game of rugby, the Aussies versus the English. I had never played the game before with Owen coaching me as the game went along and I can't even remember who won!

Owen and the Piper
On leave with Owen staying in a hotel in Edinburgh near the railway station, we took off one night on our usual pub-crawl. While walking down the street we were spoken to by a couple of girls who invited us to a party which was up stairs in a flat. There were quite a number of people, including a piper who was marching up and down out in the hallway playing his pipes. People were dancing and drinking in the room. All this went on for some time until all of a sudden there was a thump, a squawk and a wheeze there was the piper flat out on the floor his bagpipes on top of him. We decided to leave at this stage and outside Owen wanted to carry on with the pub-crawl but I had had enough for the night heading back to the hotel. Hours later Owen returned to the hotel with a bloodied face and a black eye, telling me that he had an argument with a couple of paratroopers.

The Wrong Man Scare
Going to London I regularly stayed at a place in Vauxhall Bridge Road catching the train to Victoria Street Station it was a convenient walking distance.
One night on leave in London while returning to my hotel in Vauxhall Bridge Road during the blackout, I was jumped from behind an arm thrown around my throat and lifted off my feet, I couldn’t do a thing. They (there were two of them Army of some sort) wanted to know what I was, I told them Airforce and they dropped me saying they were looking for someone else! I continued the rest of the way in the middle of the road as they had frightened the daylights out of me! From then on I always walked in the middle of the road.

The Best Steaks in England
Again on leave in London with part of the crew can’t quite remember who now, just wandering around we came upon a café with a sign in the window saying ‘Steak Sold Here’. We couldn’t believe it! ‘Right, we’ll be in this’, not having ever seen a steak in England. We ordered up our steaks which were nicely served and tasted delicious. Paid our bill and as we walked out we noticed a sign above the door, ‘ONLY THE BEST HORSE MEAT SOLD HERE’. We never did get back there but if we had we would certainly have had another steak!

Soya Bean Sausages – NO THANKS!
On another occasion while wanting to catch an early train and leaving the Base early before the Mess opened for breakfast, I was keeping an eye out for somewhere to eat. I was walking down a street and happened to find a café open, choosing some sausages for my breakfast from the menu. On tasting these sausages I could not believe what I was trying to eat they were just like bags of saw dust, absolutely horrible, totally inedible; the consequence being no breakfast for me that day! Turned out they were soya bean sausages which I had never heard of before, nor since.

What's in a Name?
Len Ainsworth's nickname was Ghandi and Clive Quartermaine his mate another Pilot was Bones. I remember one night returning from a raid somewhere in France when Ainsworth called suddenly over the intercom 'Bones, Bones where art thou Bones?' the way he said it sounded quite weird and the effect is lost on paper.

30 O.T.U. Hixon
Following the leave at the end of my Tour I was posted as an instructor to 30 O.T.U. Hixon, where I was to remain for about three months. Owen had also been posted here but was on the satellite drome of Seighford. After about a month I decided to get together with my mate applying to go to Seighford which was granted, even managing to get into the same hut with beds opposite each other. I did do a few cross country trips as 'screen wireless operator', but my main job was to do a daily inspection on the wireless gear of about six Wellingtons, once completed my day was free.
Owen had much the same hours which led to us getting on our bikes and taking off to the pubs returning at night much the worse for wear. This went on day after day until it looked as though I was becoming an alcoholic I know I was becoming quite shaky, then all of a sudden I was posted off to 27 O.T.U.Lichfield, probably to separate us I'll never know.

27 O.T.U. Lichfield
Here I put in two more months with much more work to do, flying as screen (W/O) and attending lectures on how to instruct. At this stage I was a Warrant Officer having attained this rank whilst on the Squadron. Again I requested to go to the satellite drome at Church Broughton where the Bomb Aimer and Navigator were also stationed and this also being where we were when we did our O.T.U. training.

Church Broughton
Transfer granted I presented myself to the Signals Leader who promptly inquired as to whether I had applied for my commission, as I hadn't he made it quite clear that he didn't want Non Commissioned men here.
I applied and shortly after received notice to appear for an interview at Morton Hall our Headquarters. I was sitting waiting for the interview when who should turn up (also for an interview) but Owen Jones, not having seen each other for quite some time. We had a long chat and caught up on each other's news, he was still at Hixon.
Finally my commission came through and the Adjutant at Church Broughton, a W.A.A.F. Officer, was quite excited about it all and sewed my Pilot Officer (P/O) braids on my sleeve, the W/O uniform being the same as the Officers.
I was given leave, 75 pounds and a ticket to London to get myself fitted out in Saville Row with instructions as to where to go in the Row. Being measured for a new uniform in a Barrathea cloth, very 'pukka', also saving quite a bit on the deal as I already had a W/O's overcoat and uniform which are exactly the same, sword slash and all in the overcoat.

About this time Ron Iddon married a W.A.A.F., Mary Turner, who had been on the Squadron and came from Manchester. I received an invitation to the wedding a rather 'posh' affair as her parents were associated with the designer of the Lancaster, Roy Chadwick, he was Mary's Godparent, her father being his head designer.

At Church Broughton I did quite a bit of flying both with Instructor Pilots and their pupils and Instructors by themselves. A pilot going on short flights would always take a wireless operator with him in preference to a navigator, as a wireless operator could always get him home on Q.D.M's, this being a bearing from the drome to the aircraft. (QDM is part of the Q Code in wireless procedure, QFE = Barometric Pressure etc.)

One day I took off with P/O Faulkner to fly a ground staff engineering officer to Market Harborough, the weather was terrible, blowing a gale. The pilot got lost, the ground staff officer got as sick as a dog and the pilot called on me to get him bearings to Market Harborough. Having already guessed that he would need them I was already tuned to the required station, and was able to pass them onto him in seconds, he reckoned I was the slickest wireless operator he had flown with.
We dropped the officer off, he didn't want to fly back with us saying he would get back by road somehow he had had enough.
Heading back for Church Broughton, the pilot once again got lost this time there was no radio station at Church Broughton, so I couldn't get bearings from there for him. We tried a bit of map reading and all that either of us could say was that it was a large town and we were following a river which ended in the mountains. The pilot thought it must be Wales, so we followed the river back to the large town, which we circled over to have a good look. Suddenly I spotted the Cathedral with one spire off and knew it to be Derby, he agreed. Not long after we landed back at Church Broughton which was a few miles away none the worse for our experience.

The Funeral
While at Church Broughton a Wellington crashed, it finished up in the sewerage works, caught fire and burnt, all the trainee crew were killed. Being a W/O I was selected to attend one chaps funeral held in Aberdeen, Scotland and bring back the flag. I was to go to meet his parents and offer official condolences from the R.A.F. Not having done this sort of thing before I wasn't very keen but was told being a W/O I could stand in for a commissioned officer.
I stayed with Mum's sister my Aunt Mary and Uncle Jack who lived in Aberdeen, and went out to visit the people the day before the funeral. I got the shock of my life when I walked into their home, they had the coffin sitting on the dining room table and all were sitting around it. They wanted me to stay for dinner but I couldn't come at it, so I agreed to be a pallbearer the next day at the funeral. That involved carrying the coffin from the house to the hearse and then from the hearse to the grave. After it was over I went back to my Aunt's place then onto the nearest pub. I would say it was one of my worst experiences and I'll never forget it!

The Potbelly
Before I was commissioned being a W/O I was allotted a Nissen hut and being the highest ranker in it I had the little room at the end about six feet by six feet to myself.
This room had a potbelly stove and as the weather had become very cold I decided to light it. Packing it up with coke and setting it going. Before long it started to glow red and it became so hot in that little room I had to leave until it cooled down. I never lit it again!
It got so cold that the fog froze onto the leafless trees until they looked like bunches of tinsel, while the fog lasted the icicles got bigger and bigger, it was like a picture postcard.
The beer in the Officers' Mess got so cold, as the kegs were stored outside, that you had to warm your pint of beer over the open fire before drinking it.

The Explosion
Another incident occurred whilst instructing at Church Broughton which remained totally unexplained to me until many years after the war. On the 27th November 1944 while I was in the signals section I was shaken off my stool by an enormous explosion, racing outside I could see huge pieces as big as cars falling back to earth some three or four miles away. No one knew what had happened and it certainly was a mystery. In 1995 Ellice and I were staying in an hotel in the area and found out what had gone wrong with the answer being in a tourist portfolio in our room.
3,500 to 4,000 tons of high explosives (bombs, incendiaries etc.) accidentally went off 90 feet underground in a gypsum mine where they were being stored with sixty eight people being killed and two dying later from their injuries. The explosion was heard 135 miles away and it was possibly the biggest unnatural explosion on earth until Hiroshima. This all happened at Hanbury in Staffordshire, near Burton on Trent a small country village. To this day the grass has not properly grown back over the site a huge fenced off crater of twelve acres and one quarter of a mile wide.

25th December 1944
On Christmas Day 1944 I had dinner in the Officers' Mess. I was busy cracking nuts on the floor with the heel of my shoe when the C.O. announced that P/O Peck, being the most junior officer in the mess, would propose the Loyal Toast to the King (King George VI). Having not been pre-warned I was caught completely unawares. I immediately grabbed my glass of beer, stood up, thrust the glass in the air saying, 'Gentlemen the King', took a mouthful and sat straight down. Some stood up and when they sat down the others stood up, there was a lot of bobbing up and down. The C.O. said he thought I had done it very well but I think he was having a shot at me. After that the dinner went off very well.
On finishing our dinner we went around to the Airmen's Mess and helped serve lunch to them.

21 O.T.U. Morton in the Marsh
1st January 1945, we were suddenly posted off to 21 O.T.U. Morton in the Marsh.
We travelled by bus passing through Stratford on Avon in Shakespeare country, Morton in the Marsh not being very far from Stratford on Avon.

'Heaven'
It was here at Morton on the Marsh that I shared a Batwoman the first and last time this happened to me while commissioned. She used to make our beds, clean our shoes, press clothes and etc., it was like being in heaven as up until then I had to do it all for myself.

Pay Back Time
Attending lectures that were supposed to bring us up to 1 Group standard, we being 5 Group whom they didn't like very much and also we were Australians.
The Squadron Leader in charge of Signals was particularly nasty towards us, and on the night before we left, somebody (Australians), threw him into the ornamental pond which was frozen over at the time, he went straight through the ice! Needless to say this prank wasn't taken very well.
Next morning when we were leaving for the Embarkation Depot at Brighton, he had us all paraded and tried to find out who did the deed, nobody admitted or told. He made us do a route march around the perimeter of the drome, before we boarded the buses to travel to the station, bound for Brighton we had been posted home. There was nothing more he could do. 24th January 1945, good-bye to Morton on the Marsh.

THE WAY HOME

On arrival at Brighton we were billeted in hotels. It was extremely cold and a ridge of ice had formed right along the beach where the waves lapped up on the shore. I used 12 blankets to try to keep warm as there being no heating in war time, but all this did was make me tired holding up the weight. Then when the thaw started the roof collapsed outside my room and all the snow and ice came down in a big pile, what a mess!

Reunion
Also here I met up with Les McAlpin the only other survivor beside myself of the original five who had departed Australia in January 1943. I remember lending him a pound to go to London but before he came back I had gone on board ship and was not to see him again until many years after the war.
I was in Sydney one Anzac Day when this chap came up behind me, pushed his arm out in front of me with a one pound note in it (Australian) saying, 'Here's the quid I owe you', it was Les. Sad to say it didn't go too far with all the shouting and drinking, somehow I think I lost out on that deal.

Finally we were off on the train again heading for Greenock and a ship home.
While passing through London a Buzz Bomb exploded not very far away causing the train to shake and rattle, this being my final farewell and the last explosion of the war I was to hear in England.

Next morning we boarded our ship the 'Cilicia' of about 10,000 tons, it was an 'officers troop ship', and in true tradition the Navy were on the top decks, then the Army and Airforce right at the bottom in the bilge's. We set sail in convoy, boy was it rough, and this ship didn't just roll or pitch it corkscrewed. We were right up in the front hold and to get out to other parts of the ship without getting wet, you had to wait until the bow was going up and water cleared the deck before making a run for it.
A few days later we pulled into Gibraltar, we weren't allowed off the ship. Setting sail after a days stay, we proceeded down the Mediterranean Sea until we arrived at Port Said, where we were told we were on the wrong ship and would have no way of getting home for possibly months.

The Wrong Way Home - Port Said
We disembarked onto lorries sitting on top of our gear which was loaded on the back. The ship we were on was going to Bombay. Sitting thus on the back of this lorry in the hot sun and wind after England's winter, I got very sun burnt by the time we travelled the 100 miles or so to a camp on the Great Bitter Lakes. We stayed here a month or so during which time I had a booster to my small pox vaccination.
All I can say about this place is it is just plain filthy, goats, chooks and all manor of animals live in the huts together with the people.

The Good Buy
You could probably buy some good stuff here but you would want to know what you were doing. One chap bought himself a leather suitcase, it looked good, but the first time it got wet it fell to pieces like brown paper stuck together.

'Shell Shock'
While here I ran into another chap I knew from Gosford, Phil Pile, he had been a pilot and had flown in the Middle East. He was sitting outside his tent just staring off into space, I tried to speak with him but I don't think he recognised me. He was in another world. I did catch up with him later at home where he had got a little better, but lapsed and later ended up in an asylum dying there.

On the Move Again
Once again we were loaded onto lorries and piled on top of our baggage and driven to Port Tuphic (Suez) where we boarded the 'Highland Brigade', this ship was loaded with New Zealand Army troops returning home. We sailed in company with three other ships and a destroyer escort; one ship was the 'Highland Chieftain' and two 'Bay' ships, one being the 'Morton Bay'. Next stop was Ceylon but we were not allowed to go ashore, after a days stay we set sail for Australia.

Small Pox and Quarantine
Half way across the Indian Ocean a terrible thing took place, one of the New Zealand soldiers developed small pox, there was a rush to inoculate everybody on board. Luckily I had my booster in the Middle East so just had to prove it which was easy as the fresh scar was still there. He died a couple of days later so within an hour or so of his death he was buried at sea late in the afternoon, we continued on to Melbourne. That is to say the other ships did, we pulled up at the Quarantine Station and disembarked in the ships boats the date was 6th April 1945.
The next ten days were spent in quarantine, where apparently everybody promptly forgot all about us. Then on the 17th April 1945 at last, after a shower on the 'dirty side' and having everything taken away to be fumigated we were allowed to pass into the 'clean side'. Where we were put on to buses and taken to Melbourne Show Ground where nobody was expecting us. They had a job to pay us. I received all my pay in one pound notes which I put into the side pocket of my coat.
That night I went out and had a look around Melbourne, the next morning catching the train to Sydney.
The Surprise and the Tale Telling
19th April 1945, arriving in Sydney another chap and myself, not expecting anyone to meet us, went straight to the guard’s van at the rear of the train to make sure our luggage didn't get lost. What a surprise when I walked off the platform and found Mum, Dad and Doris (my eldest sister) waiting there for me, some tales I had to tell them on the train home to Gosford. More surprises were install for me as we emerged from the train at 4 - 0 pm on Gosford railway station to be met by my lovely Ellice and Gladys another of my sisters. This encounter was brief as both girls had to go back to work and I had to report to the Doctor before I could finally go home. I was placed on Reserve on the 28th August 1945 and finally discharge in 1948.