James Joins The Royal Air Force
Published 2021 copyright
Chapter 1
The News
The telephone rang and I rushed over to pick it up. It was Uncle Jack the Butcher asking if we wanted to get some free lamb chops. He said “come down now before they sell out. ” I’ll just tell Ma, “Ok” he said see you soon bye. “Ma I’m going to Uncle Jack’s to get some lamb chops. He said “I could come and grab them” “Ok you’ll need some money for that.” “No, he said we can have them for free.” “Oh ok then see you later ” said Ma “remember to thank him,” Bye” “Bye Ma ”
I grabbed my coat, opened the door and walked down the Street towards Denniston road. Then I saw the butcher shop just ahead. “Hello James, how are you?” Good, not too bad and you?“Not too bad we were really busy today. Here are your lamb chops.” Uncle Jack Ma says thanks too. Bye See you soon.” You too bye.
I walked back towards my house when I noticed a sign saying ? Germany declares going to war on Britain!!! I was shocked, thousands of thoughts were going through my head. I was curious what I could do to help. I ran down the road to get home to tell Ma and put the radio on but on my way back I see a queue of men outside the Library in 2 lines, one place saying Navy, the other the Army , and one man stood in front of the Air force booth so I walked over and join the man. Hello I say “Hello what’s your name ?”My name is James and yours? “My name Is Robert” he told me he was nineteen the same age as me, he was the oldest of three and had moved to Sheerness about 3yrs ago and worked as a lorry driver. We chatted about joining up and I continued home to tell Ma about the news.
I shout for Ma and Mary and tell them what I’ve seen in the poster and about Robert I tell Ma to put on the radio. I explained that I’m enlisting in the Air force after lunch. Ma looks surprised and scared. She doesn’t say anything. I know she is thinking about aMy father. He died in an air accident in 1935. I won’t leave for service straight away. I’ve got to do training and pass the medical to get through. She gives me a hug and then says at least we will see you before you leave. I say I don’t think the war will be long Ma, only a few months or so I’ll be ok Ma. “Ok James I know you will, you can go” Mary my sister comes down stairs she’s heard what we were talking about and says “are you joining the forces James?” Yes Mary, we just listened to the radio Germany Has declared War on Britain. “What forces are you joining James “I’m joining the AirForce, Oh you’re following in Father’s footsteps .
I need to ring up Thomas and Elizabeth to see if they have heard the news and tell them I’ve joined up “Hello Thomas it’s me James” “Oh Hello James Have You heard the news” “Yes it’s grim Isn’t it I’ve signed up for the Air force” Thomas also told me that he had joined up For the Airforce too “Oh do you know when you have your training and medical?” yes I’ve got it in two or three days
time” “what about you I’m not sure Thomas I have to wait and see” “Ok James could I speak to Ma Ok I’ll pass you on to her” “Bye Thomas” “Bye James speak to you some other time” “Bye”.
Chapter 2
Learning
A few mornings later I woke up early to hear the telephone ringing. I go down stairs to answer it but Mary already has it, “they want you James,” I say yes this is “James Webber speaking”, the person replied “it’s Jack Robertson Head of telecommunications R.A.F. I’m ringing to tell you that you need to report to Biggin hill aerodrome at 14:30 hrs for training today.” “Ok I say”, “Righto see you 14:30hrs. Goodbye”. I get off the telephone and shout! to Ma and Mary. Guess what? I’ve Been Accepted and I have to leave today for the train to Arrive for training at 15:30 at Biggin Hill Aerodrome. I’ d better get packing. “I’ll help” said Mary “I’ll be up soon “Ma says. I packed with help from Mary and Ma. I was very chatty as I was excited to be going, Ma and Mary were quietly helping but we had some fun reminiscing about fun times as children at the beach and at the holiday home. My Ma packed some delicious treats and snacks for the week. We then all decided to play cards before lunch. We talked about our day over lunch. After that I grabbed my suitcase and my belongings and said goodbye to Mary and Ma. I’ll send letters every week. We hugged and I left with water weeping from my eyes. I popped to the butcher to say goodbye to Uncle Jack but he wasn’t there so I wrote a note and put it in his mailbox.
Then I carried on walking to the train station to catch the 13:15 train to Biggin hill scheduled to arrive at 15:20 I got on the train at 13:05 and It left the station at 13:12 We crossed the swale and entered Sittingbourne. When the train arrives in a wet Biggin hill I check the time on my watch. It says 14:15 5 minutes early. I walk down Aerodrome road and walk in the Airfield gates then I ask a ground crew personnel where the new recruits go, he says down that way and turns left ok I say when I get, I see Robert and 6 others who I do not know. I walk over to Robert, after a few minutes chatting. He says There are supposed to be 36 of us here, 3 groups 12. A man comes over. He does the roll, adding two more names then puts us in our groups. Then we are guided round the Airfield and facilities. After we all went to the mess hall to have dinner, Bacon eggs and toast were given a time table which swaps each day.
We start at 0600hr for our first day of Exercises. We are also given Log books and a paper pad to write important information down. I walk to the mess room, have breakfast then I walk over to the Instructor for theory flight sergeant John O’neil. He asks want your lesson James? Yes! I say, He goes through the models of Aircraft and tells me about the instruments. Then I’m up for air training in the Tiger moth the lessons for 2 hours, so I get into the Tiger moth I get in with the pilot instructor he shows me how to takes off and hold a plane level he then he tells me to have a go and as I start her up the engine sputters giving me a fright then the engine roars. I Finished Basic Training three months later and moved on to Advanced training flying in Miles Magister Advanced training was only 2 weeks which is quite short. The Hawker harts had machine guns and we shot at a canvas Plate towed behind a Tiger Moth The instructor did not always go up with you when you were in advanced training so you could do what you wanted. Only 12 pilots were here at Biggin Hill doing advanced training and the rest were at but sadly advanced training flew by very quickly and soon I was ready for a squadron.
Chapter 3
The slip
Three months Since training started. I qualified for a squadron, 80 squadrons to be exact. The squadron is based at Calais, France and we are to pick up our Hawker Hurricanes from Dover. This consists of 12 Pilots, 24 Ground crew, 8 Medical service personnel, 2 Recording personnel and last but not least 2 Bofors gun crew. Robert my new Friend is in the Squadron too”What luck” I said Most of the other personnel seem to come from near Dover. However, me, Robert and another Pilot called William are from Sheerness. Oh Thinking of home reminds me I must send a letter to Grandma And Grandpa In Kirkhill, Scotland. I’ll tell them that I have passed the medical and am flying in the Royal Air Force. The Aircraft we Are flying Are Hurricanes Mk I. All 12 are lined up brand New!!! we get into them. Our Squadron Leader flies out in front. We formed a Vic formation to Calais Airfield. When we arrive the Ground Crew are at the ready and everyone else is waiting for us. We park up and Switch off the engine. I pull the hood back and I get out of my cockpit and walk over to the platform, next to the recording room for our meeting. We stand to Attention and the Squadron Leader goes to the office. coming out a moment later with his
paperwork. He then officially welcomes us to our squadron. and tells us we need to choose someone to share a room with in an area where you will stay while you are here. There are 50 spaces to choose and 48 R.A.F. personnel here at 80 Squadron. I look at Robert and signal we should share. We grabbed our suitcases and choose a room. Room 7 is small with a bunk bed and 2 chairs and a small coffee table. There is a newspaper and satchel on both of our beds. On the satchel there is a space for a name. I write my name with my pencil and put my log book and my diary in it then I put my suitcase under the bed and go back outside. Robert and I decided to have a stroll around the airfield, for the rest of the day we are shown where the hall is, the mess room, the latrines and the small laundry room and finally the Map Recording rooms. Then I go down to the mess hall and ask the men unloading the food truck if they want some help they say “Yes we’d jolly well like it” so I help unload the crates of crackers, bully beef and oats loads of oats. Then the gong sounded for dinner so I went to wash before dinner, which was Bully beef and biscuits with a bit of hot cocoa After dinner I played cards with Robert and my new friend William who is in room 8 with Arthur. Myself and Robert went to the map room to add important landmarks to our log books. Then we returned to our room. I wrote a letter to Ma and Mary, read a little of the paper and I went to bed. The next morning I’m up at 06:35 I go out on the Airfield for a walk and then on to the mess room for Breakfast which was you guessed it oats boiled on one of the 5 furnace like ovens where you put the pot on top. Just after 700hrsI ask the Ground crew if the plane is ready, they say it should be 10 minutes. Ok I say and I walk over to the platform and sit down to read my book. I checked the roster board and it says I’m up for patrol this morning and the ground crew at my aircraft hailed me over. and I walk down off the Platform and walk over to my aircraft. I grab my kit with my name above it and walk over to climb onto the wing then I see Robert who’s in his cockpit. I shout over do you want to do this flight together he says yes so we get the props spinning and taxi out. I swing the tail round and increase the engine speed and start the takeoff procedure as soon as I’m in the sky. I roll her on the axis and line up in figure two formation with Robert we then do a recce flyover the coastline and back to the Airfield then myself and Robert see a slip on the main road to the airfield,we were out for how long?
We fly back to the airfield and land perfectly on the airfield and we both walk to the squadron leaders office, ring the bell and wait to report. The squadron leader opens the door and asks for our report. We salute and reply Yes sir, there’s a slip on the main road to the Airfield about 4 miles away at Touter bluff “oh no this is not good go ring the bell for squadron meeting by the aeroplanes ok i say Robert go ring the bell since you’ve got your kit off and i’ll take mine off ok he says and then as im taking off the flying kit I hear the bell for squadron meetings so I hurry towards where the aeroplanes are and I see all the other pilots and ground crew rushing over then the squadron leader announces everything we have just told him.
Chapter 4
Confrontation
Then The squadron leader asks 3 people to fly in the Airspeed Oxford to Dunkirk Ok i say so does Robert and William pilot We grab our kit and ask the squadron leader what he wants us to do He says we need to grab fuel and any mail he then asks some others to go in the other Airspeed oxford and fly to Le Teque as we take off I ask William to arm the rear gun As we approach Dunkirk 1 hour later at Dunkirk we see a squadron of french dewoitine fighters taking off when we land we touch down on runway 2 and and park up next to a whitley transport plane we grab some fuel cans and Robert fills them up and puts them in the plane I grab a lot of mail about 40 letters and parcels and put them in the mail bag then we grab a spare 50 gallon drum and fill it with fuel we then load it up on the plane I tell Robert to man the gun just in case of german escort fighters and bombers as we take off we see cloud cover and planes oh no there are too many to be a squadron just doing flying practise these are bomber with no fighter escort I rev the engines and increase altitude When Im above the bombers when I see 4 Me 109s Get gun read Robert There are 109s The 109s bank towards us and I maneuver out of the way of the 109s and I hear the chatter of the rear gun and see a 109 swerving away with smoke coming out of its cowling and it goes down in smoke then it explodes. Then I swerve to avoid a chatter of bullets coming from a 109 behind now most of the 109s have gone back to escort the bombers. When we land back at the Airfield one kill for us is confirmed and notched down in the notebook then William paints it on to the Airspeed and we then unload the Oxford and refuel it for others to go and get more fuel Then me Robert and William sit down in our deck chairs and have a cup of tea with Bully beef and Biscuits.
Chapter 5
Messerschmitt
The Next morning I noticed 6 Morane saulnier on the air field so I went over to the C.O. and he said that the Morane’s were Refuelling and flying towards the front as their squadron was moving. Oh ok I say I take off and fly up and around the airfield in a 15 mile radius I see a twin engine aircraft above me and I fly closer Then i see it is a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch Doing a patrol I get Behind and below But the Storch’s Rear Gunner Fires a few Bullets at my Engine I roll over and fly under It then I Get closer and Fire a Few bullets Into the engine as the Plane goes down In smoke I see the 2 crew members Jump out and fall towards The Ground Luckily For them Their Parachutes open and they glide lightly towards the ground When I return I report My combat To the Recording officer And Walk towards My Dormitory room I open my dresser by the side of my bed and Grabbed out a Piece of paper to Write A letter To Ma and Mary.
Chapter 6
First encounter with a bandit
Add
with Flight Lieutenant Edward Farwell. I walk over to my Aircraft And wait watching the ground crew. Then Flight Lieutenant Farwell comes over and we start talking about the war and what we think of it at the moment. Well the war Is getting closer, the front is only 25 miles from here. The ground crew says my aircraft is ready and I get into my kit and hop in the aircraft, ground crew pull away the chocks and we taxi down the runway. We take off towards the front flying for about 9 minutes and we see the front line, black smoke dots start to fill the sky in front of me, must be the German Archie {Anti Aircraft} battery based on a small hill crest it opened up on us and we swerved to the Left and then to the Right around the puffs of German Archie’s fire. We’re the only Aircraft in the sky and then just as we are about to turn around we see, just taking off from an airfield are six German Messerschmitt BF 110 C-4 /B Fighter bombers.
luckily it seems they do not see us then out of nowhere, giving me a bit of a fright White smoke coming from the British archie battery firing at the german aircraft. Flight lieutenant and I zoom down on the rear of the one-one-os and fire from just under them to keep out of range of the Rear gunner. I fired a burst of bullets towards the One-One-o to short for much damage?
As the One-One-o moved out of my sights and turned towards the direction of our airfield the Flight lieutenant made hand signals to fly to the airfield and warn them of the approaching aircraft.
I make Signals of what if you go down. I really wish we had radio, apparently it’s coming soon. He insists with his hand signals. So I fly at almost through the gate revs which means putting the Aircraft at high speed when I see the airfield I push the throttle through the gate and everyone comes out including the Medical service personnel I pull the throttle back and land telling them what happen The air raid warning siren is sounded and we all scrabble to our planes and take off I lead the formation towards the front were I left Flight Lieutenant Farwell. Once we get closer I see our Flight Lieutenant Is still flying but now there are Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers and Heinkel He 111 bombers And Messerschmitt BF 109 E-3s and E-4s There’s a E-4 in pursuit of Flight lieutenant I turn towards it and aim my gun I fire for 4 seconds strait into the Cockpit and engine it splutters coughs and explodes.Now all the Enemy are flying towards the airfield. We are now all doing evasive action and also shooting down Aircraft at the same time. I get on the Tail of Heinkel and Fire for 2 seconds and his engine explodes and he goes down into a Field below us. Now the Stuka’s move off straight in line with our main hangers they gain height and start to dive one by one they dive onto the hangars and the bombs fall from their fuselage and wing. The screaming is louder than I expected and I feel sorry for ground crew and everyone down there who are trying to get to cover the Bofors Gun Erupts 2 neat nickel plated shells towards the Stukas one hits a stuka and it crashes into a tree on the far side of the Airfield I fly behind a stuka as it drops Its first bomb I’m very angry they just blown up the hangar the people are innocent and the hangar catches fire I see ground crew running from the scene I pull up and change the gun setting from safe to fire I aim on the target and fire for about three seconds The Stuka is hit and goes down falling in a weird way it crashes straight into the hangar and it is engulfed in flames. There is lots of smoke and I remember the Airspeed oxfords were both in that hangar no more transport planes oh no I Fly round and avoid 4 messerschmitt bf 109s and a 110 Then I check my fuel gauge almost at Zero I come low over the airfield assessing for damage I come in to land and My wheels Give way and I skid to a halt by the Squadron office and see dead crew in front of the plane. A ground crew member has shards of metal through his neck. I grab an old towel used for wiping down the cowling of an aircraft and put it over him. And shout for help and notice there are some medics attending to other people who are injured.
Chapter 7
Enemy
3 days later The brand new Airspeed has just taken off when we get a phone call for the squadron to Scramble I grab my kit and run to my aircraft i switch on and taxi out of the hangar where my aircraft was having a instrument check I zoom down the runway and turn around then i speed my way down the runway as soon as im up I bank to port and fly towards the rest of the squadron who just got up before me. We fly as a group and then we see the fighters and the bombers. The bombers are Junkers Ju 88 and the fighters are Messerschmitt Bf 109 Es, said the Recording officer Wat tyler. Then I see another group of hawker hurricanes flying in from above then The one o nines bank towards us and we scatter the other hurricanes try to tackle them as we zoom towards the ju 88s and start to intercept them The gunner of one starts shooting at me so I bank away and come back to take a very short burst with my machine gun that does the trick the gunner must be wounded or
dead because no bullets are raining into my hurricane as i fire another burst at the engine a bolt of flame erupts from it and the Ju 88 starts to go down as it falls the flames start to lick the fuel tanks and KABOOSH the ju 88 explodes then I bank around to go for another when a one o nine goes for bullets narrowly miss my starboard wing and as he gets lined up in my sights I fire, lead rips through his wings and fuselage he turns to come back at me he shots bullets into my port wing and he zooms past me We loop round and shoot for about 2 seconds into his fuselage that was it he goes up and over and dives for the ground and the pilot jumps from the one o nine just when one thinks it is impossible to do so the BOOM his plane explodes and as I look down I see its pilot gently floating down to the ground with his parachute above him when we get back to the airfield the sun on the Olive trees and the Apple trees it look like you were in greece.
Chapter 8
Up and down
On the 19th of February I went up twice and got 1 german
on the 20th of February I went up three times and got 0 german
On the 21st of February I went up once and got 0 german
On the 22nd of February I went up twice and got 1 german
Ahhhhh I get out of bed and get dressed I look out the window to see rain pitter pattering on the barn and the grass I go out to the mess room and grab a plate put a piece of toast on it and grab butter and marmalade I talk to Robert and William at breakfast and go out to check my aircraft the ground crew say she is all ready I grab my kit and check the roster board patrols in 3s Me Robert and William are up first and again at 2 this afternoon I tell William and Robert we are up so I get in my aircraft and switch on as I taxi down the Runway I see a rabbit on the airfield so I stop and let it Bound away as we go up we go into Vic formation we fly up and over the barn as we gain altitude up to 7000ft then we see 2 aircraft flying Below us about 100 ft below is a Blohm & Voss BV 141 and A Messerschmitt BF 109 E-3 We fly towards them and William tries to get down the Blohm & Voss BV 141 Then he Fires Directly at the engine and fire spurts from it then Blohm & Voss BV 141 Slumps down He must of hit the pilot then It explodes. Since I’m occupied with the Messerschmitt BF 109 E-3 I Try My best to chase it towards the Airfield. I must have hit the pilot because it just goes down Into a Field Right next to the end of the Runway I land and Report my Combat To Wat Tyler The Recording officer. Then I grab My camera And Me Robert And William Run Down the End of the Airfield and Jump the fence to see 100 yards from the Airfield The Messerschmitt I shot down. We took the pilot’s body back to the airfield and Buried Him Next to the Flower Bed By the Squadron Office. A Plaque was made and stands Above His resting place.
there is more i will add it in another post.
