Walter Raymond Stevenson volunteered for the RAF as soon as he was 18 and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner, learning Morse code at RAF Yatesbury. He flew with 'sprog' pilots as they trained and was posted to Number 3 Air Gunnery School at RAF Mona. He was flying in Bothas, which he disliked, before converting to Wellingtons. Despite hating the sunshine, he was posted to several locations in the Middle East and Africa. He served with 621 Squadron, whose role was to prevent German submarines from attacking shipping. He details the operation where he sighted submarine U852 which the crew bombed with depth chargers, visibly damaging the submarine. The commander of that submarine was later executed for the war crime of firing upon the survivors of the sinking ship, The Peleus. After demobilisation Walter returned to blacksmithing before switching to car repair work.

]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Walter was ‘called up’ to RAF Squires Gate, Blackpool for ‘square bashing’. Despite being informed that blacksmiths and joiners were desperately needed, but Walter was equally fixed on becoming aircrew. Here he learnt Morse code. Next was RAF Yatesbury to learn wireless telegraphy, before qualifying as a radio operator. He was then posted to 608 Squadron RAF Thornaby, Yorkshire, a Costal Command station. After a year there, Walter went to No 3 Air Gunnery School RAF Mona, Anglesey. Walter trained using the Botha which he thinks is a ‘horrible one’ and became a qualified air gunner. Then came RAF Hooton Part, Wirral Peninsula and OTU RAF Silloth, Cumbria. At Silloth Walter was a W/op AG flying in Wellingtons. Here he met ‘the bravest and daftest pilot in the RAF’, called Bond, James Bond. Walter was now sent to 303 FTU RAF Talbenny, Pembrokeshire.
Walter was sent to RAF Hurn, Bournemouth. From Hurn he flew to Gibraltar and then to RAF Rabat, Cairo, Middle East Command, Egypt. He whole crew then flew via Juba to Mogadishu. Before he could arrive, they were diverted to RAF Eastleigh, Mombasa, Kenya. Walter was to fly from Scusciuban, Somaliland on detachment from the squadron. He feels that this location was ‘diabolical’. There were three W/op AGs in the crew, and they rotated the wireless operator’s role with two hours on the set. The set was technically known as the IT but amongst the crew as ITV.
The navigator knew the U-852 was surfacing and its possible location. The plane was unable to fly high due to low cloud cover, so Walter was able to visually sight the U-Boat from the second dicky seat. He moved to the front air gunner’s position, and after firing on all those in or moving to the U-Boat’s conning tower, it submerged. The plane circled the area thinking that the U-Boat was ‘Whacko’ and saw it re-surface, so depth charges were dropped in a ‘stick’. The gunner aboard opened fire with 37mm. Walter feels that they were poor gunners as the plane was never hit and they were the only aircraft in the sky. After the attack to U-Boat was guided to the shore and breached. The captain was executed with two other officers from the crew as war criminals for their behaviour earlier in the war.
Walter was sent on with his squadron to assist 8 Squadron in Ade, where they received ‘red hot’ gen about the shipping. He was posted to Khormaksar then Transjordan. He was there for about six weeks for the RAF Aircraft instructor’s course, before returning to England.
Walter was never confronted with a case of LMF but is both annoyed by it and understands that it was something never discussed. He describes the differing treatment to NCOs and Officers with LMF as NCOs were punished for it, but Officers were not.
Walter was posted as a warrant officer to RAF Scampton to be the Sports Officer. He was demobbed at either RAF Conningsby or RAF Scampton in August 1946. He returned to blacksmithing, married Lilian at the Town Hall in Wycombe in 1947. Walter is in the Royal British Legion and the RAFA. He no longer attends meetings as he is without a car.

Claire Campbell]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Egypt]]> Great Britain]]> Kenya]]> Somalia]]> Middle East]]> Indian Ocean]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Kenya--Mombasa]]> Somalia--Mogadishu]]> North Africa]]> Africa]]> South Sudan]]> South Sudan--Juba]]> Sudan]]> 1940-10]]> 1941]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1943-02-24]]> Ursula Valentine]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jan Waller]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> 1942-05-02]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Leitch]]> Cara Walmsley]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Canada]]> Czech Republic]]> Denmark]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Great Belt (Baltic Sea)]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Ontario]]> Scotland--Moray]]> Belgium--Ostend]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> France--Brest]]> France--Lyon]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Denmark--Langeland]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1941-12-16]]> 1941-12-28]]> 1942-01-07]]> 1942-01-09]]> 1942-01-11]]> 1942-01-20]]> 1942-02-12]]> 1942-04-10]]> 1942-04-11]]> 1942-04-12]]> 1942-04-13]]> 1942-04-14]]> 1942-04-15]]> 1942-04-17]]> 1942-04-25]]> 1942-04-26]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1942-05-03]]> 1942-05-04]]> 1942-05-05]]> 1942-05-17]]> 1942-05-19]]> 1942-05-20]]> 1942-05-29]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-05-31]]> 1942-06-01]]> 1942-06-03]]> 1942-06-04]]> 1942-06-06]]> 1942-06-07]]> Officer Commanding Servicing Squadron]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> 1942-05-02]]> T J Page]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Kent]]> England--Canterbury]]> England--Ramsgate]]> England--Middlesex]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Slough]]> England--Shropshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Derby]]> England--Greater Manchester]]> England--Oldham]]> Wales--Bridgend]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Italy]]> Italy--Turin]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Lancashire]]> Germany--Juist Island]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> 1939-09-03]]> 1940-01]]> 1940-07-19]]> 1941-07]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1943-02-26]]> 1943-03-06]]> 1943-03-26]]> 1943-04-26]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-07-12]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1943-10-20]]> 1944-04]]> 1944-07-19]]> 1947-02-16]]> T J Page]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Kent]]> England--Ramsgate]]> England--Middlesex]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Slough]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> England--Greater Manchester]]> England--Oldham]]> Wales--Bridgend]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--La Spezia]]> Germany]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Italy--Turin]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> Egypt]]> Zimbabwe]]> Pakistan]]> England--Morecambe]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Middle East--Euphrates River]]> Middle East--Tigris River]]> Germany--Juist Island]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> North Africa]]> 1939-09]]> 1940-01]]> 1940-07-19]]> 1940-12]]> 1941-07]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1942-10]]> 1943-02-20]]> 1943-02-26]]> 1943-03-06]]> 1943-03-26]]> 1943-03-31]]> 1943-04-12]]> 1943-04-13]]> 1943-03]]> 1943-04-26]]> 1943-04-28]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-07-12]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1943-10-20]]> 1944-04]]> 1944-07-19]]> 1947-02-16]]> 1948-06-03]]> 1940-01]]> 1954-04-09]]> 1956]]> 1958-04-01]]> 1968-05-06]]> Bottom - a group of German soldiers firing into the air with cross in the foreground. Another group of personnel on the right. Submitted with description 'Wehrmacht soldiers firing a salute at the military funeral of P/O Harry Stoffer (106 Sqn) and other aircrew at Aabenbraa cemetery, Denmark, 02/05/1942'.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Stilgoe]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Wehrmacht]]> Denmark]]> Denmark--Åbenrå]]> 1942-05-02]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Pending review]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Atlantic Ocean]]> Denmark]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Denmark--Copenhagen]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Brest]]> France--Dunkerque]]> France--La Rochelle]]> France--Lorient]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Cuxhaven]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Wismar]]> Northern Ireland--Antrim (County)]]> Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1940-10-29]]> 1940-10-30]]> 1940-11-15]]> 1940-11-16]]> 1940-11-25]]> 1940-11-26]]> 1940-11-28]]> 1940-11-29]]> 1940-12-08]]> 1940-12-09]]> 1940-12-16]]> 1940-12-17]]> 1940-12-21]]> 1940-12-22]]> 1940-12-28]]> 1940-12-29]]> 1941-01-01]]> 1941-01-02]]> 1941-01-04]]> 1941-01-05]]> 1941-01-08]]> 1941-01-09]]> 1941-01-14]]> 1941-01-15]]> 1941-01-30]]> 1941-01-31]]> 1941-02-05]]> 1941-02-06]]> 1941-02-07]]> 1941-02-08]]> 1941-02-10]]> 1941-02-11]]> 1941-02-12]]> 1941-02-21]]> 1941-02-22]]> 1941-02-24]]> 1941-02-25]]> 1941-02-26]]> 1941-02-27]]> 1941-03-18]]> 1941-03-19]]> 1941-03-20]]> 1941-03-21]]> 1941-03-29]]> 1941-03-30]]> 1941-04-08]]> 1941-04-09]]> 1941-04-13]]> 1941-04-14]]> 1941-04-17]]> 1941-04-18]]> 1941-04-24]]> 1941-04-25]]> 1941-04-28]]> 1941-04-29]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1942-05-03]]> 1942-05-31]]> 1942-06-01]]> 1942-06-02]]> 1942-07-26]]> 1942-07-27]]> 1942-07-29]]> 1942-07-30]]> 1942-08-09]]> 1942-08-13]]> 1942-08-17]]> 1942-08-19]]> 1942-08-28]]> 1942-08-29]]> 1942-09-01]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]> 1942-09-14]]> 1942-09-15]]> 1942-09-16]]> 1942-09-17]]> 1942-09-24]]> 1942-09-25]]> 1942-10-01]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Leitch]]> Cara Walmsley]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Norway]]> Poland]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Italy--Po River Valley]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Aube]]> France--Auberive]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Brest]]> France--Condé-sur-Noireau]]> France--Eure]]> France--Evreux]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> France--Loir-et-Cher]]> France--Mourmelon-le-Grand]]> France--Saint-Jean-de-Luz]]> France--Vernon (Eure)]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Neustadt an der Weinstrasse]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Wismar]]> Italy--Turin]]> Northern Ireland--Belfast]]> Norway--Trondheim]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> Scotland--Ross and Cromarty]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> Europe--Garonne River]]> 1937]]> 1938]]> 1939-11-30]]> 1940-01-09]]> 1940-06-06]]> 1940-06-08]]> 1940-06-10]]> 1940-06-11]]> 1940-06-14]]> 1941]]> 1942-01-09]]> 1942-01-10]]> 1942-04-11]]> 1942-04-27]]> 1942-04-28]]> 1942-04-29]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1942-05-03]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-05-31]]> 1942-06-23]]> 1942-06-24]]> 1942-06-25]]> 1942-06-26]]> 1942-06-27]]> 1942-06-28]]> 1942-06-29]]> 1942-06-30]]> 1942-07-02]]> 1942-07-03]]> 1942-07-13]]> 1942-07-14]]> 1942-07-26]]> 1942-07-27]]> 1942-07-30]]> 1942-07-31]]> 1942-08-24]]> 1942-08-25]]> 1942-08-27]]> 1942-08-28]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]> 1942-09-13]]> 1942-09-14]]> 1942-09-15]]> 1942-09-16]]> 1942-09-17]]> 1942-09-18]]> 1942-09-19]]> 1942-10-01]]> 1942-10-02]]> 1942-10-06]]> 1942-12-04]]> 1942-09-05]]> 1942-12-06]]> 1942-12-07]]> 1942-12-08]]> 1942-12-09]]> 1942-12-10]]> 1942-12-17]]> 1942-12-20]]> 1942-12-31]]> 1943-01-01]]> Charles M Ameresekera]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> From Charles Amerasekera’s archive shared with Simon Kularatne]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Sri Lanka]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> France]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Neuss]]> France--Calais]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> 1941-09-30]]> 1941-11-03]]> 1941-12-13]]> 1942-02-20]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1942-09-26]]> 1942-11-30]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-09]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1943-11]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-08-16]]> 1944-10]]> 1944-11]]> 1944-12]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1951]]> 1953]]> 1955]]> Charles M Ameresekere]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Sri Lanka]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> France]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Neuss]]> France--Calais]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> 1941-09-30]]> 1941-11-03]]> 1941-12-13]]> 1942-02-20]]> 1942-05-02]]> 1942-09-26]]> 1942-11-30]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-09]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1943-11]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-08-16]]> 1944-10]]> 1944-11]]> 1944-12]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1951]]> 1953]]> 1955]]> 1962]]> 1970]]> 1974-03-20]]> On the reverse 'Hereford May 2nd 1942 Irene Edith Joyce Connie Dorothy Alice'.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Herefordshire]]> 1942-05-02]]> E L Ellis]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Paul Ross]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Canada]]> Manitoba--Dauphin Area]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Sheffield]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Manitoba]]> 1942-05-02]]> E L Ellis]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Frances Grundy]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Canada]]> Manitoba--Brandon]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Sheffield]]> Manitoba]]> 1942-05-02]]> Violet and Patricia]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Dawson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> South Africa]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> 1942-05-02]]>