Interview with Oluwole Hyde. Two

Interview with Oluwole Hyde. Two

Olu Hyde continues his interview by describing his experience as the son of a Bomber Command veteran.

2017-08-30

00:05:43 audio recording

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AHydeON170830-02

OH: Who fought during the Second World War as an RAF officer in Bomber Command. He was a navigator and he was attached to 52 Squadron. Now, I’m going to talk a bit about how being the son of my father, growing up in Sierra Leone affected me. And as I grew up I became aware that my father had fought in the war and had medals. Won medals. Not really from him telling me about it but more from people who recognised who I was and asking me whether I was going to be a pilot like my father. In effect my father was not a pilot. He was a navigator. But they would ask me if I was going to be a pilot and if I was as brave as my father was. And it was interesting that I learned about my father’s war, war career from outside and not from inside. And when I spoke to him about it he told me yes, he was in the war. And then things around the house started to make sense. Like the beret where he kept all the keys, you know [laughs] They all started to make sense and so then I knew that yes he was in the war and he corrected some of the — he corrected some of the false information I had heard, yeah. It, it was really good to have a father who was popular but at times it became embarrassing having to, to listen about, listen to it or talk about it and it also laid an expectation on me to be, to do something very important. You know, to do something very — to achieve great heights like my father did. And, but now, as an adult I really appreciate having this father. It’s really good because it’s been important to talk to my children who have grown up in England about the fact that their father, their grandfather who came from Sierra Leone also took a part in the Second World War. And, and to show them his pictures and his medals and talk about his achievements. It’s also interesting that when I talk to English people, my friends and my family and tell them about my father and his experience coming to the RAF and they find that very very interesting. And didn’t, a lot of them weren’t aware that there were black personnel within the fighting in the RAF as officers and as navigators and pilots. And so that has been good and [pause] Can I stop there for a moment?
HH: That’s fine.
OH: Yeah
HH: Let me just make sure that we’re still going.
[pause]
HH: Come on. Okay. I think I’m going to be running out of battery very shortly so we’re going to just do a bit more and then you can finish off.
OH: Okay.
HH: Okay. Keep going.
OH: Yes. And it’s, it’s, it’s really a story I would like to help promote more in England. To make people more aware of the contribution of people from the Colonies who fought in the Second World War. And he fought and he was decorated with the, the DFC. I don’t think I will ever get that decoration and, but one thing my father did impart to me which was very important was that after experiencing war he did not like war at all and he was very much a pacifist and very much against violence and aggression. And that’s one thing I believe I’ve, I have experienced, you know. And I had no interest in joining the Army or joining the RAF or becoming a pilot. I think I’ll finish there.
HH: That’s good. Thank you so much.