Flashbacks to My Tour with the Americans
Title
Flashbacks to My Tour with the Americans
May 1942 to August 1943
Description
An diary kept of operations, starting 1st to 18th December then 8 May 1944 to July 30th 1944.
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
10 handwritten sheets
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
YGeorgeDB1796593v1
Transcription
[drawing]
[underlined] S. O. Book 135. [/underlined]
Code 28.72.0
Flashbacks – to my tour with the Americans
May 1942 – August 1943
G [crest] R
[boxed] SUPPLIED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE [/boxed]
T.4100 Wrs.5631/6152. 90,000 Bks. 12/42 T.W. & S. Ltd.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 1st [/underlined]
Ops laid on today – went through the motions – briefing etc, ready for an early take-off, then put back for five hours. Definite air of tension in the mess – these postponements are definitely bad for the morale – gives the boys too long to think about things. Scrub finally came through at a quarter to eleven at night – absolutely absurd waiting so long – couldn’t see a thing for fog by then.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 2nd [/underlined]
Ops on again today. Took off early – 1640 - target ‘the big city’ No hitches at take-off but the news wasn’t so good at return. One a/c crashed, near Gamston, with four killed, four injured. A/c just went into the deck and went up in flames. No names yet. So ends another C-Charlie. D-Dog also missing; F/Lt Wells. Entirely unexpected – he was getting near the end of his tour. Add that on to V-Victor a few days ago – with six killed in the crash – and N-Nan where we lost an a/c but no crew – thank goodness – and things are looking pretty thin: Now three o’clock in the morning so must pack up in case there’s [indecipherable word] on tomorrow – today rather! Forgot to mention we had a visiting a/c with two wounded aboard prang on the drome here – fortunately after all but one of our kites were down. The – U-Uncle – diverted to Fiskerton.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 3rd [/underlined]
Ops laid on again tonight – late take off this time – about 0030 in the morning. Met the lads just going down to buses as I came back here. The battle order looks very small compared with recent efforts – still our losses have been very heavy recently so that is hardly surprising. Hope things are better than they were last night – one thing the weather has improved very considerably – should be alright if it stays like that. Now nearly 11 o’clock so must get to bed as I’ve to be up early. Just remembered – too late – why old Wells seemed so familiar when I came here – must have seen him in Wellingborough – that’s his home town. Poor old Duncan – our coloured commissioned gunner – was one of Wells crew last night – hadn’t realised it at the time.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 4th [/underlined]
First A/c was back at seven o’clock this morning. We didn’t hear about M-Mike until nearly 9 o’clock – were just beginning to think he was a goner when news came through that he had landed at Woodbridge, in Sussex, with his A/c shot about a bit and his mid-upper gunner wounded – not seriously. The target was Leipzig and it seems to have been a pretty good prang. No losses for the Squadron either – good show.
No ops laid on for tonight so I went with Griffin to the crash of C-Charlie at Gamston. Open two-seater car and bloody cold! We set off shortly after eleven, had lunch at a pub in Markham Moor – very good pub – and arrived at the crash shortly before two. What a smash – the worst I’ve seen yet. The A/C apparently hit a tree on top of a hill, though God knows how, with his starboard tailplane, which is still wrapped around the tree. He then hit the ground about 20 yards further on and then began to come to pieces – small pieces first, engine cowlings and such like, then larger chunks pieces of mainplane and in the next field pieces of the fuselage, propellers, dinghies and lord knows what else. The pilots cockpit [indecipherable word] yet a third field and the engines in the fourth. Impossible to imagine anybody coming alive out of such a crash – yet one is still living. Two of the original survivors died shortly after they were found, [deleted word] one died in hospital and there is still one survivor. Our sortie was pretty abortive – the radio equipment was just smashed to bits. Got back to camp to 5.30. Not thawed out yet.
[underlined] Dec 5th [/underlined]
No ops tonight. Is this the beginning of the moon period? or don’t we have such things anymore. Anyway a frantically busy day – just one of those days. Defect report on Q-Queen’s Triple 52 Resistance amplifying report on J-Jig’s intercomm. failure, Crystal return to Waddo, Group want to know about the rear-gunners microphone heater, Group want to know about the number of modified Marconi receivers we have, Waddington want to know about something else, Raid assessment committee at 15.30 – Telephone rings all day. Damn all higher headquarters!
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 6th [/underlined]
No ops again tonight. Heavy mist all day which got very thick at about four o’clock. Run over to Waddington with S and C documents in the afternoon – M.T. driver who couldn’t drive and thick fog made it a very pleasant journey indeed. Went down to the local with Charnock after dinner.
[underlined] Dec 7th [/underlined]
No ops tonight. Hell of a lot of correspondence to deal with today. G.P.O. also around – which took up quite some time. G.C. dropped in for a few words after lunch – good type. Spent quite some time chasing Works for the remainder of material for the new PBX. Getting nowhere fast. It’s a big help, too, when sections move without giving any indication that they are going to move. Went with the G.P.O. bloke to Station Armoury to survey the line for their phone and found they don’t live there anymore. Good show!
[underlined] Dec 8th [/underlined]
Still no ops. Day spent in trying to get my new PBX built and in doing amendments to S & [undecipherable words] be [underlined] very [/underlined] glad when I get a proper clerk – I’ll be able to do some real work then. Hear my Christmas leave is to be approved.
[underlined] Dec 9th – 13th [/underlined]
No ops. Clerk arrived finally – good girl, too. She doesn’t know the ropes yet but she’ll be “bang-on” when she does. Most of my time spent in organising many things I’ve [sic] be waiting to organise as soon as a clerk appears.
[underlined] Dec 14th [/underlined]
5 Group Signals conference. Beastly day – very cold and foggy. Due to go off on 9 o’clock bus. No sign of bus so I ordered special transport. Bus turned up at 09 45 – before special transport – so I went by bus. Arrived at Waddington at 10 25 – S/Ldr Ward, of course had gone. Organised transport for myself to Moreton Hall – motor cycle combination! By God! was it cold? Everywhere I overlapped which was considerable, I was covered in frost as thick as snow. Finally arrived at Moreton Hall at 11.30 – I hr late. Conference quite interesting. Rumours of day and night operations in the near future – new six-engined bombers – and very big things to come in the next four months. Conference finished at 4 o’clock. Back to Waddington with S/Ldr Ward in his open sports car – Brrh! Van from Waddington [indecipherable word] Bardney but had to open windscreen
[page break]
after about two miles as it was freezing over every hundred yards or so. Finally arrived back colder than I can ever remember being before. Had dinner, went to my bunk, drew up fire until the stove was red hot & stoked until I couldn’t bear to be within six feet of the stove. Then piled up everything I possibly could on the bed and went to bed. Woke up warm. Forgot to mention that coming back from Waddington (1/2hr journey) took 1hr 20mins and we only avoided going in the dykes by the driver leaning out on one side and myself leaning out on the other. Hope they choose a better day for the next conference!
[underlined] Dec 15th [/underlined]
Still no ops. Still very cold and foggy but cleared a bit later in the day. Fitters and riggers had a party and wanted the amplifier – amplifier u/s, no emission from the rectifier valves – no spare valves, Manufactured a mock-up amplifier – finished at 2000 hrs. What a life! Also heard we’ve got the Watch Office Installation to rebuild by 18th!
[underlined] Dec 16th [/underlined]
Ops tonight. Take-off 16 [indecipherable words] the big city. Maximum effort – sixteen aircraft scheduled to take off. To make matters more difficult the G.P.O. arrive to work on the new Operations Switchboard. F/Lt Carr, S.I.O. is not prepared to let them work in the Operations room when the gen is coming through. Unreasonable – it will be his own fault if the work he wants done is delayed – but I suppose I shall have to carry the can all the same if it isn’t done. Take-off is a bit of a farce. As usual after a long stand-down quite a number of snags develop – principally in connection with bombing-up. None of aircraft take-off at the proper time, the first aircraft being thirteen minutes late. Three of the aircraft aren’t bombed-up in time to take off at all so only thirteen go. Unlucky number! and events prove it to be so this time. Due back at 2325, at just after 2300 I get a call to say that the watch- office TR1196 is out of action. Dash down to watch office to find that power is off. On changing to batteries there is still no joy. Test power supplies and find batteries are [deleted] still [/deleted] down. Bad maintenance! Words with the mechanic tomorrow! Change aces and all is well – but we’ve missed the first a/c which has had to land by Aldis lamp. Bad show. Only nine a/c get back – two have landed away and two are missing B and Y – P/O Black and P/O Bayldon. Very sorry about young Bayldon – he was a very nice, quiet, clean, fair haired, slight youngster, who looked much too frail to handle a Lancaster, He regarded me as a sort of father confessor, brought his troubles to me. Poor kid – he can’t have been more than [indecipherable words]. Finally got to bed
[page break]
just before 3 o’clock in the morning.
[underlined] Dec 17th [/underlined]
No ops tonight. Quite a lot to do in connection with G.P.O. work etc., Also we had the usual Raid Assessment Committee. The poor old armament officer, P/O Wright, caught it pretty well in the neck over the a/c not being bombed up last night. Also had an inquest into the affair of the “L” which I forgot to mention yesterday. As a result of the delay in finishing the bombing up it was impossible to “det” up the Radar equipment until the last moment. In L the Radar mechanic got in, did his tests at the back of the aircraft, then walked forward to get the pilot to push his buttons to test the circuit. Unfortunately, the W/Op, following the Mechanic into the A/C, inserted the detonator, so when the Pilot did press his buttons, bang! and up went the IFF!. Still, the a/c took off without I.F.F. and completed his mission successfully. Heard also today that B-Baker called up on the R/T twice last night, was heard and answered but did not acknowledge, so he must have crashed. somewhere either in this country of in the sea not far away. Wonder if there’ll be anymore gen. Went to bed very early and got a good ten hours sleep. Funny thing; but missing sleep now, when it is only irregular, makes me far more tired than it did when it was almost nightly [indecipherable words] summer.
[underlined] Dec 18th [/underlined]
No ops again tonight. Nothing outstanding to report. A sort of Saturday feeling in the air anyway. My Christmas leave is approved, that’s one thing. God, I’ll be glad to have a week with Anne and the bairn.
[underlined] May 8th 1944 [/underlined]
Received word during the night that I am posted to R.A.F. Chigwell – to proceed immediately and arrive not later than A.M. 10th
[underlined] May 9th [/underlined]
A hectic day getting cleared, packed, and ready for off. Got away about 3 o’clock and managed to organise a lift to Lincoln. Caught 4 o’clock train and managed a night at home on way down.
[underlined] May 10th [/underlined]
Arrived at R.A.F. Chigwell. First person I met was the C.O. Group Captain Messenger – my first C.S.O. at Brampton in late 1941. Nobody knows very much about us – 10 of us have arrived here under similar circumstances – hasty postings with no time to do anything:- but is seems that we are AEAF Reserve Pool – reserves for the invasion when it comes.
[page break]
[underlined] May 12th – June 2th [/underlined]
Basic Training – Rifle shooting, revolvers, grenades, sten etc., etc., Moved under canvas on May 26th.
[underlined] June 3rd – June 12th [/underlined]
Driving Instruction – bags of driving of 15 cwt and 3 ton lorries through the streets of London – good fun.
[underlined] June 6th [/underlined]
Wakened at about four o’clock this morning by a vast armada of planes going overhead. The roar of endless aircraft continued up to about 7 o’clock. Guessed then that the invasion had started – found out during the morning that such was indeed the case. Successful landings made by British, Canadian, and American forces on the coast of Normandy, strangely enough the only bit of the French coast I know anything about. Riva Bella is right in the middle of things: Everyone has a great air of expectancy, newspapers are grabbed as soon as they appear. The general idea seems to be ‘now it won’t be long’. Let’s hope they are right.
[underlined] June 15th [/underlined]
Doug. Wark and I saw our first ‘Doodle bug’. . Just before midnight, walking back to camp from Chigwell station the sirens went. A few minutes later we heard the roar of an approaching plane, as we thought, and also heavy ack-ack fire. Then an aircraft, flying very low and with a very peculiar engine note, came into sight coned by searchlights and with the ack-ack batteries passing him on from one to the other. The aircraft was on fire. He flew right over our heads and over the camp – Doug and I both hoping all the time that he would be shot down. Knowing what we know now thank god he wasn’t. Had he been either we, or the camp, or both, we would have had it.
[underlined] June 17th [/underlined]
Station Duty Officer. Doodle-bugs coming over in large numbers. I was plotting from 1700 hours until 0800 hours the following morning. Fortunately for us all were well South of us. Also large numbers apparently being shot down – few are reaching London.
[page break]
[underlined] June 17th – July 15th [/underlined]
Kicking our heels at Chigwell. No work, on six hours notice to move so no leave and practically no days off, life very simple – get up, breakfast, wash, shave & dress. Walk over the fields to the village for coffee back in time for lunch. Laze away the afternoon or go driving with the new courses. Flicks, dance, show or local in evenings. Life punctuated at frequent intervals by doodle-bugs. Most amusing sight a cricket match – doodle bug goes over – no notice taken – shower starts – everybody runs for shelter!
[underlined[ July 12th – Lunch time [/underlined]
Our nearest escape from the doodle-bug. One landed just by the school about 300 yards from the officers mess. Wrecked the school lodge and one wing of the school, blew windows out of the officer’s mess, bent hangars. I was walking through one of the hangars when bomb went off – hangar seemed to shake itself then deafening crump! No other sensation.
[underlined] July 13th [/underlined]
Heard at lunch time that we are off overseas – not to Normandy but to M.E. I immediately packed and made arrangements to get away. Travelled up to Preston by night train – managed to get a sleeper – very lucky. Home by just after seven in the morning.
[underlined] July 15th [/underlined]
Reported to West Kirby in afternoon. Kitted out in the evening.
[underlined] July 16th [/underlined]
Boarded ship early this morning. Dutch M.V. of about 18000 tons [inserted] SS. Volendam [/inserted] Not a bad looking vessel – newly done up. Sleeping quarters very cramped – 15 officers to one cabin. Men packed in like sardines between decks. Food good but not very plentiful. Rumours as to where we are going rife but general opinion seems to be Italy. We’ll see! Did not sail today.
[underlined] July 17th [/underlined]
Moved down river in evening. Anchored at river mouth. Most exasperating to be able to watch people enjoying themselves at New Brighton and not be able to join them. Even more exasperating
[page break]
to realise that Blackpool lies only a few miles off our starboard beam and yet I can’t get ashore and join Anne and Patricia for a few final hours.
[underlined] July 18th [/underlined]
On our way – we weighed anchor shortly after lunch, ran out into the channel, formed in convoy and set off about tea time. Just before dusk we saw Man on our starboard beam and before it was completely dark passed between Antrim and the Mull of Galloway. Much singing by the troops before we went to bed.
[underlined] July 19th to 26th [/underlined]
Blue skies, a blue and amazingly calm Atlantic and nothing else. I never thought the Atlantic could be so quiet. Not a ripple and hardly any swell. If the convoy did not change course occasionally, so altering the arrangement of the ships, it would be difficult to believe we were moving at all. Temperature gradually getting hotter and hotter. We went into Tropical kit on 25th. Nights in the cabin almost unbearable. Supposed to sleep in our clothes but no one can stand it. Daily routine – B’kfast – stroll round deck – censor letters – write – lunch – read on deck or sleep in cabin – deck-tennis – tea – read or write – walk around deck – poker – breath of fresh air before. retiring to the Black Hole to sleep. Boat drill daily – mosquito nets and cream issued. Rumour had it that we should pass Gibraltar tonight (26th) but no sign.
[underlined] July 27th [/underlined]
Great excitement on board today. Everyone convinced we pass Gib tonight. Just before nightfall sighted large convoy on horizon – joined them. Towards midnight sighted lights ahead. Spain on our left, North Africa on our right. Saw the lights of Gib just before going to bed. If everyone gets as excited as this just to see land what will it be like when it is England we see again?
[page break]
[underlined] July 28th & 29th [/underlined]
In the morning just blue sky and blue sea again, as though Gib had never been. North African coast came into sight later. Continued to sail along close to shore until afternoon of 29th. Passed most of the towns made famous by the 1st & 8th Armies. In afternoon of 29th parted from rest of convoy and turned North. So it is Italy!
[underlined] July 30th [/underlined]
Just before lunch Capri was sighted on the horizon. A memorable event. People could hardly tear themselves away from the rails to have lunch. Passed Capri, very close.
[underlined] S. O. Book 135. [/underlined]
Code 28.72.0
Flashbacks – to my tour with the Americans
May 1942 – August 1943
G [crest] R
[boxed] SUPPLIED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE [/boxed]
T.4100 Wrs.5631/6152. 90,000 Bks. 12/42 T.W. & S. Ltd.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 1st [/underlined]
Ops laid on today – went through the motions – briefing etc, ready for an early take-off, then put back for five hours. Definite air of tension in the mess – these postponements are definitely bad for the morale – gives the boys too long to think about things. Scrub finally came through at a quarter to eleven at night – absolutely absurd waiting so long – couldn’t see a thing for fog by then.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 2nd [/underlined]
Ops on again today. Took off early – 1640 - target ‘the big city’ No hitches at take-off but the news wasn’t so good at return. One a/c crashed, near Gamston, with four killed, four injured. A/c just went into the deck and went up in flames. No names yet. So ends another C-Charlie. D-Dog also missing; F/Lt Wells. Entirely unexpected – he was getting near the end of his tour. Add that on to V-Victor a few days ago – with six killed in the crash – and N-Nan where we lost an a/c but no crew – thank goodness – and things are looking pretty thin: Now three o’clock in the morning so must pack up in case there’s [indecipherable word] on tomorrow – today rather! Forgot to mention we had a visiting a/c with two wounded aboard prang on the drome here – fortunately after all but one of our kites were down. The – U-Uncle – diverted to Fiskerton.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 3rd [/underlined]
Ops laid on again tonight – late take off this time – about 0030 in the morning. Met the lads just going down to buses as I came back here. The battle order looks very small compared with recent efforts – still our losses have been very heavy recently so that is hardly surprising. Hope things are better than they were last night – one thing the weather has improved very considerably – should be alright if it stays like that. Now nearly 11 o’clock so must get to bed as I’ve to be up early. Just remembered – too late – why old Wells seemed so familiar when I came here – must have seen him in Wellingborough – that’s his home town. Poor old Duncan – our coloured commissioned gunner – was one of Wells crew last night – hadn’t realised it at the time.
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 4th [/underlined]
First A/c was back at seven o’clock this morning. We didn’t hear about M-Mike until nearly 9 o’clock – were just beginning to think he was a goner when news came through that he had landed at Woodbridge, in Sussex, with his A/c shot about a bit and his mid-upper gunner wounded – not seriously. The target was Leipzig and it seems to have been a pretty good prang. No losses for the Squadron either – good show.
No ops laid on for tonight so I went with Griffin to the crash of C-Charlie at Gamston. Open two-seater car and bloody cold! We set off shortly after eleven, had lunch at a pub in Markham Moor – very good pub – and arrived at the crash shortly before two. What a smash – the worst I’ve seen yet. The A/C apparently hit a tree on top of a hill, though God knows how, with his starboard tailplane, which is still wrapped around the tree. He then hit the ground about 20 yards further on and then began to come to pieces – small pieces first, engine cowlings and such like, then larger chunks pieces of mainplane and in the next field pieces of the fuselage, propellers, dinghies and lord knows what else. The pilots cockpit [indecipherable word] yet a third field and the engines in the fourth. Impossible to imagine anybody coming alive out of such a crash – yet one is still living. Two of the original survivors died shortly after they were found, [deleted word] one died in hospital and there is still one survivor. Our sortie was pretty abortive – the radio equipment was just smashed to bits. Got back to camp to 5.30. Not thawed out yet.
[underlined] Dec 5th [/underlined]
No ops tonight. Is this the beginning of the moon period? or don’t we have such things anymore. Anyway a frantically busy day – just one of those days. Defect report on Q-Queen’s Triple 52 Resistance amplifying report on J-Jig’s intercomm. failure, Crystal return to Waddo, Group want to know about the rear-gunners microphone heater, Group want to know about the number of modified Marconi receivers we have, Waddington want to know about something else, Raid assessment committee at 15.30 – Telephone rings all day. Damn all higher headquarters!
[page break]
[underlined] Dec 6th [/underlined]
No ops again tonight. Heavy mist all day which got very thick at about four o’clock. Run over to Waddington with S and C documents in the afternoon – M.T. driver who couldn’t drive and thick fog made it a very pleasant journey indeed. Went down to the local with Charnock after dinner.
[underlined] Dec 7th [/underlined]
No ops tonight. Hell of a lot of correspondence to deal with today. G.P.O. also around – which took up quite some time. G.C. dropped in for a few words after lunch – good type. Spent quite some time chasing Works for the remainder of material for the new PBX. Getting nowhere fast. It’s a big help, too, when sections move without giving any indication that they are going to move. Went with the G.P.O. bloke to Station Armoury to survey the line for their phone and found they don’t live there anymore. Good show!
[underlined] Dec 8th [/underlined]
Still no ops. Day spent in trying to get my new PBX built and in doing amendments to S & [undecipherable words] be [underlined] very [/underlined] glad when I get a proper clerk – I’ll be able to do some real work then. Hear my Christmas leave is to be approved.
[underlined] Dec 9th – 13th [/underlined]
No ops. Clerk arrived finally – good girl, too. She doesn’t know the ropes yet but she’ll be “bang-on” when she does. Most of my time spent in organising many things I’ve [sic] be waiting to organise as soon as a clerk appears.
[underlined] Dec 14th [/underlined]
5 Group Signals conference. Beastly day – very cold and foggy. Due to go off on 9 o’clock bus. No sign of bus so I ordered special transport. Bus turned up at 09 45 – before special transport – so I went by bus. Arrived at Waddington at 10 25 – S/Ldr Ward, of course had gone. Organised transport for myself to Moreton Hall – motor cycle combination! By God! was it cold? Everywhere I overlapped which was considerable, I was covered in frost as thick as snow. Finally arrived at Moreton Hall at 11.30 – I hr late. Conference quite interesting. Rumours of day and night operations in the near future – new six-engined bombers – and very big things to come in the next four months. Conference finished at 4 o’clock. Back to Waddington with S/Ldr Ward in his open sports car – Brrh! Van from Waddington [indecipherable word] Bardney but had to open windscreen
[page break]
after about two miles as it was freezing over every hundred yards or so. Finally arrived back colder than I can ever remember being before. Had dinner, went to my bunk, drew up fire until the stove was red hot & stoked until I couldn’t bear to be within six feet of the stove. Then piled up everything I possibly could on the bed and went to bed. Woke up warm. Forgot to mention that coming back from Waddington (1/2hr journey) took 1hr 20mins and we only avoided going in the dykes by the driver leaning out on one side and myself leaning out on the other. Hope they choose a better day for the next conference!
[underlined] Dec 15th [/underlined]
Still no ops. Still very cold and foggy but cleared a bit later in the day. Fitters and riggers had a party and wanted the amplifier – amplifier u/s, no emission from the rectifier valves – no spare valves, Manufactured a mock-up amplifier – finished at 2000 hrs. What a life! Also heard we’ve got the Watch Office Installation to rebuild by 18th!
[underlined] Dec 16th [/underlined]
Ops tonight. Take-off 16 [indecipherable words] the big city. Maximum effort – sixteen aircraft scheduled to take off. To make matters more difficult the G.P.O. arrive to work on the new Operations Switchboard. F/Lt Carr, S.I.O. is not prepared to let them work in the Operations room when the gen is coming through. Unreasonable – it will be his own fault if the work he wants done is delayed – but I suppose I shall have to carry the can all the same if it isn’t done. Take-off is a bit of a farce. As usual after a long stand-down quite a number of snags develop – principally in connection with bombing-up. None of aircraft take-off at the proper time, the first aircraft being thirteen minutes late. Three of the aircraft aren’t bombed-up in time to take off at all so only thirteen go. Unlucky number! and events prove it to be so this time. Due back at 2325, at just after 2300 I get a call to say that the watch- office TR1196 is out of action. Dash down to watch office to find that power is off. On changing to batteries there is still no joy. Test power supplies and find batteries are [deleted] still [/deleted] down. Bad maintenance! Words with the mechanic tomorrow! Change aces and all is well – but we’ve missed the first a/c which has had to land by Aldis lamp. Bad show. Only nine a/c get back – two have landed away and two are missing B and Y – P/O Black and P/O Bayldon. Very sorry about young Bayldon – he was a very nice, quiet, clean, fair haired, slight youngster, who looked much too frail to handle a Lancaster, He regarded me as a sort of father confessor, brought his troubles to me. Poor kid – he can’t have been more than [indecipherable words]. Finally got to bed
[page break]
just before 3 o’clock in the morning.
[underlined] Dec 17th [/underlined]
No ops tonight. Quite a lot to do in connection with G.P.O. work etc., Also we had the usual Raid Assessment Committee. The poor old armament officer, P/O Wright, caught it pretty well in the neck over the a/c not being bombed up last night. Also had an inquest into the affair of the “L” which I forgot to mention yesterday. As a result of the delay in finishing the bombing up it was impossible to “det” up the Radar equipment until the last moment. In L the Radar mechanic got in, did his tests at the back of the aircraft, then walked forward to get the pilot to push his buttons to test the circuit. Unfortunately, the W/Op, following the Mechanic into the A/C, inserted the detonator, so when the Pilot did press his buttons, bang! and up went the IFF!. Still, the a/c took off without I.F.F. and completed his mission successfully. Heard also today that B-Baker called up on the R/T twice last night, was heard and answered but did not acknowledge, so he must have crashed. somewhere either in this country of in the sea not far away. Wonder if there’ll be anymore gen. Went to bed very early and got a good ten hours sleep. Funny thing; but missing sleep now, when it is only irregular, makes me far more tired than it did when it was almost nightly [indecipherable words] summer.
[underlined] Dec 18th [/underlined]
No ops again tonight. Nothing outstanding to report. A sort of Saturday feeling in the air anyway. My Christmas leave is approved, that’s one thing. God, I’ll be glad to have a week with Anne and the bairn.
[underlined] May 8th 1944 [/underlined]
Received word during the night that I am posted to R.A.F. Chigwell – to proceed immediately and arrive not later than A.M. 10th
[underlined] May 9th [/underlined]
A hectic day getting cleared, packed, and ready for off. Got away about 3 o’clock and managed to organise a lift to Lincoln. Caught 4 o’clock train and managed a night at home on way down.
[underlined] May 10th [/underlined]
Arrived at R.A.F. Chigwell. First person I met was the C.O. Group Captain Messenger – my first C.S.O. at Brampton in late 1941. Nobody knows very much about us – 10 of us have arrived here under similar circumstances – hasty postings with no time to do anything:- but is seems that we are AEAF Reserve Pool – reserves for the invasion when it comes.
[page break]
[underlined] May 12th – June 2th [/underlined]
Basic Training – Rifle shooting, revolvers, grenades, sten etc., etc., Moved under canvas on May 26th.
[underlined] June 3rd – June 12th [/underlined]
Driving Instruction – bags of driving of 15 cwt and 3 ton lorries through the streets of London – good fun.
[underlined] June 6th [/underlined]
Wakened at about four o’clock this morning by a vast armada of planes going overhead. The roar of endless aircraft continued up to about 7 o’clock. Guessed then that the invasion had started – found out during the morning that such was indeed the case. Successful landings made by British, Canadian, and American forces on the coast of Normandy, strangely enough the only bit of the French coast I know anything about. Riva Bella is right in the middle of things: Everyone has a great air of expectancy, newspapers are grabbed as soon as they appear. The general idea seems to be ‘now it won’t be long’. Let’s hope they are right.
[underlined] June 15th [/underlined]
Doug. Wark and I saw our first ‘Doodle bug’. . Just before midnight, walking back to camp from Chigwell station the sirens went. A few minutes later we heard the roar of an approaching plane, as we thought, and also heavy ack-ack fire. Then an aircraft, flying very low and with a very peculiar engine note, came into sight coned by searchlights and with the ack-ack batteries passing him on from one to the other. The aircraft was on fire. He flew right over our heads and over the camp – Doug and I both hoping all the time that he would be shot down. Knowing what we know now thank god he wasn’t. Had he been either we, or the camp, or both, we would have had it.
[underlined] June 17th [/underlined]
Station Duty Officer. Doodle-bugs coming over in large numbers. I was plotting from 1700 hours until 0800 hours the following morning. Fortunately for us all were well South of us. Also large numbers apparently being shot down – few are reaching London.
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[underlined] June 17th – July 15th [/underlined]
Kicking our heels at Chigwell. No work, on six hours notice to move so no leave and practically no days off, life very simple – get up, breakfast, wash, shave & dress. Walk over the fields to the village for coffee back in time for lunch. Laze away the afternoon or go driving with the new courses. Flicks, dance, show or local in evenings. Life punctuated at frequent intervals by doodle-bugs. Most amusing sight a cricket match – doodle bug goes over – no notice taken – shower starts – everybody runs for shelter!
[underlined[ July 12th – Lunch time [/underlined]
Our nearest escape from the doodle-bug. One landed just by the school about 300 yards from the officers mess. Wrecked the school lodge and one wing of the school, blew windows out of the officer’s mess, bent hangars. I was walking through one of the hangars when bomb went off – hangar seemed to shake itself then deafening crump! No other sensation.
[underlined] July 13th [/underlined]
Heard at lunch time that we are off overseas – not to Normandy but to M.E. I immediately packed and made arrangements to get away. Travelled up to Preston by night train – managed to get a sleeper – very lucky. Home by just after seven in the morning.
[underlined] July 15th [/underlined]
Reported to West Kirby in afternoon. Kitted out in the evening.
[underlined] July 16th [/underlined]
Boarded ship early this morning. Dutch M.V. of about 18000 tons [inserted] SS. Volendam [/inserted] Not a bad looking vessel – newly done up. Sleeping quarters very cramped – 15 officers to one cabin. Men packed in like sardines between decks. Food good but not very plentiful. Rumours as to where we are going rife but general opinion seems to be Italy. We’ll see! Did not sail today.
[underlined] July 17th [/underlined]
Moved down river in evening. Anchored at river mouth. Most exasperating to be able to watch people enjoying themselves at New Brighton and not be able to join them. Even more exasperating
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to realise that Blackpool lies only a few miles off our starboard beam and yet I can’t get ashore and join Anne and Patricia for a few final hours.
[underlined] July 18th [/underlined]
On our way – we weighed anchor shortly after lunch, ran out into the channel, formed in convoy and set off about tea time. Just before dusk we saw Man on our starboard beam and before it was completely dark passed between Antrim and the Mull of Galloway. Much singing by the troops before we went to bed.
[underlined] July 19th to 26th [/underlined]
Blue skies, a blue and amazingly calm Atlantic and nothing else. I never thought the Atlantic could be so quiet. Not a ripple and hardly any swell. If the convoy did not change course occasionally, so altering the arrangement of the ships, it would be difficult to believe we were moving at all. Temperature gradually getting hotter and hotter. We went into Tropical kit on 25th. Nights in the cabin almost unbearable. Supposed to sleep in our clothes but no one can stand it. Daily routine – B’kfast – stroll round deck – censor letters – write – lunch – read on deck or sleep in cabin – deck-tennis – tea – read or write – walk around deck – poker – breath of fresh air before. retiring to the Black Hole to sleep. Boat drill daily – mosquito nets and cream issued. Rumour had it that we should pass Gibraltar tonight (26th) but no sign.
[underlined] July 27th [/underlined]
Great excitement on board today. Everyone convinced we pass Gib tonight. Just before nightfall sighted large convoy on horizon – joined them. Towards midnight sighted lights ahead. Spain on our left, North Africa on our right. Saw the lights of Gib just before going to bed. If everyone gets as excited as this just to see land what will it be like when it is England we see again?
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[underlined] July 28th & 29th [/underlined]
In the morning just blue sky and blue sea again, as though Gib had never been. North African coast came into sight later. Continued to sail along close to shore until afternoon of 29th. Passed most of the towns made famous by the 1st & 8th Armies. In afternoon of 29th parted from rest of convoy and turned North. So it is Italy!
[underlined] July 30th [/underlined]
Just before lunch Capri was sighted on the horizon. A memorable event. People could hardly tear themselves away from the rails to have lunch. Passed Capri, very close.
Collection
Citation
“Flashbacks to My Tour with the Americans,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed May 22, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/41034.
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