He completed technical training at RAF St Athan, where he met Betty, his future wife. From there Doug went to the Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Topcliffe to meet his Canadian crew before being posted to 429 Sqn at RAF Leeming. He recalls his pilot was removed for lack of moral fibre and they had to find another one. Doug learned to fly the Halifax in case the pilot was injured and from there the crew completed a tour of 30 operations together. He says each crew lived in a house on the station instead of in the mess.
Doug flew mine-laying operations to Norway to keep the Tirpitz from the convoys and during this period they shot down a Ju88. Some of the crew were awarded medals while Doug was commissioned. On another operation Doug was away from his engineer panel when shrapnel hit it. He says he kept that piece of shrapnel for many years.
For their last three operations, the crew converted to Lancasters but Doug tells us he preferred the Halifax because it was easier to move around in. He also describes the carburettor icing problems on the Bristol Hercules engine.
He was relieved to complete his last operation, having recently married Betty and was sent to India where he recalls that flying with the Indian Air Force was more frightening than wartime operations.
After being demobbed, Doug went to work at Cardiff Airport and then London Airport in charge of aerodrome equipment. He recalls the arrival of the first Russian airliner.
Doug left aviation for the Forestry Commission and found it ironic that he helped clear a bombing range of unexploded ordnance, which he had probably dropped, before planting new trees there. He was invited to fly in the Goodyear airship and took his teenage daughter along.
Doug says he was determined to tell his own experiences because his father had never spoken about his WW1 service.
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Gary Rushbrooke]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Indian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> India]]> 1943]]>