Browse Items (14 total)

Charles responded to a newspaper article for motorboat crew and joined the Royal Air Force in July 1941. He was eventually called up to Cardington and kitted out at Penarth, with an Initial Training Wing at Weston-super-Mare. From Great Yarmouth, he…

Discusses his training and service with Air Sea Rescue in Great Britain and Malta

Terry Lloyd’s older brother was a wireless operator in Bomber Command and became a prisoner of war. Terry was also determined to join the RAF as aircrew. However, he was rejected due to his eyesight and served on Air Sea Rescue launches. Terry was…

Ron Huntley recounts his service in the RAF from May 1941, when he joined as a Flight Mechanic. His path to joining the RAF was unconventional; given the option between continuing to work nights in his government job or volunteering for the war…

Eric Haynes recalls his service in the RAF as a Coxswain in Air Sea Rescue. He enlisted on 4th September 1939 as a photographer; however, when he was mustered in January 1940, he was told there were no photography spaces. He entered service as RAF…

George Griffiths recounts his service in the RAF from 1942, when he volunteered as a Wireless Operator. In June 1942, he was called up and completed his Wireless Operator training before being posted to Norfolk in February 1943. During this time, he…

Frank Boutcher recounts his time in the RAF from the spring of 1941. After joining up when he was 19, Boutcher trained to be a flight mechanic, with his service taking him to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Holland.
During his first posting…

William Bilton recounts his 6 years of service in the RAF Marine Section from 1940-1946. During his time in Air Sea Rescue, he served in the UK and Europe, assisting RAF operations from the waters. At his first posting in Dover, William was…