I decided to join the RAF, as I had always had an interest in flying and thought I could make the grade as a pilot.

On 17 October 1941, I joined a unit in north London where I was given the rank of AC2 with the regimental number 1801369.



After completing the various aptitude tests, I was selected for flying training and was posted to Perth in Scotland. Following 12 hours of flying I went solo for ten minutes and was told I had passed the test and would be posted to the Royal Canadian Air Force Station at Fingal, near Toronto.



My forage cap now sported a white flash, which indicated I was part of the air crew. I felt very proud of this and considered myself very fortunate. After another 12 hours of training in Halifax bombers, I was told that I would not make the time limit for training as a pilot and would be re-trained as a Bomb Aimer/Navigator – both of which I eventually qualified to undertake.

I was promoted to Pilot Officer and after attending a further course – this time for engineer training in Wales – I was posted to RAF Hixon, Staffordshire, where I trained on Wellingtons as a Bomb Aimer and a Gunner.

In November 1944, I was posted to 625 Squadron, located at RAF Kelstern; it subsequently moved to RAF Scampton.

On 18 November 1944, I flew my first operation: a night raid on an oil refinery in Wanne-Eickel, Germany. Being a Bomb Aimer required you to lie down flat, peering through the front turret with the gunner sitting immediately above you.