MILITARY
Twice a day, two hours at a time - interviews and lectures.
The NCO in charge of our party was a flight sergeant PT instructor. He had done his time in the air force but was kept on because of the war. He was a punch drunk Irishman, so understanding what he was saying was not easy. A few of the wise boys took advantage of this, so drill instruction was usually hilarious. One member of our party was a circus acrobat so he interested the flight sergeant in party tricks when possible. Another of the party could not march - instead of marching swinging one arm to the opposite leg, he was like a camel moving one side at a time. So you can imagine the chaos that was caused with an Irish punch-drunk instructor ably assisted by a few wise guys.
We had received no pay since we joined so on the first Friday we were there it was pay day. We had to line up before a long table where the pay clerks and an officer sat, names were called out alphabetically. You had to respond by calling out the last three numbers of your service number, walk forward, salute, take your pay and walk away. Pay day was every fortnight and I received fourteen shillings (old money, 70p new money) every fortnight.
We were in Wing No5. The boy apprentices had been moved to Wings 1 and 2 which was about two hundred yards away and fenced off from us. They were divided into five squadrons each with its own drum and fife and bagpipe band. They were receiving their training at an aerodrome two miles away and every morning and evening when marching to and from the aerodrome all five bands were playing at the same time - all different tunes and at different times. The noise was shattering. This went on all the while we were at HALT ON.
The food at camp was very good; the staff was all civilians. When we asked why, we were told that the catering was subcontracted to J Lyons & Son, the corner house people. Serving the food was different to UXBRIDGE. The tables in the canteen held twenty people. You walked in and sat at a table. When it was full the last two people to sit down went to the serving hatch and collected the food for the table. They brought it back and served it out, so the policy was try not to be the first at the table nor the last.
We started our training with simple metalwork - how to use saws, files, hammers, chisels etc. We had to make a test piece. If it was satisfactory we moved on to the next phase. On the metal work stage we had instructors who the other instructors called educated Evans. He would never call a hammer by its name; he always had a fancy name for it.
There were thirty of us on the engine course; we were divided into three groups of ten. The smaller number being easier to instruct. The last three weeks were spent at the aerodrome for practical work on aircraft. The aerodrome being two miles away, lunch had to be taken there.
At the main camp there was a school of cookery. The cooks, as part of their training, had to cook at the aerodrome using equipment that would be used in the field - wood stoves, paraffin ovens etc. The result was a disaster. Six months before joining the forces I had had my teeth removed. I was left with six teeth at the bottom in front. So whilst being able to cope with the food at the main camp, their offering was not on. I never thought that you could burn water but they managed to do that. I never thought that I would taste burnt tea. The farmer who collected the swill for his pigs was on to a good thing.
At the end of the course it was exam time. The exam was oral with an engine available for demonstration. As usual it was taken in alphabetical order so I was the last one but I did not have to wait long for the results. The first ones had to wait all day. I came top of the group and as a result moved up two places in the rankings from AC to leading aircraftman with a rise in pay.
After a passing out parade we all went on leave for seven days. Whilst on leave I had my posting to No21 Bomber Squadron at WATTON in NORFOLK.
The winter 1940 - 1941 was very bad, cold and freezing. I had difficulty getting to the camp because of frozen roads and railways. They were considering sending people on leave due to frozen pipes. No flying to take place, the runways were all frozen up. The aircraft had been sent to CORNWALL where flying was possible. It stayed like that for three months.
We were sent to an active squadron to have work experience before continuing training as an engine fitter but because of the weather it was a waste of time. A few things happened to break the monotony.