We had lost touch with ‘Marty’ and George and Fred couldn’t come. Sadly, only Boris, ‘Bud’, Pat and myself made it. Most other buildings, sections and Nissan huts had been dismantled, but the Control Tower remained and was being used for its original purpose. Two old hangars had been utilised to hold the vast amount of insecticide needed (it could have been DDT). The holder of the tenancy was said to be an ex-Squadron Leader, who had flown from Wickenby during the war. At that time the airfield was being used for crop spraying and a small airfreight business to Europe. I only met him once again, when most of the crew had arranged a special crew reunion at Wickenby airfield. There was talk of a serious misdemeanour in his youth, which I find hard to believe, but even so, surely not sufficient to de-rate a most competent and long serving member of our Armed Services? As his Skipper I completely accept that Albert ‘Bud’ Storey was a better Navigator, than I was a Pilot (I was only rated higher than average once in training). Then I was sometimes reminded that Flight Sergeant Pilots, like myself, could be commissioned later in the war, if they flew on bombing missions. He was born in Harrington, Cumbria (situated only 2.1/2 to 3 miles from Distington, Cumbria, where I was brought up after being orphaned). Personally, I thought it could have been because he was only a village boy like myself. What I cannot understand and accept, even now, is why he wasn’t awarded a commission. Our crew always knew, even in our young days, that he was ‘one of the best’. Having flown with many very senior R.A.F. He had accumulated thousands of flying hours with impeccable references as to his ability. I saw one of his log books when I visited him years later in a public house called ‘The Dying Gladiator’, which he tenanted near Boston Spalding, Lincolnshire. career, I was told, as the most Senior NCO/Warrant Officer Navigator in the R.A.F. Eventually, Pat, Boris and myself finally found out, that he had stayed in the R.A.F. I had not been certain he was married, but then ‘Bud’ was always a real loner. And that later, after quite a while, he had rejoined the R.A.F. ‘Bud’ we completely lost touch with for a time, but a few years later we found out that when he had been demobbed, he had taken up his pre-war trade as a bricklayer. They were allocated duties driving ‘top brass’ around in India mostly, I believe, until they were demobbed. Fred, Boris and George were posted to India. The dropping of the atomic bomb had led to VJ Day. However, although I met Fred, Pat who had been staying with him had by that time, been posted home to Australia. After all, we had as strangers met as individuals, grown closer and closer as we depended upon each other and flew together as a team.īoris, Fred, George, Pat and myself hoped to arrange a reunion. But as Skipper, I was fairly certain that the crew felt the prospect of ‘breaking up’ very deeply. Peace in Europe had come suddenly for us, when one considers the state of tension we had all been operating under for so long. I can’t bring to mind many memories or happenings during this period, nor in any chronological order. Once, with Marie, now my wife, we stayed with Fred’s family in Hainault, which borders Epping Forest. Sometimes we separately, in small groups or all the crew together, visited Lincoln and the surrounding countryside. We went off in our various ways, visiting our homes and friends.
BOMBER CREW TRAINER FULL
On returning to Wickenby, we were told that having completed a full tour of operations, we were entitled to extended leave. He fully understands the site's terms and conditions. This story was submitted to the People's War Website by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Leslie Landells and has been added to the site with his permission.
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