From Training in Mossbank to Being Bombed in Bournemouth
Heroes Remember
From Training in Mossbank to Being Bombed in Bournemouth
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They picked so many who were good at morse code, to
go to Dorval, to join RAFFC. I knew what FC stood for, was
Ferry Command. They were taking aircraft from Montreal, to
Gander, to Prestwick, Scotland, delivering the aircraft engine.
I forgot what RAF stood for. It was Royal Air Force. I got out
of the Royal Air Force when I got back to Summerside about
four years later. It, we made the one trip one way.
It was costing the British an awful lot of money see.
The Ferry Command was all civilians. And the chap that
I went over with, was a chap by the name of Henry R. Carlyle.
He had the OBE and he was an American.
He had an office about the size of this room in Dorval.
He was the head of the organization in Dorval.
He didn't use a navigator, he did his own navigation.
So we had a second pilot. I was the radio operator.
The second pilot he was a British type, an RAF type
and all he had to do was eat the sandwiches and drink the juice
while we were on the way over. But from Scotland
then we went to Bournemouth, in southern England.
That was a holding unit for Canadians. That was in Bournemouth.
That was the first place I ever seen the largest black
(inaudible) in my life. I had been in the hospital with blood
clots on the shins and there was another young fella,
he was a radar tech. This time of course I'd gotten my wings
and we were flying. Anyway the, this young fella said,
"Beautiful day for a raid." And that's the expression we used
to use, you know. A day like this, sun shining, a nice day,
"Beautiful day for a raid." I said,
"Wait till the pubs open first." This was early afternoon.
We had just got out of the hospital on a few hour's break.
All of a sudden this aircraft went over just rooftop high.
We were walking down the street and I said, "My, my that Spit."
I kept looking and it was a 109, it was a German aircraft.
He had come in and dropped a couple bombs.
But that was the start of my tour in England.
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