21 May 1951 RAF PERSHORE 10 WEEKS POLICE TRAINING Choose or had thrust upon me the RAF Police as my Trade and arrived at RAF Pershore, again with some trepidation. The same routine applied. Groups of about 18 Airmen thrust together in a hut from all walks of life. Many not having left home before – it was get toughened up relatively quickly or go under. Ten weeks of classroom work -and more square bashing was the order of the day. Rifle Drill, on the Drill Square with the butt smashing down onto the thinly flesh covered clavicle bones did not go down too well. Flying Officer Warren , Flt Sergeant Reading and Sgt Treasurer were the instructors. The accolade to all this effort, the issue on 11 July 1951, of a pair of RAF Police Chevrons and another pair of Boots! My God we had made it! Hugh smiles all round. Made what? - Acting Corporals –Unpaid! Where were we All going? This was the next thought upper most in our minds. A list came round and volunteers were needed to go Abroad. Abroad - where the blazes was that. Do not know how – but I managed to force myself but to sign that blessed Form. RAF Logic – Everyone who signed to go Abroad stayed in the UK, all those that did not sign were posted Abroad!

13 Jul 1951 RAF NEWTON 93 MU BASIC TRAINING STATION Flt Lt Croxhall Flt Lt Nunn Here I was then - arriving at Newton some 30 miles from my home town. Basic instructions on Guardroom Duties and patrols followed for a few days.

27 Jul 1951 RAF SOUTH WITHAM GUARDROOM DUTIES The first real stint of duty. Exciting stuff this. 10 miles south of Grantham, Lincs My own Guardroom – King of the Castle.when on duty. The europhia was soon replaced by utter sheer boredom and frustration. All the hetic training days, being kepy busy and deadlines to keep – then bang. Thought I had died. Bull had to take over again - for something to do and the place shone. You slid about on the Guardroom floor on heavy felt pads to avoid marking the lino. Occasionally an Airmen would return from leave and hand in his Form 295. If they were late reporting back, you would get a chance to fill in a Charge Form 252. (AWOL) Then of course there was the excitement of Camp Patrol – These camps were small and in the back of beyond. A quick stroll and you had passed all the checking points in about 30 minutes. Keep manually opening the large gate at the entrance to the Camp – Boy – and shut up! One Flying Officer wanted the large gate opening each time - so that he could WALK through. He did not want to soil his hands by using the side gate! What a !. This same Officer, when he came into the actual Guardroom, also took delight in walking on the highly polished lino and screwing his shoe heels into it as he turned round. He the strutted out with a wry smile on his face. Personnel: Group Captain Allen Flt Lt. Bulley Flying Officer Kelly Flying Officer Mac Donald Flying Officer Macintyre Flying Officer Millar Sgt Hanlon SIB Cpl Greenwood Cpl Hextall Cpl Robinson Cpl Fowler Cpl Macdonald Cpl Senior SAC Parker LAC Jones LAC Valente LAC Clancy AC Allen AC Presland AC Smith AC Watts (Police Asst) AC Hughes AC Whylie AC Cullen AC Conner AC Telford AC Skeats AC Gallagher AC Hatwood AC Purvis AC Stephenson AC Walsh AC Mac Faden AC Brown AC Burnett AC Baxter AC Brown (Police Asst) AC Henman AC Smith AC Mcmillian AC Buchan AC Hardwick

18 Feb 1952 RAF GOXHILL GUARDROOM DUTIES Flt Lt Goodburn. W.O Callaway, Sgt Fulbrook Corporal Brackenbridge. Corporal Johns This station was even smaller. It lay close to the Humber Estuary. The most exciting thing was a ride on a bicycle down to the River Bank. Thankfully, my stay was to be a short one.

03 Mar 1952 RAF NORTON DISNEY - PLUS: RAF FULBECK GUARDROOM DUTIES - AIRFIELD PATROLS Wing Comm Illife Sq Leader Bevis Fl Lt. Duckworth Flt Lt. Southwell (Medical Off) Flt Sgt Southwood Flying Officer Laws Flying Officer Patterson Flying Officer Bowden W.Officer Watts Cpl Mitchell Cpl Docherty Cpl Draper Cpl Smollett SAC Davies LAC Gregory (Police Asst) LAC Sulley AC Mustoe Ac Quin AC Dobson (Police Asst) AC Hands A slightly larger camp. Storeage Nissan Huts were scattered through the extensive woodlands. Relatively uneventful tours of duty. The Guardroom was a smallish wooden hut, with a double swing gate for access to the Camp. Can recall having to travel to RAF Fulbeck from here for tours of duty at the weekends. This camp was basically another storage camp. It was mainly used mostly Monday to Friday, hence the weekend security patrols around the disused Airfield.

01 Sep 1952 RAF NEWTON RAF POLICE GUARDROOM DUTIES Sgt Gannon Cpl Melville Cpl Beattie Cpl Turner Cpl Flannagan Cpl Bradbury My main duties here was Guard Duty by the barrier of the Officers Mess Gate on the far side of the Camp. The accommodation consisted of Sentry Type Concrete Box. It was freezing cold and to gain any type of warmth you had to cup your hands round the electric light bulb! There was very little traffic in and out of the camp and thankfully this posting was for a short period of only three weeks.

23 Sep 1952 RAF BOTTESFORD GUARDROOM DUTIES Sgt Hickling Cpl Bean Cpl Sharp SAC 3505027 Kane LAC 4091617 Ryder LAC 2439191 Mills AC 2532002 Ennis AC 2526393 Cumberford AC 2522500 Butler AC 2529471 Thompson AC 2529415 Charlton AC 4058095 Clarke Back to a Guardroom structure. This was another isolated station, with Perry Tracks and storage dumps. Patrols of the area were the order of the day, with little happening.

10 Dec 1952 RAF SOUTH WITHAM GUARDROOM DUTIES LAC Nock AC Izzard AC Garland Back to the first Operational Station. At least I knew the layout and systems. My mind by this time was fixed on Feb 1953! The highlight of the year was the Camp Dance, they shipped in Young Ladies by Trucks from surrounding villages. Guess who drew the short straw and was on duty at the Guardroom.

13 Feb 1953 RAF NEWTON DEMOB DAY! Back to blighty. Still a useless 20 years old. No money, no clothes, grown out of the few I had. Mother - God Bless Her - She had saved all the 7s 0d I had sent over the two years. She handed back to me the princely sum of £84 0s 0d. I needed this to kit myself out. Good job you could get a reasonable suit for £8 0s 0d! Was it all worth it? On reflection it must have been. It built some character and made you stand on your own feet. I do not suppose I have done too badly since then. How about you?