Boy's tale of war's pilots (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Boy's tale of war's pilots

IN 1940, when the Battle Of Britain started, I was just 14 years old living in Rochford, Essex.

We schoolboys used to go out looking for golfballs on the links next to the airfield.

The first aircraft to arrive were a squadron of Bristol Blenheims that suffered at the hands of the ME109, then Spitfires came from Hornchurch.

One squadron I remember was No 54(F). There were no billets at dispersal just tents. We kids used to let the pilots and ground crew borrow our bows and arrows and golf clubs as they hadn't anything at all for amusement.

One day a pilot officer said: "would you like to sit in my Spitfire?" I couldn't get in it quick enough.

Yes they were very brave men.

Someone had to stop the Luftwaffe and I am proud to have met some of them.

Soon now I expect to be selling poppies for Remembrance Sunday.

A Thipthorpe

Toothill, Swindon