Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

I watched the Battle of Britain one last night. It was very good and Churchills words about so much owned to so few really came across. I loved how the brothers presented it, they should do more together.

Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

Floydy , my dad was in the RAF , we kids travelled with him when he was relocated . Prior to leaving the force he was a Warrent officer in 22 squadron in Anglesey where we lived for a number of years . He was a navigator . During ww2 dad was captured and below is a write up he put on a prisoner of war web site before he died . Life if the force was nice for mum as regular pay and housing was good , we would move to a new house , go to the naffI and supplies office and every thing needed was given to us , mum had 7 kids . We lived in Aden in the late 50s and had a great life out there . See below dad's story




I was a POW in Stalag 4b Muhlberg on Elbe, being amonst the first few British RAF Aircrew who were imprisoned there in 1943. Seeking a safer means of escaping from 4b, I exchanged identity with another RAF fellow who because of a rank lower than sergeant was compelled to go out on a working Kommando. (The Germans never suspected that RAF Aircrew were amongst this working Kommando)

In consequence a group of about 15 British POWS were sent out on a Working Commando in 1944 . Amongst that group was at least two British Senior NCO's whose sole purpose was to escape. We were surprised to find that we were taken to Stalag 17b near to Vienna which was Occupied by American Aircrew, many of whom had been shot down on the Schwienfurt Raid in 1943.

However this camp was like being sent to Billy Butlins because the Americans were able to recloth us with American Uniforms, hundreds of cigarettes and Hershey Bars. Scissors and Shoes. They even has an internal broadcast system and playing one old record every night. "I didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" Food and Facilities were plentyful compared with Stalg 4B.

The work for the British Kommando was that of cleaning the 40 seater system, running repairs and the odd walk down to the railstation for the collection of odd items. Gave we few RAF Aircrew a better view of a means to escaping.

We would watch the United States Air Force overhead a midday on bombing runs into Vienna.

The Americans had a "No Talkie/ No Trade with the Germans "system in force amongst themselves and to we few British our Fellow American POW's left us to our own devices. We all got along together very well.

As Russian troops neared Vienna, all Prisioners were assembled and marched out of Stalag 17b and walked over a number of weeks towards Ranshaffen in Bavaria, when we were released by advanced American Patrols.

The German's Treatment to all of us to my experience was that of Military Respect and Honour.

After the War, two American ex. POWs made a Film "Stalag 17". Trizinsky and Dan Breman. In this film oin which they acted, they attempted to portray the German soldier as a bit dim, especially an Unter Officer Schultz, who had been Max Schmellings sparring Partner. I, because of my work duties, knew this German Soldier. To my memory I recall this man telling me that he had been a proffessional boxer, and he was an German Soldier carrying out his duties in an Honourable Manner.

After the War, I make contact with a Russian Soldier who had been in the Russian Section of Stalag 17 . One Georgie Shemyarkin. Mr Shemyarkin escaped with four others from Stalag 17 and they actually got back to Moscow. We met in Moscow and Mr Shemyarkin had retired as Headmaster from a Moscow School. Georgie died about 1990 and always wanted me to visit the Museum at Shykovo which was dedicated to Field Marshall Shykov - this I managed to do as guest of Georgie's daughter Nadeshda.

Stalag 17 has many memories as a well run POW camp at my time of incarceration.

John Mabbs

Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

No he was ground crew .

Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

Thank you for posting your father's memoir there, Susan.
We cannot begin to imagine what goes through the minds of those (and current) men and women who are caught up in battle situations or even employed as support staff. Your dad was a very brave and courageous man you can be proud of.

The youth of today need a special type of lesson in their school syllabus to gain knowledge about these events.

Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

Floydy , dad never spoke of his life during the war , I wish he had . I do remember him saying that as an older man he realised when they dropped the bombs and laughed and cheered he now realises he was killing women and children and found it difficult to live with . I only found out about his write upon the Web site when a brother sent me the link . I believe he joined up at 16/17 he left when he was about 50 , I seem to remember he "bought himself out " I don't really know what that means but I think he had to pay to leave the force but I may be wrong . Buying himself out turned out to be a mistake as life became hard financially for my parents . I have a memory of him being offered what he thought was a good job running a hotel in Anglesey which didn't work out and dad became unemployed .

While in 22 squadron in Anglesey he did occasionally talk about the air sea rescues where he and his colleges went out to rescue those in peril on the sea . His college Willie ( the winch) would lower himself down to the water and winch up people , I think they saved many life's . I just wish I'd known dad more , sadly it's too late now

Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

It's one of those those you don't really talk about too much when you're growing up, Susan. Our parents, especially our dads if they went to war probably wouldn't say much to us as they perhaps rightly so, felt that we wouldn't understand being too young.

My dad wasn't in WWII as he was deaf in his left ear from the age of six and they wouldn't take him. He was a carpenter/joiner by trade just like his father (who did serve in WWI) and made coffins and repaired buildings during the war instead. My dad wouldn't speak of the war as well and I maybe didn't ask him, in my teens I just wasn't interested and I regret that now. In later years when I saw my dad he still wouldn't open up about those events and I always got the feeling that he was perhaps a little ashamed of not being part of it going to war as such. He would always prefer to speak about his work or his friends instead.
He was a very quiet man who took all his stories with him when he passed away in 2011.
Ironically - and we didn't know this until we saw a photograph with name captions on the wall - his funeral was with a company whom my grandfather worked for making those said coffins. Life goes full circle.

Re: 100 Years of the RAF with Colin and Ewan

Floydy , I thought this would interest you . I was chatting g to my 93 year old friend yesterday , she told me this true story of her brother who was in Singapore during 2nd world war , I hope I get this right , the brother was in Singapore, I think there was an evacuation of some sort and he was on the Quay watching as his fiance ( she was from that country ) was put on a ship . He couldn't get on the same ship so he dived into the water and was eventually picked up by a smaller boat . I don't know how he got here but it seems he went to live in the jungle for 4 months and survived alone on the vegetation , then he walked and must have had lifts or some other form of transport arrived in India . The wonderful ending is he was walking through the street , saw a young girl in nurse uniform and it was his fiance . They were married many years , it seems he is alive still and lives in Australia . I'm hoping this is making sense , the old lady has a great memory . She may have left bits of the story out .

Her cousin worked on the Burma railway and managed to survive when he returned to uk after the war he was a very sick man and died . He never ever spoke of his treatment or life during those times .

Brave brave men