Any ex national servicemen on this site

[Flying bomb]

After RAF square bashing was trained in H2S radar at
Yatesbury.  Then stationed  to Uppingham where the
Canberra bombers there had no H2S !!!!

[Michael Rolls]

Whoops

[Johned]

Flying bomb, I hail from Uppingham and do not recall any aircraft there of any description. 

[Flying bomb]

Flying bomb, I hail from Uppingham and do not recall any aircraft there of any description.

Got it wrong.  It was Upton.

[Johned]

Within spitting distance of Uppingham was RAF North Luffenham: RCAF Sabres and latterly Metor NF11s followed by radar calibration Brigands and then becoming the home of RAF radio and telecommunications servicing and Midland Radar.  Following the exit of the RAF, the army moved in but presently I believe the site is under care and maintenance.

[brian phillips]

Called up Jan 1951  to Catterick  R.Signals.  After basic training  became a Teleprinter op.   At Pocklington, issued with overseas tropical  kit.  Two week  embarkation leave  then   overnight  stay  at  Goodge  St  deep   underground station. At Southampton embarked for  4 weeks   voyage  on HMT  Dunera.  Played  trumpet in ships dance band with mostly  RAF  musicians. At Singapore  under canvas  at  Calcutta Camp, Pasir Panjang for duties at  Fort Canning.    Our young  corporal  was accidently  shot  dead  by store man as he handed in his revolver.   Demobbed  UK  Jan 1953.   In those days  we could be sent to many  places including  Washington, Germany, Africa, Cyprus and Hong Kong.  Singapore  was  one of the best  postings where I also  met and came close to marrying a sweet and  lovely Chinese girl.

[Michael Rolls]

welcome aboard, Brian
Mike

[crabbyob]

three years like a gypo, all over the uk, as a tennor drummer/bugler/ marksman
i wasnt N/S but signed on to miss it and get paid more...lol.... golden years

[Maywalk]

Hubby was an ex RAF serviceman way back in 1946 /48 and used to service the Lancasters and the Halifax Bombers.
He made me a brooch out of the windscreen of a Halifax Bomber that had been on many bombing raids during WW2.
This is the story of it and how he came to get a piece of the windscreen. He also got me some parachute silk for my wedding dress.
.....................

This is a true tale about a Halifax Bomber that had been on quite a few raids during WW2. After the war these planes were put to service by helping to train glider pilots.

During 1947 the circular engine Halifax was sent to North Luffenham airfield where my hubby used to be a fitter on the engines.   
The Halifax Bomber was a replacement sent to teach Glider Pilots.

Before it was accepted it had to go on a test flight to make sure that it was safe to tow the gliders.  On its first test flight it crashed through a fault in the control column.  It turned right over on to its back and crashed in a ploughed field at the end of the drome.

One big cloud of dust that scared the living daylights out of the ground crew. 
My hubby said everyone was terrified of what they would find but the pilot, engineer and the radio operator all climbed out dusting themselves down and getting the dust out of their eyes.

Everyone was relieved and pleased to see all three climb out unhurt but to this day my hubby says he will never know how they did.  My hubby was NOT one of those that had serviced this aircraft but there was a big enquiry as to what happened.

From what my hubby could gather a bolt at the bottom of the control column had snapped. 
Hubby said out of the Halifax and the Lancaster he preferred the Halifax because you could walk down the middle of it but with the Lancaster you had to crawl on your hands and knees to service them.

After his stint at North Luffenham he was sent to Cottesmore to work on Mosquitoes. He also worked on the first Meteor.  He said he enjoyed his time in the National Service and only wished it was brought back again to straighten some of the yobs out of today.

Out of the wreck of the Halifax my hubby had a piece of perspex from the windscreen and made this brooch for me below.
Its now 74 years since he first gave it to me.
To me its priceless and will be kept in the family and I very often wonder how many bombing raids has that little piece of perspex been on. If only it could talk.!!!!!!!!!

I hope the attachment comes through

[Traveller]

Didn't I see that on TV recently?  It's a real work of art.

Mrs. T has a brooch (much more basic) that was given to her mother by an American G.I.  during WW2.  It was made (I believe) from a cannon shell case.  Fortunately national service was long gone by the time I was old enough.  Nearest i came to wearing a uniform, was in the Royal Observer Corps in the 60's.

[Maywalk]

Hi Traveller.
No it’s never been on Tv but to me it is something I will never part with
nor will my granddaughter.


It’s nice to hang on to mementos and something for ancestors to keep in the family.

[Michael Rolls]

A chap I served with had been a rear gunner on SAAF B-25s. He wore a lucky charm round his neck, a piece of Perspex cut out of the turret ‘glass’ in front of his face. It had a 7.92 mm bullet imbedded it from where he had exchanged fire with an attacking FW190. The bullet hadn’t quite made it all the way though - you could run your fingers over what had been the inside face of the Perspex and feel a slight bump. Had it been a 23mm cannon shell from the 190 Dennis and his turret would have been blown to hell
Mike

[Maywalk]

I would love to see it Michael. I hope he has family who will cherish it, especially if it’s saved his life.

[Michael Rolls]

From memory - I knew Dennis in 1957 - if he is still with us, he would be well into his 90s by now. Don't remember him mentioning a family at the time, but what a memento to have
Mike

[brian phillips]

Life  for  young subalterns  could be  hard  at  Catterick  in the early  50s,  being awash with baby  faced  18 years old  N/S  officers.  Much  saluting  was involved so every time  an  officer passed  by  he  had to go through  a procedure that involved taking the small stick  they carried  from  the  left hand, tucking it under his arm,   return  the salute then    smartly  retain  the  stick back to the other hand,  bringing  the arm smartly  down to his  side.  He would probably go through this procedure  countless times  most  days.