David Whitcombe

Name : David Whitcombe

Rank : A.C.2. Flight Engineer

Ser. No. : 3030430

Dates at Cranage : T.B.C.

Taken from a letter to Hugh Budgen.

17 - 09 - 10

Following our telephone conversation about R.A.F. Cranage, I must say that in those days I did not keep a diary and some things like names and dates are rather hazy. However I can say that I was sworn in as 3030430 A.C.2. Whitcombe, D. early in 1943 and put on deferred service until July 1945 when I went to No.1 A.C.R.C. [Air Crew Reception Centre] at St. John’s Wood in London. During this time the V2 rockets started to hit London and we were moved down to Torquay. At the end of the six week period I was posted to 90 I.T.W. [Initial Training Wing] at Cranage as a U/T [Under Training] Flight Engineer.

Our flight of cadets was mainly eighteen to twenty year olds, with a couple of exceptions. One was appointed as Flight Leader, which made him rather unpopular. The other, first name Jack, and I were quite friendly and at one time took a weekend off and hitch hiked to his home in Wolverhampton. That was some cold journey on the back of a flat bed lorry. His greeting from his wife and children was tremendous, having been apart for four or five months. I remember getting into a bed, which had a feather mattress, and just sinking down into sleep. The journey back to Cranage was a little more fraught due to the question of obtaining lifts to get us back to camp before we were missed.

I am sorry not to be able to remember his surname since moving up from Kent to Shifnal, just twelve miles from Wolverhampton, and would have liked to been able to meet up with him.

Out training included basics like Hygiene and Sanitation, principles of Flight and R.A.F. Law according to Kings Rules and Regulations and Air Council Instruction. There was competition between flights in the matter of smartness in appearance and drills. An active amateur dramatics group provided entertainment. There were dances each week in the N.A.A.F.I. and it was possible to hitch a lift to Manchester occasionally. I seem to remember that the food was of quite a good standard. There was one occasion following an accident at the Blind Approach Training school when we observed the funeral procession of the airmen who died when their aircraft crashed during training.

One day the whole Wing was assembled in a hangar where a boxing ring had been placed in the centre. A number of officers and N.C.O’s. took station on this. The Station Warrant Officer called us to attention and the C.O. stood us at ease and said that he had some bad news - all training was cancelled forthwith! There was a near riot and no further information was forthcoming due the noise and milling around of the crowd. In the days that followed we were all given postings on attachment with the ‘promise’ that training would continue in due course.

A dozen or so of us were sent to 69 M.U. [Maintenance Unit] at Longtown and this was the start of a nomadic service life, during which I served in the armoury of 582 Lancaster Squadron and in the clothing store at R.A.F. Henlow. I finished my Air Force career as a Fitter/Marine at a Marine Craft Unit on the shores of the Baltic.

I hope this information will be of use to you.

Yours truly

David Whitcombe