Fathers hidden war history

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wibblywobbly
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Fathers hidden war history

Post by wibblywobbly »

Something always puzzled me about what my father did during the war. I have photo's of him headed 'sniper practice' in an army uniform, in a navy uniform with icebergs in the background, and a Tiger Moth flight log. I also know that he was in Canada at a place called Goderich. On top of that he was a draughtsman and therefore in a reserved occupation, so he would not have been asked to enlist as his skills could be put to better use designing aircraft, which I know he did as he worked at the British Aircraft Corporation at Filton near Bristol. He later went on to help develop Concorde.

So...all these years (he died a long time back) and I have always wondered what exactly he was doing to be in all of these roles. He never spoke about the war, and he isn't around to ask. He had two brothers, one was a pilot, flew Spitfires, Lancasters and anything else, amazingly he survived the war. The other one stayed in the army after the war, he was a Major.

I decided to email my sister who lives in Canada and is older than me, maybe she knew, plus my two brothers. None of us know for sure, but we came up with a best guess, based on what each of us knew.

He applied for the RAF, underwent training, but his Tiger Moth training resulted in him not being accepted, apparently his landings were too rough. It then seems that he joined the Fleet Air Arm. He was taken to Canada where planes were being produced, he flew them to the ports , took them apart, crated them, and sent them to the docks. From there they were loaded onto ships and brought back across the Atlantic in convoys on Merchant Ships. They were then reassembled. Crossing the Atlantic with U-boats around was a high risk game.

It seems he also did the North Atlantic suicide run, taking lend lease equipment to Russia.

If anyone is thinking, why do all that when he could have sat in a cosy office drawing aircraft, he was probably safer in the convoys. Filton had the crap bombed out of it throughout the war, it was a huge airfield and factory. My mother worked there, it was where they met, as to how she survived is anyone's guess, she used to casually tell me how going to work with bombs dropping around her was commonplace, no such thing as 'oooh, that's dangerous, better stay home' in those days.

I still have no idea what the army uniform and sniper practice was all about, I guess I never will now??
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silversurfer1947
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by silversurfer1947 »

You might give this a try https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ You can search for nothing and get some basic details. You never know what it may turn up.
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by jarndice »

The Fleet Air Arm Association have a lost colleague service that might reward your enquiry.
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wibblywobbly
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by wibblywobbly »

I went to the site, typed in his name and yes, it came up with Leading Aircraftsman, and Private, Northumberland Fusiliers. I would have to pay to see more detail, but at least that sheds some light on things.
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

wibblywobbly wrote:I went to the site, typed in his name and yes, it came up with Leading Aircraftsman, and Private, Northumberland Fusiliers. I would have to pay to see more detail, but at least that sheds some light on things.
My Dad's long gone too, but I had his army number. If you have one of these, you can write to the MOD records division online:
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-se ... s/overview
I did it long before the Internet loomed large over the world of info. They (MOD) wanted proof that he was deceased (Death Certificate the best option :| , but you may not have it), and my birth certificate. Maybe they're more relaxed about
it these days. Oh, and it was also incumbent upon me to prove I was the next of kin....
Once again, maybe this has been relaxed since the Govt is giving out records like confetti these days, so long as the quango or private company handling them, is able to charge for them e.g: Birth, Death and Marriage certs., Electoral Register entries, DVLA records and so forth and convert them into lots of lucre for them, and loss of privacy for you and me... :|
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by andy999 »

wibblywobbly wrote:Something always puzzled me about what my father did during the war. I have photo's of him headed 'sniper practice' in an army uniform, in a navy uniform with icebergs in the background, and a Tiger Moth flight log. I also know that he was in Canada at a place called Goderich. On top of that he was a draughtsman and therefore in a reserved occupation, so he would not have been asked to enlist as his skills could be put to better use designing aircraft, which I know he did as he worked at the British Aircraft Corporation at Filton near Bristol. He later went on to help develop Concorde.

So...all these years (he died a long time back) and I have always wondered what exactly he was doing to be in all of these roles. He never spoke about the war, and he isn't around to ask. He had two brothers, one was a pilot, flew Spitfires, Lancasters and anything else, amazingly he survived the war. The other one stayed in the army after the war, he was a Major.

I decided to email my sister who lives in Canada and is older than me, maybe she knew, plus my two brothers. None of us know for sure, but we came up with a best guess, based on what each of us knew.

He applied for the RAF, underwent training, but his Tiger Moth training resulted in him not being accepted, apparently his landings were too rough. It then seems that he joined the Fleet Air Arm. He was taken to Canada where planes were being produced, he flew them to the ports , took them apart, crated them, and sent them to the docks. From there they were loaded onto ships and brought back across the Atlantic in convoys on Merchant Ships. They were then reassembled. Crossing the Atlantic with U-boats around was a high risk game.

It seems he also did the North Atlantic suicide run, taking lend lease equipment to Russia.

If anyone is thinking, why do all that when he could have sat in a cosy office drawing aircraft, he was probably safer in the convoys. Filton had the crap bombed out of it throughout the war, it was a huge airfield and factory. My mother worked there, it was where they met, as to how she survived is anyone's guess, she used to casually tell me how going to work with bombs dropping around her was commonplace, no such thing as 'oooh, that's dangerous, better stay home' in those days.

I still have no idea what the army uniform and sniper practice was all about, I guess I never will now??
Hi Wibblywobbly
My old dad is still alive at 94 and still lives in Filton. As a youngster he had a reserved occupation at the BAC, so joined the Home Guard. Has many a tale of the air raids on the factory and leaping off his bike as German 111s strafed the A38 whilst on his way home. In those days the workforce used to wear blue overalls. Many employees were machine gunned as they ran for cover across the grass airfields. They stood out as easy targets for the German aircrews. So after that the whole workforce were given green overalls. They still have green overalls to this day. My grandfather was in the Home Guard at Filton and one of the hardest tasks he faced was taking the bodies from the aircraft works to the old Cabot Cinema at Filton as they used it as a temporary mortuary.
Many of the factory air raid shelters alongside the A38 at the end of the runway received direct hits. Some bodies were never recovered and word has it that what was left of them stayed sealed in the shelters to this day.
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wibblywobbly
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by wibblywobbly »

Someone once told me that my father was in the Home Guard too...they may even have known each other??? :clap: It would be a miracle if your Dad remembered the others or had any photo's?
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Re: Fathers hidden war history

Post by andy999 »

wibblywobbly wrote:Someone once told me that my father was in the Home Guard too...they may even have known each other??? :clap: It would be a miracle if your Dad remembered the others or had any photo's?
Seeing him next week. Will ask.
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