Cyril Romeo Vincent Townsend in the RAF

The contributor's father, Cyril Romeo Vincent Townsend, was born in 1908. He married in 1938 and had a son in 1939. He joined the RAF and moved to Pusey House, St Giles.

He was based at RAF Benson, and said he flew Mosquitos - decoy airfield [sic]. He was friendly with a Dambuster pilot. He didn't talk about the war.

The contributor brought photos of a blast screen, their brother and their father, as well as a National Evacuation Scheme sign.

The contributor was born in 1947 and remembered air raid shelters in gardens in their childhood. They once saw Churchill in the House of Commons and have attended remembrance days. They recalled that Sir Arthur Harris drove a horse and carriage well into the 1950s. Older brother - student prank [sic].