War Stories of a Young Couple

My mum, Kathleen, was 17 when she joined the RAF during the Second World War. She was fed up hiding beneath the kitchen table whilst Sheffield was incessantly bombed.

She was in the transport division and drove everything from the CO's car, taking him to meetings and functions, to massive trucks whereby she had to use her greatcoat as a cushion behind her so she could reach the pedals.

One night she and the Transport Manager (my future father) were unable to return to camp for various reasons, so drove their trucks to the nearest town. Of course, everything was dark (blackout), and it was very late, so they went to the police station where they were able to spend the night in cells, courtesy of the local bobbies.

In their camp at Llanbedr, Wales, Mum drove an ambulance. She had to patrol the beach and recover body parts which were washed up there, a result of British ships being attacked and/or destroyed by German vessels and trainee pilots from the airbase sadly crashing.

Other duties included delivering the leftovers from the mess hall to the camp's pig, which was fine until one day she had to ferry the recently culled pig from its sty to the canteen kitchen! Please remember, my mother was a teenager, but resourceful and tough and a wonderful lady.

My father, Dan, from West Lothian Scotland, had joined the RAF at the outset of the war, hoping to become a pilot but he was colourblind so it was not to be. He could drive and went quickly through the ranks until he was in charge of transport at Llanbedr. At some time, he was posted to Africa, Libya and the Gold Coast, and was sent with thousands of others in a convoy. I think this was one of the most traumatic times for him as he watched ship after ship in the fleet being blasted by German ships or submarines, wondering when it would be their turn. But his ship made it through and he spent his time there on airbases. One horrific accident there was when a rope was caught up from the ground by a plane and it beheaded an airman.

He was also sent to Egypt and North Africa, I believe involved in building airbases. Dysentery was rife and he lost so much weight he was barely recognisable, but he made it home after a couple of years and he and my mum were married. She was 19, he was 23 and they were happily together for over 70 years.

History matters. Hopefully, people can see the horrors that did happen and also the mistakes and/or misjudgements made by leaders, whether in the Forces or in Government.