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RAF Hednesford
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Those known to have served at RAF Hednesford during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
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Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Want to know more about RAF Hednesford? There are:-1 items tagged RAF Hednesford available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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L.A.C William Hugh Steed Flight Mech. 462 Squadron I was called up in 1941 and did my basic training at Boscombe, Bournemouth. Followed by Technical training at RAF Hednesford and was posted overseas in 1942 in troopship HMT F1 Arundal Castle. I joined 462 squadron, then at Fayid on nightly bombing of the German supply ports of Benghasi and Tobruk. We moved up the desert after Alemien and when the war in Africa ended I was posted to 148 ( SOE ) squadron engaged in dropping supplies and agents to Tito and other resistance groups. We moved to Brindisi in Italy and were amongst the squadrons that attempted to supply the Polish Home Army fighting in Warsaw in 1944 and suffered horrendous losses as a result.
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Claude "Bunty" Bunt The following are extracts from recollections of my father, Claude Bunt of his time at RAF Netheravon, where he met his future wife Eveline Godfrey in 1939.
I had applied to join the Royal Air Force in 1938 and one day in December a letter from the R.A.F. came with instructions and a railway voucher to report to R.A.F. West Drayton, what an experience for a 17 yr; old. The first meal at West Drayton was a meat stew. I knew it was rabbit meat because some of the meat still had the hair on. After being kitted out with all the R.A.F's clothes and further medical checks I was posted to R.A.F. South Cerny Glos; for R.A.F. military training. After six weeks I was posted to R.A.F. Hednesford for training as a flight mechanic. Hednesford was a new unit just opened and I was no; 3 entry.
After six months of training as a flight mechanic, war rumours came about and training was speeded up and I passed out as a fully qualified mechanic and posted to no; 1 R.A.F. Flying training school Netheravon, Salisbury plain, Wiltshire. I was posted to A flight, daily servicing air testing and weather reports. On September 3rd 1939 war was declared. All A B & C flights to be dispersed from the aircraft hangers to the edge of the airfield. Hell of a way to walk to work and very cold working on aircraft outside. After which I had shower in the billet and off to the N.A.F.F.I. for a wad and a cup of tea. Then one evening a smashing girl was serving behind the counter and I said to my pals Johny Lear and Charles Jolly I would like to be introduced to that girl. So Johny who was friendly with Kathleen, another N.A.F.F.I. girl, called this smasher over and said, Claude, this is Eveline, Eveline, this is Claude, and that is how I met my future wife. [bless her ]. We were married on June 30th 1941 at St Clement's Church, Higher Openshaw, Manchester. A few day's honeymoon then back to Netheravon. Eveline stopped in Manchester and then in September 1941 joined the W.A.A.F'S. After training she was posted to R.A.F. Andover as account's clerk, whilst at Andover the station was badly bombed and she was posted to Cranwell to train as a teleprinter operator eventually posted to R.A.F. Madley Hereford.
At times at Netheravon our flight was sent to Shrewton a relief landing ground a few miles away where we trained fleet air arm pilots to land on dummy decks marked out on the airfield at night time. During the day we air tested 12 Harvard aircraft and made them serviceable for the evening and night time. Then one day, after we had tested four aircraft, we were just about to take off for the fifth time when one of the office staff came running out waving his arms and indicated that I was wanted on the phone. So I got out of the aircraft and the pilot said put some ballast weights in for Bunty, the aircraft took off without me. When it was about 2000 ft the tail of the aircraft broke off and it came spinning down and crashed on the main road of Shrewton village, the pilot had no chance. It was Eveline that saved me that day because it was her on the phone to tell me that she was being posted to Cranwell and could I arrange a time and day to see her before she went.
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Cpl. William Gibson I believe, my father, William Gibson was based at RAF Hednesford loading Lancaster Bombers. I am trying to find the details of his service during the 2nd World War.
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LACW. Victoria Madeline Wilkinson My mother Victoria Wilkinson volunteered for the WAAFs in 1941 just after her 18th birthday. Her basic training was at Bridgnorth, Shropshire from 20th Oct 1941 to 3rd Nov 1941 as Aircraftwoman 2nd Class.
She served at Mildenhall from 4th Nov 1941 to 14th Jan 1942 as ACW2.
She then served at Exeter from 15th Jan 1942 to 5th Nov 1942 as ACW1 as a Billeting Clerk.
(She was an ACWI from 22nd Mar 1942 to 30th Mar 1944).
Victoria then trained at Hednesford, Staffordshire No. 6 School of Technical Training from 6th Nov 1942 to 30th Mar 43 as ACW1 FM (Flight Mechanic).
She served at 74 Wing from 1st Apr 1943 to 21st Jul 1943 as ACW1 Flight Mechanic Engines.
From 22nd Jul 1943 to 8th Feb 1944 she served at 527 Squadron at Castle Camps, Cambridge as an ACW FME.
She then served at 57 Operational Training Unit at Eshott, Northumberland from 9th Feb 1944 to 29th Jun 1945 as Leading Aircraft Woman FME.
(She was a LACW from 1st Apr 1944).
She served at 4024 Servicing Echelon at Hendon, Middlesex from 30th Jun 1945 to 15th Sep 1946 as LACW FME.
Victoria attended 105 Personnel Dispersal Centre at Wythall, Worcester on 16th Sep 1946 and received Class A release on 17th Sep 1946 which confirmed last day of service as 12th Nov 1946.
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