WO. Tom "Danny" Daniel
Royal Air Force 32 Squadron
from:Rochdale, Lancashire
My father, Tom Daniel, joined the RAF on 10th August 1942 in Manchester. He was in Paignton for training before being sent on a troop ship to South Africa for flight training. He flew Tiger Moths and Harvards at Wonderboom but eventually went on to fly Hurricanes and Spitfires. He was sent to 32 Squadron and his Spitfire had the sign GZ-C. His commanding officer was George Silvester.
After spending time in Greece and Italy, he was sent to Ramat David in Palestine. He didn't much care for the duties there as he was told to fly over the sea and look out for Jewish refugee boats and report their position so they could be intercepted. From Palestine he was de-mobbed on 30th March 1946.
Dad is still with us but, unfortunately, suffers from dementia and remembers very little. I have made a "memory book" of photos from his life and in it there are some pictures from his days in the RAF. He also has a picture of Squadron Leader George Silvester's GZ-? on the wall of his room in the care home. Very rarely, he will look at the photos with me and suddenly remember something about one of them. It is always a lovely moment but very fleeting.
