The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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227684 F/Lt. Thomas Charles "Nick" Carter Royal Air Force 234 Squadron from:Hull, East Yorkshire My father Thomas Carter joined the RAF soon after his 18th birthday and started his flying training at 16FTS, Derby. At some point during these early months he was given the sobriquet 'Nick', after the hero of a popular radio series entitled 'Nick Carter Private Detective'. For the rest of his life he was known as Nick to RAF and work colleagues. After basic flying training he was posted to 57 at RAF Hawarden to convert onto Spitfires. After 12 hours of solo on Spitfires he was suddenly posted, as a Sergeant Pilot, to RAF Roborough where he flew Lysanders on Air-Sea Rescue duties. From Roborough he was transferred to RAF Warmwell in Dorset where he continued flying Lysanders on 1487 Target Towing Flight. Finally, at the beginning of 1943 he was posted to 52 OTU at RAF Aston Down to restart his conversion onto Spitfires. This time he completed the course. From Aston Down he joined 234 Squadron at RAF Skeabrae in the Orkneys flying Spitfire Vb and from there he moved with the squadron to RAF Honiley and then to RAF West Malling. At West Malling 234 Squadron commenced fighter sweeps and bomber escort sorties over France. During a busy couple of months Nick Carter was awarded one Messerschmitt Bf 109, probably destroyed, and one damaged. Then, virtually all of the 234 Squadron pilots were sent to Australia to form 549 Squadron flying Spitfire Mk VIII. For the rest of the war Nick and the rest of the pilots, their aircraft serviced by RAAF groundcrew, flew in the defence of Darwin in Northern Australia. In many ways Nick had a lucky war; despite 5 years of operational and training flying he came through unharmed. Unlike the 'aces' he did little damage to the enemy, but, in common with the vast majority of RAF aircrew who never made it into the history books he did 'his bit' and we should be immensely proud of all of them. Flt Lt TC Carter sketching wtched by Fg Off Bickford   Some of the pilots of 549 Sqn. Nick Carter at left. Chris Carter Add to this record.  Related Content: No. 234 Squadron Royal Air Force No. 549 Squadron Royal Air Force Royal Australian Air Force RAF Honiley RAF Harwarden Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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