Poppy spoke to her great grandparents about VE Day and what it was like at that time
Charles William George Bird, date of birth 11th September 1924
Below is listed a brief summary of my great-grandfather’s details in relation to his service in the Royal Air Force, his training and under Bomber Command Squadron 218, during the Second World War (1939 – 1945).
"Joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and passed all relevant medicals to join Aircrew
Training. Started at an allocated area at, of all places, London Zoo (Regents Park Zoo).
In 1943, posted to Bridgenorth, Shropshire for further disciplinary training for six months, learning all aspects of Morse Code. After training, posted to Yatesbury, Wilts. for a further nine months for advanced ground and air training together with all aspects of radio communications and Radar on de Havilland Domini twin engine biplanes.
While various postings took place during 1943/1944, was stationed at Wing, Bucks., operations training unit, where you were ‘crewed up’ for Welling Bombers, under Bomber Command. Part of the training at Wing included what was known as ‘window dropping. This consisted of strands of foil paper being dropped through the bomb door of the Wellington aircraft, over the coast of Germany, in order to divert German radar.
End of 1944, my crew were stationed at North Luffenham, Lincs., where further intense training took place on the AVRO LANCASTER aircraft.
After this training, all were posted to Chedburgh, Suffolk where the flying crew became members of Squadron 218. Various sorties (missions) were carried out and the rest, as they say, is history..."
My Great Grandfather served with the same crew until the end of the war (1945) and although the war had ended in Europe, many of them, including my great-grandfather, were sent to different locations to carry out various assignments and he did not leave the Royal Air Force until 1947.
RANK: FLIGHT SERGEANT
CREW consisted of:
1 x PILOT
1 x NAVIGATOR
1 x WIRELESS (radio) OPERATOR
1 X FLIGHT ENGINEER
1 x MID UPPER GUNNER
1 x UPPER GUNNER
Shared by Poppy Davis, his great-granddaughter, and Samantha Davis (nee Bird), his granddaughter
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