Diss Family History Group

One item of interest for a large part of my life was aviation. This probably started during the Second World War when I was about 6 or 7 years of age. I used to watch the American planes form up to go on their missions. There were large amounts of aircraft - B17s and B24s - these would form up on the formation aircraft which was brightly coloured. Then they would head off and formation planes would go back to base. Later in the day they came back but not always together as some were damaged. We had several crash in the area.

One Sunday my dad and mum took us to see where a B17 had crashed at Brome at the junction of the Eye road. It was landing at Brome when it hit the top of oak trees beside the A140 before Brome Swan. The tail snapped off with the tail gunner inside, he was the only one who survived. The rest of the plane dived onto the ground near the vee in the road and blew up, killing the rest of the crew, it blew all the windows out of the pub and a telephone box across the road. Even to this day you can see where the tops of trees are flat shaped.

There were other crashes; at the back of Scole Lodge, Darrow Hill, on a road to Shelfanger, two collided at the back of Roydon, one engine finished up in the wash house of council houses in Factory Lane, and many others. Planes returning from missions were oftem shot up and damaged.

I attended woodwork classes at the grammar school in Shelfanger road. At break time when we were outside a plane would come over and some of the boys would say it was a Mk l or ll fighter. This got me to wonder and I would ask them how they could tell and they explained to me, This got me more interested so I began to study planes more and bought my first Observer Book of Aircraft. Through the years this has grown into a sincere hobby which has lasted to the present day.

In about 1961 I passed my driving test and bought a car. I started to travel all over the country to airbases to see the planes and also to air shows. One of the best was Mildenhall held once a year.

I spent time as a member of the Royal Observer Corps. This was during the cold war period in history. I decided to do this after failing to go in the Royal Airforce as a jet engineer due to a problem with my eye. I had already passed all the exams for this. I joined the Corps in about 1960/61 on the Diss Post K3, which was down a lane off Shelfanger Road. At the time it still had the old wartime hut and above ground post with all instruments used during the Second World War and the members during airforce exercises. After about two years this was finished and the full nuclear roll took place. We still were not able to use the underground post as it was flooded with water from a leak in concrete walls

After a few years I became Leading Observer on the post and got in touch with our Group HQ concerning this problem. The leak was sealed and after a time, when dried out, it was fitted out for use and we moved in. The post had bunk beds, cupboards, shelves and toilet. Also cooking facilities and pack rations, water containers. Jerry cans in which the water had to be changed every few months, it was also fitted with all the instruments we used during exercises or if the real thing happened (God help us).

In time I became Chief Observer in charge of the post. At one time there were 18 members on the post so there was no trouble to man the post on exercises. You always had to have two members on duty, ometimes three members, for a minimum of two hours.

When I first joined I had the chance to go to the Ministry of Defence School at Essingwold in Yorkshire for ten days where I learned all about nuclear weapons and effects of radiation. It was frightening and if a war started all the world would be affected and we would be wiped out. During my service I went on courses to train as an instructor and became a fully trained RAF instructor for which I received a certificate and could instruct on all instruments use by the Corps.

I served until we were stood down at Wymondham Abbey in 1991. During my service I received 12 year medal with 12 year clasp for my service time - 30 years.

When I was in the Corps, each year, usually in March, we were required to take a test which was in most cases in a village hall or cinema. It consisted of aircraft slides shown on a screen and a test paper based on procedures and instruments and was marked in percentages.

This also decided which was the best post in Group No.6, my post won it once but we always got good marks at Diss. The other item which you could acquire was a blue or red spitfire badge to wear on your arm to say you had got high marks. You had to get five blue for a red one, this meant over 95% every time.

Another interest in my life has been military photography. I have taken thousands of pictures, slides and photos . I am also interested in railway things like the old steam engines and modern day railways and I belong to the District Model Railway Society. I have two layouts of my own in 00 size, these I have constructed myself and thoroughly enjoyed but it is getting very expensive if you are not careful. I have great collections and still go on Wednesday night to Shelfanger Village Hall where we have our meetings (good fun relaxing). I enjoy making my layouts and now work with a friend on a layout at the Club and it is nice to see it working properly.