RAF Fighter Command Pilot: The Western Front 1939–42 by Mark Barber

Author:Mark Barber [Barber, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 20th Century, Aviation, Europe, Great Britain, History, Military, Military Science, Technology & Engineering, World War II
ISBN: 9781849087797
Google: z5DvCwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B01DPPWJ50
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2012-09-20T03:00:00+00:00

Price-Hughes goes on to describe his feelings towards working with members of the Womens’ Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), at a time when female members of the armed forces was something of a rarity: ‘There are some very pretty WAAFs here, and they are hardworking and uncomplaining. Most of them are from decent families… yet, owing to some stupid regulation laid down by some idiot or idiots unknown… they are not allowed even to speak to the officers… which is damned silly and only serves to focus the attention on them more.’

He summed up the experiences of many RAF pilots in the Phoney War: ‘For us at home, so far, the war has been a little vague, an affair of petty inconveniences, higher prices, blackout… but mostly second-hand news.’

The situation overseas varied markedly from these early war conditions on the home front. With the French Air Force still active, RAF squadrons sent to France were relegated to suitable fields with hurriedly erected facilities to serve as their bases of operations. Flight Lieutenant Price-Hughes recalls his first experiences of France:

The first sight of the French coastline was a thrill which was not lessened by the discovery that we were right on track… the only observable differences were the lack of hedges or any sort of division between fields, and the comparative sparseness of houses and villages… we found it difficult to locate the aerodromes, as they were nothing more than fields: no buildings save a tin hut, the only signs of activity being picketed aircraft. Having delivered our (aircraft)… a ‘bus service’… took us to flight HQ in a village 1½ miles away. Squadron HQ… was 6 miles away in another village. And such a squalid village, tawdry houses, and mud, mud, mud everywhere. Our lunch consisted of bread, butter and cheese which did not suit us at all… 57 squadron told us that they are not popular with the local inhabitants… (they) believe that France is fighting for England, that the war is really for the sake of England… they render all possible assistance, but, as we saw, leave us strictly alone, and show no signs of friendliness.

Relations between French civilians and RAF servicemen supporting the British Expeditionary Force alike were unfortunately often far from cordial, as described by Flight Lieutenant James Patterson, a New Zealander.

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