Soldier Record

You could smell the frontline when flying & he had no beliefs after seeing huge stacks of bodies .

My Grandpa started as an air mechanic in the RNAS, moved into the Army Air Corps, then the RFC and at the end of the war went to the RAF. He flew for fun and commercially after the war. He was wounded in the buttock, he told us that a German had shot him from below through his seat. I remember seeing the terrible scars when he got out of the bath once. He told us he was sent to an aid station where he was patched up and he was back in a plane a week later. At one time he got into trouble once for not shooting at the parachuting observers who had jumped when their barrage balloon was shot down. He got upset after the war when he didnt get a pension. I understood why recently. I found what records remained for his service. As far as they show he was only ever an air mechanic and he was never wounded. Clearly I saw the wound and he flew after the war between London and Liverpool. I have since found out that it was quite common for ground staff to go out if Sqs were short handed and if any learnt to fly they just did. Losses wrere high, Senior Officers called for so many planes to go up and therefore if it was possible commanding officers just did. Losses were high and paperwork was not a priority.