A Spitfire Pilot. Part 2
Called up under The Conscription Act, March 1940 – August 1940
In March 1940 I was called up under The Conscription Act and dutifully presented myself for a medical. Most chaps there were herded into the army, very few Navy and a sprinkling of RAF. I explained that I should go into the RAF and told them of my many attempts to get in since April 1939. This cut no ice with the idiot who was interviewing me, he said they had no RAF recruiting office in Westcliffe, whereupon I produced my letter in duplicate, which merely made him a little more anti-me than before. I was then sent for a medical, which proved OK apart from details on eyes.
“What colour are your eyes?” I was asked.
I wasn’t too sure of the exact colour, so I said “Sort of bluey-grey”
“We’ve got blue or brown. I’ll put down as blue.” So that’s what’s been on my personal record card ever since.
I returned home happy in the knowledge that at least I had my foot in the door and if the war lasted 20 years I might get in for the victory celebration. Somewhere about June 1940 I was told to report to Uxbridge for a further board. I met one or two chaps who’d had somewhat similar experiences to mine and we all sat in an ante-room and were called in one at a time for interview. Naturally as soon as one came out he was bombarded with questions as to what he’d been asked. There wasn’t any sort of time to get the answers because we whipped in one after the other. Anyway, one chap came out just before I went in and said he been asked “What are thirteen thirteens?”
So I went in and sat down and the officer immediately said “What are thirteen thirteens?”
Quick as a flash, I said “169”.
He seemed quite staggered, “That’s very good, did you just work it out?”
“No” I said, “I just asked the last chap”.
Anyway it seemed to amuse him and the rest of the interview went quite well. Could I drive a car? Yes, only just. Could I handle a yacht? Yes, Arthur went out on the ocean on weekends at Leigh, I didn’t actually have a yacht of my own. Could I ride a horse? Yes, haven’t done it for ages. I doubt if they believed all they heard but it seemed to go down OK. If I couldn’t be a pilot would I take any other jobs like air-gunner? Yes, I was dead keen, anything I’d take, keep my fingers crossed.