Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II

[Geriaviator]

Wartime memories for two families

I posted this little tribute a couple of years ago but thought pPruners might like to see it again, with the addition of the photo of the crashed Wellington kindly given to me recently by the descendant of a 142 Sqn airman.

Douglas Alfred MacLean joined the RAF in 1936 and like most MacLeans in the RAF, he was nicknamed Dandy after the police inspector series published in the Weekly News. He met my father in 1938 when they trained as air gunners.

Both were posted to 142 Sqn operating Hawker Hart biplanes out of Andover. Shortly afterwards the squadron re-equipped with Fairey Battles, with which they went to war in 1939, being stationed at Berry-au-Bac in France.

When the squadron returned to Binbrook in Lincolnshire my father was posted away but kept in close touch with Dandy who had become rear gunner on the Wellingtons with which 142 had re-equipped.

On the night of June 18 1941 Dandy's Wellington was attacked by a night fighter over the North Sea, and he was fatally wounded. The Wellington was able to reach Binbrook and Dandy was buried in his home town of Southampton. I myself arrived into this world at just about the time Dandy was leaving it.