While on a Cadet course in the 1960s I came across many controllers who were ex WWII aircrew. At Aldergrove was a Hugh(?) McGrath who walked with a limp. Apparently after his Halifax was shot down over France he walked across the Pyranees into neutral Spain nursing a broken leg!
Later at Southampton I met Denis Cooper (mentioned in a previous post above) and also Ron Hooper who had been a bomb aimer on Lancasters. The latter told an amusing story which I have retold many times. Apparently on long bombing missions some crews carried a large tin can for use when nature called. Anyone needing this would call on the intercom for it to be passed along. Anyone that is, except the poor rear gunner who could not be accessed in his turret. After several missions he complained that it was alright for the others but it just made things worse for him becuase he could hear the others passing the can around. Ever sympathetic, the rest of the crew decided to use a coded message and if they needed the can they would say, "Ron, you've left your light on". This worked for a while until one day a very angry rear gunner grabbed Ron by the throat and threatened to beat him up! When asked why he replied, "Because you are putting all our lives in danger by flying us around Germany with your light on. You'll get us all killed!"