Wings Over Wick
1939 - 1945
Others

Ernest Dawson,  Sutton Coldfield
I joined the RAF in Nov 1939 as aircraftsman second class clerk, general duties. I was posted to Wick towards the end of 1940.  There I remained for 13 months, when I volunteered for aircrew duties, trained in South Africa, qualified as Pilot and was commissioned.

The months, which had been spent at Wick Aerodrome, were unforgettable, as they were so eventful.  The RAF station was both bombed and machine-gunned by German aircraft on several occasions, but happily there were very few casualties, although hangars and aircraft were destroyed.

During this period there was great anxiety as German paratroopers were expected to invade Caithness, and all our spare time was spent erecting barbed wire defence positions around the perimeter.

The people of Wick were very kind, and I remember especially, how on free evenings we could go to a club on the next road to the airfield where we could enjoy the warmth and have lovely home made apple tart and mugs of tea.  Oh, how all the airmen appreciated it.  Because the train journey from Inverness to Wick took seven hours we could only go on leave twice a year, so we were given an extra day to compensate.

An unforgettable sight at Wick was the display of the Aurora Borealis - beautiful!!