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| The 4M3's | Introduction | Re-unions & Anniversaries | In Memoriam | Diversions |
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This is 'B' Party of the 44th Entry at RAF Halton. Five of us went to Cranwell to become 4M3's - Jock Fraser, Harry Keating (2nd row 1st & 2nd from left), Cyril Gleason (2nd row 4th from right), myself and Cliff Lloyd (bottom row 2nd & 3rd from left). Pictures of other Halton parties can be seen by clicking on the photo. | |||
| RAF Chigwell was the centre for the formation of
mobile signals units so naturally quite a few ex-brats were posted there.
Amongst the ex-4m3's I can recall meeting are Ron Barriball, Jock Fraser,
Harry Keating, Ivor Llewellyn and Cliff Lloyd. Harry Keating tells me that
Ted Howell was also there. I can't remember seeing Ted but we met later
when we were both posted to Egypt. Ivor and I were deployed from Chigwell to Hidestyle (near Godalming) in Surrey for a few months. Here we are busily dismantling the signals unit at Hidestyle. |
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In September 1945 Ivor and I were posted from Chigwell to Hong Kong. We embarked at Liverpool on the troopship 'Duchess of Richmond' and disembarked in Singapore . Our journey to Hong Kong was completed on a Chinese cargo boat, the Wing Sang, pictured left. |
| On arrival in Hong Kong we were posted to Kai Tak and billeted in Kowloon City. Just down the road from our quarters was the Sergeant's Mess for (I think) 208 Squadron which accommodated among others Peter (Nobby) Clarke Ron Turnbull and Garth Wheeler. |
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Ivor & I took minor roles in a camp (in its original sense) variety show at Kai Tak. This snapshot was taken outside the station cinema with some of the other 'artistes'. |
| If I might indulge in a little vanity - this sketch of me was drawn by a Jap POW (P Sukiyama). He had been an art teacher in Hong Kong before the Japanese invasion and was conscripted into the Japanese navy |  |
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The last nine months of that tour I spent in Ceylon at the transmitting station at Ekela.The picture shews me carrying out a frequency change on the T1190. Whilst in transit at Negombo waiting to go back to Blighty who should turn up but Ivor Llewellyn. About two days before we got on the boat Ivor was informed of his promotion to corporal. |
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After disembarkation leave I was posted for instructor
duties to Yatesbury. There I met David "Rosie" Rosenblatt (now David Rose) who being a
bright lad was quite enjoying his work - I hated it. Ironically,
considering my dismal performance in the subject at Cranwell, I had to
teach workshops theory and practices. Towards the end of my time at
Yatesbury Fred Bearryman was posted in.
A fellow workshops instructor at Yatesbury was John "Blondie" Moore. His family and mine shared a house in Calne for a while. Here he is in the garden with his daughter Tina. |
| From Yatesbury I was posted to Egypt. In transit at Hednesford I met up with Ted Howell. We were both posted to Ismailia where Ted initially stayed while I went to the transmitting station at Spinney Wood. Eventually Ted also served at Spinney Wood and shortly before the tour ended we were both promoted to Sergeant Air Wireless Fitter. |
| The only ex-4M3 I recall meeting at Compton was Arthur (Jep) Jepson who was on trade testing duties and who is seen here at a Sergeants' Mess dance demonstrating his ballroom skills. |  |
| My first couple of weeks in Aden were spent at Khormaksar
where Wally Alltoft was the Station Signals Officer. We had a brief chat
in his office. For the rest of the tour I was at the Signals Centre
Steamer Point. In the Sergeants' Mess one evening I met Shilly Shillito
who was in transit. Meeting these two gave me a bit of an identity crisis
- Lofty Alltoft called me Alan and Shilly thought I was Sailor Short. I
also met Les Cash who suddenly appeared in my workshop one day looking for
spares for the officer's mess radio. He was stationed at Khormaksar
driving Shackletons. Shortly before I was due to go home Alan Taylor was posted in to the Signals Centre presumably as my replacement |
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Whilst wandering about the camp at Gaydon I bumped into
Willie Wilson who was visiting. He was at that time a Master Signaller on
Victors I believe. The photo shews the Gaydon bandmaster (Frank Field) being congratulated at an AOC's parade. Not a 44th encounter - the amended picture just amuses me. |
| By now I was out of the RAF employed as a Civil
Servant at RMCS Shrivenham and living in Faringdon. One evening my wife
and I went to the Trout Inn at Lechlade. As we entered I noticed that the
licensee was a Mr R A Turnbull and wondered. With some memory adjustment I
recognised the chap behind the bar as Ron Turnbull. He didn't recognise me
(we both were a little fleshier) until I made myself known. Strangely the
thing he remembered mostly was that I came from Handsworth in Birmingham.
I wonder why? On another visit to the Trout we were joined by Eric (Monty) Mortlock who was stationed at Brize Norton as a navigator and living in Lechlade. |
| Around this time Harry Keating and Arthur Adnitt et al were doing sterling work tracing ex-4M3's and organising reunions. Details of these reunions are on the Reunions page. |