Jeff Brereton volunteered for the RAF in January 1940, following his 19th birthday. He was called up that spring, sent on an aero engineering course and qualified as a Flight Mechanic – Engine. He joined 605 Squadron at RAF Croydon and was soon repairing Hurricanes in the hectic world of an RAF station during the Battle of Britain. Jeff talks to Air Mail about his experiences.
How much training did you get?
Training was a crash course at RAF St Athan Technical Training College in South Wales. It lasted 13 weeks and was all theoretical for engine mechanics and practical for riggers. Experience was to be gained on squadrons. Those I was with were all conscripted between the ages of 20 and 40 and I was a 19-year-old volunteer.What was it like when you arrived at 605 Squadron?
I was posted to No. 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Fighter Squadron at the end of September, 1940, which was based at London Airport in Croydon. The airport had suffered severely from recent bombings. As such, we were housed in bungalows in St Matthew’s Drive, Wallington, from which the residents had been evacuated. The aircraft were based in a field behind the bungalows.
The squadron was there on its own and didn’t have the backup which would normally be available at an RAF aerodrome. It had 12 Hurricanes and 12 pilots. There were two tents in the field, one where pilots gathered waiting for the order to scramble, and one for ground crew. It was here we’d sign forms to verify the servicing work we’d carried out.
The squadron was heavily engaged in the Battle of Britain and was flying five sorties a day. The squadron was very successful and at least one pilot was an ace before I arrived, as he had shot down five aircraft. That said, we were losing pilots and aircraft, and often had to fly undermanned until replacements came in.What was an average day, for you?
Each day was very much the same. Up at dawn checking over the aircraft and helping the pilots to get airborne, from then on it was receiving the aircraft as they returned in ones and twos; a rush to get them repaired, refuelled, rearmed and back in the air. We worked in two shifts, mornings and afternoons, dawn to dusk.
There was a ground crew of two people with each aircraft, a Flight Mechanic–Engine and a Flight Mechanic–Airframe, whom the pilot relied upon a great deal, particularly in helping him to taxi down the rough ground of the field and through a gap in the fence onto the main airport for take-off. There were different states of readiness: ‘immediate’, where the pilot would sit in the aircraft with the engine running; ‘stand down’, where pilots sat around the tent awaiting a telephone call to scramble – during which time I would be sitting in cockpit keeping the engine warm; and ‘timed stand down’, usually of half an hour.
What kind of repairs and maintenance did the aircraft require?
Aircraft were often returning with their airframe covered in bullet holes – as they were made of wood and covered with canvas. The ground crew had the job of cutting a piece of canvas to cover the damage and had two tins of quick drying synthetic camouflage paint, which was used to attach the canvas to the aircraft. There was only one petrol tanker and oil bowser, so it was quite a rush to get the aircraft serviced in time for the next take off. Often the aircraft took off while the paint was still drying, and it was also common to see an airman stretched out across the tail plane helping to keep the rear wheel down on the ground.
As all our Hurricanes were new we didn’t have to do routine servicing, and major work was done at our parent aerodrome at Kenley. Of the twelve Hurricanes that started at the beginning of September 1940 only one survived, R4118 UP-W, though it was badly damaged. I worked on UP-W until the end of October 1940, when it left for major servicing.What were the people you served with like?
All personnel were first class to work with. On arrival I was told that there were no formalities, we all had a job to do and that was to work together to defeat the enemy. Going by the results our pilots were having, we all believed we could achieve that. The auxiliaries were well trained and were very proud of their squadron, and had a special dispensation that they were allowed to wear the county badge of a bear and a ragged staff in the lapel of their uniforms. Both pilots and ground crew were constantly changing, so from one day to the next you had no idea who you would be working with. This also allowed us to share learning and experiences.
Of the pilots, I especially remember Flight Lieutenant Christopher ‘Bunny’ Currant, Pilot Officer Robert ‘Bob’ Foster, Sergeant Eric Wright, Flight Lieutenant Alec Ingle, Pilot Officer Peter Thompson and Flying Officer Derek Forde. UP-W is the Hurricane I remember most, and Thompson, Forde and Foster all flew it. Forde was the last one to fly it, as I remember he came back with part of a wing missing!
Our relationship with the pilots during the Battle of Britain was different to at other times. Because of the urgency and losses we often didn’t know who would be flying our aircraft until he was running towards us. He might be a Pilot Officer the first time, a Flight Lieutenant the next, then get promoted and moved to another squadron and be replaced by a recruit direct from training. It was normal for the next senior to move up a rank, so in practice we had little chance to meet up until the battle was over.How did you relax?
To help raise the morale of residents at night time, we were encouraged to go into the town of Wallington and join them in the air raid shelters. On my first visit with a colleague we came across two schoolgirls – just as we heard aircraft approaching. We all sheltered behind a brick wall and fortunately the bombs dropped a little distance away. My friend escorted one of the girls back to her home, and I escorted the other. Her mother was so pleased that her daughter was safe she invited me in for tea. I stayed with them that evening in their Anderson shelter, leaving in time to be back for the dawn patrol. This became a regular fixture until the end of October when the air raids lessened and we abandoned the shelter for the house.
We were soon joined by family members and neighbours, and would play party games. As I was the only airman, I received a lot of attention. It was my first time away from home and I enjoyed their company. They were all exceptionally friendly and I think that, having finally gained some freedom after living so long in shelters, they were making the most of it. I kept in touch with them and visited after the war.
When it was time for the squadron to leave, the local residents were very upset. They felt safer having us there during all the bombing, and used to count the aircraft taking off and returning – hoping for the pilots’ safety. The squadron put on a going-away party in the airport’s country club and invited the locals. So much emotion was expressed that day, one would have thought that the war had finished.This interview first appeared in the July-September 2020 issue of the members’ magazine Air Mail. To read more stories like this, subscribe to Air Mail by joining the Royal Air Forces Association – the charity that supports the RAF family.
