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Alan-Hewett-

A veteran interview with

Alan Hewett

Alan Hewett was an Aircraft engineer based at RAF Luffenham. Servicing many of the planes used on the Berlin Airlift it was a hub of activity…

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About Alan Hewett

Starting as a Bevin Boy, Alan Hewett, struggled to settle down after being demobbed. Determined to follow his dream, Alan joined the RAF. Originally stationed at RAF Melksham, Alan met his future wife, Eve. Later he was sent to North Luffenham, working as a mechanical engineer, Alan replaced Dakota aeroplane engines during the Berlin Airlift. Although RAF Luffenham wasn’t a very social place, Alan reflects on how his downtime was spent there.

After serving as an instructor at Melksham and on tour in Iraq, Alan was meant to be demobbed. Instead he took a job at RAF Crawley, building the De Havilland Comet 2 flight simulator. At RAF Little Rissington, Alan became the chief in charge of simulators for the NATS, which later became the Red Arrows.

Lastly, Alan reflects on the independence and self-reliance that his time spent in the RAF taught him. He details how his 22 years of service shaped his confidence, work ethic, and even his marriage, affording him with an overall ‘great life’.

Credits


Reviewed by:
Anna Alcock
Transcribed by:
Gillian Cousins

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Home | Veterans | Alan Hewett

A veteran interview with

Alan Hewett

Alan-Hewett-

Alan Hewett was an Aircraft engineer based at RAF Luffenham. Servicing many of the planes used on the Berlin Airlift it was a hub of activity…

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Hewett, Alan. A Veteran Interview with Alan Hewett. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, 19 Jul. 2013 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-hewett/. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Hewett, A. (2013, July 19). A Veteran Interview with Alan Hewett [Interview by Unknown]. Legasee. Retrieved May 18, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-hewett/
Chicago Style:
Hewett, Alan. 2013. A Veteran Interview with Alan Hewett. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, July 19. Accessed May 18, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-hewett/
Harvard Style:
Hewett, A. (2013). A Veteran Interview with Alan Hewett. [Interviewed by Unknown]. Legasee, 19 July. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-hewett/ (Accessed: 18 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Hewett, A. A Veteran Interview with Alan Hewett [Internet]. Interview by Unknown. Legasee; 2013 Jul 19 [cited 2025 May 18]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-hewett/
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Doreen Galvin describes that as a young woman she was passionate about maps and photography, thus knew when the war broke out that she must apply for intelligence work - not admin. After being firstly involved in photo interpretation, Doreen was then moved to Bomber Command and finally sent to be an Operations Officer at Tempsford RAF base. Doreen recalls how on arriving at Tempsford she was immediately thrown into work and quickly taken to the map room. She remembers that upon looking at the wall of maps, she realised that she was standing face-to-face with all the locations of the clandestine operations by the RAF during the war. In this role she was responsible for receiving, processing and reporting these locations and objectives to the War Cabinet. In this interview Doreen fondly recalls her contribution to the war, reflecting upon the excitement of working with maps and photo interpretation during the war. Doreen gives an interesting account of the war effort from a different perspective than that of the front line soldier, by both originating from a female viewpoint and also the clandestine operations which were happening back in England.
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An RAF veteran based in Iwakuni, Japan, who served in the Korean War and aided with the airborne evacuation of injured troops.

John Cumming shares a wonderful account of his time serving with the RAF in the Korean War from January 1951 to September 1952. Born in Glasgow, John welcomed the freedom offered by conscription and completed his training as a movement officer. Upon receiving his subsequent overseas posting to Iwakuni, the Australian Air Force Base in Japan, he admits he had never heard of the place, nor even Korea! At just 20 years old, John describes his initial work in Iwakuni, which mostly involved aircraft loading and movement. Soon enough, however, John undertook a role which transpired to be the defining work of his time in the Korean War: casualty evacuation. He shares some interactions he had with the plethora of injured troops, often a range of nationalities, that he helped to evacuate from Pusan. He also gives his impression of the American, Australian, and Canadian troops, including Australian female nurses, that he worked alongside. John also dives into tales of some close calls aboard Hastings and Dakotas, as well as stories of days spent partying in Korea, and meeting William Speakman-Pitt, VC. John concludes his account by sharing some insightful comments regarding the popular memory of the Korean War as the ‘forgotten war’, and contends with the repercussions of humanity’s disposition for conflict. John’s story reflects his determination and courageousness as he partook in casualty evacuation of the Korean War: a task far beyond what was expected of him when the RAF sent him to Japan.
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