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A veteran interview with

Bill Evans

Bill Evans gives a great interview about his time on the Berlin Airlift. His is a story like many National Serviceman. At the time it was just a job.

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About Bill Evans

As soon as he left school in 1943, Bill Evans began a career in precision engineering, working on munitions, making sights for Bren guns and camera guns for aircraft. In 1947, Bill passed the exam to join the RAF for his National Service and began his training in Padgate near Liverpool.

Bill shares details of the various stations around the UK where he honed his skills as a flight mechanic before being sent to Buckeburg, the RAF’s HQ in Germany. He recalls the perks of his job, sharing details of the aircraft he worked on and memories of the limited entertainment options in the nearby town of Minden. He also reflects on the black market and how valuable a tin of corned beef had become.

It wasn’t until later in life, upon returning to Berlin, that Bill realised the profound impact of the Berlin Airlift on the city’s residents. His story is told with the humility characteristic of his generation, who largely saw their hard work and commitment as simply getting on with the job they’d been given to do.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Caroline Barratt

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Bill Evans

A veteran interview with

Bill Evans

BillEvans-e1588364670259

Bill Evans gives a great interview about his time on the Berlin Airlift. His is a story like many National Serviceman. At the time it was just a job.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Evans, Bill. A Veteran Interview with Bill Evans. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 16 Feb. 2013 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/bill-evans/. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Evans, B. (2013, February 16). A Veteran Interview with Bill Evans [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved May 17, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/bill-evans/
Chicago Style:
Evans, Bill. 2013. A Veteran Interview with Bill Evans. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, February 16. Accessed May 17, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/bill-evans/
Harvard Style:
Evans, B. (2013). A Veteran Interview with Bill Evans. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 16 February. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/bill-evans/ (Accessed: 17 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Evans, B. A Veteran Interview with Bill Evans [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2013 Feb 16 [cited 2025 May 17]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/bill-evans/
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