Geoffrey Abbott recounts his illustrious career, from the factory to the frontlines. Having left school at sixteen, Geoffrey took up work making engines in a factory, but soon swapped this for servicing spitfires for the RAF.   After training as an engine fitter, Geoffrey quickly found himself posted across the globe, supporting wartime efforts in the Middle East and Africa. Geoffrey recalls his journeys across the sea, his aircraft expertise, and the hardships he faced away from home.  His interview illuminates the non-combatant wartime experience, highlighting the role of machinery mastery as indispensable. An often forgotten perspective, Geoffrey provides insight on the uncertainty of the supporting cast and the contentious condition of having to work amidst conflict. Geoffrey’s story is one of resolve and bravery, underpinned by his desire to help and a genuine passion for planes.  .  

Sam was well travelled and hitch-hiked through Germany in 1938-39, where the atmosphere seemed to change as war neared. After joining the RAF in 1941, he was sent to Canada for training before heading to RAF Leuchars in Scotland where he hunted enemy submarines. Following a relatively uneventful period of wartime flying, Sam used his navigator training to join a charter aircraft company flying around Europe. He was then sent to fly planes rescuing Hindu refugees from persecution during the 1947 partition of India. Sam subsequently captained civilian planes during the Berlin Airlift. Unlike RAF pilots who took commands from operations officers, he was responsible for deciding when weather conditions made flying too treacherous. He recalls near crashes with a Russian plane flying off course and an RAF York whose pilot disobeyed tower landing commands. He worked hard during the airlift and had little time for leisure while flying 3 flights per day and sometimes at night. After returning to Jersey in December 1948, Sam joined a civilian carrier that later became British Airways. His account sheds valuable light on the essential role civilian charter companies played in the Berlin Airlift.

Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss recounts his 41 year military career, beginning with his enlistment in the RAF in 1942 at 17, his service in Bomber Command during the war, and during the Berlin Airlift after. Sir John finishes by reflecting on the Falklands War and his role commanding operations. Sir John initially trained as a navigator, eventually becoming the first navigator to achieve the rank of Air Marshal. He describes his experiences flying with various crews and surviving dangerous missions, including a harrowing incident where a bomb fell through their aircraft! After the war, Sir John moved to Transport Command, where he was redirected from a mission to Singapore to participate in the Berlin Airlift, completing around 263 return trips to Berlin. He highlights the significance of the airlift, and talks proudly about his role in providing essential supplies to the people of Berlin. Sir John’s career continued to evolve, involving training navigators, serving as a fighter controller, the Ministry of Defence, and eventually commanding operations during the Falklands War as an Air Vice-Marshal. He reflects the heightened stress of leadership where he says he felt the stress of “sending people out, possibly to die”. Throughout his story Sir John talks proudly about his service, expressing a sense of fulfillment and pride in his contributions.