Laurence Kennedy volunteered to join the RAF in 1943 after turning 18 years old. He trained in Newquay and following this was posted to South Africa for a year. Whilst there, he celebrated VE day (Victory in Europe day) in Cape Town, May 1945. Laurence continued his training and joined Transport Command. After a bout of sickness, he was sent to Fassburg, Germany, where he joined up with a squadron and was sent to assist in the Berlin Airlift. Most of the cargo being flown in was coal and flour, with aircrafts being packed full, Laurence remembers. Sometimes, they would have the important task of flying children out of Berlin to reduce the numbers in the city. This is when the importance of the airlift  sank in for Laurence. He talks about how sorry he felt for the children being taken away from their homes and families. During the airlift Laurence flew 168 sorties and was housed in several bases throughout Germany, including: Wunsdorf, Fassburg, and Lubeck. He met his wife at Lubeck, she was stationed there serving with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Whilst stationed in Fassburg, he remembers there being lots of pubs and inns, and that he enjoyed life there. Laurence recalls bringing coffee from back home and trading it with locals for Deutsche marks. In his downtime, Laurence visited Hamburg and remembers being shocked at the state of the city, describing it as horrific and he couldn’t see how anyone could survive living there during the war. What Laurence and his fellow servicemen and women did during this time is incredible, all of them led us out of a very uncertain time. This interview was filmed by the late Andrew Emslie.

Tony Pickering, born in 1920, vividly recounts how his passion for aviation was ignited at the age of 16 when a Royal Air Force plane made an emergency landing near his home in Leicestershire. This pivotal moment inspired him to join the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1938, where he began flying Tiger Moths before advancing to Hurricanes and Spitfires. Tony served with 501 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, flying Hurricanes to intercept German bombers. On one mission, his aircraft was critically damaged by enemy fire, forcing him to parachute out over Surrey. Undeterred, he quickly returned to action, playing a vital role in Britain’s defence against Nazi air attacks. Later in the war, he flew escort missions for bombers over France and transitioned to flying Spitfires, which he continued to pilot for the rest of the conflict. Beyond combat, Tony took on roles as a test pilot, instructor, and gunnery trainer, contributing to the RAF’s operational strength and the training of future pilots. His interview provides a vivid account of the diverse roles undertaken by RAF pilots during the war, offering an enduring testament to the courage, adaptability, and dedication of those who defended Britain’s skies.

Aircraft-obsessive Ken Plowman grew up painting models and flying rubber motored planes across his hometown before deciding to join the Royal Observers Corps at just 16. One year later, he joined the RAF where he trained and served as a First Pilot in the Glider Pilot Regiment during WWII. In this interview, Ken recalls the important moments in his 20 year Flight Lieutenant career, particularly the highlight of his service in Operation Varsity in 1945. Ken was a quick learner and was allowed to fly solo after only 6 hours of Tiger Moth flights. As well as training as a firefighter and a train driver whilst on camp, he became an eager fan of aerobatics. Sadly, a lot of these his comrades lost their lives due to the danger of the job, especially during Operation Varsity as Ken flew to the mission with 440 other gliders and 6000 paratroopers. He considers himself lucky to still be alive as memories of close encounters with Germans, jumping out to avoid crash landings and faulty prop blades fill his memory even to this day. His service to WWII is greatly acknowledged in this interview.