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.

Before his involvement in the Berlin Airlift, Ken Weaden grew up in the small village of Easton-in-Gordano in Somerset, where he witnessed the devastating aftermath of the Bristol Blitz. As part of the RAF, Ken went first to Manchester, then to Canada to complete his training, before taking on the position of Navigator during the war, in which he helped with the transport of supplies across Europe. After being demobbed, Ken struggled to adjust to the monotonous routine of his old job and soon returned to the RAF. In this interview, he recalls being stationed in Wunstorf, Germany, then Lübeck, dealing with the fast-paced nature of the job and the frequent flights to Gatow, where new aircrafts would arrive every two minutes. Due to the shift system used, one downside of the role was its noticeable lack of downtime. On his only proper night out, Ken remembers being invited to a dance at a hospital club in Hamburg, which was surprisingly full of English medics.  In total, Ken spent 11 months on the Airlift. Despite the workload, he retains humorous anecdotes from his time in service, like one occasion shortly after the war when his crew were forced to land in a Japanese airfield, and attempted their first meal using chopsticks, with little success. Looking back at his work, Ken considers it a job well done, and affirms that the crews did what they were supposed to do. After two extra years in the RAF, he decided it was the right time to leave.

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.