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Ken-Hone

A veteran interview with

Ken Hone

Ken Hone provides a detailed account of his time as a Flight Engineer with 185 Fighter Squadron. Predominantly working on Spitfires and Hurricanes, 185 provided support to allied troops as they advanced up the Italian mainland.

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About Ken Hone

At just 17, Ken Hone volunteered in the RAF reserves with hopes of becoming a pilot. Due to a problem with his sight preventing him from flying, he instead trained as a flight engineer, supporting allied forces throughout WWII. In this interview, Ken shares his experiences with the 185 Fighter Squadron and his time spent in Italy with the Repairs and Salvage unit.

Ken recalls his love for Spitfires and his remarkable ability to identify one without even looking. His expertise earned him the promotion to Corporal whilst stationed in Italy, and even at 93 years old, you can still see the pride he takes in this title. His time in service was unpredictable with life and death around every corner. He reflects on good times of playing music with fellow troops and locals contrasted with sad times of helplessly watching a plane crash before his eyes.

Despite the hardships, Ken shares how he felt fulfilled when sending pilots off on their missions, knowing that his contributions were vital to the fight.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Brooke Piper

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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Home | Veterans | Ken Hone

A veteran interview with

Ken Hone

Ken-Hone

Ken Hone provides a detailed account of his time as a Flight Engineer with 185 Fighter Squadron. Predominantly working on Spitfires and Hurricanes, 185 provided support to allied troops as they advanced up the Italian mainland.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Hone, Ken. A Veteran Interview with Ken Hone. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ken-hone/. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
APA Style:
Hone, K. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Ken Hone [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ken-hone/
Chicago Style:
Hone, Ken. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Ken Hone. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ken-hone/
Harvard Style:
Hone, K. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Ken Hone. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ken-hone/ (Accessed: 15 July 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Hone, K. A Veteran Interview with Ken Hone [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2025 Jul 15]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ken-hone/
An interview with

Tim Elkington

RAF veteran whose service took him from the Battle of Britain to Russia, the Atlantic and India.

Tim Elkington’s interview offers a compelling glimpse into the life of a WW2 Fighter Pilot. He begins by reflecting on his childhood and the circumstances leading to his arrival as a fresh 19-year-old cadet at Cranwell in April 1940. Only three months later he was posted to No. 1 Squadron at Northolt in North London, where he took part in the Battle of Britain. He was astonished by the minimal training he had received, despite the intense combat he was involved in.
On August 16, 1940, he had a harrowing encounter when he was attacked by a German Messerschmitt 109. The ordeal left him recovering for a period, but he eventually moved on to 134 Squadron, which was assigned to support Russian forces. He prepared to sail to Russia on HMS Argus and later trained Russian pilots for the Eastern Front. Elkington's service continued with a stint on a Catapult Aircraft Merchant ship. Out of 35 ships converted to CAM during the war, 12 were sunk. He didn't fly off much, but when he did, he admits 'it was interesting'! His next posting was to 539 Squadron, a Night Fighter unit where he was less enthusiastic about his role. A subsequent transfer to India saw him join a Hurricane Squadron, arriving after the Japanese threat had diminished, thus avoiding major combat. He reflects on a particularly frightening incident involving a forced instrument landing in thick fog. Elkington retired from the RAF in 1975, leaving behind a rich career of varied and intense experiences. Despite the risk and danger he faced, he reflects gratefully on the ability of RAF pilots to manoeuvre and take action when they are shot at and contrasts it to Navy personnel who were often unable to escape the danger around them. Special thanks to Tim and his wife, as well as Patrick Tootal of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, for facilitating this insightful interview.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Betty Hutton

The remarkable story of Betty Hutton’s service in the WAAF, starting as a teenager and ending with a mention in the King’s despatches.

Upon turning 18, Betty Hutton decided to join the air force and began her military career in the RAF Balloon Command, working in both London and Manchester. When the air force started to reduce the use of barrage balloons – at the same time deciding it wasn’t a role fit for a woman after all, much to the serving women’s chagrin – Betty opted to become an aircraft mechanic. After successfully completing her training Betty began working on the Whitley aircrafts, but as an assistant she wasn’t allowed to do any of the critical mechanical work herself. Determined to progress her role, she undertook further training and passed out as a Fitter 2A, holding sole responsibility for carrying out mechanical work on the Wellington aircraft, which she found frightening but exhilarating. Betty’s story of course contains personal accounts of loss and sadness that serve as stark reminders of the heartbreak and devastation of war, but it’s abundantly clear to see – despite the great modesty with which she shares her memories – the significant contribution her hard work and commitment made to the war effort.
Photo Gallery icon 1 Photo
Service:
An interview with

Dr Joyce Hargrave-Wright

She joined the WAAF after experiencing bombing as a child in WW2 and was an air traffic controller at the height of the Berlin Airlift

Joyce experienced bombing in WW2 and her mother had a narrow escape. At nineteen, in 1947, she joined the WAAF and trained in air traffic control and radar. The Airlift started the day that Joyce was posted to Germany, and she was initially ambivalent and apprehensive about helping the Germans, due to wartime events. She had never been abroad before and found the experience quite daunting. When she arrived in Germany she became aware of the deprivation that the population were experiencing and how they too were bombed. At the RAF HQ in Ahnsen she worked as a ‘Hoe Girl’ using a table-top hoe to plot the movement of aircraft during the Airlift and this task demanded a high level of accuracy. As well as this duty she worked in communications, relaying messages from aircraft to officers. There were three air ‘corridors’ to Berlin differentiated by height, with an aircraft landing every three to four minutes. The work was hard and constant, with leave once a month, when she and her colleagues were sent to a hotel and during this period she met her husband to be, who was also working on the base. During her time overseas she met Germans of her age and spoke to them about Nazism and the Hitler Youth. They said it was like the British Scouts and tried to explain their enthusiasm for Hitler. These young Germans professed to have no knowledge of the Holocaust, partly because they lived in the countryside.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker