Stan Overend always dreamed of a life at sea, so he was disappointed when he couldn’t join the Navy due to his age. Instead, he joined the RAF, where his fortunes changed when he found his way into Marine Branch, Air Sea Rescue. After basic training and a stint as a gunner, Stan seized the opportunity to get out on the water. Posted as a Leading Aircraftman with 67 Air Sea Rescue in the stormy Hebrides, his first rescue mission was a chaotic struggle to save the crew of a Walrus Flying Boat in brutal gale-force winds. Later, Stan’s service took him across the world, including a memorable journey aboard The Queen of Bermuda to India. Stationed on the remote Cocos Keeling Islands, 1,500 miles from the nearest British unit, Stan’s experience was both isolated and dangerous. Despite the peaceful setting, the threat of Japanese fighters loomed large, and he vividly recalls a tragic accident involving a Catalina aircraft. Looking back, Stan fondly remembers the "good blokes" he served with, the kind who would share their last penny. He’s proud of the job they did together, overcoming hardships with camaraderie and resilience.

Jean Cleminson shares her experiences as a wireless operator part of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during World War 2. She details her experience in the Y Service, an essential part of British intelligence operations, from working in Dunstable to Bletchley Park. Jean recounts her time training in wireless operations in 1941 at the Post Office in Cardiff. After studying in Compton Bassett, Bedfordshire and Staffordshire, she was assigned a post at an ostensible meteorological station in Dunstable. At Dunstable, Jean carried out clandestine Y section work and intercepted reports from Germany. She was informed to never speak about the work undertaken to anyone, including her family. She reflects on the late-night watch hours and quiet atmosphere in the station, as well as maintaining a best friendship for life. Years later, Jean revisited the Dunstable station. Whilst difficult to find, she slowly came to the realisation it had turned into a cracker factory! Jean’s account serves as a testimony to the dedication and resilience of those in secret and often underrepresented war roles. The story highlights Jean’s incredible contribution to the war and the significance women played in the war effort.

Gerald White provides a captivating account of his time in Germany, working as a Technical Adjutant in the RAF during the Berlin Airlift. As a boy, Gerald witnessed the remains of a V-1 flying bomb which exploded onto the grounds of his school during the Blitz. It would not be the last time he would bear witness to such a display. After the war ended, he began training as a young aeronautical engineer. His skillset would lead him to RAF station Gatow in Berlin where he contributed to the repairs of various planes for the Berlin Airlift, including the Dakota and Avro York aircrafts. He experienced a steady workflow at the bustling station but he was no stranger to incidents. He recalls two converted Lancaster planes, one a skyways tanker which blew up on the airfield and an Avro Tudor (belonging to Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett) which his team managed to recover after it crashed into a sand bank. Unfortunately, a year later, the same Tudor would be involved in the Llandow air disaster, resulting in the tragic deaths of eighty-three people. He describes a strenuous situation involving the removal of a Stratofreighter which was on a course to a welcome reception in Tempelhof before being forced down to the airfield where it got stuck in the tarmac of a runway. Gerald reflects on his time at Gatow fondly, describing it as an astonishing experience. His work in Germany offers insight into the impact of RAF engineers who served on the Berlin Airlift and the significance of the aircrafts they aided.