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Terry-Kane

A veteran interview with

Terence Kane

Terence Kane gives an amazing account of his short Fighter career in the RAF. Short because he was on shot down over the English Channel

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About Terence Kane

Terence Kane’s fighter pilot career in the RAF was marked by courage and survival against incredible odds. Inspired by his brother’s love of flying, Terry signed up for a short service commission just after turning seventeen, and was fortunate to survive his initial training.

In 1940 he found himself flying Spitfires with 234 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. Hit by enemy fire he was forced to ditch his damaged plane in the English Channel. At just 19, Terry was one of the few Battle of Britain pilots to be captured by the Germans and became a prisoner of war.

Taken to Oflag 9A in Spangenburg, Terry’s life became a mix of hardship and resilience. Amid strict conditions, he found small ways to endure, including playing makeshift golf to pass the time. He eventually reunited with his brother in the camp before being forced on a gruelling march away from advancing Russian forces. On May 1st, Terry’s group was liberated after a tense encounter. Reflecting on his wartime experiences, Terry’s story is a testament to survival, resilience, and the indomitable British spirit.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Lucy

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Terence Kane

A veteran interview with

Terence Kane

Terry-Kane

Terence Kane gives an amazing account of his short Fighter career in the RAF. Short because he was on shot down over the English Channel

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Kane, Terence. A Veteran Interview with Terence Kane. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 8 Dec. 2024 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/terence-kane/. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Kane, T. (2024, December 8). A Veteran Interview with Terence Kane [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved May 18, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/terence-kane/
Chicago Style:
Kane, Terence. 2024. A Veteran Interview with Terence Kane. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, December 8. Accessed May 18, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/terence-kane/
Harvard Style:
Kane, T. (2024). A Veteran Interview with Terence Kane. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 8 December. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/terence-kane/ (Accessed: 18 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Kane, T. A Veteran Interview with Terence Kane [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2024 Dec 8 [cited 2025 May 18]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/terence-kane/
An interview with

Garry Garretts

A Squadron Leader who flew on the Berlin Airlift and was one of the few people to fly a Vulcan as part of a 30 year RAF career.

Garry Garretts shares his extraordinary thirty-year journey serving with the RAF. Even before he was old enough to enlist, Garry had already been afflicted by the scourge of war, following the explosion of an incendiary bomb which left nineteen fragments snagged in his legs during the Blitz. Once conscripted, he chose to fly for the RAF, favouring flying over the idea of walking or sea travel! His training would send him all over the globe where he was given the honour of flying many aircrafts from the Tiger Moth, Dakota and the Vulcan. However, despite the many opportunities he was given for travelling and flying, he wouldn't see active service until the end of the war, as part of the Dakota squadron aboard the Wellington OTU. As a result, Garry felt dissatisfied with his experience during WWII. He would find more satisfaction in a post-war world where he would rise through the ranks, becoming a Flight Officer and  sent to transport supplies for the Berlin Airlift. He describes the difficult and concentrated process of flying during this period and the preliminary requirements for transporting certain supplies, whether they be flour, alcohol or machinery used to help restore electricity to a recovering Berlin. He shares knowledge relating to the growing tensions between the Russians and Americans which would eventually lead into the Cold War. Towards the end of his time in the Airlift, he recalls the British Air Mail Society wanting to commemorate the lives of young soldiers who risked their lives in the Airlift to feed starving Germans. Garry's story captures the redemption of those who were only able to make significant contributions in a post-war world, offers insight into the political circumstances that were developing between countries and reveals the bravery of those who put their lives at risk to help feed the people of a country that they once saw as an enemy.
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Fred Danckwardt

He fought bravely for Britain in WW2 and then served throughout the Airlift and conceded that helping the Germans was better than bombing them.

Fred was a teenager when his home was destroyed in a bombing raid. At the age of eighteen he volunteered for the RAF, trained in gunnery and became the tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber. He took part in the nighttime bombing of Germany and, against the odds, survived 45 missions. There were some close moments and during this period he lost most of his friends in combat. After the war he had a recurring nightmare where, among a landscape of crashed aircraft, there was a space reserved for his bomber. At the start of the Berlin Airlift he was posted to Gatow as an intelligence officer, where his unit at first worked in a tent. Despite misgivings regarding its feasibility the Airlift went ahead anyway, initially using Dakotas and building up to larger aircraft. His billet was at the end of the runway, and at first he had trouble sleeping as the noise was constant, 24 hours a day. The Soviets were close by and made things awkward but never directly interfered although the local population were terrified that the Allies would leave them for the Russians. The devastation caused by bombing in Berlin was awful and the civilians were in poverty, although the airlift ration was about the same as those in Britain. While on duty a plane carrying coal crashed on take-off, killing all the crew. He served in Berlin for the entire duration of the Airlift and felt that it was better than bombing the city.
Photo Gallery icon 2 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
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An interview with

Tony Pickering

Courageous RAF Squadron Leader who flew Hurricanes and Spitfires, serving in the Battle of Britain and beyond

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.
Service:
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