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.

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.

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.