80 years ago today,

[openspaceman]

5 hours ago, petercb said:

My Dad when he was due to be called up got all the talk from the RAF about join us as a rear gunner, flying pay, sergeants stripes etc despite his eyesight not being the best. My uncle told him the facts and that he probably wouldn't live long enough to enjoy it. Dad marched into the Army recruitment depot and volunteered. Posted to REME as a driver, had a cushy posting for a while driving WRAC officers and then ended up in Italy slogging his way up through the mud and into Austria at the end of the war. 

After my uncle was killed my dad signed up with the RAF but too short sighted to fly, ended up in Burma fitting radar to beaufighters and mosquitos (he said the glue failed in the heat). He was  dab hand with a soldering iron as a result. he told his family his job was guarding the cookhouse to avoid speaking about the top secret stuff he was doing.