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Charles Stokes
Born 25 August 1913
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Flight Sgt. C.W.
Stokes,
Service Number 517478,
served on a full time basis from 11th June 1934
to 18th November 1945 as RAF Trade Equipment
Assistant (Now Supplier). There follows Charles'
story sent to us by his grand-daughter, Chloe
Nelson.
December 1935 - December 1936
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HMT
Dilwara |
After six months at Equipment School RAF
Cranwell I was posted to RAF Kenley as
Aircraftsman First Class for just five
weeks before suddenly being told to pack
kit, have medical and injections and put
on a train to Southampton to board the
troopship Dilwara on her maiden
voyage bound for the Far East with about
1700 officers and men on board. After 16 days at sea, with a rough passage
across the Bay of Biscay I disembarked at
Steamer Point having travelled 4,458 sea miles.
The ship then sailed on to India. |
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After settling in at RAF Khormaksar I
was sent to join the temporary service
section under Warrant Officer Hall.
We shared an office made out of an
aircraft crate. The several hangars were
made of canvas, one full of Hawker Demon
aircraft and Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines
in lead lined crates.
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Squadron Crest 1935-36 |
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Hawker Demons at Khormaksar
Hawker Demon assembly |
The temperature in the canvas hangars
got quite high by midday, often up to
185F.
This temporary section was formed to
service the Hawker aircraft operating
out of Berbro Somali, as Italy was
invading Ethiopia.
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continued on next
page..............
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