Thinking of erks in an East Anglian winter

Very true Charley. A couple of erks from here at Cambridge lost their lives in the war

Frank Edwards was shot by the invading Japs whilst servicing a 205 Sqn Catalina in Singapore
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Frank%20Edwards.htm

and Arthur Jessop was kileld when he was starting a prop on a DH86 Express and walked into another already spinning
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Arthur%20Jessop.htm

Also Arthur Clayton was an erk who died in a plane crash whilst transitting from Nausori to Tonga
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Arthur%20Clayton.htm

There are many thousands of cases like these where erks became statistics. Very sad.

Great to see a thread remembering the harsh conditions that “erks” worked in. The life of groundcrews was dangerous as well as uncomfortable. Propellors, collapsing undercarriages, bomb-releases, accidental discharges of firearms and premature explosions of bombs, mines or rockets claimed many lives and crippled others. The practice of sitting on the wing to guide a taxiing pilot was also hazardous.

Moggys thoughts.

Great little poem but you know it was even worse working in the hangars the doors at each end always seemed to be open and the wind fairly howled through, I experienced both at Coltishall on a mossie squadron.

Well, here’s what Moggy is talking about. Drem, the winter of 1940. Upright pic is my old friend Jim. Can’t recall the other fellow’s name.

Erks, the backbone for sure.

Three of 609’s erks I’d like to post the names of here:

Robert Whitell ‘Bob’ Smith
Joined A Flight in 1936. Killed during bombing raid on Middle Wallop 14th August 1940.

809035 Harold ‘Harry’ Thorley
Killed during bombing raid on Middle Wallop 14th August 1940

Kenneth ‘Ken’ Wilson
F II A. Joined C Flight. Colour Mixer. Killed during bombing raid on Middle Wallop 14th August 1940.

Ever seen that painting “Hockey in the Duff’ or ‘They just have to be Canadians”? Shows a Canadian Typhoon buried in snow while mechanics work on it and in the background there is a pond where the Canuck s are playing hockey….two of my favorite things, hockey and warbirds, in one painting…if there was a Jeep in it, that would pretty much cover ALL of it!

Mark

Fitter IIA Charles Scandrett, 37 Squadron, Feltwell, February 1940.

Regards,

kev35

For those who don’t know – Feltwell is the location of the Moggy houshold. It’s pretty cold today and by all account the Winter of 1940 was a lot worse, and the rations a lot more meagre.

Thanks Kev.

Good point too about the other extreme. If it ever gets too hot to walk down to the compost bin I’ll post again (I wish)

Moggy

Moggy.

Thought you might like this.

“When we de-bombed my aircraft once again and prepared for a training flight, and the engines were run up ready to taxi out from dispersal. We were all greatly surprised when great chunks of ice flew off the props and sliced through the fabric nearly wounding the 1st and 2nd pilots!! Engines were shut, sortie abandoned and hasty repairs carried out to the cockpit fabric.”

Fitter IIA Charles Scandrett, 37 Squadron, Feltwell, February 1940.

Regards,

kev35

Ah, sorry John, you posted a smilar thought as I was typing.

Yes, lest we forget

On the other hand too, the ground crews suffered intolerably, perhaps moreso, in the Pacific. The heat of the day was so bad that they would burn the skin off their hands if they touched the skin of the aircraft that had sat in the son. The cockpits were roasting, and where the aircrew may have spent just minutes in it before becoming airborne and thus the interior cooling down, the erk would sit inside these caldrons for hours when doing maintenance or engine runs, etc.

If they dropped their tools they were usually too hot to pick up off the ground. The crushed coral runways would blow up into clouds of dust, and then stick like glue to everything.

And after work, they then had no pubs to go to. The food was atrocious (perhaps not so bad for the USA, but definately for the Commonwealth erks). They had the myriad of tropical diseases (which many still live with), snakes, scorpions, Washing Machine Charlie (a solitary bomber with de-synchrinised engines dropping one or two bombs simply to wake the weary troops), the tropical rain storms, sea snakes at the beach….

Much the same in the desert too I guess. It is a great thing that they had a common cause and eprit de corps, these erks, wherever they were. Otherwise most would have given up I’d think.

…….and don’t forget those guys that worked in the opposite extremes of weather, the heat and humidity of the jungle, the overpowering heat of the desert where there was no shade and temperatures could soar to 130F. Couldn’t put a spanner on the wing as it would be too hot to pick up, or the guys working on the Flying Boats in the extreme cold at PD or Stranraer here if you didn’t have your spanner tied to your waist, plink plonk, plop! Then of course old Jerry coming along to Strafe you occasionally, those guys would just say ‘that is why I took the Queens Shilling’, they like others are unsung heroes.
Lest we forget…………..

Indeed Moggy, a wonderful thought.

I have posted this before, but I hope it is appropraite

THREE CHEERS FOR THE MAN ON THE GROUND
By Flight Mechanic E. Sykes (1942)

Wherever you walk, you will hear people talk,
of the men who go up in the air,
of the daredevil way, they go into the fray;
Facing death without turning a hair.

They’ll raise a big cheer and buy lots of beer,
for the pilot who’s come home on leave,
but they don’t give a jigger, for a flight mech or rigger,
with nothing but “props” on his sleeve.

They just say “Nice day” – and then turn away,
with never a mention of praise,
for the poor bloody erk, who does all the work,
and just orders his own beer – and pays !

They’ve never been told, of the hours in the cold,
that he spends sealing Germany ‘s fate,
how he works on a kite, till all hours of the night,
and then turns up next morning at eight.

He gets no rake-off, for working ’til take-off,
or helping the aircrew prepare,
but whenever there’s trouble – it’s “Quick at the double”,
the man on the ground must be there.

Each flying crew, could confirm it as true,
that they know what this man’s really worth,
they know that he’s part of the RAF’s heart,
even though he stays close to the earth.

He doesn’t want glory, but please tell his story,
spread a little of his fame around,
He’s just one of a few – so give him his due,
and “Three Cheers for the man on the ground