From May 1953 until Nov 1955 I was serving with 118 Squadron, firstly at Fassberg and then for the last 6 months at Jever in Germany.   I was posted to the Operational Conversion Unit, RAF Chivenor, N Devon in Nov 1955.   It was customary in those days to return to one's old squadron for what was termed 'reinforcement training'.   Whilst instructing at Chivenor, our mail was inserted into alphabetical boxes in the Officers' Mess - all officers with the surname beginning with W would naturally go in the W slot.   Imagine my surprise when I started to see mail addressed to Fg Off A J Wraight appear in the W slot.   Much of this mail was about Russia.   Wraight, an ex RAF College Cranwell product, failed the course and was posted to RAF Colerne.

     I left England for Germany on 27 November 1956 and was returning by military train from Jever to the Hook of Holland, but when I arrived at the Hook, I was separated from the other persons returning to the UK and was told that there was some query concerning my ticket.   I was escorted into an office by the Rail Traffic Officer (RTO) with 2 military policemen in close company.   When in the office, the RTO told the officer sitting at the desk that I was FG Off Wraight.   This officer got straight on to the phone and confirmed that he had Wraight in the office.   He asked me my name, I replied M J Wraight No. 4074472.   He then said that the numbers were the same but not the initials, however, a mix up between A and M over the phone might have been made.   I was then told that I was under close arrest to which I asked the question "Why and on what charge?"; he passed my query down the phone, then replied that he was not at liberty to tell me - security and all that.

     For the rest of the evening whilst all troops were embarked on board the ship, I went with the RTO, still escorted by 2 Military Policemen, whilst he finished his duties.   We had lots of conversations and I had pretty much convinced him that I was an innocent man, however, he had his orders to keep me in custody.   We went back to the mess and I was given a crate of beer, asked to give up my trousers and pants, and went to bed.   At about 0330 I was woken to say, surprise surprise, it is all a mistake, I was free to go and that I had a seat in first class on the small Dutch ferry leaving at 0930.

     Other passengers could not understand how a young RAF Fg Off in uniform was given VIP treatment on boarding and the same on disembarking at Harwich, whisked through Customs and put on the train for London and then back to Chivenor.   At Chivenor there was a Christmas Ball in the mess and I went straight to my room in a wooden hut, had a bath and was just dressing when the evening news came on and said that it was now confirmed the Fg Off Anthony Wraight was in Berlin in the Russian Sector.   I surprised a lot of people when I showed up in the mess and for the next few weeks I was not allowed to answer the phone as so many reporters were trying to find out more about the story.   I even had to visit my relations in Torquay as one of my Aunts had been saying that she thought that it was typical of Michael to go across to the Russians.