a walking patient, by reading, chatting to others, helping out in the ward, and weaving woollen scarves using a hand loom borrowed from, and wool bought from, the Red Cross based in the hospital. I made over half a dozen scarves, plain, white Angora, banded, and two complicated tartan ones. I used these as gifts for past hospitality received back at Borgentreich to which I returned, Medical Category A4GT, on March 22nd, to pack my kit.
I got two good packing-cases from the Equipment Section and four empty ammunition boxes from the Armoury which fitted snugly in to one of the crates. I packed almost all my kit into these: tape recorders, radio, ciné projector, editing gear, films, camera, marquetry tools and woods, books, and several small gifts from friends, as well as my winter-weight and spare clothes. I painted my name and address on the crates, screwed down the lids, and had them taken to the Stores. They then started their journey home to Welshampton, without charge, courtesy of the Military Forwarding Organisation. I sold my bicycle.
Whilst doing this I was interviewed by Sqn.Ldr. Routh whom I had met when he was the MO at Wellesbourne Mountford. He was on a fact finding mission. He wanted to know what had happened to me, the hours I had been working down the hole, my other duties when not on watch, and other personal matters. He explained that he had been sent to see me, and the other watchkeepers, because others in my position had also become unwell. Food and meal times at small Signals Units appeared to be his main concern. I heard no more from him.
One thing about my duties must have registered with higher authority because a full time Armament Officer and Station Defence Instructor from the RAF Regiment had been posted in while I was in hospital. I didn't meet him because he was on leave when I arrived back. My life could have been quite different if I had not been Armament Officer and had its associated duties.
During these last days at Borgentreich I was introduced to Hauptman Bartels, an Officer of the new German Air Force which would eventually take over Borgentreich from the RAF. He was living in our Mess. We both had occasion to go to Paderborn by train together and, on stopping at a station en route, a crowd of German women saw him in the carriage and started pelting him with tomatoes from their shopping bags. They left me alone. So much was the hatred of any idea of German rearmament at that time.
I returned to Wegberg on March 31st for a couple of days for further medical examinations before being flown, on April the 2nd, from Wildenrath to RAF Lyneham in a specially fitted out CASEVAC Valetta.3 It was my last flight in the RAF. It lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes. The pilot was Flt.Lt. Jones. I was classed as 'walking wounded'.
From Lyneham I was transferred to RAF Hospital, Wroughton, for a meal and an interview. Then, the same afternoon, I was transferred by ambulance (I sat in the front alongside the driver) to the RAF Hospital at Halton, near Wendover. At the same time, I was administratively posted on the strength of No.1 Personnel Holding Unit, RAF Innsworth.
During my stay at Halton the crew of a Canberra were admitted but were kept apart from each other. One was put in the same ward as me. They had abandoned the aircraft at the then highest altitude for a successful bale-out. They were severely frost-bitten during their free-fall descent to a lower altitude at which they could use their parachutes. The chap in my ward was in a bad state but was visibly recovering during the short time I was there.
Several other things also happened. We must have had the windows in the ward too tightly closed one night because, when the Sister arrived next morning she
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3 CASEVAC = Casualty Evacuation.
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