Ken joined the RAF at the age of 18 in 1942 and spent 26 years in the force before coming a victim of the government defence cuts in 1968, he was sad to leave the RAF had been all his adult life.
He carried out his training flying Mosquito aircraft at the bomber and gunner school in Fingal, Ontario, Canada between 1944 – 1947 he was enlisted into the 540 Squadron and was awarded his navigator flying badge in May 1948
On his return to the UK can spent three years RAF Benson, Oxfordshire still operating on Mosquitoes in the recently reformed 540 Squadron, the squadron had been assigned to coastal commands photographic reconnaissance unit
This began Ken’s long association with the Coastal Command; he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and received a posting in 1951 to RAF Seletar in Singapore. Ken was assigned to the 209 Squadron, a long-range maritime reconnaissance unit operating in the Sunderland flying boat aircraft. He spent three years here with his wife and young family but unfortunately became embroidered in the Korean War 1950 – 1953.
While stationed in Singapore Ken completed 30 sorties and it was on one of these that he sustained A gunshot wound to the knee when helping to evacuate British soldiers from a beach (unfortunately we are not sure of the exact location).
In February 1954 he learned that he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, in the dispatches his actions were described as “showing outstanding courage confidence and ability in the conditions where the slightest error would have been disastrous for aircraft and crew”
Returning once more to the UK Ken had been promoted to the Flight Sergeant and was posted to RAF Shawbury in Shropshire. In November 1954 he made the trip to London and was presented with his Distinguished Flying Medal by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
In all, over the years, he was the recipient of eight medals including along with his Distinguished Flying Medal, two World War 2 medals and medals for services in Korea, Malaya and Borneo.
Over the subsequent years Ken remained mostly in the Coastal Commands stationed RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall (twice) and RAF Ballykelly in Northern Ireland, during this time he flew to Shackleton aircraft and rose to the rank of Master Navigator, he turned down a Commission, happy to continue as Warrant Officer until his retirement in 1968.
In the early 60s he was posted to RAF Hemswell in Lincolnshire as a member of the 97 Squadron (Strategic Missiles) it was here that his youngest daughter Wendy was born and his two older daughters Jean and Gwen put down roots for the future.
