#Nostalgia eft series#

The only one of his colleagues who is still alive is John Hemingway who was on 85 Sqn with him but as he’s 103 and suffering from dementia it’s not possible to talk to him. Does anyone have anything that would help? It doesn’t help that that generation didn’t talk much about their experiences, I have tracked down a number of relatives of his former colleagues, who have all passed away now, but they have very little to add.

#Nostalgia eft series#

His diary has been much quoted in books and the BBC series ‘Finest Hour’ since it was donated to the IWM by his former fiancé in 1990 but apart from it and her testimony there is not a great deal of information on him. Does anyone know anything about this unusual training? Presumably this was a very short term measure and a bit unusual as I’ve not seen any other references to doing it at an FTS? He then went to 15 FTS at Lossiemouth to do his basic and advanced training. Unless by some chance his logbook survived and someone knows it’s whereabouts?Īccording to his service record after EFT he did his Service Discipline course at 9FTS Hullavington, previously those on Short Service commissions did it at Uxbridge and once the war started various ITWs were established at places like Hastings. His logbook was most likely burnt when the Air Ministry had a clear out in 1960 ( they had a mile of shelving with the logbooks of all the aircrew killed in WW2 and apart from those deemed of historic value and those claimed by the families, the rest were thrown in an incinerator). The records for his EFT at No 12 E&RFTS Prestwick were destroyed in a fire in Feb 41. The ORB for 85 Sqn was destroyed during the retreat in France and although it was rewritten afterwards it’s rather short of detail. He wrote a diary that covered 1 Jan 40 until his death but there is not much documented evidence other than that. I am currently researching the brief life of PO Denis Wissler - joined the RAF on 10 Jul 39, flew Hurricanes with 85 and 17 Sqns during the Battles of France and Britain, KIA on 11 Nov 40.