Oral history
Personal testimony in relation to the Belton Park Camp
Kenneth Albert Thorndale, recruited by RAF Padgate, Warrington aged 17 (interviewed in 2016 aged 88). He trained at Belton Park Camp during the summer of 1946 arriving there by a lorry from the Grantham railway station. Kenneth (figures 1 & 2) remembers square-bashing and the bunk beds in the Nissan huts, by then accommodating only 20 men. They were forbidden to leave camp. He also recalls assault training over a swing bridge across a pond, likely the Villa Pond of Belton Park and attending the church, which still stands. Signals training occurred at RAF Compton Basset, Wiltshire. He visited the subsidiary training depot of RAF Folkingham. On qualification he went to Japan for two years, experience that included guarding the Tokyo Imperial Palace as well as airfields at Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kyoto, the former two cities attacked by atomic bombs. He was demobbed in 1948.
Figure 1: Kenneth Thorndale photographed at the Belton Depot (© Thorndale)
Figure 2: Kenneth Thorndale (left) as a member of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan (© Thorndale). The only other decipherable word on the Japanese flag is Iwakuni, a Japanese school of naval aviation.
Figure 3: RAF station dance, Bradwell Bay 1944
Ivy Warwick a WAAF NCO provides a detailed description of the hardships of living in RAF accommodation and the role played by WAAF personnel (recorded oral history). In 1944 she was probably based in St Vincents Hall, Grantham as a telephone operator for the IX Troop Carrier Command who took off from RAF Barkston Heath for Operation Overlord (D-Day) (reel 5). Possibly her accommodation was on the WAAF compound at Belton Park camp. Even half a century on she is reticent about giving details and reveals that during the D-Day landings she neither divulged any information to her mother about it nor her own role.
H. Jack Lazenby DFC demonstrates that air crew also attended the Depot for instruction. He trained in the RAF as a Flight Engineer. On qualification posted to RAF Wigsley, Nottinghamshire, but went on a one week course to the Depot consisting of an assault exercise, rifle firing and lectures.
Mr Clifford Buttery's father was in charge of Grantham Railway Station. He reports that Winston Churchill's private train would stay in the sidings of that station overnight.
John Lovell lived in Manthorpe and describes how 2 RAF Regiment physical training instructors took pity on his weedy body and got him doing a variety of exercises, presumably similar to what they taught at the Depot.
Figure 4: Kenny Baker ex RAF Regiment Aircraftsman
Kenny Baker (1921-1999, figure 4) a professional jazz trumpeter volunteered for the RAF in 1942 and joined Fighter Command's military band at Hendon. He later spent a year at the Depot in 1944 until discharge in May 1945. Leading Aircraftsman Baker was seconded to play with Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band as a temporary replacement for an American trumpeter. He played with the Ted Heath big band from 1944 and cut records with Decca whilst at the Depot. Here are two recordings of him on trumpet cut between 1944 and 1947 to give some idea what the Depot might have danced to on a Saturday night in the Depot's Ballroom cum Gymnasium (building 239 on 1944 map; figure 3).
Jim Kevany, served in the RAF Regiment from its formation in 1942 until he was released in 1946. Although his son's description doesn't mention Belton, it would seem probable that he spent some time there before joining an armoured car squadron in Europe.
Joan Watkins, WAAF, posted to No.5 Bomber Command Group Headquarters at Grantham, remembers driving Henry Moore, the sculptor to various RAF bases for his work as a war artist.
Arthur Batten, British NCO served with 2728 Sqdn, RAF Regiment, 1942-1943. He moved to the RAF as an air gunner, but post-war re-enlisted into the RAF Regiment and briefly attended the Officer Training Corp Unit which had moved to RAF Spitalgate (RAF Grantham) by 1947 (reel 20, labelled recording 19 on audio player).
Ian Musson, worked in a Grantham munitions factory 1939 to 1941, then became a glider pilot at Arnhem. His recording is not available online.
Charles Carmichael recalls a reorganization of the Regiment in August 1944 which ended with one squadron under canvas at RAF Digby until transferred to the Depot.
Sylvia Pickering spent 5 years as a WAAF clerk mainly in Lincolnshire. Although never based at RAF Belton Park, she provides valuable first-hand testimony in her 2 books about daily life for WAAF and aircrew, accommodation, food, entertainment and love life. Pickering S. 2002 Tales of a Bomber Command WAAF, Woodfield Publishing. Pickering S. 2003 More Tales of a Bomber Command WAAF, Woodfield Publishing.
Figure 5: Peter John Page
Peter John Page (figure 5) an RAF Regiment sniper who served in Germany towards the end of WWII.
Eric Arthur Arnold Seal was a gunner in 4183 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment among other activities. His grandson has provided images of his RAF documents that show how much these troops moved around. Approximately, 28 movements over five years, i.e. an average move every two months. He was twice at the Depot in Grantham for a maximum of 3 months.
RAF Regiment 75th Anniversary with Belton effectively forgotten.
Oral testimony relating to the bombing of Stuart Street from Facebook
Joanna Gio Nespoli Poingnant My Dad's mum and sister both died here. He told me he was 15 and went outside to see the plane go over which saved his life. The house was destroyed and he suffered a severe head injury. This picture brings reality to our family history and a gran and aunt I never knew.
Jan Todd my Mum's house was destroyed- her Dad just happened to be on shifts on the railways, so he sent his wife and teenage daughters to a relative in Melton Mowbray for safety. If he hadn't they would have all been killed too- very lucky, although she mourned the loss of everything. Very sad sight....
Lord Trenchard speaking from the dias at RAF Depot, Belton Park 1st January 1942: You've joined a service, which in my opinion is second to none. You've joined the Royal Air Force, and I've been privileged to go round most of the aerodromes in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, The Shetlands and the Orkneys and out in Africa, In Syria, and in Iraq, in Persia and in the Sudan, and all through the Middle east and in the desert. (LV) Wherever I've been, I've heard more and more praise of what the Royal Air Force Regiment is doing. Now finally, I'd like to say this; Believe me, the Royal Air Force Regiment has joined that great service that is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and you must do your level best to keep up the reputation it has already gained.