Brian Gautier's Family History Data

Bridlington Railway Station

Occupation noted at 1939 Register.

Address noted at 1939 Register.

Occupation noted on RAF Service Record.

Home address at RAF enlistment.

Joined the Royal Air Force on 22 February 1941 for the "Duration Of The Present Emergency" and was initally posted to No 3 Recruits Centre RAF Padgate were he was assigned the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator. On 23 February 1941 he was posted to Reserve, meaning he was held on the strength of 3 RC Padgate but sent home until called forward for training.

Called forward from the reserve to begin training.

Harold was posted to No. 60 OTU as an Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator. The Radio Telephony Operator personnel were concerned with maintaining direct voice (speech) communication between ground stations and aircraft or anybody authorised to operate Radio Telephony equipment, whether in marine craft, MT vehicles or other fixed or mobile ground stations.

Throughout the Second World War, the Royal Airforce Station, East Fortune served as No 60 OTU operational training base. Today East Fortune houses the Scottish National Museum Of Flight.

Harold was posted to 3 Wing No 1 Signals School, RAF Cranwell North as an Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator. At his examination on 2 October 1941, to remuster as a Radio Telephony Operator, he obtained 50%.

Harold was posted to No 58 Operational Training Unit at RAF Grangemouth as an Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator

RAF Grangemouth was a RAF station 3 mi (4.8 km) north east of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland. In December 1940 it was used by No. 58 Operational Training Unit (later renamed No. 2 Tactical Exercise Unit). Hundreds of Polish pilots developed their skills at the airfield as members of No. 58 Operational Training Unit during World War II.

Harold was posted to Middle East Command, Cairo as an Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator and hence to RAF Kasfareet, on the banks of the Suez Canal. This was the RAF Middle East Pool for new arrivals. He was then assigned to No 239 Wing.

No 239 Wing was formed on 1 March 1942 at Gambut, Libya the Wings movements were then:

17 June 1942 to Sidi Azeiz, Egypt
18 June 1942 to Landing Ground 75, South of Sidi Barrani, Egypt
23 June 1942 to Sidi Haneish, Egypt
26 June 1942 to El Daba, Egypt
29 June 1942 to Amriya, Egypt

During this posting, on 1 July 1942, he was promoted to Aircraftman 1st Class after a reclassification examination where he scored 66.6%.

Harold was posted to the Western Desert Air Force with 212 Group, as an Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator.

On 25 November 1942 the Group transferred from the Western Desert Air Force to Air HQ, Egypt. The group reformed on 1 December 1942 as No 212 (Fighter) Group under AHQ Egypt at Gazala and on 12 December 1942 went to Benina, Libya.

Harold was posted to No 15 Sector Operations Room, Bu Amud, Egypt, as an Aircraftman 2nd Class/Radio Telephony Operator. During this posting, on 1 July 1943, he passed a reclassification examination scoring 80% and was promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC).

Harold was posted to No 24 Sector Operations Room, Haifa, Palestine, as a Leading Aircraftman (LAC)/Radio Telephony Operator. On 13 May 1944 he received his !st Class Good Conduct Badge for service of exemplary conduct. This badge is awarded after 3, 8 and 13 years service.

Harold was posted to RAF Nicosia as a Leading Aircraftman/Radio Telephony Operator. During this posting he was hospitalised between 23 August 1944 and 28 August 1944 in the 57th General Hospital, Dekelia, Cyprus.

Royal Air Force Station Nicosia or RAF Nicosia was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station on the island of Cyprus, built in the 1930s. The station served as Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Cyprus from 8 June to 29 July 1941. RAF units operating from the base were:

74 Sqn flying Spitfire V, later Mk IX from September 1943.

80 Sqn flying Hurricane MkI from June 1941.

Harold was posted to RAF Station Qastina, Palestine with the rank of Leading Aircraftman/Radio Telephony Operator.

RAF Qastina, after the nearby Palestinian village of the same name, was an RAF station in Palestine between 1942 and 1948. It is now Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base.

Harold was earmarked for Home Embarkation and posted with rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC)/Radio Telephony Operator to 1382 (Training) Conversion Unit, RAF Wymeswold.

Royal Air Force Operational Conversion Units (OCU) are training units that prepare aircrew for operations on a particular type or types of aircraft or roles. From 1944, with the return of the Allied Forces to Europe, the need for bomber crews decreased, but a greater need for transport aircraft evolved, to serve overseas stations.

Harold was posted to No 102 Personnel Dispatch Centre. Originally this was to RAF Hednesford at Stafford which was cancelled. This posting was replaced with RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire. He had the rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC)/Radio Telephony Operator. This was where he was demobilized.

RAF Cardington is mainly known as the base for manufacture of the R100 and the fated R101 Air Ships but the two airship hangars ceased to be part of the RAF site in the late 1940s and were put to other uses«i». «/i»At the end of May 1945 a Personnel Dispatch Centre was set up at RAF Cardington to process personnel being demobilized.

Released Class A.

Joined Number 252 (Bridlington) Squadron ATC

Commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) branch as a Pilot Officer

Promoted to Flying Officer with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) branch

Flying Officer H N Twose (1145120) service extended for four years.

Promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) branch

Flying Officer H N Twose (1145120) service extended for four years.

Became Squadron Commander of 252 Squadron.

Promoted to Acting Squadron Leader with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) branch

Flying Officer H N Twose (1145120) service extended for four years.

Promoted to Squadron Leader and joined the staff of the Central and East Yorkshire Wing.

Flying Officer H N Twose (1145120) service extended for four years.

Awarded for his services to the Air Training Corps.

Flying Officer H N Twose (1145120) service extended until 23 April 1977.

Received on his retirement from the ATC.

As Squadron Leader RAFVR(T) was the Reviewing Officer at 146 Squadron Air Training Corps No 2 Intake Pass Out Parade.

Occupation recorded at death.

Address recorded at death.