Europe in the 1930s, when my Grandfather was growing up, was a turbulent place. The economic crises of 'the Crash' and 'the Depression' had caused liberal democracies to become undermined and allowed the rise of extremist groups. With the resurgence of Fascism in Germany, Spain and Italy, there came a counter ideology, Socialism, to combat these Dictatorships.
My grandfather, therefore grew up in a hotbed of political struggles and he and many of his school chums at Rutlish Grammar School, were convinced by the arguments of Marxism and Socialism. So much so that a couple of his friends went to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
One summer, whilst cycling across Germany with some friends, my Grandfather was thrown out of a cafe and had stones thrown at him for "looking too Jewish". This convinced him that Fascism and intolerance was to be combated and it could only be stopped by War.
By the time War was declared, Richard (Dick), my Grandfather's older brother, was already in the R.A.F. (R. J. Kelsey R.A.F. Officer). I think this spurred him to join up himself, and so his journey began when he volunteered to join the RAF at Bristol in 1940. After Initial Training Wing in Newquay, he was given the service number 1191586 and posted for pilot training on Tiger Moths to No. 6EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) at Sywell, Northants run by Brooklands Aviation
My grandfather, therefore grew up in a hotbed of political struggles and he and many of his school chums at Rutlish Grammar School, were convinced by the arguments of Marxism and Socialism. So much so that a couple of his friends went to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
One summer, whilst cycling across Germany with some friends, my Grandfather was thrown out of a cafe and had stones thrown at him for "looking too Jewish". This convinced him that Fascism and intolerance was to be combated and it could only be stopped by War.
By the time War was declared, Richard (Dick), my Grandfather's older brother, was already in the R.A.F. (R. J. Kelsey R.A.F. Officer). I think this spurred him to join up himself, and so his journey began when he volunteered to join the RAF at Bristol in 1940. After Initial Training Wing in Newquay, he was given the service number 1191586 and posted for pilot training on Tiger Moths to No. 6EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) at Sywell, Northants run by Brooklands Aviation
There are links to other sites if you run your cursor over the text.
ReplyDelete