Blog No. 296 – A WW2 story: Cliff Joins RAF Bomber Command, Part 2 – 5 July 2025

My purpose is to give hope to those who have lost hope. Without hope, we remain lost in the Shadow Lands.

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The Seaforth and Litherland Railway Station was visible from the remaining wreck of Date Street when I visited in 2019.

Photo taken by John Hankin, 17th of August 2019.

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This street sign marks the entrance to Lime Grove at Seaforth.  Kepler Street and the remains of Date Street are accessible through Lime Grove.

Photo taken by John Hankin, 17th of August 2019.

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Our Lady, Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School still exists.  This is a photo of the now closed entrance to Our Lady, Star of the Sea from the remains of what was once Date Street.

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Before he enlisted in the RAF, Cliff was recorded in the 1939 National Registration.  The National Registration was conducted shortly after WW2 commenced.

At that time, he was living at 18 Date Street, Seaforth.  His relatives in the McLaughlin family were living in 8 Date Street, Seaforth.  This is the information in the National Registration records for 18 Date Street.

The “E. D.” Code (or Enumeration District) was “NUB” – or Lancashire.  The “Borough” where Cliff lived was “Crosby”. The occupants of 18 Date Street were: Thomas Hankin, a male born on 28 December 1886, who was a “Sheet Metal Worker, Ship Repairing, Heavy Worker”; Mary E Hankin, a female born on 25 June “1880” [Her correct date of birth was 25 June 1890], whose occupation was “unpaid domestic duties”; Thomas C Hankin, a male born on 25 February 1921, who was a “Sheet Metal Worker, Ship Repairing, Heavy Worker”; and Another entry for 18 Date Street is marked “This Record is Officially Closed”.  This was the entry for Eric Hankin, youngest brother of Cliff.  In 1939, Eric was 8 years old.

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When he enlisted in the RAF, Cliff was paid terrible wages. As an Aircraftman (AC) level 2, Cliff’s pay was the lowest of the low, but because he was a Group 1 serviceman, his pay was probably fixed at the wage point for what was the lowest rank in the RAF.  The web site http://www.211squadron.org/glossary.html#Pay says this.

“In the war-time RAF, volunteers and conscripts entered the RAFVR in the lowest rank, Aircraftman 2nd Class (AC2), in Group V, the mustering of the least qualified trades.  In March 1938, the daily rate of pay for a Group V AC2 on entry had been just 2 shillings (14/- a week or £36 8s a year). By 1943, the lowly AC2s rate stood at 3 shillings per day (£1 1s a week or £54 12s a year), including 1/- per day war pay but excluding the accruing post-war credit of 6d per day. The base pay rate for a qualified Sergeant pilot or observer in 1943 was 13/6 per day (£4 14s 6d a week or £245 14s a year).”

Pounds, shillings and pence were abolished in Australia from 14th of February 1966.

• There were 12 pence in one shilling.

• The abbreviation for a penny (or pence or pennies) was “d”.

• The abbreviation for a shilling was “s”.

• There were 20 shillings in one pound.

• The abbreviation for pound or pounds was “£” – a stylised letter “L”.  The French word for Pound was Livre and the abbreviation £ was inherited from French.

• Typically, a wage was expressed as £, s, d so (for example, £1/2/11 was a shorthand way of saying one pound, two shillings and eleven pence.

There were 240 pence in one pound and there also used to be a half penny coin, a farthing (worth ¼ of a penny) and a coin worth £1/1/- called a guinea.

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On enlisting on 27 September 1940, Cliff’s RAF rank was the lowest possible rank - Aircraftman.  His RAF Group was Sheet Metal Worker.  The Service Record shows this for 31 December 1940:

• Cliff was an AC level 2 – the lowest possible rank;

• Cliff’s character was assessed as “VG” – very good; and

• Cliff’s trade was listed as a Sheet Metal Worker

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Cliff’s first posting happened on the day he enlisted.  He was sent to “3 RC Padgate” - 3 Recruit Centre Padgate, in Warrington, Cheshire - about 20 miles (32 kilometres) east of Liverpool.

The posting to 3 RAF Recruit Centre lasted only until 3 October 1940, when he was posted to 5 RAF Recruit Centre Kirby.

The RAF Camp at West Kirby existed from 1940 until about 1960 but according to official records the final passing out parade took place on December 20th 1957. Since then the camp has passed into oblivion and the area is now a mix of farm land and Country Park.   No 5 Recruits Centre (1). Formed 25.4.40 at West Kirby (Saughall Massie);12.2.41 Staff ex 1 PDC arrived and unit then functioned as a de facto PDC in No 24 Group: 20.2.41 No 4 wing to Weston super Mare;3.3.41 No 1 wing to Skegness; Redesignated No 1 Personnel Despatch Centre 17.9.41.  (2) Reformed 1.9.46 at West Kirby; Redesignated No 5 School of Recruit Training 1.11.48.  During this period in excess of 150,000 young men passed through the camp either on route to foreign parts in its early days as a transit camp, or as recruits to be trained by the various drill instructors. There was of course also a core of permanent staff to cater for all the various needs of those young men.

Cliff was no longer posted to 5 RAF Kirkby Centre Kirkby when he was granted leave to return to Liverpool to spend Christmas with his family.  Christmas 1940 was a memorable and tragic Christmas break for Cliff.

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By helping others to heal We help ourselves heal Give abundant Love Always

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Courage lives within each one of us.  There is no genuine reason why we have not changed this Earth into a much better place.

Banish the hatred from your heart. 

Do not abandon people just because they are ill.  Try and help those in need.

Bravery multiplies with use.  

No matter how poor we are, we can always find courage.  Courage is free but its value can never be calculated.