Blog No. 297 – A WW2 Story: Cliff Joins RAF Bomber Command, Part 3 – 6 July 2025
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This is the badge of 5 RAF Recruit Centre Kirkby.
The lighthouse on a rock indicates this unit’s desire to provide a firm foundation upon which a recruit could build an air force service career. The badge also refers to the unit’s location on the Red Rocks at the mouth of the River Dee where a lighthouse was located.
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Basic training at RAF Kirkby was very demanding and most of the basic training was in the hands of an Air force Sergeant. Cliff told me that everyone hated the Sergeant – until basic training came to an end.
Once basic training was finished, the Sergeant announced he would put on a pair of boxing gloves and allow everyone in the intake to box him and thrash him if they wanted to get revenge for the way he had treated them during training. The Sergeant said he knew they all hated him and this was their chance to get even. The Sergeant added that everything he had done, had the sole objective of increasing their chances of surviving what was to come. The Sergeant stressed there had been no malice at all in his actions, but if anyone wanted to strike back, they would be given the chance – in the boxing ring.
Cliff told me that EVERYBODY in the intake put boxing gloves on and tried to beat up the Sergeant in the boxing ring.
Except for one solitary recruit, everybody was soundly beaten by the Sergeant.
The recruit who thrashed the Sergeant had been nicknamed “Poofy” by the other intake recruits. “Poofy” was short for “Poofter” - a common term of abuse for homosexuals. Poofy got his nickname because before enlisting in the RAF, he had been a ballet dancer.
Poofy was the only member of the intake who thrashed the Sergeant.
Once the boxing bout was over, he was asked how he had been able to do what everyone else had been unable to do. Poofy explained that being a ballet dancer meant he had to have massive physical strength or else he would never be able to lift ballerinas up during ballets. The Sergeant took his thrashing in good spirits and Poofy gained hero status amongst all the recruits – including Cliff.
Cliff told me another story about his time in RAF basic training.
One of the pranks the RAF recruits got up to required waiting until an unsuspecting fellow recruit fell asleep. Once the victim was thoroughly asleep, two buckets of water were obtained – one was full of water while the other bucket was empty. Right next to the victim’s bunk, the full bucket was slowly emptied into the empty bucket. The usual result was that the victim would wet himself – the sound of running water has this effect on anyone who is sleeping.
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When Cliff finished his basic training at RAF 5 Recruit Centre Kirkby, he was 19 years, 8 months and 6 days old.
Cliff was transferred from Kirkby on 1 November 1940 to 2 Wing at Number 8, RAF School of Technical Training at Weeton. Weeton Barracks is a military installation at “Weeton with Preese” in Lancashire, England.
This posting took Cliff further away from home than he had ever lived before. In 1940, Weeton with Preese was still within the County of Lancashire, but it was near the limits of Lancashire.
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Saint Michael Church, Weeton with Preese. Cliff’s 3rd posting was to 2 Wing at Number 8, RAF School of Technical Training at Weeton with Preese.
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When Cliff was transferred to Weeton with Preese, his Service Record was marked with the letter “H”. This meant he could not be posted overseas. The “H” meant Cliff was under the control of the RAF Home Establishment.
The designation forbidding overseas service was imposed because people with Cliff’s trade qualifications were in short supply. The RAF did not want to lose qualified tradies unless there was a good reason. This probably saved Cliff’s life but it was certainly a source of great frustration for Cliff at the time. While others his age went overseas to fight and to die, he was forced to remain in the United Kingdom.
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It was while he was at 8, RAF School of Technical Training, Weeton that Cliff was given leave to return home for Christmas. Cliff never forgot that short period of leave. His Christmas break was short, memorable and tragic.
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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.
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