Thumbs up for RAF centenary take-off NI veteran Robert (93) recalls vital conflict role

A FORMER RAF radio operator, whose team played a vital part in shortening the Second World War by two years, has helped mark the air force’s centenary.

Robert Calvert (93), from Newcastle in Co Down, read Morse code military communications which played a vital part during the war.

He also worked on a seized German U-boat coding box as part of a special high-security project which spent six months translating its contents into 120 languages.

Mr Calvert said: “They found out in the end about 120 U-boats all around the world — it reduced the war by two years.”

After D-Day he was based in Belgium, Holland and Germany. Following the war he served in Egypt, North Africa, Germany and Cyprus.

He was guest of honour as the RAF prepares to commemorate its own special 100th birthday at an air show in the seaside resort of Newcastle this weekend.

Full-size replica RAF aircraft will be on show from today at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.

Northern Ireland became a vital base during the Second World War with 25 airfields stretching from the Ards Peninsula to Lough Erne primarily focused on winning the Battle of the Atlantic.

Aircraft based in Northern Ireland successfully sank many U-boats and assisted in the scuttling of the most famous German battleship of the war — the Bismarck.

Mr Calvert recalled his important wartime role. Second World War veteran Robert Calvert (top) gives a thumbs up from inside a Hawk fighter jet with Newry, Mourne and Down chairman Mark Murnin ahead of a RAF centenary display starting today at Newcastle’s Donard Park

“I was security-cleared, and I was very proud of it, to go on a little coding machine that was found in a U-boat the Americans had sunk off the coast of the United States.,” he said.

“The Americans took the crew of the enemy submarine to shore and one who spoke German overheard a member of the captured group disclose, ‘We did not take that top secret stuff with us’.”

That prompted a six-month effort processing the information and the discovery of large numbers of the enemy craft, Mr Calvert recalled.

Analysis of German military signals during meant Allied convoys could be directed away from the U-boats and helped win the Battle of the Atlantic.

Mr Calvert added: “The RAF was my life. When it is a very interesting job you like it.”