Veteran who doubted living to war end hails RAF 100yrs

A BOMBER command veteran has told how he never thought he would see the centenary of the RAF.

Former warrant officer Harry Irons, 94, who joined yesterday’s celebrations, said the loss of aircrew in the Second World War was “unbelievable”.

At 17 he was a rear gunner with No9 Squadron, flying in Lancaster bombers from Waddington, Lincs. He said: “As we MEMORIES Harry Irons used to take off, right in front of us was Lincoln cathedral. I used to say, ‘All I hope is we see that on the way back’. “We lost so many men it was unbelievable. You’d go on leave, come back and they’d all be strangers in [the mess].” Harry did 60 sorties and said aircrew “knew they weren’t going to survive”. The veteran, of Romford, Essex, called the RAF milestone “wonderful” but said of current technology: “It is beyond me. All we had was a map and a pencil.”