About the contributor

I was born at 9 Sunnydene Road, Purley, Surrey, in August 1941. The house was a typical terraced three bedroom house located just off the Godstone Road between RAF Kenley, and Croydon Airport, also within a few minutes flying time of RAF Biggin Hill, so not surprisingly, aircraft became part of my life.
In my Personal Story, I have attempted to set down what it was like to be born into a war.
There must be many other wartime kids who didn't know their fathers until the war was over.
I now live in New Zealand, but even here I cannot escape memories of the war. Every town and village has a monument with inscribed names of Kiwis who gave their lives.