These are S/L Tolan's notes that he has sent us.. we are working on getting a photo :)
This was my first Squadron posting and as such it has fond memories of days long gone by. I arrived at Royal Air Force Topclife on a wet and windy evening, having walked from Thirsk Railyway station, cold, wet, hungry and miserable. I was 18 years of age and for the first time in my life I was on my own and would be joining an operational frontline Bomber Squadron.
I reported to the guardroom where I was given a mug of hot thick cocoa and a thick sandwich of Bullybeef, which cheered me up. I was then shown to a "McConacie" bed and slept there overnight. After breakfast I reported to Station Head quarters and signed in. I was given an Arrival chit.
Most of the day was taken up getting signatures on this and bedding in. My billet was in a room in airmens married quarters, sharing this accommodation with other 102 Squadron airmen of all trades. In the afternoon I reported to the Squadron headquarters and was "Booked in ", and assigned to a flight. Then it was to the Station armoury for a breifing by theWarrent Oficer and introduced to the Station armoury staff.
That night the Squadron was on Ops" and Iwas taken under the wing of a Corporal who told me all that was going on - everything was a whirl and a big change from a Technical Training station. We watced the Whitley aircraft depart and return.
At this time I was an Aircraftsman firstclas and classed as undertraining, so most of my training was on the job with the more experienced Armoures (Guns). Afer a short while Iwas considered to be able to assist and finally iwas given a trade test and became a Leading Aircraftsman, Armouerer (guns) and was allowed to service the Operational aircraft.
At this period in time there were rumours of aircraft sabotage so every night airmen where armed with a rifle either to patrol the Squadron bounds or sleep in the aircraft on non-operational nights. This was a bitterley cold duty in the winter and was not looked forward to.
Also at this time we had some very heavy and prolonged periods of Snow. When this happened every one from the Station Commander downwards, including the WAAF'S, were given a shovel and the taxiways and runwayys wer dug out and cleared. Petrol tankers were fitted with blades to carry out the clearance of the initial work- I cannot remember any operation cancellation caused by snowfall the mist and fog came, and this was always possibility in the Vale of York, aircraft were guided by extra flare lighting on taxiways and groundcrew SNCO's with torches-at all eventt "Ops" would prevail. Allthe gound crews were encouraged to fly on airtests and local flying-which I enjyed.
In December 1941 all the Aircrew and the Groundstaff moved their living quarters to Skellfield School for Girls (the pupils and staff of the school having been evacuated). Bus runs were the normal way to travel to/from Topcliffe.This was a pleasant interlude, especially in the Springtme when you could play sport or fish in offduty time. The Aircrew enjoyed the peaceful layout of the School and env-irons. Early in 1942 as the Whitley was being phased out and being replaced by the Halifax I spent time sevicing the guns on the operational Whitleys and attending ground school training on the HALIFAX , so life was very busy. Topcliffe was a grass airfield and was closed for the installation of conrete runways, taxitracks and Dispersas so 102 Squadrn moved to a brand new air field at R.A.F. Dalton and so we moved from the luxuryof Skellfield into a wet and incomplete Dalton.
The accommodation was basic , coke firestoves, outside toilet facilities, etc. Morale was not high and all facilities basic, but we got the Squadron operating fully with the Halifax aircraft.
I left 102 in May 1942, just after the Squadron participated in the 10000 Bomber raids .
I enjyed my life on the Squadron and grew from the cold, hungry wretch of 6 months earlier into a well trained and skilled Tradesman.
Later in 1942 I was accepted for training as an an Air Gunner and qualified in early 1943 and posted to 78 Squadron (Halfax's) and compleated a tour, was awarded a Distiguised Flying Medal.
In April 1944 I was Commisioned. I finally retired from the service as a Squadron Leader in 1975, all due to my time with 102 Squadron.