Padre's Story by a Padre's Wife - 1942 - Part 1 - Tony Cunnane's Life and Times

In 1993 while I was organising the events marking the 50th anniversary of the Dams’ Raid by 617 Squadron, I was sent some pages from a booklet entitled ‘Reflections of a Parson’s Wife’ by Mrs Vi Hulbert. The Reverend Donald Hulbert and his wife arrived at RAF Scampton early in February 1942. The following are unedited extracts, reproduced with permission, but I have added a few explanatory comments in italics and a few hot links to associated web pages…

My husband served five bomber squadrons in Lincolnshire. I was accepted as Organiser in Lincolnshire for the Women’s Church Work in the Forces. Mrs Fisher, wife of the then Bishop of London (London 1939-45, Archbishop of Canterbury 1946-61), was the head of this work. I was allowed to share my husband’s office at RAF Scampton and we lived in a small village nearby, Welton, having two rooms in a builder’s house. I played an American organ at the five stations for my husband’s services every Sunday. I had a wonderful male voice choir at Scampton and organised a Music Club on two of the stations. I not only visited RAF stations in Lincolnshire but took Padre’s Hour at the Military Barracks in Lincoln and also conducted, and gave the address at services in the Barracks Church for men and women.

There were some very exciting and hair-raising experiences on these air stations. One evening in a fog, I was driving across an aerodrome runway to speak to 500 WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force – became WRAF in 1949). The green light had indicated that I could cross the runway, but it suddenly turned to red. A Halifax bomber fully loaded with bombs was beginning to take off, and flew quickly past me! It was quite an unpleasant moment. I usually had to go and see ‘take off’ on operations at Scampton. I found this a great ordeal, as several of my choir members were aircrew, and it was so dreadfully sad when they did not return. I was told by the Group Captain (Station Commander Group Captain JNH Whitworth DSO DFC March 1942-June 1943 - click here for more about him) that I should go and see them off as it was good for their morale. In fact, one of my choir men, who was a pilot, told me that they liked to know that I was there. I prayed so hard and earnestly for them all, as one by one the aircraft with engines roaring, taxied by to rise up into the clouds.

There was a very large Salvation Army Canteen on the station at Scampton, run by a charming Salvation Army Captain and his wife and small staff. They had their living quarters attached. I used to visit them, and the NAAFI canteens, as it gave me an excellent chance of meeting the WAAF and getting to know them. One day when I was visiting, the Salvation Army Captain told me that he was feeling so distressed as he and his wife could take a week’s leave but he could not get a relief to take his mobile canteen round the station each morning. I offered at once to take it for him, so that they could have a well deserved break. He was simply delighted and his young wife was so excited, and so they went for their leave. I took two of the Salvation Army girls with me each morning to help, while I did the driving. As I drove onto the perimeter, there appeared not to be anyone in sight until, when I sounded the motor horn, the men ran like hares to be the first to get into the queue for their morning break. The aircrew and all the maintenance men at work on the Lancasters preparing them for operations at night, used to come for their break.

One Christmas I played the American organ in the large hangar on the aerodrome at Fiskerton (RAF Fiskerton 1942-45, base for 49 and 576 Squadrons - click here for more). It was Christmas morning; what a wonderful service we had and a grand turnout of airmen and WAAF. My husband conducted the service. It was a bitterly cold morning, with a strong wind blowing, but the singing of the Christmas hymns and carols by this large congregation was something to remember. We managed to have services on all the five bomber stations that morning and afterwards my husband and I were invited to lunch at one of the stations. In the evening we returned to Scampton where they were having a dance. I noticed Llewellyn, who was an Australian aircrew officer looking so sad and not joining in.

My husband and I asked if he and his friend Jerry would like to go with us to another station which we had to visit and then they could come back our billet with us. Llewellyn was very upset because he had not heard from his people in Australia for Christmas, the mails were late. Jerry, his Australian friend, had just been married and he did not get Christmas leave. I think we were able to help them that night, though we did not get back to our billet until very late, but they enjoyed talking to us. I told them that if they would like to come to us for Christmas Dinner my husband and I would be delighted, as we were hoping to have Boxing Night for our Christmas. They were delighted to come. I managed to buy a chicken at the NAAFI store and a plum pudding. It was very difficult for me to get food as I only had my civilian ration book. They were so pleased as I had some tinned grapefruit which I had brought from our Rectory store cupboard when we left. It was Australian grapefruit, and this seemed to delight them. We Had such a happy evening and it seemed to cheer them up tremendously. Donald, my husband, drove them back to Scampton.

The following week I remember so well, a cold snowy morning with a very strong wind blowing. Donald had gone to Scampton to welcome the aircrews back from operations. I was dressing and standing by my dressing table when I heard the roar of a plane which seemed terribly low and somehow I sensed that it was in difficulty. I knew that Llewellyn and Jerry had gone on operations the night before and I felt so anxious somehow, as if I almost knew that it was going to be bad news. Donald came back to our billet and I knew directly he came into our room by the expression on his face that all was not well. I asked him if all the planes had landed safely on the aerodrome. He replied, ‘I’m afraid not.’ I asked, ‘Was it Llewellyn and Jerry and their crew?’ Donald replied, ‘Yes.’ It did not seem possible somehow that they had returned safely from operations only to crash and all be killed. It was their plane that I had heard flying so low and circling round trying to land.

It was another of the many funerals that were held in the village church at Scampton, followed by full RAF burial ceremony, which I had to attend. Donald conducted the service – Jerry’s wife and many relatives were there. After the service I went to speak to Jerry’s wife and the first thing she said was ‘Thank you for having Jerry out at Christmas, he wrote and told me all about it.’ What a wonderful spirit of selflessness she showed, and how brave, not thinking of her own sorrow, remembering to say thank you to me.

Advance to part 2 of this story