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  RAF/RCAF Digby : Recollections of Les Armstrong, 73 Sqn

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Updated: 7 Sep 08

I'm not sure if I can call myself a Digby-ite because I spent only a very short time on the Station - less than 48 hours.

I arrived from Cranwell, with three other ex-brats on the afternoon of Saturday 2nd September 1939. On arrival we were told to report to sick-quarters for jabs, then to join No 73 Squadron preparing to move to France. Since the station was crowded with postings-in, Class E reservists etc, that night we had to sleep on the floor in the NAAFI.

On the Sunday I was introduced to the Hurricanes of 73 Squadron - I had never seen one before - nor had I seen the radio installation HF- TR9D - which I was to work on {this was the TR9 fitted with a second frequency channel to facilitate transmissions for Direction Finding (DF) purposes within a flight of aircraft while still allowing R/T contact to be maintained}. While we were on the airfield that morning, we gathered outside a tent to listen to Chamberlain's announcement of war with Germany.

In the early hours of Monday 4th September we were off to Southampton with the advance party - en route for France. We arrived at le Havre early the following morning.

location of RAF Digbyin relation to Lincolnshire - click here for full-size map showing all station locations

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Digby - A History
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1955 - the Signals Era


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