Just before I come back to those things I trailed in yesterday’s teaser post I wanted to say a little something about my remarkable uncle Basil Ambrose, who turned 90 recently. Few of those heroes who flew Lancaster Bombers in World War II have survived so long and there can be fewer yet who are still so active.
I’ve recounted some of his story here, adapted from a press release by the Goring and Streatley Golf Club, where Basil celebrated his 90th Birthday with a party and also by being on the course at 7.30am to tee-off: now that’s what you call keen.
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| Basil in the local paper |
Langley Hill, Tilehurst. A golfing veteran, Basil started caddying at 16 years of
age and was on the course the day war was declared. He didn’t hesitate to join
Air Raid Precautions (ARP) as a messenger boy and remembers being on Langley
Hill the day bombs were dropped.
light. Suddenly it sounded like an express train coming though the air. I
realised immediately what was happening and dived into a ditch by the side of
the road. My family were frightened to death. Bombs went right up Langley Hill.
We were lucky not to have had more casualties.”
the Home Guard, and then later the Royal Air Force. Training at various bases
in the UK, he passed out with top grades to become a Leading Aircraftsman. In
his role as a flight engineer, Basil helped pilot huge 4-engine Stirling bombers,
later converting to Lancaster bombers with 467 Squadron.
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| Avro Lancaster R5868 in the Bomber Hall of the RAF Museum London courtesy Wikipedia |
Netherlands and night raids over Germany. Basil talked about one particularly
difficult night raid.
had gone, so we were alone. As soon as we dropped the bombs, the rear gunner
spotted a fighter coming in. He gave the instruction to corkscrew but the
skipper knew that to lose the search lights he’d have to do something entirely
different. He stood the plane on its nose and we dived 5,000 feet. I was pinned
to the cabin ceiling. When we pulled up, I was forced to the floor. Then we
dived another 3,000 feet. We took some flak and lost an engine but made it home
in one piece.”
Medal at his birthday celebrations, Basil has certainly earned recognition for
his bravery and service.
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| “I was there to do a job, we didn’t want to let anyone down“ Basil Ambrose in characteristic style |
At the end of the war, Basil returned to Langley Hill, working at
Cook’s Dairy Farm Equipment using his engineering skills. He later joined the
Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in Aldermaston as a mechanical safety
officer and the Greater London Council as chief safety advisor, before taking
early retirement.
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| Basil with his son David |
Looking
for a hobby, friends recommended Basil join Goring and Streatley Golf Club.
He’s now been a member for three decades and his family are regular visitors
too for family celebrations. Basil’s brother-in-law, Dennis Bartlett, had his 90th
birthday party there and three Bartlett
cousins jointly celebrated their 40th wedding anniversaries there too. Liz Bartlett, Basil’s sister-in-law, commented
on how the family holds its ‘cousins’ lunch’ at the club every year, coming
from as far as Shropshire, Somerset and the West County to join in the celebrations.
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| Cyril Bartlett |