This Remembrance Day, we’ve collected a series of WWII stories from the (grand)parents of our team here at Casemate.
Our Publisher Ruth derives from a long lineage of military MacGyvers. Here, she tells the tale of her grandfather, who, whilst serving in the RAF, built his own tank using an old Japanese car.
Our publisher Ruth’s grandfather, Cyril ‘Skip’ Skerrett, joined the RAF as one of Trenchard’s Brats. After training at RAF Halton he spent some time at Old Sarum waterproofing the vehicles destined to go ashore on D-Day. He volunteered to join 3210 Servicing Commando and so was sent to SE Asia in late 1944, where he worked on RAF aircraft in India, Malaya, and Indonesia. When they had spare time, Skip and his mates, all teenagers who had not learnt to drive before leaving the UK, had fun with the civilian vehicles that the Japanese had commandeered then abandoned – one of the photos shows a little saloon car he was very proud of.
In another letter he writes of the truck they had come by – ‘an old Japanese car with the rear half sawn off and a truck bodywork fitted.’ The Commando later surpassed themselves by managing to build their own tank. Due to all the driving practice Skip was later authorised to drive on the airfield, and given the task of driving a refuelling tanker – he remarked that happily he didn’t collide with any of the aircraft. He returned home in 1947, and remained in the RAF for several more decades, retiring as Squadron Leader.
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