Susan tells us:: –
My father Frederick Ernest Calcraft was in the RAF, and worked on Radar throughout the war. He didn’t talk about it much at all. My parents married in 1940, lived in Essex had a little transport cafe which my mother ran while he was away. All I know was he was one of the 7 K boys ? Worked in Wales Malvern various RAF bases and on the south coast. They were moved a lot at night. I had a friend at school whose father came to pick her up from our home one evening in the early 60s and he recognised my Dad saying he had been an RAF driver and used to drive him and the others about , that is only when I found out his role. My mother used to joke he had been underground with a load of Waafs ! His sister worked for the MOD and was at times at Bletchley Park but also in Whitehall.
I have his RAF number, he was invalided out in late 1944 due to stomach ulcers ( he used to say I went in A1 fit but came out very unfit! ) . My parents remained together and after running businesses retired to Frinton on sea Essex he died in 1998.
He was a very clever self effacing gentle funny man I wish I knew more, He had an award scroll, he used to call his “Faithful Fred” but my brother ( born 1943) had it after he died he lived in Australia, he has also died and my nephews can’t find it. I have tried to contact the RAF records but it is a minefield to navigate. They only confirm his service record and award.
I’m not sure what help that will be to anyone else connected with Radar. I do think they should be remembered in a proper fashion.
`Radar Families' 