Telegraphist/Air Gunner Derek Foster

	This page: general experience.
	Includes inventory and audio clip.

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From the age of sixteen in 1940, Derek Foster took the first step towards playing his part in the war by joining the Air Training Corps. Until his enlistment in the Fleet Air Arm Derek had a job as a young reporter on the evening paper at York. As part of his duties he had the difficult task of interviewing bereaved relatives of servicemen killed in action, to find information for the newspaper. After his training as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Derek's first posting was to the North Atlantic, serving with 825 Squadron aboard HMS Vindex flying in Swordfish aircraft equipped with radar detection. This British-built escort carrier was part of Captain Walker's D Group of Destroyers searching for German submarines.

By November 1944 Derek was on a troopship heading for service in the Far East. He re-trained on the Grumman Avenger aircraft, using new radio equipment and firing the .5mm Browning. HMS Victorious, as part of Taskforce 57, carried fourteen Avenger crews and also Corsair fighter squadrons. Derek's aircraft carried four 500lb bombs for dropping on enemy runways and buildings. The Victorious suffered damage from Kamikaze aircraft while Derek was airborne on a bombing mission.

After three months attacking Japanese islands, Derek's second tour, as part of Taskforce 37, involved going further north to attack the Japanese mainland and Okinawa. His service in the Pacific continued until 10 August 1945 and on the return voyage he heard that the atom bomb had been dropped.

Card with instructions in Chinese of what to do if the bearer is found injured Transcript

"The boss (Lord Louis Mountbatten, 2nd right) looks round at Trincomalee"

In March 2000 Derek Foster visited the Centre to be tape-recorded by Peter Liddle and to deposit a wonderful collection of Second World War material. We are proud to preserve this collection which includes Derek's flying log-book, two photograph albums and a book with instructions in Chinese telling the finder what to do if the carrier is found injured.

"Aircrews man the aircraft"

The caption from Derek's album simply reads: "It just came off in me 'and!"

	This page: general experience.
	Includes inventory and audio clip.