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I joined the R.A.F. in 1950, at the age of 18, for National Service, which was still in operation then, wrote Derek Hindle. My R.A.F. 'square bashing', or Initial training for eight weeks, was done at West Kirby, on the Wirral, Cheshire, in the midst of which my dear mother died.
I was allowed to have compassionate leave for a few days for the funeral, and then I returned to complete the training. After the 'passing out parade' we were allowed a week's leave before being posted. I was fortunate to be posted to R.A.F. Leeming, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, not too far from home, to do 'on the job' training as a clerk in the S.H.Q.
On R.A.F. Leeming at the time there happened to be a Christian Fellowship, which was very active, and a bloke in the billet invited me there. I was very impressed by the warm friendship I experienced amongst them and consequently returned to find out what made them different to other Christian people I had met previously.
The padre then invited me to attend a Moral Leadership Course that was held for a week, by the R.A.F. padres at Pulborough in Sussex, and after making enquires from the chaps in the billet about it I agreed to go. They suggested it would be a 'jolly good skive' (an opportunity for a holiday at government expense).
However, I was very impressed by the time I spent there as the Christian faith was explained, and a profound spiritual awakening took place in my life during that week. My life was transformed completely as I found faith in Christ and this living faith has been with me throughout the years since.
My relationship with God sustains my relationships with my wife, my five beautiful children and seventeen grandchildren, many of whom have their own personal faith and relationship with God too.
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