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The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. W R Evans

 

Walter Reginald Evans was born on 27th July 1916 in Portsmouth and joined the RAFVR in January 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. He began his weekend flying at 3 E&RFTS Hamble in May and continued it at 10 E&RFTS Portsmouth in August.

Called up on 2nd September 1939, Evans was posted to 4 ITW at Bexhill and in December he went to 2 FTS Brize Norton.

With his training completed, Evans was posted to 6 OTU Sutton Bridge on 18th May 1940 to convert to Hurricanes, he then joined 85 Squadron at Debden on the 25th.

 

 

 

 

He shared in the destruction of a Do17 on 6th August and claimed a Me109 and a Me110 destroyed on 1st September. Evans was posted to 249 Squadron at North Weald on 11th September and was airborne on a scramble within one hour of arriving.

In January 1941 he went to 55 OTU Aston Down as an instructor. After courses at CFS Upavon and 9 FTS Hullavington, Evans was commissioned in June and posted to 71 OTU Gordons Tree, Sudan in October 1941. He spent two months at Air HQ Levant from September 1942, went to 138 MU in Iran as Liaison Officer and Instructor to the Iranian Air Force and in February 1943 joined 74 Squadron at Mehrabad as 'B' Flight Commander.

After service in the Western Desert, Evans went to South Africa in September 1943 to instruct. He was at CFS Bloemfontein and 4 EFTS Benoni until September 1944, when he was posted back to the UK.

He instructed at 61 OTU Rednal until February 1945, was at HQ Fighter Command, Uxbridge until April, did a Staff Navigation Course at the Empire Air Navigation School, Shawbury and then went to HQ 12 Group Watnall as a Staff Navigation Officer.

Evans last posting was in the Research Office of Air Traffic Control from January until September 1946, when he was released as a Squadron Leader.

He died on 8th February 1992 in Harrogate.

 

 

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