Peter Sturgess RAF WW2 Fishguard
Date of Interview: 14.9.21
Interviewer: Hugh Morgan
Material: audio recording with Peter and his wife Rowena; written description and photographs.
Description
Peter Sturdgess was born in 1925 in Northampton, the son of a dentist. Peter joined the Air Training Corps whilst at grammar school in Northampton, developing a passion for aviation. Volunteering for service in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in November 1943, he planned to become a pilot. After a period of waiting, Peter was called up and instructed to report for basic training. Wearing the white flash forage cap which designated for aircrew training. He was then posted to various RAF stations to undertake various courses, none of which took him anywhere near an aircraft!
With the war drawing to close in Europe and with hostilities continuing with Japan, Peter was issued with topical clothing for overseas posting and duly embarked on the SS Mauritania, one of the largest troop ships of WW2. Arriving in Bombay, he found himself as an Aircraftsman 2nd Class (AC2) in Far East Command. There he was taught to drive and how to waterproof a range of RAF vehicles. After a short period in India Peter was posted to Ceylon where amongst other duties he learned how to look after elephants. With Japan’s surrender in August 1945, Peter spent over a year in Ceylon before being shipped back to the UK in December 1946 and was eventually demobbed from the RAF in May 1947. However, he remained as a member of the RAFVR for many years after demob.
Post-war Peter became a Chief Glider Pilot Instructor at Cosford, Templeton (Pembs) amongst others airfields. He and his wife Rowena were publicans near Cosford and for a time in Harlech. Peter was a keen sailor and he and Rowena moved to Fishguard where this interview was undertaken in 2021 for the West Wales Veterans Archive.
