ABOUT TOM JENKINSON

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After Halton Tom worked on Vickers Virginias, lovely old "kites" to fly in, he says, with open cockpit and making slow progress against a strong wind, then on to Handley-Page Harrows and Wellingtons in various parts of the UK.

 

Tom Jenkinson, seated on a chock, with the ground crew of a Vickers Virginia at Driffield, 1937.

 

He then went to Canada with Bristol Beauforts in boxes which he put together at a little airfield near Montreal and flew with them to Vancouver Island with numerous stop-overs and wonderful hospitality from locals. He was involved in setting up a torpedo OTU with prospects of moving to Singapore, but the Japs got there first.
A career change followed when as F/Sgt he was attached to the RCAF for aircrew training - ground school at Edmonton University, EFTS on Fairchild Cornells at High River and SFTS at Calgary on twin-engine Cessna Cranes. He broke one by flying into the ground solo an a dark and stormy night, but got away with cuts and bruises, and met a nice nurse in hospital. He had the option of doing the course again or going back to ground crew work and chose the course repeat option.
Back in in the UK as a P/O and subsequently to a Wellington OTU in Palestine - it helped having worked on "Wellies" before.

Wellington Crew

Tom Jenkinson with

bomb aimer, F/O Thompson

air gunner, Sgt Free

W. Op. air gunner, Sgt North

navigator, F/O Gray

Quastina, Palestine, 1944

 

He flew around the "Med" for a while, mainly at night - it was safer - and returned to the UK for conversion to B25 Mitchells to make up losses in the 2nd TAF Europe.

After this he went to Brussels with 98 Squadron, later on to Achmer, Germany. By this time we had air superiority so our main concern was basic living conditiona and lousy weaather.

  

Tom Jenkinson with Bill Williams (navigator) at Achmer, Germany, with B25 Mitchell, 1945.

 

After the war he took a Civil Service exam. and joined the Dept. of Health Supplies Division arranging contracts for invalid vehicles and surgical appliances for the new NHS. This took him round the country visiting hospitals and suppliers, and he enjoyed this until retiring at age 60 in 1978. His two sons were airline captains with BA

so he and his wife travelled with them at BA discounted prices in upgraded seating with access to the front end! His wife died in 1994 after 50 years of marriage. He then had another partner for ten years but she died of cancer in 2005. He is now suffering from severe macular degeneration, and finds it necessary to live in a retirement home.

Tom Jenkinson on the right with Ted Little in August 2006.

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