Page 4 - Robert Joseph Harding

Robert Joseph Harding ‘Bob’ was born in Newry, County Down on February 10
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1919 to parents John and Anne Harding (nee Cunningham).As a young telegraph
boy cycling around Newry delivering telegrams, he soon became an excellent cyclist
competing in and winning many cycling competitions.

At the age of 22 Robert volunteered for duties with the Royal Air Force Volunteer
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Reserve, accepting the Kings shilling on July 12 1941. Robert was posted to No.3
Recruiting Centre at Padgate outside Warrington in Lancashire, it was here that
Robert undertook his basic RAF training and here that he first met the Depot Drill
Sergeant who would take him and his fellow intake through the process of turning
them from civilians into RAF service men. No doubt the delights of spending many
hours marching around the Depot drill square and the physical training involved
(including the Depot assault course) would remain with him throughout his life.
Lessons on the RAF and King’s regulations would have taken place with further
training undertaken firing the live ammunition on the Depots firing range. The
booming voice of the Drill Sergeant across the drill square is something no young
man would ever forget.
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By the 13 October 1941 Robert had passed his basic training and holding the RAF
rank of Aircraftsman, affectionately known in the service as an ʿErkʾ, Robert was
posted to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, this station is located just to the south of
Lincoln. Waddington was a No.5 Group Main Force operational station home to 44
Squadron equipped with the Handley Page Hampton medium bomber.

His ground duties at RAF Waddington are assumed to be part of his training as he
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undertook educational classes here. On December 31 1941 Robert was promoted
to Leading Aircraftsman.

Robert, now 22 married his sweetheart, a former farmer’s daughter from County
Armagh, Mary Patricia O’Callaghan (Mary was 19) at St Dominic’s Priory Church,
Southampton Road Haverstock Hill, London in the district of St. Pancras on
New Year’s day in 1942.

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He had by this time volunteered for aircrew duties and on February 2 1942 found
himself at Lincoln railway station having been posted to ʿAʾ Flight, No. 1 Squadron
RAF Brighton (Aircrew Disposal Wing).

Accommodated in Brighton with many other trainee aircrew in the luxury
surroundings of the requisitioned Hotel Metropole, Robert would await a further
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posting to start his aircrew training in earnest. On February 25 1942 Robert was
posted to 51 Group pool, this Group with its HQ in Headingly, Leeds was part of
Flying training Command. The location of this unit Robert was posted to
is not on record.

On August 8 1942 Robert having been assessed suitable for Pilot training was
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posted to 16 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Burnaston near Derby to
begin his basic flying training on the RAF’s basic trainer, the Miles Magister. Robert
gained Pilots wings on July 22 1942. The record indicates that Robert having
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