…... when we were awarded our pilot’s flying badge, we proceeded to operational training on Hurricane fighters lasting three months. By now VE Day had taken place and we were all geared up to be posted to squadrons in the Far East. However, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki put a stop to that.
Instead I was posted to a Spitfire squadron (No. 208) based in Palestine (now Israel) on internal security duties. The Jewish underground fighters known as the Hagana were engaged in efforts to get the British out of the country by attacks of sabotage etc.
All the pilots had to take their turn at guarding the 
airfield at night. On one occasion I was an acting guard commander at one of the many guard posts when the Hagana attacked under cover of darkness. Seven Spitfires were destroyed by the terrorists, who dropped home-made bombs in the radiators of the aircraft. There was plenty of machine-gun fire but we were unable to capture any of them.
After some months I was posted to another squadron (no. 213) flying American Mustang fighters, based in Northern Palestine. The squadron was later moved to Nicosia in Cyprus, a beautiful island where we could start to relax somewhat.
I loved flying and saw many wonderful places during my time overseas, including the Pyramids of Egypt, and the ancient sites in Israel and Jordan. I enjoyed my life on the squadrons, and the wartime spirit and comradeship that existed. The time finally arrived for my demobilisation in 1946 and I sailed back to the UK from Port Said to Liverpool – home at last, one of the lucky ones!
- Geoff Smith
208 Squadron
1945-46
Memories of WWII Page 1 2
