In search of Terence Rattigan and Leonard Cheshire

THIS May, York Theatre Royal will present Terence Rattigan's Flarepath, based on the author's experiences as an air gunner in the RAF and which portrays the life of bomber crews, their wives and sweethearts. Written in 1941, the London production was a huge success, running for eighteen months and 679 performances.

But Rattigan also put on another, somewhat lesser known, show at the Theatre Royal in 1941. It was called Contact; a comedy revue in costume and had premiered earlier at his own base; RAF Linton on Ouse, just outside York.

A scene from Contact in 1941.

That said, the cast was anything other than unknown. Jack Watling may have taken the Flarepath starring role in the West End, but treading the boards in Contact was Second World War legend Leonard Cheshire, and his equally famous wife, Hollywood star Constance Binney. The producer was well known movie director Frank Davis and Contact went on to the Rialto, on Fishergate, owned John Xavier Prendergast, father of York film composer John Barry (Prendergast).

Second World War legend Leonard Cheshire, right, and his equally famous wife, Hollywood star Constance Binney.

Linton's Wing Commander (Retired) Alan Mawby has unearthed a rare programme for one of these shows (below).

"It tells us one of the things on was a duet, You Walk By, performed by Cheshire and Binney," he says. "We also have some copies of photographs of one of the productions and copies of advertisements and articles from the Yorkshire Evening Press."

However, that's not the only Cheshire story Linton holds in it's archives. Not by a long way. And of the many memorable events in the base's history, he has a claim to perhaps the most extraordinary one.

On the night of November 12/13 1940, Pilot Officer Cheshire's Whitley Bomber was badly damaged when flak ignited some flares onboard, leaving a 15 foot gash in the fuselage.

If that wasn't enough, a fire developed. While his crew put it out Cheshire regained control, managed to reach and bomb a different target before steering the crippled plane home. It could have broken up at any time, but his actions that night earned the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). A rare accolade for such a junior officer and the starting point of his legendary status.

Cheshire, above, returned to Linton again in 1941 and in 1942 took command of 76 Squadron, where he gained two further DSOs and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Then he went on to lead 617 Squadron and helped pioneer a new method of marking enemy targets, by flying at very low level in the face of strong defences.

Cheshire eventually became the most decorated bomber pilot of the conflict and was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1944 for four years of sustained courage.

But he wasn't the only famous name to serve at Linton during the Second World War. Take Arthur, Bomber, Harris, or the man who sank the German battleship Tirpitz, Group Captain 'Willie' Tait, who won the DSO and Three Bars – which is unique to any member of the RAF – DFC & Bar and became one of the most decorated airmen in the history of the RAF.

Tait, above, joined the first Halifax bomber squadron, No 35, which was based at Linton and led a daring daylight raid on Kiel. Despite intense flak, bombs were dropped on the target. He was awarded the first Bar to his DSO for his "magnificent courage and leadership." In all, Tait flew 101 bombing missions.

However, everyone who served at Linton deserved to be famous. It, together with the satellite airfields of Tholthorpe and East Moor, suffered the second heaviest losses in Bomber Command, losing 2009 aircrew on operational missions.

Their stories are told in the base’s memorial room which is dedicated to those who lost their lives on missions from Linton, or who were left scarred for life by their wartime traumas. From April public tours will be conducted.

The memorial room was founded by the late Sergeant Bill Steel, who was constantly asked by relatives where they could find a monument to their loved ones. There wasn’t one, so Mr Steel decided to do something about it. He appealed on national radio for memorabilia and was deluged.

Now the room provides visitors a focus, with photos and artefacts offering a human dimension few books could hope to achieve. Even more poignantly, it was part of a wartime mess, so many of the men pictured would have eaten there regularly.

"When Bill Steel started this he felt if it was truly going to be a memorial to these people we needed to know who they were by name," says Wg Cdr Mawby. It would have been so easy just to say 'all the people who were killed', but it wouldn't have the same impact as saying all those people – and we've got their names.

Sometimes he can even go so far as to say: 'here's a photo of him, or at least he's in that group photo somewhere'.

"Members of the public who have a family member that served at Linton are often surprised at just how much we have," says Wg Cdr Mawby. "I think it gives them an appreciation of what things must have been like for them here."

Most of the collection was donated by members of the public. The Contact photos were only included after a visitor brought in his family album; prestigious medals are loaned and flying jackets have been donated. Always for the same reason. This is where they belong.

There's even some old German spy photos of the runway and hangars.

The photos adorning the walls are certainly poignant. Smiling faces of people who didn't make it back. There's black humour too. 'Plenty more' is chalked onto one bomb being loaded............

.......... while Pilot Officer Williams of 58 Squadron sticks his finger through a bullet hole in his helmet received during an attack on a German Warship.

On one board is proof of Cheshire's exploits in the form of a picture of his stricken Whitley. And you are right there with this impossibly atmospheric image of a wartime briefing. There's even a clock similar to the one on the wall that continues to mark time in the memorial room.That said, the hours seem to stand still in this unique museum, with its black and white photos from 75 years ago and once hi-tech devices, some of which have long forgotten uses.

Few other RAF stations have such well documented social history. But meticulous, though he is, Wg Cdr Mawby admits it's not perfect.

"One thing I haven't discovered is what Rattigan was doing at Linton," he says. "To be aircrew he had to volunteer and I assume he was on either 58 Squadron or 35 Squadron, the two squadrons at Linton at the time, but have been unable to find him listed on the operational crews.

Perhaps one of York's theatre goers can help?

Panel The RAF Linton on Ouse memorial room will be open to the public on a pre-booked basis between 2pm to 5pm on the following Sundays: April 3; May 8; June 5; July 3; August 7; September 4 and October 2. Visits start promptly at 2pm.

To book a visit, call Passes and Permits on 01347 847660. Because Linton is an active military unit, identification, such as a passport or driving licence will be required upon arrival.