Burgh Road, Walmer

[ShaunJ]

Perhaps he trained at Port Elizabeth in 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan_facilities_in_South_Africa

[bearkat]

See another thread

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=874689.0

[ShaunJ]

From the other thread:

"Merthyr Express 22nd August 1942

HOME FROM AFRICA - During the weekend Sergt. Observer Wilfred C Digby, R.A.F., - son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Digby, Station Road, Nelson, arrived home on short leave after spending seven months in South Africa."

So he was in South Africa in 1942. I think that clinches it. Well done rosie99 !

[Dannemois]

Hello Rosie and all others

Yesterday, I downloaded from National Archives AIR54-72 (nine PDFs) records of 42 Air School, Port Elizabeth and spent the whole day going through them one by one (1-9).  There are pages and pages of names but unfortunately DIGBY was not amongst them.

 

[ShaunJ]

Have you considered applying for his RAF records?

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

[ShaunJ]

Just to summarise:
- We know from the letter that he left "Walmer" circa June 1942 "Doesn't seem like a year since you were out here";
- and we know from the press report that he was in South Africa at that time;
- hence this Walmer must be the one in South Africa.

[Dannemois]

Hello Shaun
If I was researching someone in my family then service records would be top of my list.  In this case I am helping an elderly relative of Digby and trying to costs down.

[AlanBoyd]

Apologies if everyone has already realised this but Heugh Road/Walmer is very close to the current airport at Port Elizabeth, which is where 42 Air School was (currently the site of the SAAF Museum there). By my estimate – using Google Earth – 44 Heugh Road is approximately 2 km from the site of the School (probably closer depending on what the road layout was back then).