RAY STAINER'S GALLERY

I have never been able to ascertain the actual dates on the Island. I know that in 1957 we were isolated for security near RAF Henlow for some weeks, and were then notified of the exodus at very short notice. I don’t remember which airport we flew from; in those days at 20years old and having lived in the Wiltshire countryside until joining the RAF; I didn’t know there was more than one airport. We re-fuelled at Shannon and landed at New York Idlewild (now Kennedy). We stopped at Philadelphia for refuelling and then on to Moffet Field near San José near Los Angeles where we spent one night on  Halloween (31st October). We flew to Hawaii and thence to Xmas Island. I came back on HMS Warrior.