Only 7 men want to be Airmen

  On the day that Britain declared war on Germany, 3rd September 1939, Parliament immediately imposed the National Service (Armed Forces) Act which enforced full conscription on all males between 18 and 41 who were UK residents. Exempt from this were the medically unfit, and those who were in key industries and jobs such as baking, farming, medicine, and engineering. Conscription helped greatly to increase the number of men in active service during the first year of the war. Conscription of women To help widen the scope of conscription still further,…

Flight-Sergeant Charles Sydney

KILLED IN ACTION Flight-Sergeant C. Sydney. St Mary Cray. Flight-Sergeant Charles Sydney, aged 25 years, third son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Sydney, of Derry Downs, St. Mary Cray, was killed during a combat with the Germans on September 27. When a boy, Flight Sergeant Sydney went to St Mary Cray Council School, and at the age of 11 years won a scholarship which admitted him to Bromley County School, where he stayed until 15 years of age. He was then accepted in the Royal Air Force for training at…