Cyril Ley Vallis, known as Jimmy, like many young Bermudians of his generation, had his Second World War heart set on becoming a pilot in the Royal Air Force. While he did join the RAF, to his great initial disappointment, not as a pilot trainee.

The RAF requires a wide range of qualifications for flight training. Failure to pass the high standard in any one of them results in disqualification.

His disappointment was all the more difficult to bear as he had graduated from the newly-formed Bermuda Flying School, directed by Edward H. Stafford. He had confidently passed every training stage, including the final solo flight, after soloing at 11.5 hours. He went on to complete 51 hours and 52 minutes of flying time.

Jimmy was the 21st student to earn his "wings" in the form of a certified licence signed by His Excellency the Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Dennis Bernard, KCB, CMG, DSO.

He enlisted in the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps in 1938 at the age of 17, and volunteered for active service on September 3, 1939, when Great Britain declared war on Germany. He was assigned to B Company (the machine gunners) as was his friend, Jackie Thomas, soon to be the 24th Flying School graduate. Two more graduates joined them: Douglas Matthews (22) and Edward Brennan (23).

They did not have long to wait before going overseas. The four left Bermuda on July 11, 1941, boarding a tender at St. George's for a short trip out to the S.S. Leopoldville ¿ its destination, Britain. Their voyage lasted 11 days, arriving in Greenock on the Forth of Clyde, Scotland on July 22, 1941.

The Leopoldville was transporting British soldiers back to the UK. They undertook watch duty, manning the Lewis guns. After being at sea for a couple of days and feeling bored, Jimmy and Jackie asked the Army Officer-in-Charge if they could help by relieving some of the soldiers as they finished their shift. The officer was sceptical so they gave him a demonstration of how they could strip and reassemble a Lewis gun rapidly. He was impressed and accepted their offer to perform watch duties for the remainder of the voyage.

They had gained their expert experience and speed with the Lewis gun during the BVRC company competitions prior to enrolling in the Flying School.

At Greenock, the four were whisked off to London overnight by train where interviews, tests and medical examinations awaited them at RAF headquarters. As he was not accepted for air crew training, the RAF offered Jimmy repatriation to Bermuda. However, he was quick to make it clear that returning home had no place in his current plans. He had volunteered to serve overseas with the RAF, and that was still his first choice.

Before the War, he had put in two years of a five-year apprenticeship at the Bermuda Electric Light Company. Because of that, he asked if he could serve in a ground crew capacity. He was accepted for training as an Aircraft Engine Mechanic.

Let me take a moment to reflect on the role of ground crews in the overall military picture.

Aircraft are totally dependent on ground crews to maintain the aircraft's fitness and ability to fly.

After the Dunkirk evacuation, desperately needed airbases sprang up all over Britain. The training and supply of ground crews was critical. The German air assault, starting with the Battle of Britain the previous year, was at its most intense.

Bombing and strafing day and night were the conditions under which grounded crews lived and worked. They had become one of the most dangerous branches within the military establishment. Tragically, many patriotic eager young war-time careers were cut short, measured sometimes merely in days, weeks or months.

A full list of Bermudians serving as ground crews is not available, although we know of two other former BVRC members who did serve: Herbert Marshall and the late Harold Evans.

Jimmy's first posting was to Great Yarmouth on the East Norfolk Coast for basic training. Great Yarmouth was a "noisy" town, one of the most often bombed locations in Britain. An extremely active motor torpedo boat flotilla headquartered there. Their job was to seek out, harass and, if possible, sink enemy ships in the North Sea. German planes were in the habit of unloading bombs on their way back to Germany, following inland raids on England. By coincidence, I may have been stationed there with the Lincolnshire Regiment at the same time as Jimmy.

Jimmy's next posting was to RAF Cosford in the Midlands, near Wolverhampton, to begin his Aircraft Mechanics Course.

The winter of 1941-1942 was severe. About half-way through the course, Jimmy contracted lobar pneumonia, was admitted to hospital and placed on the critically ill list. His parents were informed of this by cable with no further word for about six weeks. Following hospital, convalescence and sick leave, totalling 18 weeks, he returned to Cosford to continue his course.

On completion of the course, he was appointed to RAF Swanton Morley in Norfolk where he carried out his mechanic's duties on Douglas Boston twin-engine bombers of #226 Squadron.

Following a fairly long spell at Swanton Morley, an extensive Engine Fitters Course awaited him. On its successful completion, he was posted up to RAF Skaebrae in the Orkney Island. Prior to his posting, Jimmy had been working on Bomber Command aircraft, now it would be Spitfires.

One flight of the Spitfire Squadron was stationed in Skaebrae and the other at RAF Sumburgh Head. Jimmy and an airframe fitter were flown to Sumburgh Head to repair it.

Although fully occupied (frequently around the clock) with his duties, Jimmy never lost his desire to qualify for air crew duty. Now medically fit, he applied for Flight Engineer training and in March, 1944 travelled to Edinburgh to the #16 Air Crew Selection Board.

After interviews, tests and a medical, he was informed by the board that he had been accepted for Flight Engineer training and would, in due course, be posted to St. Athens in Wales, adding that it could be weeks, even months before he might hear anything further.

Jimmy returned to Sumburgh Head, happy with the knowledge that, at least, he has taken the first step toward achieving his goal.

Shortly after, an order came through for all hands, ground crew and air crew, to muster on an airfield where they would board a DC3 for RAF Lympne in Kent where new Spitfires would be serviced and then flown over to RAF Detling in Kent, much nearer to London, where the Spitfires would engage the notorious V1s, better known as "Doodle Bugs", then harassing London.

His next posting was to RAF Manston in Kent, known for its long runways, frequently used by RAF and USAF aircraft damaged by enemy gunfire and needing a long runway because of loss of hydraulics. After yet another fairly long spell in Manston, he was summoned to Headquarters and was told he had been posted to an RAF station up in North Yorkshire. Enquiring why he alone was being posted, he was informed that it was a Records posting and no other details were available.

However, his stay in Yorkshire lasted only two days before he was again informed that he had been posted back to RAF Manston. He questioned this posting, believing that it must be a mistake. Once more he was informed that it was a Records posting and that was that!

Back at Manston, he was directed to a section of the airfield that was off limited to nearly all personnel. He was interviewed by a high-ranking officer, with other officers in attendance. He learned that he and other RAF personnel would be working on a very hush-hush top secret project. It was emphasises that whatever he heard, saw or did was highly confidential and that any breach of that confidence would bring swift and serious consequences.

They would be working alongside highly skilled civilians on the development of jet propulsion engines and aircraft. After several weeks, they were moved to an RAF station in Taunton for in-depth studies on jet propulsion engines. On completion of this course, they were posted to RAF Colerne near Bath to form #6616 Servicing Echelon to service the Gloster Meteor aircraft of the RAF's first Jet Squadron, #616. Jimmy was supposed to travel to Germany with that servicing echelon to join up with the #616 Squadron, but a fitness medical revealed that a hernia operation had become necessary. On recovery, he travelled to Germany with #6245 SE by convoy via Dover across to Ostend, then up to an airfield near Lubeck on the Baltic Coast of Germany to join #245 Jet Squadron.

When #6245 SE first arrived in Germany, shortly after the war had ended, Allied Forces were not allowed to fraternise with the Germans, but soon after they listened to Winston Churchill, over the BBC, lift the ban.

After approximately three months in Germany, #6245 SE returned to Colerne.

Jimmy's demobilisation number came up early in 1946 but repatriation to Bermuda did not take place until June.

After his second tour of duty at Manston, his training and service as a jet engine fitter, plus events leading up to his time in Germany, Jimmy Vallis felt the likelihood of a posting to St. Athens for flight engineer training was indeed remote. Time proved him right.

He was, of course, disappointed at not becoming a flight engineer, but returned home with immense satisfaction and pride, knowing he had served his country well.

Something about the ground crews, little realised by most of us, was their flexibility of movement.

Frequently, Jimmy had to leave on location for another at the shortest possible notice. They had to move where the planes were. Jimmy's story is a perfect example. They had to dismantle extremely technical equipment, wondering what facilities may be available at the next location. They knew they had to move quickly and efficiently ¿ and they did.

Jimmy and his wife, Jeannette, celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary on September 6 of this year.

He is a member of the BRVC Overseas Association and the Bermuda War Veterans Association.