If You Want Peace, Prepare for War - Home Page

George Evans, from a photograph
taken towards the end of his AAF
service as a Flight Lieutenant,
wearing the ribbon of the DFM
(Valerie Wigfall).
In 1936 George Evans was an apprentice engineer at a firm
manufacturing parts for motor vehicles, where two of his workmates,
George Botterill and Eric Russell, were already members of 604 Squadron.
As 604‟s Hendon base was not too far from his home in Finchley, George
decided to apply to the AAF rather than the TA:
„George and Eric told me that they attended at Hendon on most
week-ends and two nights a week at Town Headquarters, which was
situated in a large country-style house on Hampstead Heath,
immediately behind the very well known pub, Jack Straw‟s Castle.
Recruits were allowed to select a trade - Engineer, Fitter, Armourer,
Rigger, Air-gunner, etc. Once you were approved in your trade you
were trained in your spare time to efficiently perform your duties in
both practical and theoretical aspects of that trade and, what is more,
you actually got paid for your efforts! ….. I duly applied and
eventually was accepted. Now in hindsight, it must have been one of
the best decisions that I ever made. I certainly never had any regrets
….. It was June 1937 before I was sworn in as Aircrafth and General
34