263380 LACW. Lillian Kerry Womens Auxiliary Air Force from:West Ham Lily Kerry served in Baloon Coomand. Postings as detailed in Lilian Kerry's service record, records she served at RAF Hornchurch (Romford) was as an Aircrafthand Cook.
During World War II RAF Hornchurch was a Sector Airfield of RAF Fighter Command's 11 Group, covering London and the south east of England during the Battle of Britain in 1940. By this time, its command centre was in Romford, and a satellite station (an advanced attack outpost; RAF Rochford) was unpopular with the Hornchurch crews sent there from time to time because of the canvas accommodation.
She was posted to RAF Innsworth This station opened in 1940, the first unit based there being No 7 School of Technical Training who trained engine and airframe fitters and mechanics. More than 2,000 officers and men were based at Innsworth by the time training began in earnest in 1941, this being delayed due to the arrival of 1500 RAF evacuees from Dunkirk.
In December 1941, No 2 WAAF Depot was opened at Innsworth and from then on the Station became increasingly associated with the Women's branch of the service. By the end of 1941 the strength of the Station had risen to more than 4,000 including trainees. Eventually it was decided to reserve the Station almost exclusively for WAAF training, including barrage balloon training amongst other vital roles.
A notebook page of Lilian Kerry in her own hand, records the correct way to lay her kit out. She was from No. 31 W.A.A.F. Recruit Centre, Morecombe as an Aircrafthand Cook) ACH Cook in December 1942. Morecambe, like all other coastal resorts, very entertaining when the sun was shining, so we were very much unimpressed when greeted with torrents of rain. But we forgot this in the excitement of unpacking our newly acquired kit and sorting ourselves out in the boarding house, which was to be our billet. A rather small but neat comfortable and adequate room, furnished in the sparse but usual RAF manner. This was to be our 3 weeks training period at the end of which each one of us would know where our ultimate job would be.
On 14th of January 1941 she was posted to No: 2 Recruitment Centre), RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire. In 1936/1937 Cardington had started building barrage balloons and it became the No 1 RAF Balloon Training Unit responsible for the storage and training of balloon operators and drivers. In 1943 until 1967 it was home to the RAF Meteorological research balloons-training unit, undertaking development and storage
11th of Feb 1943 Lily was an Aircrafthand Cook at No 2 Personnel Despatch Centre, Wilmslow. The station was used for training new recruits. The recruits would learn about living RAF procedures and other information for a period of weeks then would be transferred to their operational station.
In March 1943 she was posted to No 8 School of Technical Training at RAF Weeton. It ran conversion courses for Flight Mechanics and Flight Riggers, and there were many instructional airframes on the ground to practice on.
She was promoted to A.C.W.2 as a Cook on 21st of April 1943 while serving at No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group Auxiliary Air Force, RAF Chigwell. The Balloon Centres were responsible for maintenance and supply to the Balloon Squadrons in its area as well as balloon repair and flight control.
The Balloon Barrages proved to be an effective method of protecting strategically important areas against air attack, in that should enemy aircraft fly into the winch cable the damage inflicted would almost always result in destruction. Should enemy aircraft attempt to avoid the cables by flying above the Barrage Balloons then they could not bomb their targets with accuracy. RAF Chigwell was the only aeronautical location to hold the name correctly, was set up as the recruiting station for No.909 Balloon Unit and opened in 1938. With a new war clearly looming, a new formation was set up to operate a variant on the Great War defensive balloon and the observation kite balloon of the Western Front. Largely concentrated on a site to the east of the River Roding it lay in between the area of its title and Buckhurst Hill. The site was mainly concentrated in an area to the north of Roding Lane but there were a number of minor satellite-works, including some which encroached upon the site of the former civil airfield of New Barns Farm to the south and across Roding Lane to the east.
On 1938-08-04 No.4 Balloon Centre was established there, with No.30 Barrage Balloon Group, the local operational army being based there in 1940. The site is best remembered as the home of the Central Test Board assessing airmen for ground trades.
On 15th of December 1945 Lily was at RAF Cheddington, her trade is recorded as Cook, Character Very Good, Trade Proficiency A Stat.
On 24th of May 1946 Lily was at RAF Cottesmore with >No 16 Operational Training Unit when she was awarded a Good Conduct Badge. Her final posting was to await demobilisation was to
RAF Wythall, No 105 Personnel Despatch Centre (WAAF) Wythal which handled the release of servicewomen from all types of air force work.
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