My name is Richard Marshall-Hardy, son of Squadron Leader R F Marshall-Hardy. My father was based and we lived in married quarters at RAF Watton (according to his log books) from 1950 until 1955.
Initially he was with Signals Development Squadron. He flew Lancasters, Lincolns, Hastings, Oxfords and Ansons and later Mosquitos. He made trips to Gibraltar and Tangier in connection with the Eureka transponder system and was part of Exercise Emperor, a test of the UK’s air defences.
In 1951 he was back in Wunstorf, West Germany (he flew Avro Yorks throughout the Berlin Airlift), and made several BABS flights (Blind Air Beam System) in a Lincoln to and from Wunstorf, Gatow and Fassberg in Germany. By 1952 he had transferred to 527 Squadron still on calibration. On his Summary of Flying Assessment he was rated Master Green, the highest rating possible.
This history, written by myself, includes his experiences of being based on flying boats in Malta and Gibraltar, being shot down in the Atlantic, held captive as a POW in Algeria until 1942, shipped to Canada, learning to fly, returning to the UK and after the war remaining in the RAF until 1962 when he was 43.
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Interesting story although Watton was not one of my postings Canberras were among my first aircraft.