Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2

Posted by N44 on March 3, 2021, 11:22:46

Our Country had many many hero's in both wars, and the late Tommy Kidger is one of them.
He was related to my pal the late Frank McNabola's wife Sheila and I met Tommy at their house many years ago. Talking to him made me think of what those eyes had seen flying his Stirling Bomber.
The little bit info I added to the photo is all I could squeeze out of him as these men don't like talking about the war.
Tommy had been a driller in Reyrolles before the war and my mother Marian Rodgers was single and worked near him. Tommy fancied her and sent a note asking for a date & she accepted and went out once or twice with him but then he left to join the RAF. After the war he stayed in the RAF and was in charge of a Yorkshire RAF Station.
Him & his wife retired back to Hebburn and they often bumped into my Mam & Dad in a Jarrow Supermarket.

Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2

Posted by John Shearer on March 3, 2021, 11:34:58, in reply to "Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2"

Nice story Norman and indeed, what his eyes had seen.

Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2

Posted by Barrie Mortimer on March 3, 2021, 13:12:53, in reply to "Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2"

My dad was a sergeant major in the Royal Artillery, but never talked about his time in the Burma Campaign. It was only when I inherited his medals that I came across the Burma Star.
His time in the jungle resulted in him being discharged from the army with a 100% disability pension as a cripple with chronic arthritis and dying at the age of 56. I wish I had asked him more questions before he died.

Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2

Posted by Steve in Australia on March 3, 2021, 17:02:49, in reply to "Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2"

The photo shown does not show Pilots wings on that uniform.
That is the insignia of a Navigator or Air Gunner or Observer or Bomb Aimer.....but it is definitely NOT a Pilots insgnia.
That is not to say that Mr Kidgers service in WWII was not appreciated as it most certainly was.

Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2

Posted by Norman Dunn on March 3, 2021, 17:55:02, in reply to "Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2"

Thanks for that Steve,
Its nearly 20 yrs since I met Tommy (he died 2006) and I just thought wrongly he'd been a Pilot. I was hoping a member of the Kidger family might have seen the post as one of the realtives got his WW2 Log book.

Re: Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2

Posted by Geoff on March 4, 2021, 20:32:21, in reply to "Tommy Kidger, Hebburn man ww2"

The badge on his tunic looks like a WW2 Engineers Wing Flying Badge

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[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

Recommended Local History websites. www.donmouth.co.uk,www.gatesheadeast.co.uk