Communicators "tune-in" on heritage

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Pamela Gacayan
  • 48th Communications Squadron
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Twenty personnel from the 48th and 100th Communications Squadrons traveled to the Imperial War Museum Duxford April 24 to meet with a World War II veteran who served as a wireless radio operator.

Denis Willis, flew 17 combat missions in the Lancaster Bomber while he served in the Royal Air Force from 1939 to 1948. He is now a volunteer at the museum and a member of the Duxford Radio Society.

Mr. Willis has numerous radios on display at the museum, including radar and navigation equipment, German Luftwaffe radios and transmitters and receivers he used on the Lancaster.

In a 45-minute speech, Mr. Willis explained many of the components of the radio, radar and navigation systems, how they worked and what the U.S. and Germans were using in comparison at the time.

Many in the crowd were surprised to see that Mr. Willis actually had the radio equipment from 1942 still working, to include the headset in his original flying helmet. Airmen in the group were invited to try on his bomber jacket and flying helmet.

Staff Sgt. Todd Getz and Airman 1st Class Nicholas Custead were two Airfield Systems ground radio technicians who were excited to speak with Mr. Willis and see the displays.

"We always talk about where our career field and technology is going," said Airman 1st Class Custead. "You see the evolution of a car and airplanes, but you never get to see where our job, (the radio) has come from."

Both admitted they would not be able to fix the radios of the 1940s and 1950s on display if asked to.

"All the components are completely different than they are on what we use today," Sergeant Getz said. "The old radios were all different parts and today it's all electronics. You could fit everything Mr. Willis had in that whole case onto one of our circuit cards, it's so much smaller."

Both Airmen enjoyed the chance to see that radio operators did the same job 60 years ago as they do today. Although the equipment the communications squadron has today and the mission is different, it's the same purpose.

While at the museum, they were also able to tour several hangars full of British and American aircraft. The American Air Museum portion at Duxford has the largest collection of American combat aircraft outside the U.S. Not only did everyone learn about communication heritage, but they learned about the Air Force's heritage as well.