The fascinating memoirs of a VE Day veteran can be retold for the first time after he gave them to a friend on his deathbed. Flight sergeant Alfred Tye died in December at the age of 94, but days before handed his war diaries to good pal Alban Tuohy.

Here, on the 75th anniversary of the conflict's end in Europe, we bring you some of the tales of a young man serving in wartime Britain....

How it began

For Alf, an only child who lived a humble life in Margate with his parents, it all started on a bitterly cold morning during the winter of 1942, when as a young delivery boy he rode up to the Royal Air Force base at Manston.

The war was raging and, just 17, he was earning his keep to supplement the family income.

The teen regularly dropped off deliveries at the base, but on that particular morning, a commander, taking pity on the freezing boy, ushered him into the mess hall for a hot drink.

Trying his luck, plucky Alf jokingly asked if he could have a job.

To his surprise, the commander admitted they needed fighter and bomber pilots, gunners, radio operators and ground staff.

Despite being too young to sign up, the seed was planted. He would be a pilot and he started studying to work towards his dream.

Less than a year later, plagued with self-doubt but with hope in his heart, he presented for National Service and was offered the chance of signing up to the RAF.

Pronounced fit and passing his tests, he was accepted for training as a radio operator/air gunner and would go on to serve in 19 operations flying on a Lancaster Bomber.

In extracts from his diary, he details some hairy moments in the skies, and the funnier parts of his wartime life, including horrific travel sickness during some of those first flights and being chased off the women's air force barracks while drunk.

Diary entries: The Flight sergeant with airsickness

One particular day’s flying made me wish I had joined the Royal Marines.

The day in question was a Sunday and I had overslept and missed the transport from main camp to the airfield.

I hurriedly got dressed in my uniform, over my pyjamas, and dashed off unwashed and unshaven.

The pilot was niggly at being kept waiting and when we became airborne, I was immediately airsick.

"I was told the aircraft did everything except turn upside down and the pilot was worried that I must be dying or something..."

I was unable to complete the exercise set for me and so landed early.

With a stomach too upset to eat I was sent up in the afternoon for another attempt at the same exercise, but once again I was violently sick and again failed to finish my operating before landing.

The ground instructor was upset at my results and insisted that I flew again in the evening.

I remember taking off into a very lively summer storm but nothing more as I must have fallen asleep through sheer exhaustion.

I was told the aircraft did everything except turn upside down and the pilot was worried that I must be dying or something.

The perils of writing home

Night flying in wartime over blacked Britain had its hazards, but to me flying on a bright moonlit night was something not to be missed.

Flying generally could be dicey and I suppose we had our share of ‘shaky does’.

A near collision with a Mosquito in thick cloud in daylight shook us to the core, though it was over in a second.

When writing to an aunt of mine and partly to fill the page I included the story of our near-miss, but, unfortunately, she told my mother.

"The people who waited at home sometimes had the worst of the war..."

This taught me a lesson not to shoot a line.

I told my mother and father I was still training, even when we had reached a squadron. This would save them unnecessary worry.

I also received advice not to write home at regular intervals because if one letter was missed that too could cause concern.

The people who waited at home sometimes had the worst of the war.

Night attack on Germany

On March 16, 1945, the target was Nuremburg, a night op, and I flew as rear gunner.

Enemy fighters penetrated the bomber stream on entering German airspace and aircraft were seen falling out the sky in flames.

We were soon picked out and attacked by one of the latest German jet fighters, an ME262.

It came at us high on the starboard quarter and was silhouetted against the fighter flares and was a clear target.

Although the ME262 opened fire first our mid-upper gunner spotted him before we were fired upon, which gave us the needed advantage.

As the enemy fighter closed from about 400 yards, very fast, our aiming was good.

He went out of control breaking up and exploding as he fell.

We disposed of him with such ease that it seemed unbelievable.

Arriving at the target there was heavy flak and fires were seen in several areas of Nuremburg.

It was a quiet homeward journey, though.

Our part in the raid was a great moment for me personally, but unfortunately two Squadron crews failed to return.

Drunk for four days straight

Just before Christmas period all flying training ceased and everybody was in a relaxed mood.

At this time, I really disgraced myself. My friend Taffy Braine and I went on the booze.

Taffy held his liquor well but as a beginner I didn’t. I was virtually drunk continuously for four days.

We were lucky to escape getting caught in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force quarters on Christmas Eve, when Taffy insisted on trying to find one of the girls he fancied.

"Taffy held his liquor well but as a beginner I didn’t. I was virtually drunk continuously for four days..."

We were chased off the site by the WAAF NCOs and managed to get away through the barbed wire.

Skipper took a poor view of my behaviour and thought I was reacting badly to the prospect of going to war, getting cold feet - I don’t think that entered my mind.

I discovered later that he was considering replacing me, but after a chat with him I came to my senses and was almost fit again when we were posted on December 27 to join 625 Squadron.

It took quite some days to feel well again and I swore 'never again', but...

'They said I couldn't die a virgin'

Up to this period in my life I had not had sex with a woman.

Shortly after our arrival on the squadron there was a station dance, and a WAAF tagged onto me and after several dances, which I wasn’t all that good at anyway, she suggested we find somewhere to be alone.

We found an office in the clothing store and before I realised what was happening, I found myself being seduced.

So, in a boozy haze and in a clumsy manner on my part I was having sex for the very first time.

I was surprised how willing the WAAF had been and I imagined she had been attracted to me.

On tidying ourselves up I asked to see her again in the future, but she told me not to be a silly boy and that I was too young for her.

I later discovered that she was 28, I was 19, and my friend Taffy Cheshire had put her up to it.

He told her I was a virgin and that it wasn’t right that a chap should risk his life without enjoying the tastes of sex before it was too late.

I was furious with Taffy, but later had to agree that he had done me a favour.

'A proud but humble man'

After serving in Singapore and India, Flight sergeant Tye was demobilised at the age of 21 and returned to Thanet.

He had various jobs and was even involved in the construction of the sea wall barrier between Minnis and Reculver.

He lived above the Red Lion pub in St Peter's before moving to Perkins Avenue in Margate when he retired.

Alf was a member of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHs), where he met Alban Tuohy.

Mr Tuohy, who was given the memoirs by Alf, says his friend was a proud but humble man.

"He was not one for being made a fuss of, but in retrospect, one who lacked the proper, due recognition and caring in his twilight years, like many others who in WW2 served and saved their country from the Nazi onslaught," he said.

"He was a true gentleman in every respect. Was always immaculately dressed.

"He was extremely alert to everything going on around him. His body may have started to show signs of weakening and wear, but his mind was as sharp as razor."

Alf never married nor had children.

Mr Tuohy said: "He divulged to me, somewhat emotively, how he had fallen deeply in love with a particular young lady.

"To him she was everything he felt a female companion should and could be - he was besotted with her.

"Then on a particular day he got a letter from her ending their relationship.

"It was a defining moment in his life. He never again pursued any close relationship."

Alf had a fall in 2019 and spent a while in the QEQM Hospital in Margate and then several care homes before moving to the Ramsgate Care Centre, where he died on December 10, aged 94.

Mr Tuohy added: "It is a sad indictment on the ‘system’ that he had to be moved around to that many establishments, that many times at such an advanced age.

"His wish was to stay in the Thanet area and at his passing there was to be no fuss, no formal funeral nor fanfare.

"And that is how it was."

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