South African family history, genealogy, heritage and interesting places, past and present. All articles researched and written by Anne Lehmkuhl. COPYRIGHT ANNE LEHMKUHL, no article can be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission. EMAIL ME
A trip down memory lane
Bill Hatley (83) of Worthing, England, recently took a trip down memory lane - in Cape Town. Bill's visit was a gift from his sons, Anthony and Chris, who had been fascinated by his stories of their father's time as an ambulance driver in World War II. Bill was 19 years old when he arrived in Cape Town in 1941 onboard the ship Sierra Leone from Newcastle. He was a member of 1 Squadron, RAF, which was based at Brooklyn Air Force Base (later renamed to Ysterplaat). He spent 3 years there. Bill also worked on the Spitfire and Harvard aircraft, when not doing ambulance duty. When off duty, he was often found playing drums with a dance orchestra at the Rotanda Hotel in Camps Bay.