Paul Trotter

Paul Trotter died September 2014

Served as an RAF Photographer from 1945 to 1948.

 Paul in 1946

Having been called-up for National Service Paul arrived at RAF Cardington in 1945 for selection.

Although with little in the way of formal qualifications he was selected to train as a photographer purely because his father was an artist, Paul embraced photography with enthusiasm.

Then it was on to RAF Padgate for his kit and a spell of square bashing. Trade training at No1 School of Photography at Farnborough followed.

At the end of the course Paul was posted to RAF Coningsby, he was astonished and excited at the degree of autonomy and responsibility thrust upon him. One of the photographic tasks was to record bomb damage over Germany using a hand held camera through an open side window, flying in 83 Squadron and 97 Squadron Lincolns.

  RAF Marham

 

 

83 Squadron and 97 Squadron Lincolns

 Paul was posted to RAF Marham and recounted how he took air to air photographs of the new Lincolns of 90 Squadron while hanging onto the open rear crew door.

In 1948 he was posted to 81 Squadron at RAF Labuan, travelling to Singapore on the troopship the Empire Trooper.

RAF Labuan

Dad loved life in the RAF, the camaraderie, the friendships and the mutual support. He continued his photographic career for a time after he was demobed, working with Sir Alexander Fleming and his team at St Marys Hospital in London. He then worked in the field of technical publications but retained photography as his hobby throughout his life – Carol Trotter (daughter)

   

 F24 magazine store and film dryer RAF Coningsby

 

 By kind permission of the RAF Photographers Association magazine ‘Flashback’