Life outside the RAF.

During 1940, the North Staffordshire Regiment, 'The North Staffords'  were billeted on the outskirts of Doug's home town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire.  It was  here that his sister Christine met Sergeant Sam Tierney, a soldier from Trent Vale in Staffordshire. Sam had decided to billet himself at 'The Black Swan' public house on South St. in Horncastle and spent most of his free time there. Christine and Sam eventually married in 1941, Christine moved into Sam's family home in Trent Vale. Shortly after starting their married life, Sam was posted to the Far East and was to spend the rest of the war away from home. 

Doug would visit Christine at her new home whenever he was on leave. It was during one of these visits that he first met Joyce. They met at the Corner club on Grays Corner in Stoke and started to see each other whenever they had the opportunity. They waited until the war was over and eventually married in August 1945.

After the war, Sam  moved to Horncastle with Christine. Doug decided to settle in Joyce's home town of Shelton. They have lived in Shelton all the years since WW2, moving to a new home only recently.

Thank you Doug for sharing your memories and allowing us to tell your story.