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Alfred WALSTON (AKA TETLEY), who was known to all as Tet, was born June 11, 1922, in Morley UK. His military service started at the young age of 15. Tet volunteered under the Air Raid Precautions as an Air Raid Warden in 1937 – there was some discussion had over his age, but they were waived with the completion of his exams. by the age of 17, in the summer of 1943, Tet was a member of the RAF Volunteer Reserve and was eligible to apply for a Short Service Commission in the RAF. Tet was all set to go and was waiting for his final interview to occur in London at that Ad Astral House. His interview was scheduled for Sept. 5th, 1939. However, with Chamberlain’s declaration of war on Sept. 3rd, Tet’s application as null, and he was told he had to apply through the normal channels.
Tet tried to sign up immediately, but he worked in a ‘Reserve Occupation’ and was thus prohibited in joining the RAF; this angered him greatly. It took Tet eighteen months to compile the necessary – false – documentation to allow him to enlist. Upon enlistment in 1941, Tet was sent to Canada to train under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Whilst there Tet flew Tiger Moth’s from Calgary to DeWinton and Harvard’s in Moose Jaw. With the completion of his ‘Wings’ in Canada – in early 1942 – Tet went back to the UK and flew Master’s Mk. I’s and Mk. II’s; which he deemed a superior to the Harvard. On hearing that his AFU course was to be posted on twin-engine planes, Tet signed up to join the PR instead. Tet trained at the 8 Coastal Operational Training Unit based out of Scotland first at Fraserburgh then at Dyce. As the men in his course were all competitive, they constantly challenged each other to take the best low-level oblique photo. Tet’s friend Bert Gardiner took a photo from under the wing of a parked Lancaster. Tet managed to take a photo at minus 15 feet, as he shot a photo of the Caledonian Hotel near Aberdeen from below street level.
Upon completion of his training in October of 1942, Tet was posted to the 541 Squadron based out of Benson. There he flew Mk IV’s and took photos of France, Belgium and German targets. In November of 1942, Tet was sent to the 543 Squadron on detachment and worked in the Middle East Desert. Tet stayed with the 543 Squadron after his detachment but was based out of Benson. In March of 1943, Tet was posted to the 4 PRU – a.k.a. the 682 Squadron – and was based out of Maison Blanche in Algeria. Tet would get the pleasure to fly the brand-new Mk XI EN422 – which he dubbed ‘Lizzie’ – from the UK to Algeria, with a stop in Gibraltar. During this flight, Tet flew over Spain – as he said ‘to hell with neutrality’ given how high he was flying; 30,000 ft. With his flight to Gibraltar, Tet ran into problems with the new Mk XI, as there was an airlock in the fuel system, causing Tet to constantly use the priming pump – to the point that he wore out the material on his gloves! With the 682 Squadron, Tet would fly missions over the Franco-Spanish Border, Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily. One of his missions with the Squad – which he deemed the most important mission he has done – was photographing the beaches of Sicily and covering the landings; Tet also flew over the Anzio and Salerno landings.
After his ‘tour’ – as he called it– in June of 1944, Tet was sent to Egypt and later Southern Rhodesia as a flight instructor. Whilst in Rhodesia, Tet trained on Oxford’s, Cornell’s and Harvard’s. Tet returned to the UK in September of 1945 via Cape Town, and after some furlough was sent to a ‘dump of an airfield’ otherwise known as Wheaton Aston. Tet would end his air service in 1946. Over the duration of his time with the RAF Tet flew 78 PR missions and was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, The Air Crew Europe Star, The Africa Star with the North Africa 1942-1943 clasp, The Italy Star, the Defence Medal, and The War Medal.
Tet’s service career did not stop with his involvement in the RAF and the war. In 1953 he joined the Royal Devon Yeomanry Territorial army and was an artillery first lieutenant. Tet left the TA after 10 years.
Tet would move his family to Canada in 1965. And in 1991 he would join the RCAF Association in Comox (Komox 888 Wing). In Comox, Tet aided in the Y2K restoration of an Mk IX spitfire to flying condition. Tet was also the 888 Wing RCAF Association President from 1994-1995; despite having only flown during wartime and that service from being a flight sergeant in a foreign air force. Tet died on June 2000.
