He
was born at Fakenham, Norfolk on 26th September 1907. His parents were
Robert Vertigans (1884-1962) and Harriet Jane Vertigans (Nee
Burton)
(1883-1962). His father worked as a Farm Labourer. As a younger man Robert
Vertigans had been found by Constable South on 17th June
1905
playing cards on Hempton Green with five other men and was fined 3 shillings
and 4 pence.
In
the 1911 census he was age 4 and living with his parents in a 3 roomed
property at Church End, South Creake, Norfolk. His parents had been
married
for five years and had produced two children, but one had died. His mother,
Harriet, died in November 1918 at Fakenham.
In
October 1920 his father Robert remarried Olive Maud Greeves, age 20, at
Walsingham, Norfolk.
On
24th November 1920 a half-brother Arthur William Vertigans was born at
Sculthorpe. On 27th October 1923 a half-sister Hettie Elizabeth
Vertigans
was born at Sculthorpe.
In
1930 Archibald was living with his father Robert and step-mother at 6 Moor
Lane, Sculthorpe, Norfolk.
In
the 1939 Register Archibald was living at 11, Council Houses, Moor Lane,
Sculthorpe, Norfolk. He was a single man living with his father and
step-mother
and working at Wyman and Son, Printers (Later in 1959 renamed Cox and Wyman)
in Fakenham as a Printer’s Packer.
He
enlisted on 6th July 1940. His service number indicates he did this at No.1
Recruit Centre R.A.F. Uxbridge.
On
entry his medical records record he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a 31 inch
chest, Brown hair and Grey-blue eyes, and a Fresh complexion. He
had
4 vaccination scars and a scar on his Left Knee and on the bridge of his
Nose.
His
initial trade was that of Aircrafthand /Balloon Operator. He was sent to the
Reserves and to await call-up. On 9th August 1940 he was called up
for
service and sent to No.3 Balloon Centre, Stanmore, his rank on entry was
Aircraftman 2nd Class. After
completing basic training on 8th
November
1940, he was posted to No. 906 Balloon Barrage Squadron at Hampstead.
At
his annual review on 31st December 1940 he was given the he was given the
rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class and Trade of Balloon Rigger / Fabric
Worker.
His Character and Proficiency was redacted.
On
5thJune 1941 he was promoted to Aircraftman 1st Class
On
8th August 1941 he was reclassified as Aircraftman 2nd Class.
On
18th September 1941 he was reclassified as Aircraftman 1st Class
On
1st December 1941 he was posted to No.978 Balloon Barrage Squadron.
In
December 1941 he married 32 year-old Iris Louise Lee at Hendon Middlesex
At
his annual review on 31st December 1941 he was given the rank of Aircraftman
1st Class and Trade of Balloon Operator. His Character and
Proficiency
was redacted.
On
1st January 1942 he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman.
On
8th January 1942 he was posted to India.
On
2nd January 1942 the squadron was inspected, and a Ceremonial Parade took
place. On the 7th January 1942 five officers proceeded by train
to
Liverpool on special duty with a guard on secret documents that they carried
(these gave the intended destination of the squadron and date of
departure
and estimated date of arrival at a foreign port). That afternoon they
embarked on H.M.T Toranto. Their job was to ready the ship for
accommodation.
On 8th January 1942 the rest of No.978 Squadron, comprising of nine officers
and 272 other ranks left Kidbrooke and marched to
Hook
station for a secret destination. During the journey the train window blinds
were pulled down and nobody was allowed off the train. Later
that
day they embarked on HMT Taranto at Liverpool. On the 14th January 14
officers and 272 ranks disembarked from HMT Taranto at Durban,
South
Africa and immediately embarked on HMT Strathmore at Durban, South Africa.
On 7th March 1942 the squadron disembarked from HMT
Strathmore
at Bombay, India. They then marched by road to Colaba Reinforcement Camp.
(More
detail at Short Notes on No. 978 Balloon Barrage Squadron (Copy and paste
this link-
http://www.bbrclub.org/Short%20Notes%20on%20No.%20978%20Balloon%20Barrage%20Squadron.htm)
On
23rd April 1942 he was posted to Calcutta.
Between
19th July 1942 and 20th December 1942 his record is redacted suggesting he
was hospitalised. ( Many men were sick for weeks due to
various
infections)
At
his annual review on 31st December 1942 he was given the rank of Leading
Aircraftman and Trade of Balloon Operator. His Character and
Proficiency
was redacted.
On
7th August 1943 he was given his first Good Conduct badge, a stripe on the
sleeve.
At
his annual review on 31st December 1943 he was given the rank of Leading
Aircraftman and Trade of Balloon Operator. His Character and
Proficiency
was redacted.
On
1st June 1944 he was at No.1 School of Air Force Technical Training, Ambula,
India and No.12 School of Air Force Technical Training, Baroda, India.
On
3rd September 1944 he was awarded his 1st War Service Increment in pay for 3
years War Service.
On
11th September 1944 he was reclassified as Aircraftman 1st Class
On
17th September 1944 he was re-mustered with trade of Safety Equipment Worker
having achieved 75% in his examination.
On
19th September 1944 he was in No.292 Air Sea Rescue which had units in
Bengal, India and Ceylon.
On
1st December 1944 he was reclassified as Leading Aircraftman.
On
19th December 1944 he was re-classified after getting 80.1% in his
examination.
At
his annual review on 31st December 1944 he was given the rank of Leading
Aircraftman and Trade of Safety Equipment Worker. His Character
and
Proficiency was redacted.
On
17th January 1945 he was given a Home Establishment Posting.
On
21st February 1945 he was sent to No.26 Maintenance Unit
On
12th June 1945 he was sent to No.13 Maintenance Unit, Henlow.
On
7th August 1945 he was awarded his 2nd War Service Increment in pay for 4
years War Service.
On
21st August 1945 he was sent to No.26 Maintenance Unit, Cardungton.
On
4th September 1945 he was sent to No.100 Personnel Dispersal Unit, Uxbridge.
He
was given a Class “A” Release on 6th December 1945
On
10th February 1954 he was Discharged to the “G” Reserves having attained
the age of 45 years.
In
March 1946 they had a daughter Janet P. Vertigans at Hendon.
Archibald’s
father, Robert Vertigans died on 6th Apr 1962 at Sculthorpe, Norfolk,
England;
In
1963 they were living at 57 Eastcote Road, Pinner, Middlesex.
Archie and
Iris
Archie and Iris on right of
picture
Archie and Iris on left of picture
In
1971 the Vertigans sold their house in Pinner. They put most of their
furnishings and other goods in storage and began living at 40 Moor
Lane,
Sculthorpe,
Norfolk with his step-mother Olive Vertigans and Olive’s sister Elsie
Greeves, whilst a new bungalow opposite the home of his brother
Arthur
Vertigans in Moor Lane was completed.
Olive
Maud Vertigans died on 23rd September 1971, and in January 1972 Archibald
and Iris Vertigans moved to 54 Moor Lane, Sculthorpe, Norfolk,
sharing
accommodation in the home of his half-brother Arthur Vertigans.
Archie
with half-sister Hettie
In 1972 Archibald
and Iris moved into a new bungalow, Verilee, Moor Lane, Sculthorpe, opposite
the home of his half-brother at 54 Moor Lane,
Sculthorpe,
Fakenham, Norfolk. The bungalow was named “Verilee” after the surnames
of Archibald and that of Iris.
Their time there
was short as Iris Vertigan died in March 1974 at Fakenham, Norfolk.
In 1992 he was in a
Care Home at Creake/Docking.
Archibald stayed in
the Care Home, keeping his bungalow to be looked after by Arthur Vertigans
until his death in Kings Lynn hospital in January
1993.
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