My Dad gave this section of his Diaries the title 'Journal of William Motion Goodall, ordinary member of the RAF during World War II'. He had volunteered to fight for his country and was shot down over Holland on his way to bomb Germany. He spent almost two years in the famous 'Great Escape' Stalug Luft III Prisoner of War ('PoW') camp and he kept a Diary.

Bill Goodall's Diaries span 60 years of his life. They are fascinating, to me and my family and possibly to others too, since they express life as it really was at the time.

With the rapid expansion of the Internet it seems appropriate to use this worldwide medium to publish selected extracts that would probably not otherwise see the public light-of-day. Bill's Diaries for the Second World War contain over 30,000 words - this net-extract is somewhat shorter!

We start with Tuesday 14th October 1941 when Dad, who had been selected for pilot training in the RAF, was about to set off from the UK for America.

Net-edited by Ian Goodall
(e-mail: diary@goodall.net)
October 1999; last revised January 2002

About my wonderful parents, Bill and Moira: My Mother ("Moira") and Dad ("Bill", or "Billy" as he was known by Mother) were both 27 years old when this story began. Bill, who maintained his daily diary until 1998, died in July 2001 in Jubilee House Nursing Home, Godalming, Surrey having borne his dementia with courage and fortitude. Moira died in September 1991 in Cameron Hospital, Windygates, Fife from the cruel effects of a series of strokes.