Staff from Inzpire were delighted to welcome Bert Hammond to the company's newly expanded head office in Lincoln this week.
As part of the office expansion company employees were given the opportunity to name new conference and meeting rooms - with one such room being named the 'Hammond' room after Bert.
Bert officially opening 'Hammond'.
Bert visited the offices to officially open the room named in his honour and to learn more about Inzpire and its strong connections to the defence industry. He spent time chatting to many members of the team sharing personal anecdotes about his experiences, received a GECO demonstration and expressed his frustrations around being a Norwich City F.C. fan! Bert also enjoyed a very special 514 Sqn Lancaster Bomber cake.
Bert learning all about how GECO helps today's aircrew.
Al Whittle, Director Strategy and Plans, welcomed Bert to Landmark House and said: “It was an absolute honour and privilege as well a huge personal thrill to welcome Bert Hammond to Inzpire.
"Bert’s wartime record in the RAF as aircrew in Bomber Command goes before him and his recollections of just some of his exploits serve to act as a beacon and inspiration for all that follow him. His stories of camaraderie, courage, determination and humility still resonate today and it was an absolute delight to be able to spend some time with him.
"Naming one of our conference rooms in Bert’s honour will I’m sure enable both staff and visitors alike to reflect on the qualities of such a great man and role model and I look forward as we all do to welcoming Bert back into Landmark house”.
Bert telling Al a joke!
Bert was born on 8 January 1925 and brought up in the Norwich area. He began his working life as a grocer’s assistant and became an air cadet at the start of the Second World War. Before he joined the Royal Air Force, he recalls bombing attacks on Norwich, one of which involved a lone German aircraft machine-gunning female workers leaving the city's Coleman’s factory.
In 1942 at the age of 18, Bert volunteered for the RAF as an air gunner. His initial training took place at RAF Bridlington and RAF Bridgnorth and on completion he was posted to No. 4 Air Gunnery School, RAF Morpeth in October 1943 where he trained on the use of cine-guns and target drones flying in Avro Ansons.
Posted to 26 Operational Training Unit at RAF Wing, he was crewed to fly Wellingtons as a rear gunner. During one of Bert's training flights an engine failed during take-off and the pilot managed to complete a single circuit before carrying out a belly landing!
Bert had learned Morse Code as an Air Cadet, so, he was tasked to take over as the wireless operator if necessary and, therefore, moved to the mid-upper turret to be closer to the wireless operator position.
In 1944 he was posted to RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, initially with 1678 Heavy Conversion Unit to convert to Lancasters, and then to 514 Squadron as operational crew. His first operation was on the 30th of May to Boulogne and he went on to complete several operations over France and Germany. During one particular operation to Gelsenkirchen, Bert's aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire putting their instruments out of action before they were diverted back RAF Woodbridge for an emergency landing.
Bert completed his thirty operations in September 1944 and, after a period of leave, was posted to RAF Manby as an instructor with No. 1 Empire Air Armament School. He was demobilised in 1947.
Bert remained in Bomber County, and lives in Leasingham. He remains very active, tending his beautiful garden and has become a real friend of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight where he often visits.
It was an absolute pleasure to host Bert - you can find a gallery of his vist to Landmark House below.
