Mexborough & Swinton Times – June 6, 1939

Former Goldthorpe Scholars In R.A.F.

Here are two cameos of former Goldthorpe elementary scholars who are now very much in the air. Mr. Joseph James Whitfield was born at Ashington in June in the second Year of the Great War, and subsequently attended the school where they evidently make airmen —Goldthorpe.

He worked at Barnburgh for seven years and joined the R.A.F. in 1935. After a ten months’ course at Montrose in Scotland he later completed his training as an armourer at Eastchurch. He obtained his L.A.C. certificate last year and his gunner’s certificate after five weeks’ training at Acklington. He was promoted corporal at Honington in Suffolk and commenced his pilot’s training five days ago at Filton, Bristol.

Mr. Leslie Whitfield is a native of Darfield and is three years older than his ex-school companion and graduated from Goldthorpe Elementary School to Wath Grammar School. He joined the R.A.F. three years ago and also completed his armourer’s course at Eastchurch. Receiving his L.A.C. certificate in Iraq after he had been in the country six months, he was promoted corporal there in May of this year.

Here’s good luck to both of them.