Danish WW2 Pilots

Louis Henning Reddersen

(1922 - 2002)

Louis Reddersen was at sea when the war broke off. He signed off in England at some point and volunteered for the RAF. He served as an aircraft mechanic.

Louis Henning Reddersen was born on 15 March 1922 to Aage Emil Ejnar Reddersen and Kamma Karoline Kristiane Reddersen (née Hansen).[1]

Reddersen wanted more of life than he could image for a life in Denmark. Therefore, he was engaged as a ship’s boy onboard a Danish tanker sailing for the Far East. He was onboard the tanker in Alexandria in Egypt when the war broke out in 1939. The crew was interned by the British and asked to sign a British contract. Reddersen, too young to fight yet, accepted the offer and stayed onboard. The vessel arrived in England at some point, where Reddersen signed off to join the Royal Air Force.[2]

Reddersen volunteered for the Royal Air Force at RAF Cardington in late 1941 or early 1942 (1620672).[3] In late 1942, he held the rank of Aircraftman 1st Class (AC1) and served as a aircraft mechanic in 9 (Coastal Command) Operational Training Unit, Crosby-on-Eden. He was later promoted to Aircraftman 2nd Class (AC2).[4]

As a member of the Royal Air Force, Reddersen took part in the initial training of air force mechanics in Denmark after the war. He did not have fond memories of the training as he felt that some of the Danish servicemen, especially the officers, were reluctant to receive instructions from an NCO.

Reddersen moved to Newcastle and returned to the sea. He met his Danish wife in Newcastle and they returned to Denmark in 1963.[5] He was naturalised as a British subject in 1947.[6]

Endnotes

[1] DNA: Parish register, Kildebrønde sogn.

[2] Villemoes, A., Louis lever og ånder for RAF. Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, 24 April 1999, p. 16.

[3] Reddersen’s service number was part of a block (1610001 to 1649900) allotted to RAF Cardington in October 1941. The next block allotted to this centre was in October 1942.

[4] DNA: 10194 - Danske Råd i London, Rekrutteringskontoret.

[5] Villemoes, A., Louis lever og ånder for RAF. Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, 24 April 1999, p. 16.

[6] London Gazette, issue 38019, p. 3362, 18 July 1947, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38019/page/3362.