WW2 Florida Wooden Purse with RAF Pass

Imagine my surprise when I opened up this 1940s wooden souvenir purse from Florida to discover a Royal Air Force pass from 1943 tucked inside. The pass, which was for March 20, 1943 through March 28, 1943 was for RAF Cadet Dean A. Crane from No. 5 British Flying Training School in Clewiston, Florida. This pass and the purse that held it illuminates a period during World War 2 when RAF pilots trained in the United States because training in England which was too dangerous between weather and constant bombardment by Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. 11,000 RAF pilots were instead trained at schools in the United States and  #5 British Flying Training School in Clewiston, Florida was one of these. While they were not facing the Luftwaffe in Florida, training was still dangerous. 23 RAF cadets were killed while training at Clewiston. Their graves are at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Cadet Dean A. Crane was NOT one of the 23. I also checked the RAF Bomber Command Database and he was not listed as killed in action. I like to think he survived the war. To read more about #5 BFTS in Clewiston, Florida, click here. 

Collection of Jennifer Whitehair