A. E. Confait
CONFAIT Armand Emile.
SGT airgunner 776150 RAF Volunteer
Birthday: 28 February 1915, Victoria, Mahe, Sychelles
First burried: St.-Trond
Now Burried: Heverlee 7. K. 3
Son of Charles Joseph Antoinne Confait and Josephine Emilie Confait
From: Mount Buxton, Seychelles
Picture: Yvonne Hayens (sister from Armand)
Email from Marie Milette (Brisbane, Australia), niece of Armand:
From what my late mother told me, her memory of Armand as a young boy, was he had a mass of blond hair curly hair that fell to his shoulders. All the children were educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary run by the Catholic order of Nuns called “Sisters of St Joseph de Cluny”. They were not boarders. The boys would be there for the first couple of years and would then go on to a boys school.
The family lived at Mont Buxton – it was on a hill overlooking the town. My grandfather was very strict and although they had servants and he had a car, the children were made to walk down to school, back up the hill again for lunch and back down for afternoon classes. Grandpa did not want his children to be lazy!
Mum said every morning, Armand would set off for school and when he got there, he would greet the Nuns by bowing and saying “Bonjour Mere”. His blond curls would tumble down over his face and the nuns were tickled pink. They loved it so they would ask him to greet them again. He was a very polite boy who did well at his studies.
When he grew older he became very good at sport. He won all his races and was also in the local soccer team in 1937. He was very popular and the girls loved him!
He left Seychelles and went to Kenya to work in the Kakamega Gold Mines as a Mill Shiftman. He then joined the East African Army, attending a training camp near Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. He was later transferred to a base near the Abyssinian frontier.
When war was declared in September 1939, Britain was looking for volunteers to join the RAF. Someone flew from the UK to recruit volunteers and out of the ninety who applied in Kenya, only four were chosen, Armand being one of the four. He enlisted on 23 October 1940 and was flown to England.
He was part of Operational Training Unit (21OTU). It was originally established at RAF Base Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire on 21 October 1941 as part of No.6 Group RAF Bomber Command. It’s role was to train night bomber crews. Throughout No.21OTU’s wartime operation, it instructed aircrews on the Vickers Wellington bomber.
Armand was born in Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles 28/02/1915.
His brothers were Clement Confait, Charles Confait Jr. and his sisters Therese Oliver born Confait, Yvonne Haynes and Emmanuelle Dingwall born Confait.
Photo's (from Yvonne Haynes)
Backsite: A snap of mine in my flying kite taken somewhere in London on the top of a building in the Air Crew Recruit Centre.
Backsite: How do you like my pipe?
This snap was taken somewhere in the North of England near my first station.
Backsite: Winter in East Yorkshire. See the three on the backgroud, leafless and all covered with snow.
The two other boys are friends of mine.
We are all on the Air Gunner Course.
The weather in this place is bitterly cold!
Backsite: I'am on the left hand row. We are all living in the same hut and every pay day you ought to be there to see the fun we have!
Backsite: WAAF girls in our camp. How do you like them?
You can see me in the centre wearing field service cap.
Backsite: First one on the left taken in the swimming pool in the town of Devizes, South East of England.
After being in a camp for a whole week it is always nice to feel yourself in a girls company.
Anyhow she is enjoing it!
Backsite: Diana Jenkins, a good friend of mine when I was in Yorkshire.
Don't you think she is nice?
If you are lovely... join the RAF!!!
Logbook:
Contact person: Yvonne HAYNES (sister of A. E. Confait)
Contactperson Yvonne Haynes (Sister of Confait)
Other letters:
Letter from Joan Sheppard
(The first night Armand arrived in London he went to a dance and met Joan Sheppard)
