Kirkcaldy veteran shares memories of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Andy Martin (88), was a 19-year-old clerk in the Royal Air Force when he was ordered to make his way to London to join thousands of other servicemen and women to line the streets of the capital for the newly crowned Queen’s coronation.

Part of the RAF’s 18 Group Coastal Command that was based at Pitreavie Castle in Dunfermline, Andy’s role saw him dealing with secret and confidential letters from an underground bunker, called the pit, that were then pushed up the chain of command.

Andy’s daily life in the pit saw him working alongside other RAF professionals who dealt with secret matters ranging from Russian submarine hunting to UFO sightings from bewildered pilots at the height of the Cold War.

Even though he was at the tip of the spear of secrecy, Andy’s most memorable time of his service was when he had the honour of lining the streets of London for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

He said: “One day in May 1953 I suddenly got a notification ordering me to go to a camp near Dartmoor Forest where we trained for a month prior to the coronation.

"There was a lot of marching and rifle drills as we had to get fit for the parade – we were unaware of just how long the parade for the coronation was going to be!”

When Andy and his comrades reached London he said that they were surprised to see that Hyde Park was turned into a sea of canvas tents to house the sheer number of service personnel who were to take part in the coronation parade.

"We were under canvas in Hyde Park for about a week believe it or not, and there was a hive of activity everywhere with people training and preparing for the parade,” he said.

"On the day of the coronation we had to march from Hyde Park right up to the Marble Arch and then on to Oxford Street to line the route of the procession.

"London was incredibly busy, all of the pavements were thronged with people who had been waiting all through the night to get a good spot to see the Queen.

"Of course, we had the best view – it was sensational, it was absolutely amazing!

When the parade started, Andy and his mates soon realised why they were so savagely trained in fitness he said as it was only now that he realised how long they would have to stand there perfectly still.

"The parade took three hours to pass and three hours back, but it was worth it as the gold state coach was a fantastic thing to see,” he said. “When the royal carriage passed we had to present arms and I had to peek around my rifle to see the Queen.

"By the time it was all over we were all extremely tired and when we got back to Hyde Park everyone just collapsed onto their bunks.

"As far as I’m concerned it was such a privilege to be there, it was such an amazing experience and I feel lucky to have been there at this special moment in history.”

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