Flying Officer Ernie "Pedro" Pedrazzini RAFVR had an Italian father, John Battista and an English mother, Emma Harriet and was born in Lambeth, London in 1923. He had two brothers, James and Ricardo. He received his call up papers in 1942 when he was working at a razor blade manufacturer, Gillette Industries. He wanted to follow his elder brother, Ricardo into the RAF so volunteered for P.N.B. (Pilot/Navigator/Bomb Aimer training). 

 Although he had passed all the intelligence and adaptability exams, he was turned down due to an alleged and untrue eyesight defect. This was due to his father being classed as an enemy alien despite living in England for forty years. Even though  not interned, his father was forbidden a car, bicycle and wireless set and restricted to a five mile radius of his home, having to report to the police station, at first every day and then once a month. His mother, though English was under the same restrictions and was dismissed from the ARP. 

 Ernie’s brother was then dismissed from the RAF when Italy declared war but later was allowed to rejoin only, sadly, to be killed in August 1944 in 635 Pathfinder Squadron. Ernie was given the choice to become a Flight Mechanic, (ground crew), and joined and trained at Cosford before volunteering for aircrew as a Flight Engineer. He went on to train at St.Athans in Wales and after passing out as a Sergeant was sent to 1664 HCU at Dishforth for flying training. He joined Flying Officer Hagar and his crew as their Flight Engineer and was posted to a cold and miserable Croft. After further training, the crew commenced their first tour on the 27^th August 1944. Their total operational trips were 14 on Halifax’s and 17 in Canadian Lancaster’s. On the 1^st November 1944 on a raid to Oberhausen,,the crew flew the brand new" S", for Sugar Lancaster "Solid Sender". They were at the front of the main stream and therefore ahead of the Window Cover and were riddled by flak to the annoyance of the ground crew. Ernie remembers the pilot, Don Hagar was known as "press ahead Hagar" for evermore! This mistake was not repeated. The crew flew this particular Lancaster on nine ops.

 Flying Officer Pedrazzini and his crew went their separate ways after the end of their tour. Flying Officer Hagar went on to fly Spitfires and the rest of the crew returned to Canada. Flying Officer Pedrazzini was posted to Riccal to train on Yorks for Transport Command, one of the longest courses he had been on. He was posted to Holmsley South flying to India with troops and VIP’s.In 1946 he was a EVT Officer at Oakington in Cambridge and opted for de mobbing.