David Dattner, the service’s second IMR, tells us about his very different life now in Israel
Israel has become an exceedingly dangerous country over the past 12 months and I find myself with a hundred kids, now mostly nine to 14 years old. Because of the dire situation very many people, but mostly children, feel shattered and traumatized.
These children of mine are in an SOS children’s home and more and more relatives of the children have already been blown up by suicide bombers or killed by shootings happening daily. It is heartbreaking to see the looks on these children’s faces when they have to be told of their individual tragedies.
So much of my work comprises counselling and generally dealing with each child individually. The horror of this story is that we never know when it is going to happen or where. But wherever it did and will happen we can be sure that it will be a place filled with women and children.
I’m not referring to war conditions; that is soldier to soldier, that is legitimate. I’m afraid the trauma will be long-lasting, probably lifelong.
In my attempts to deal with trauma, fear and totally unsettled lives I often tell stories about our mountain rescue personnel. I tell them how bravely, but not always fearlessly, they go about their very dangerous work, sometimes in impossible weather conditions and how they cope with their fears. The children listen avidly and I’m certain this has a balming effect. They know that my mountain rescue days were the best of my life and my time at Kinloss the most exciting.
Squadron Leader David Dattner OBE AFC was the second IMR, as a subsidiary role to his main job on the operational training staff of Coastal Command. A signaller, he served during the war with Nos. 614, 14 and 39 Squadrons. He had no interest in mountaineering until he helped another officer start the MRT at RAF Aldergrove. “Before this,” he was quoted as saying, “I wouldn’t even walk up a hill on a road - if there was a bus going that way.”