Browse Items (104 total)
- Contributor is exactly "Vivienne Tincombe"
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Memory of an Airman
A verse dedicated to the loss of an airman
To My Wife and Sweetheart
Poem declaring his love for his wife and how he is missing her.
The Bomber Boys Prayer
A prayer that bomber crew safely succeed in their mission.
Knights of the nocturnal moon
A draft and a final version of a four verse poem describing the effects of continual missions, the bravery and loss of young men who have gone before their time in the name of freedom.
Forever
A poem for parents on the loss of a young man, and the longing to find his final resting place.
Air Gunners
A poem about the loss of air gunners during the war and the thought that technology will not be able to replace their humanity.
For the Heroes
A tribute to the men who flew but did not return home.
Poem for a Rear Gunner and A Gunner's Vow
Two poems, the first written by Ted Russell describes the rear gunner experiences during operations. Author of the second poem is not known but describes his feelings about being a gunner.
The W.OP/AG
A verse in praise of the wireless operator/air gunner crew members.
To a bomber pilot
![MLashbrookW[Ser#-DoB]-1509015-02.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/918/31600/MLashbrookW[Ser -DoB]-1509015-02.jpg "MLashbrookW[Ser#-DoB]-1509015-02.jpg")
A verse regarding returning personal belongings to the family of a missing pilot.
Flight Engineer's Lament
A verse about the crashing of a Stirling and loss of a crew member.
Stardust
Reflections of a rear gunner, who tells how he feels about his missions and what he witnesses from his position in the aircraft. Describes how he gets through every operation, detailing how he copes with what is happening around him.
Interview with Ernest Townsend
Ernest was born in Marylebone, London. He tells of his childhood, how he helped his father on his milk round and became a butcher's boy at Shepherd Market before serving in the Air Training Corps. He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and a…
Interview with Victor Stapley
Victor Stapley was born in Ilford in Essex, where he was fond of playing cricket. He left school at 15 and worked at a tobacco company. He then became a shipping manager, a job which involved shipping spaces whilst not having any telephones in his…
Interview with Lester Simms
Lester tells of his tough, early childhood and his first experience of seeing a Heinkel bomber flying over his home in Surrey, to attack the Brooklands Aircraft Factory. He tells of how he worked in the experimental department of Hawker Aircraft…
Interview with Lawrence Clark Rogers
Lawrence Rogers joined the Royal Air Force aged 17 and trained to become a wireless operator. He served with 218 Squadron at RAF Woolfox Lodge and then with 75 Squadron, flying in both Ansons and Lancasters. He eventually completed 32 operations with…
Interview with Eric Parker
Eric was born in 1924 in West Derby, Liverpool and volunteered for the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and a half, finally being called up in January 1942, when he became a navigator/bomb aimer on Lancasters. After completing his training in Canada,…
Interview with Brian Payne
John Payne was born in 1932 and went into the Royal Air Force as part of his National Service, becoming a Navigator on the Canberra aircraft with 15 Squadron. His father went into the combined service in the First World War and was training to be a…
Interview with Kenneth George McVicar
Kenneth George McVicar was born in Llanelli, South Wales and joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18, where he qualified as a gunner. He flew in Ansons, as mid-upper gunner turret, but also on Stirlings and Lancasters. He tells of how he went on…
Interview with Wally Lashbrook
Wally was born in February 1913, and joined the Royal Air Force in 1929 as an apprentice at RAF Halton and completed pilot training at RAF Prestwick. He flew many aircraft including Tiger Moths, Hendons and Halifaxes, and served with 51 Squadron and…
Interview with James Hampton
James Hampton was born in February 1925. Before the war, he was an apprentice engineer with Laystall Engineering Company. He was in a reserved occupation before joining the Royal Air Force in 1943, where he trained as a flight engineer in Bomber…
Interview with Geoff Green
William Green was born in Kings Lynn in Norfolk and joined the Royal Air Force when he was 17 and a half at the outbreak of war, becoming a rear gunner on Lancasters and, eventually, rising to the rank of squadron leader.He tells about going on to…
Interview with Ron Wade
Ron was born in Stoke-on-Trent. He left school at 14 and tells of his experiences working in a pottery factory doing odd jobs, until he was called up. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1939 at the age of 22 and trained as an air gunner at RAF…
Interview with Reginald Tween
Reginald joined the Royal Air Force in 1943, becoming a flight engineer with 415 Squadron, Bomber Command. He tells of his love of making and flying model airplanes and that, although he wanted to be a pilot, his love of anything mechanical made him…
Interview with Gordon Topham
Gordon Topham was born in Salisbury, but his family settled in Norwich, Norfolk and he joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, qualifying as a flight engineer in July 1944. Gordon’s father used to drive steam wagons and was involved with…