Browse Items (1147 total)

  • Coverage is exactly "Royal Canadian Air Force"

Flight Lieutenant Douglas Barber
Describes Douglas Berber's service in the Royal Air Force between 1938 and 1947 with Bomber Command and, later, with Transport Command. It includes photographs. He was wounded in France, commended, reprimanded and awarded the Soviet Medal for…

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A Canadian experience
Recounts a family visit to Canada. Comments on host, visit to 442 Squadron and Canadian casualties and fellow prisoners of war. Goes on to recount other activities during visit. Finally mentions attending reunion of the Mildenhall Register.

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Flight Lieutenant John French DFC
Seven aircrew around the door of a Lancaster. Text reveals that Jonny French (standing second left) was pilot of Lancaster 'NG364, LS-P'. Lists ther remainder of crew. Mentions that Flight Sergeant Henry Bysouth joined the crew after the original…

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Prisoner of war leaders
Four men standing in front of a hut. captioned 'Stalag Luft 7 Bankau,
P/O Ken Lane DFC RAF Deputy Camp Leader, PoW no 31
Sgt Dick Green RCAF man of confidence, PoW no 141
P/O Peter Thomson RAAF Camp Leader, PoW no 100
F/Sgt Joe Walk[..] RCAF Adg…

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W R Wyrill's diary
Covering the period February 14 1939 to August 19 1945. Describes his service in the Royal Air Force, conditions on the convoy to Africa on HMS Tamaroa, sights seen on leave and being confined to barracks before his return to England on HMS…

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Letter from Jack Dwyer to his wife
Jack writes about mail, his daughters and new cups and saucers. The hospital is full and he has little news.

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The Lancaster of Tillières-sur-Avre
Details of operation and loss of Lancaster HK553 piloted by Tom Donaghy during operation to Dreux in France. Contains:
The needs of the landing of June 6 1944.
An effective German defence.
The bombing of Driex.
The Lancaster HK553 crash with…

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Ex-mech crawls into wing, comes out with a gong
Newspaper cutting relating describing how Sergeant George Fallon became the first Canadian flight engineer to win a DFM. He cut a hole in fuselage and crawled into the wing to repair a broken oil line and switch petrol tanks.

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Swimming club
Left page:
Members of the polo team with 11 in swimming attire and three in suits. A shield sits alongside the group.
Right page:
The crew of Lancaster ND 345.
Top: Flight Lieutenant Donald MacKay DFC, Pilot.
Second row, from left: Pilot…

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Crew of Lancaster ND345
Top: Flight Lieutenant Donald MacKay DFC, Pilot.
Second row, from left: Pilot Officer Ronald Halperin DFC, navigator; Flight Officer James Moffat DFC, air gunner and Squadron leader Andrew Muir DFC, air gunner, wearing Sidcot suit.
Third row, from…

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Story of my war
He describes a two year delay in joining the Royal Air Force, due to his reserved occupation making cables for barrage balloons. He covers recruitment and life during initial training, He recalls 'crewing up' with Harry Watkins (P), Doug 'Duggie'…

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Old enemies new friends
A short document with four photographs and text. First photograph - an airman wearing flying suit standing behind the rear turret of a Halifax captioned ': Sgt Jack Bromfield with a 158 Squadron Halifax at Lissett (Jack Bromfield)'. Second photograph…

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Conversation with Bob O'Dell
Completed 13 operations on 408 Squadron. Comments that he did not complete his tour as the war ended. Mentions first operation was to Bremen and last to Heligoland. Comments on his Canadian crew and mentions names and ranks, Covers his training…

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Leslie Giddings
Half-length portrait of a sergeant wearing tunic with Canada shoulder flash.

Conversation with Les Giddings
Speaks a little about training and mentions cross country with Leonard Cheshire as pilot. Mentions first operation to Kassel. Gives details of aircraft involved on Leipzig operation including high loss rates. States he did not know what went wrong…

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Leslie Giddings memoir
Leslie gives account of his last operation to Leipzig on 19/20 February 1944. He commences with brief description of his join up and training. He mentions operations to Kassel and Berlin, completing 7 operations completed before Leipzig. He rists…

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Arthur Mace's diary 8th January 1942 to 15th March 1944
A diary kept during Arthur's RAF service.
There is a second diary for 1943 only and its contents are identical to the first diary.
A third diary covers 1944.

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The First Crew
The individuals who made up Arthur Mace's crewmates. A description of the operations they undertook.

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78 Squadron history
A history of the squadron with a list of the airfields used and a comprehensive list of their Halifaxes and their fates.
A second copy is a typed version of this.

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Letter to Arthur Mace's wife from KB Schroler
Gwen sends Christmas greetings. She looks forward to the New Year and finding out more of what happened to her son.

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Five airmen watching a sixth drinking tea from large jug
The third of the tea drinking photographs. A Canadian airman is drinking tea from the large jug used to serve the men in the first photograph. He is watched by five airmen.
On the reverse is a label stating 'Thomas Lorne "Schy" or "Bugwood" Schroler…

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Aviation law and meteorology for air navigators
Training manuals.

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Wings dinner
Left: Menu illustrated with silhouettes of three aircraft with a list of graduates and autographs.
Right: Christmas dinner menu with autographs.

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I've gone solo
Top left: A card signed by Flight Lieutenant H Cooke to recognise his first solo flight as pilot.
Right: Programme and menu for the 59th graduating class. Includes a list of class members, including Flight Lieutenant H Cooke, and…

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Fighting the war sitting down
A summary of Horace Cooke's service career. Lists training as wireless operator/air gunner and later as a pilot in Canada, service with 7, 49, 99 and 156 Squadrons and 33 operations on two tours of duty and the award of the Distinguished Flying…

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