Browse Items (214 total)

  • Coverage is exactly "Royal Air Force. Coastal Command"

NBeltonSLS151120-09.jpg
Details of operations on oil tanks at Rotterdam and on Wilhelmshaven.

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PBanksP15010063.jpg
An aerial vertical photograph of a coastline lined with docks and buildings. At the top and inlet with docks and town buildings to its left. Below a peninsular are three docks pointing down and left. A large warship is moored in the bottom dock. Just…

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ABatesP151009.mp3
Philip volunteered for the Royal Air Force in May 1940. After a short time in Blackpool, he was posted to RAF Cosford where he volunteered for training as a flight mechanic and then fitter. At 86 Squadron, Coastal Command, flying Beauford torpedo…

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PNoyeR1501.jpg
Rupert Noye completed two tours of operations as a rear gunner with 166 and 156 Squadrons.
Rupert initially tried to become a wireless operator but on being unsuccessful with the requirements of that trade, re-mustered as an air gunner. Rupert…

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AWarmingtonI161029.mp3
Ivon Warmington was working for the Post Office in his native Cornwall before he volunteered for the RAF. After pilot training, he flew a tour of operations with 166 Squadron from RAF Kirmington. His first operation was to Mailly le Camp, where the…

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LSayerT591744v1.pdf
Royal Canadian Air Force pilot's flying log book for Sergeant Tom Sayer from 28 July 1941 to 17 December 1944. Detailing training and operations flown with Coastal Command and Bomber Command. After training in the United States and Canada he served…

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ASayerT151202.mp3
Tom Sayer was accepted in to the Royal Air Force as an apprentice and began training as a pilot as soon as he was old enough. He trained in the United States and, on his return, he was detached to Coastal Command. He completed eight operations…

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WardM (Pesaro).jpg
Mary Ward joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1940. She served, briefly, at RAF Driffield but mostly at RAF Linton on Ouse. She trained as a cook before being moved to duties as a map officer, where she prepared maps for briefings and…

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BGomersalOGomersalOv1.pdf
Life history of Oliver Gomersal, including training in South Africa as observer/navigator, training on Wellington and operations with Coastal Command, his journey to East Africa with anti-submarine, and search operations in the Indian Ocean. On his…

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EGomersalOKeepLiddleCol940109.pdf
Extracts from log book from 12 July 1943 to 20 October 1943, covering Coastal Command training at 6(C) operational training unit Silloth, Cumberland and 303 Ferry Training Unit Talbenny, South Wales. It includes a trip from United Kingdom to…

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PCavalierRG17010060.jpg
Photograph 1 is of a B-25, undercarriage down, low level, port side, captioned 'Whitley A/C. R.A.F. Middleton St George, 1941'.
Photograph 2 is of the starboard side of a Boston 'P', in flight, captioned Boston A/C. R.A.F. Hartford Bridge. 1944. 88…

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LClydeSmithD39856v2.pdf
Pilot's flying log book for Denis Clyde-Smith covering the period from 10 May 1937 to 31 May 1942. Detailing his flying training, Operations and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Sywell, RAF Sealand, RAF Henlow, RAF Calshot, RAF Watchet, RAF…

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ABurdinJR170206.mp3
James Burdin went at Hutton Grammar School and worked in radio sales and repair. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force but had to wait and joined the Local Defence Volunteers instead. He did some rifle practice, general infantry training and…

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PLockeBrownK1505.jpg
Kenneth Locke was born in 1923 and wanted to join the Royal Air Force, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a First World War pilot. Between leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, Kenneth worked as a bank clerk, before signing…

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AWarrenHJ160506.mp3
When Harold left Canada, where he was testing aircraft, he returned to RAF Bicester in his maintenance role. With his experience of four-engine aircraft, he went as flight engineer to RAF Greenock, flying in Sunderlands to Canada and back. Their role…

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PHorryMA1601.jpg
Margaret Horry was born in Spalding. She remembers aircraft taking off to take part in operations, and retells wartime stories of her relatives. Her husband, Arthur, served in Bomber Command as a bomb aimer and his brother, Frank, was also in Bomber…

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Ken Odell was a schoolboy living in Highgate at the beginning of the war and was evacuated with the school. When he was of age, he volunteered for the RAF and was sent to RAF Sywell for Pilot, Navigator, Bomb Aimer evaluation. Accepted as a pilot, he…

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EGortonHGortonLCM431229.pdf
He writes of his duties, activities on camp and colleagues’ postings.

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PAndrewF1601.jpg
Fiona mainly lived in Southampton. On leaving school she had a job for two years but as soon as she was 17 and a half she volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and became a wireless operator. She was posted to the far north of Scotland…

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PWatkinsJ1801.jpg
John Watkins was working in retail in Rotherham and in 1939 he joined 218 Squadron ATC. He joined the RAF in February 1942 at RAF Cardington, and did his initial training at RAF Blackpool. In December 1942 he did his wireless training at RAF…

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MVipondR3040603-170423-04.jpg
A certificate awarded to Richard Vipond allowing him to service certain parts of a Sunderland.

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ABerrieD161031.mp3
David Berrie joined the RAF and served as a wireless operator. He flew six operations with 576 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds and shares his experience of living on the station with Polish crews. David remembers crashing twice in 24 hours and, on one…

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LParryHP2220054v1.pdf
Flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers for Hugh Parry, air gunner, covering the period from 27 May 1944 to 16 October 1945. Details his flying training, operations flown and post war flying. He was stationed at RAF…

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PdiPlacitoLH1701.jpg
Lawrence di Placito served as a second-class coxswain on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches during the Second World War. He was born in Chertsey and attended Egham grammar school where he was a member of the cadet force. Upon leaving school in 1936 he…

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PJeziorskiAFK1705.jpg
Andrzej Jeziorski was born in Poland and, when the war began he fled to Britain, where he flew as a pilot with 304 Squadron. He specifially recalls being in Warsaw on the 1st of September 1939. He talks about his father, a Navy officer who served in…

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