Browse Items (707 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "England--Suffolk"

SEllisRHG918424v10026.jpg
The first letter refers to the return of Roy's bicycle.
The second letter refers to a parcel of clothing belonging to Doreen's husband.

Tags: ; ; ;

E[Author]JacksonCG430630.jpg
Offers sympathy for his loss and was enclosing some small personal effects.

Tags: ;

BCameronDCameronDv1.pdf
Writes of travelling to Scotland before start of the war and then joining the RAF Volunteer Reserve. Continues with account of training in England before going to Lakeland Florida for primary flying training, Cochran field for basic and advanced…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SThomsonGB1572977v60004.jpg
Reply to request for information about Flight Sergeant Harry Albert Beverton. Provides information on his last operation when he was killed and place of burial. Also provides information on burial of P/O Overend.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EDonaldsonDWOCRAFFoulsham450331-0001.jpg
Letter from David Donaldson to station commander at RAF Foulsham requesting temporary release for a period of six to nine months in order to study and sit solicitor's, final examinations. Enclosed document listing his service since September 1939…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SBondS-MasonDv10001.pdf
Explains that he flew Blenheims and the special duties Lysanders before going to 57 Squadron flying operations on Wellingtons. Wounded, and eye damaged in June 1941, no longer fit as pilot, he retrained as a navigator and after training tours…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AWallerT151027.mp3
Thomas Waller volunteered for the Royal Air Force and hoped to be a driver. However, he undertook training as an armourer and was based, initially, at the Special Operations Executive 138 Squadron. He was posted to RAF Stradishall, RAF Wyton and RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PHickeyL2101.jpg
Laura Hickey was living in Tottenham at the outbreak of war and was evacuated to Suffolk. Her brother, Charles Henry Clarke joined the RAF and was shot down, becoming a prisoner of war and enduring the Long March. She tells of her times as an…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BNashDCMNashDCMv1.pdf
Born in 1916, Dan spent his early childhood in Kent with his grandmother before moving back to his parents in Fulham. He left school aged 16 to undertake a job with the Hudson's Bay Fur Company, where he met Joyce, his future wife. At the outbreak of…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EBoldyDABoldyAD41XXXX-01.pdf
Letter from David Boldy to his father about working on a farm in Ipswich with Ronnie, but sacking themselves over a labour dispute/strike; now they have moved to another farm near Colchester instead. They visited Felixstowe on a number of occasions.

MDonaldsonDW70185-150610-070001.jpg
List medals for David Donaldson including Distinguished Service order and bar, Distinguished Flying Cross. Medal for Joyce Donaldson, War Medal 1939-45. Lists RAF Service for David Donaldson from 1934 to demob in November 1945. Lists Joyce…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PHowB1601.jpg
Bernie How was 14 when war was declared and remembers aircrew socialising at his father's pub. He volunteered for the RAF at 17 and trained as a flight engineer on Stirlings. He describes a crash on take-off in a Stirling. He completed 35 operations,…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ASmithJG160408.mp3
Jack volunteered for the Royal Air Force in September 1940. He went to RAF Padgate and then on to RAF Blackpool, where he trained as a wireless operator. Jack proceeded to a radio school at RAF Compton Bassett and then RAF Bramcote. He was posted to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PHammondBF1801.jpg
Bert Hammond was born and brought up in Norwich and was working as a grocer’s assistant, as well as being an air cadet, at the start of the war. He recalls bombing attacks on Norwich and a lone aircraft machine gunning female workers leaving the…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AMakensL170117.mp3
Louis Makens worked as a farm worker before the war but volunteered for aircrew. He discusses his training on Wellingtons and operations flying Stirlings with 196 Squadron including a crash landing, and glider towing. His Halifax was shot down 18/19…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AParkeRG161019.mp3
Ray Parke worked on the railway before joining the RAF in 1943. He recalls flying 40 operations as a flight engineer with 218 Squadron by the time he was 20. He tells about operations on Essen and the Ruhr, and discusses the Dresden operation, giving…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

APriestR160720.mp3
Ron Priest worked in accountancy before the war and then served as a rear gunner, flying 25 operations with 149 Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, all on Stirlings. He describes his training in England, Canada and the United States, under the American…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AWebsterJK161004.mp3
Jack Webster applied to join the RAF in December 1942, attended a selection board at RAF Cardington, and was eventually called up in June 1943. After initial training, he went to 4 Radio School at RAF Madley passing out from there with 18 words per…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PSmithDA1901.jpg
Douglas Smith grew up in Bressingham, Norfolk. He joined the Royal Air Force in October 1940, at the age of 19, and trained as a wireless operator. He joined a crew on Wellingtons at No 10 Operational Training Unit, RAF Abingdon, before converting to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABantingP160315.mp3
Peter Banting grew up in London and was a member of the Air Training Corps before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. After training, he flew operations with 75 Squadron from RAF Mepal and 7 Squadron RAF Oakington. After the war he trained to be…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PDeanJEH1701.jpg
John Dean’s childhood memory of watching a Spitfire and a German aircraft having a dogfight in the sky above him spurred him to want to become a Spitfire pilot. He didn’t achieve his aim of becoming a Spitfire pilot and instead became a navigator. On…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PJonesMH1601.jpg
Mervyn Jones is a miner's son from Wales. His father wanted a different life to that of a miner for his son and the family moved away to Slough where there was plenty of work. Mervyn had always had trouble with his ears and so his father assumed he…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGouldWP180619.mp3
William Gould joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps at his Grammar School in Stoke on Trent. After selection to join the RAF as a wireless operator/air gunner he went to RAF Eastchurch to re-muster as a flight engineer, and from there, did his training…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABeckettPC180317.mp3
Peter Beckett grew up in Mildenhall village. He attended the local Air Training Corps which enabled him to visit the airfield and take the opportunity to have air test flights with operational aircrews and help the ground staff with their work. He…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABoutcherFL180318.mp3
Frank Boutcher worked as a junior clerk for Southend Borough Council before the war. He wanted to join the Royal Navy but they only required able seamen on a long commission, so he joined the RAF instead, to train as an engine fitter. After…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2