Browse Items (1366 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "North Africa"

ABullockWEJ151030.mp3
William Bullock was born in Marshfield in Gloucestershire in September 1916 and joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice in 1932. He was posted to Egypt for training - after serving in the Middle East he joined Bomber Command as an engineer. After…

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ADixonAS151106.mp3
Alec Stuart Dixon volunteered for the Royal Air Force via the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. After training he flew Beauforts and Ansons, then trained as a Hudson pilot. He flew convoy escort operations and reconnaissance flights looking for…

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AIsherwoodRC160401.mp3
Raymond Isherwood grew up in Watford and whilst at the grammar school he joined the Air Training Corps. His first job was at a government laboratory, which was a reserved occupation except for air crew. As he had always been interested in aircraft…

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AHarrisonR151116.mp3
Richard Harrison was born in Cologne in 1924 to a German mother and English father. His desire to be aircrew was thwarted initially by a failed medical, something he later surmises could be on account of his mother’s nationality. A member of the Air…

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BSpencerAHGSpencerAHGv1.pdf
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. It includes details of childhood and growing up, tells of him joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. This was followed by training in England and a…

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LLaneEO402057v1.pdf
Royal Australian Air Force flying log book for Ernest 'Cappy' Olaf Lane covering the period 30 April 1940 to 15 October 1944 detailing his training and operations flown. Cappy flew 51 operations, 18 as second pilot to Sergeant Lewis, Sergeant…

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APorteousB161102.mp3
Flight Sergeant Bob Porteous grew up in Australia and, after spending time in the bush, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force. After training and spending time in the United States, he travelled to Scotland on the Queen Mary. He flew operations as…

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CFoskettW-230609-01.jpg
A sketch map of locations where Bill served in the RAF: Bari, Benghazi, Cairo, Calais, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Karlsruhe, Lille, London, Marseilles, Montmédy, Munich, Naples, Roma, Saarbrucken, Stuttgart, Trieste, Tripoli, Udine, and Venice.

SSmithRW425992v10004-0002 copy.pdf
Describes his service after completing his tour and the journey back to Australia.

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AWilsonJ161231.mp3
Before the war, Joe was a trainee pharmacist with a love of mathematics. He signed up for the RAF and flew briefly in Tiger Moths, becoming a bomb aimer. He went to 20 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lossiemouth, followed by 1652 Heavy Conversion…

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ALeithJM170112.mp3
James McKenzie Leith had been a swimming instructor prior to joining the RAF. He trained as a gunner and was posted to 429 Squadron at RAF Leeming. He recalls his first operation during which he and his crew had to ditch into the sea. He goes on to…

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MFoskettW1323050-230609-09.pdf
Notes for soldiers and airmen returning home by road. It details the towns that they will pass through, starting at Villach in Austria and ends in Calais. There is a map of the route.
On the last page the times of departure and arrival are recorded.

NRoyallGL220420-01.pdf
Four page Western Italy edition of the newspaper containing articles from various operational theatres around the world and from Britain.
Page 1 headline is: 'I SAW GENERAL SHOOT AT PRISONERS'.
Page 2 is given over to the forthcoming General…

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PSaundersEJ20010096.jpg
A document in English and Arabic asking for help, explaining how to behave with Arabs, including a few words in Arabic and an explanation of the perception of distance.

EEddyJMPickfordF410826.jpg
The letter acknowledges that Les is a prisoner of war in Tripoli. It advises the procedure of sending mail and parcels to Les.

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MPowellNI1896919-191029-48.jpg
List of deficiencies on arrival from the UK. No rank and name filled out.

SBondS-HobbsCv10002.MP3
Cliff mentions that he had interviewed his pilot Peter Fotherby, looking for further information about some incidents. He describes volunteering for the RAF and training as an air gunner in Ansons. He was posted to the Middle East, trained and crewed…

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MKnoxVD63842-240818-150001.jpg
Service sheet including prayers and hymns.

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BWardCWWardCWv1.pdf
Records Charles Ward's call up to the Army and early training. Having applied and been accepted to transfer to the Royal Air Force, all transfers were cancelled due to imminent operations. He describes, in detail, fighting in Tunisia, and explains…

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AMcPhersonWhiteR150901.mp3
Roy White was born in Perth, Scotland but grew up in London. He joined the Air Training Corps, went on as a volunteer reserve and then served as an air gunner in the RAF. He tells of his brother serving in Coastal Command and surviving an aircraft…

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PWardC-M1609.jpg
In 1940, aged 20, Charles received papers to join the Royal Artillery and went into the Royal London Rifles. Although he had volunteered and been accepted for the RAF he was sent to Scotland to join a special unit of tanks and artillery. Having been…

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AHicksDK151103.mp3
Ken sat the RAF aircraft apprentice exam because of his father. He passed and went, aged 16, to RAF Halton. The three-year course was condensed into two because of the war. He describes his training and the aircraft on which he worked. After he…

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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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ACleggS160706.mp3
Stanley Clegg was born in 1923 in Shaw, a small town near Oldham and, at the age of 14, started working at the Fern Cotton Spinning Company as an apprentice in the office. He signed up for the Royal Air Force in December 1941 at the age of 18 and was…

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AShawWH151027.mp3
Bill was a wireless operator/air gunner. He joined the Home Guard in 1941 and registered for conscription to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1943. He reported to Lord’s Cricket Ground and went to an Initial Training Wing at RAF Bridgnorth. Bill then…

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