Browse Items (1366 total)
- Spatial Coverage is exactly "North Africa"
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Interview with Jim Auton
Jim Auton grew up on Royal Air Force stations and joined the Royal Air Force at 17. He trained as a pilot navigator and bomber at RAF Ansty near Coventry, then in South Africa under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He trained on B-24s at Lidder and,…
Interview with a survivor of the Villanova Marchesana bombings
The interviewee recalls how he moved from Libya to Italy and lived for some years in various camps in Napoli, Marina di Massa, Trento, San Remo and Massa Lombarda. He describes a three-day bombing raid in Napoli where he managed to hide in a church…
Interview with Desmond Hawkins
Desmond Hawkins volunteered for the Royal Air Force and became a navigator. After training on Wellingtons and Manchesters, he flew Lancasters for 44 Squadron and completed a tour of operations. He was commissioned as flight lieutenant and, after the…
Suez Canal
Photograph 1 is taken from the side of a lager ship. In the water are small boats selling fruit, vegetables and other items.
Photograph 2 is of a dredger.
Photograph 3 is of a lighthouse.
Photograph 4 is of trees at the side of the…
Photograph 2 is of a dredger.
Photograph 3 is of a lighthouse.
Photograph 4 is of trees at the side of the…
Interview with John Whitworth
John Leslie Whitworth was born in Sutton Coldfield. He signed up for the Royal Air Force in 1940, finally being called up for service in 1941, before starting his training at the Initial Training Wing in Torquay, followed by more training at RAF…
Interview with Jack Bell
Jack Bell joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a wireless operator/air gunner and joined 216 Squadron, at Heliopolis, near Cairo. He flew in Valentia and Bombay aircraft in a transport role. On an operation over Libya, his aircraft was shot down…
Army history of cadet Ensign Margaret Pratt and Sergeant Charles Ward
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…
Charles Ward Territorial Army record of service paper
Personal and service record details for Charles William Ward. Noted that he served at home and abroad in North Africa and was awarded the Africa Star with 1st Army clasp and the 1939/45 Star and provides a character reference. Release date 29 April…
Margaret Pratt (now Ward) service record
Service record with personal details. Notes completed wireless operator training in May 1943 and then served in North Africa and Bari, Italy.
Interview with Laurence Sidney Fisher
Born in Peterborough, Laurence Fisher initially joined the RAF as an armourer and was posted to the Re-Arming and Refuelling Unit at Sidi Barrani, Egypt. He volunteered for aircrew and was trained in South Africa. As an ex-armourer, he also lectured…
Interview with Keith Ganney
Keith was called up in February 1942 and, after basic training, learned to fly in the Tiger Moth and was then sent to Davidson in Canada for further training in Cornells and Cranes. He failed a flying test and was re-mustered as a bomb aimer and sent…
Interview with Victor Gregg
Victor Gregg joined the army on his 18th birthday. He was stationed in the Middle East when the news came that war had been declared. His first major battle of the war was at Beda Fomm. He later volunteered and was posted to 10 Parachute Battalion…
Interview with Hugh Lorimer
Hugh Lorimer skipped school to see a flying circus and won a flight in one of the aeroplanes. He later volunteered for the RAF and began training as a wireless operator. He was, initially, posted to Special Duty Flight test flying in India. However,…
Interview with Roy White
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…
Interview with Bob Porteous
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…
Interview with Donald Solin
Donald Solin grew up in Perth, Western Australia and worked in a store before joining the Air Force. He served in Europe and North Africa and flew 40 operations as a pilot with 624 Squadron, a special duties squadron dropping supplies and agents…
Interview with Eric Taylor
Squadron Leader Eric Taylor joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and served as a navigator. He served in North Africa and completed a tour of operations against targets in Italy, before becoming an instructor in England. He describes the differences in…
Interview with Herbert Tinning
Herbert joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and was posted, initially, to a communication flight as a fitter. He managed to transfer to aircrew and describes the enlistment process. He went to Somers, then Cootamundra for navigator training…
Interview with Jack Wakefield
Jack Wakefield grew up in New Zealand and volunteered for the Air Force and the Army. He trained as an air gunner on Defiants before being posted to 75 Squadron at RAF Feltwell where he completed a tour on Wellingtons, flying operations to locations…
Interview with Charles and Margaret Ward
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…
Interview with Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey was born in Stafford. After finishing school, he went to work for the Post Office Telephones service as a telegram boy. He decided to join the Royal Air Force and began training as a rear gunner at RAF Dalcross. He joined 31 Squadron of…
Interview with Arthur Spencer
Arthur Spencer joined the Royal Air Force after leaving school. He began pilot training in Florida but then re-mustered as a navigator and trained in Pensacola. He completed two tours of operations as a navigator with 97 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa…
An interesting war
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…
Royal Air Force Sailing
![MHicksDK[Ser#-DoB]-151001-04.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/369/5796/MHicksDK[Ser -DoB]-151001-04.jpg "MHicksDK[Ser#-DoB]-151001-04.jpg")
Tells of how Ken Hicks learnt to sail during his service in the RAF and, subsequently, took part in sailing competitions back in the United Kingdom with great success.
Interview with Ken Hicks
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…