Browse Items (1366 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "North Africa"

PDawsonSR16010028.jpg
Top left - Stephen Dawson in airline uniform and Joy Dawson in a dress in the garden of a two story house. Captioned 'in uniform England'.

Top right - Stephen Dawson in swimming trunks sitting in a cane chair by a table under and awning in front…

YDorricottAArmy2465v.pdf
A handwritten notebook containing the war diary of A Dorricott from October 1914. He embarks the SS Deseado at Southampton and sails through the Bay of Biscay, past Gibraltar to Malta. They continued with naval escorts to Port Said, through the Suez…

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LGodfreyCR1281391v10001.pdf
Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Pilot Officer Godfrey from 3 of February 1941 to 25 of September 1945 detailing training schedule, instructional duties and operations flown. Aircraft flown were Dominie, Proctor, Wellington, Hampden,…

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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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AGiovanettiJL180813.mp3
Leontina Giovanetti was born in 1913 and reminisces about her early life with three sisters, her father. who was a typographer and photographer, and her mother, a house-wife. She describes musical training at the Milan conservatory, stressing the…

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ERaettigDRaettigDW410727-0001.jpg
Senders address is care of Worms and Company (shipping agents). Asks whether Dennis Raettig has been receiving mail from his father and relates family news. Comments that most women and children have been evacuated. Tells story of two women…

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ABaronC160321.mp3
Charles Baron grew up in London and volunteered for aircrew in 1940, where he trained as a navigator and on radar. He later volunteered for overseas duties and was posted to India, where he flew intruder operations over Burma. After the war, he…

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ABlandC150817.mp3
Charles Bland joined the Royal Air Force in February 1942 and went to RAF Halton as an Aircraft Apprentice. He tells of his training at Halton, and describes the different trades and his exams to become an Leading Aircraftsman 1st Class, where he was…

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ABrettD150522.mp3
Dennis was born in 1924 and joined the Royal Air Force in November 1942. He trained as a flight mechanic, airframe, at RAF Locking and was responsible for the whole of the aircraft, apart from the engines and the guns. Dennis explained the emergency…

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ABrileyW150522.mp3
After training in South Africa, William Briley flew operations as a navigator with 40 Squadron flying Wellingtons from Foggia, Italy. One of his operations involved dropping a 4,000lb bomb, derailing two trains. He was also involved in mine laying…

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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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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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ADavidsonRE151126.mp3
Roy was born in Lincoln in 1933 and was six years old when war was declared. He left school at the age of 15 and went to work for Lincoln City Council in the Pension department before being called up for National Service in 1951, doing basic training…

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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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NClydeSmithD-190916-01.jpg
Newspaper article about Halifax on tour of Rhodesia and South Africa via Bulawayo, Ndola, Nairobi, Khartoum, Cairo and Rome. Mentions demonstration flights in South Africa and that the aircraft was commanded by Squadron Leader Clyde-Smith…

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PStonemanWJ1605.jpg
William James Stoneman ('Bill') was posted to RAF Elsham Wolds before Aircrew Reception Centre at RAF Cardington. He chose to become a rear gunner as he did not have to wait. Air gunnery training followed at RAF Bishops Court in Northern Ireland on…

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AGoodfellowN151106.mp3
Norman Goodfellow was born in Wakefield, in 1923. Before the war he worked as an apprentice engineer. Joining the RAF aged 17 he was offered the choice of pilot or navigator. Although Norman chose to be a navigator he, initially, trained as a pilot…

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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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AHughesWR150713.mp3
Bob Hughes joined the RAF as war became likely, to avoid repeating his father's First World War experience in the trenches, transferring to the RAF Volunteer Reserve when war was declared. He trained on Ansons and then flew in twin-engine Blenheims…

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AMonkR150813.mp3
Roy Monk remembers days spent in the air raid shelters as a schoolboy during the war. After the war he wanted to be a policeman before he was called to National Service. After training to be a mechanic he was posted to RAF Upwood. Then he was posted…

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PSeaggerA1612.jpg
Before the war, Alan was an electrical apprentice. He joined the RAF and was posted to RAF Binbrook before being posted overseas. He was placed with No. 37 Squadron for a time, which moved to Egypt and was based at RAF Shallufa. There were troops of…

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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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ATinsleyR150604.mp3
Dick was from a farming background and joined the Royal Air Force in 1944. After going to RAF Bedford, he was sent to Lord’s Cricket Ground. Those passing as a pilot went to a flying school near Coventry to be assessed for pilot training on a Tiger…

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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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