Browse Items (27 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "Sierra Leone"

BBlackburnRBlackburn[Fa]v1.pdf
Written from memory and scrap book about the RAF service of his fighter pilot father, who volunteered in 1940. It covers training, first operational squadron in England followed by postings to the Middle East where he was testing Spitfires due to be…

BMilesRJMilesRJv1.pdf
A detailed Biography of Reg' service and post service life.

YSaundersJWG1324708v1.pdf
A description of travelling in convoy on the Highland Princess with 1,700 other Royal Air Force and British Army personnel. Including details of the onboard conditions, weather, a stopover, gun duty, attending lectures and wildlife sightings.…

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PWyrillWR18020009.jpg
From top:
View of a wooded coastline with a town behind. Captioned, 'first glimpse of Africa. 'Freetown' Sierra Leone'.
Wooded coastline with hills beyond.
Bottom left: Airmen in uniform standing on the line of a sports field. A man stands with…

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PPaineGH16010049.jpg
Album page with four small photographs, first captioned 'Entering Freetown Harbour, Sierra Leone'.
Second 'Water boat Freetown'.
Third 'Natives diving for 'Glasgow Tanners' Freetown'.
Fourth 'Bartering with the natives of Freetown'.

PSearleROJ17030029.jpg
A postcard of Africa with a native child sitting. On the reverse there is a reference to Freetown being their first port of call.

PWyrillWR18020014.jpg
From top:
Two men in a canoe with the one at the stern holding a single paddle. Captioned, 'natives selling fruit at Freetown.'.
Two open canoes pull alongside a ship. Men in uniform and topee's look down on the scene.
A man dives into the sea.…

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…

ASmytheE170802-01.mp3
Eddy Smythe’s father, Johnny Smythe, was a navigator on a Lancaster. He was originally from Sierra Leonne. On one operation he was injured when anti-aircraft fire damaged their aircraft but they continued to target. One engine had been damaged and so…

PSmytheE1701.jpg
Eddy Smythe reminisces about his father, John Henry Smythe, who was from Sierra Leone and served in Bomber Command during the Second World War. John flew as a navigator until his aircraft was shot down in November 1943. He became a prisoner of war in…

ASmytheE170802-02-AV.mp3
Eddy Smyth’s father was John Smythe. John left Sierra Leone to join the RAF during the Second World War. He was shot down over Germany and spent two years as a prisoner of war. After the war he trained as a barrister and returned to Sierra Leone…

PRoyallG1501.jpg
George volunteered to be a pilot but settled for Air Observer. He talks about his selection and training in London and then in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he enjoyed the theatre and how, at Brighton, illness separated him from the rest of the course.…

AHydeON170830-01.mp3
Oluwole Hyde’s father was Adesanya Hyde, who served as a navigator with 640 Squadron. He was badly injured but continued to navigate the aeroplane on operation. It was only when they were over the UK that he accepted the morphine for the pain. After…

AHydeON170830-02.mp3
Olu Hyde continues his interview by describing his experience as the son of a Bomber Command veteran.

ALloydT[Date]-01.mp3
Terry Lloyd’s older brother was a wireless operator in Bomber Command and became a prisoner of war. Terry was also determined to join the RAF as aircrew. However, he was rejected due to his eyesight and served on Air Sea Rescue launches. Terry was…

SWatsonC188489v1-1.pdf
A memoir written by Cliff Watson divided into 20 chapters.

The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to…

PPaineGH16010052.jpg
Sketch map of Geoff's journey from Gwello in Southern Rhodesia to Liverpool between 6 and 26 October 1945.

SDunnFT1319229v10002-0001.pdf
Autographical account of life at the beginning of the war including service in ARP in Swindon and his reasons for volunteering for the RAF. He registered for military service in February 1941. Awaiting call-up, he had induction at St John's Wood…

BNealeETHNealeETHv09.jpg
A short story about the SS Strathmore in Sierra Leone harbour during a transit to South Africa. Fishermen were diving for silver coins and one was singing a crude version of 'Bless em all'.

PWyrillWR18020019.jpg
From top:
A man diving into the sea next to an open canoe
An aircraft lands on the sea. Captioned, 'Sunderland flying boat at Freetown'.
View of an aircraft from the deck of a ship with a derrick and winch.
An aircraft landing on the sea in…

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SDunnFT1319229v10002-Transcript.pdf
Transcript of F Dunn's memoir describing life before and after joining the RAF. It includes induction and starting off in the RAF in England and then his sea voyage to South Africa, where he underwent initial training in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
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