Browse Items (294 total)

  • Temporal Coverage is exactly "1939"

MBoldyDA923995-151130-23.jpg
Certificate affirming that DA Boldy received full colours from University of London King’s College, academic year 1938/39.

BBriggsDWBriggDWv1.pdf
Don recalls his wartime service from 1939 to 1945, having joined as an apprentice at RAF Halton in September 1939. He was first posted to RAF Wittering as fitter engineer working on Wellington, Hampden and Manchester aircraft, followed by a tour at…

MBubbGJ1477939-160322-08.pdf
Black leather front cover has RAF badge. Inside page two has message from the King extolling bible, page three name and address. Last two pages blank.

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MCarterRH[DoB]-150629-080001.jpg
Notes that children had shared hardship and should be proud of their effort. Signed 'George RI'. On the reverse 'Important War dates' with table of dates fro 1939-1945.

MFlowersHJ[Ser#-DoB]-160630-010001.jpg
British propaganda leaflet starts by describing trend in German propaganda that they are not trying to destroy the British Empire but are fighting the Churchill plutocratic gang, Continues with quotes from German ministers and publications concerning…

PTempleL1501.jpg
Leslie Temple spent four years in the Air Training Corps before joining the Royal Air Force as a radio operator. He completed a tour of 30 operations with 101 Squadron at RAF Ludford Magna, as a German speaking special operator. He describes how…

OJonesRCH646212-151022-010001.jpg
Service record of Ron Jones from 1 June 1939 to 25 April 1944.

PBascombeEJ1505.jpg
Three quarter length portrait of a soldier, Sydney Nichols, a sailor, Albert Venables and Ron Jones. All three in respective uniforms. On the reverse '1939-40 Ron with Stepbroth Sydney Nicholas (Army) and cousin Albert Venables (Navy)'

PBanksP15010001.jpg
Dark orange album cover with Royal Air Force motto, Pilots Wings, intertwined initial with J and H inside a B and dates.

ABriggsDW170327.mp3
Donald Briggs was born in Lealholm near Whitby in Yorkshire. After school, he became an apprentice with the Royal Air Force. He trained at RAF Halton in 1939 and became an engine fitter working on Wellingtons and Manchesters. He volunteered for…

PBanksP15010115.jpg
Top left an air-to-air view of a reconnaissance Spitfire flying right to left with cloud background.

Bottom left air-to-air view of the bottom of a reconnaissance spitfire with Invasion stripes. The camera openings can be seen in the rear…

PCushwayAW16020027.jpg
Two men in shorts are sitting on a wooden gate. On the reverse 'The Gypsies Lt. Burstead Whitsun 1939.' and '? Ted Seager'

AAn01134-170717.mp3
She tells of her life in Berlin before, during and after the war. She lived with her mother in a block of flats close to the home of her grandparents. Her father died when she was nine years old. During the war she collected shrapnel as souvenirs…

ABrewsterDG160617.mp3
David was born in 1931 in Sutton on Sea and recalls living in a spartan house with no toilet, lit by gas lights and with a water pump in the garden and his father keeping pigs to augment their income. His family ancestors had sailed to America in the…

PCampbellKWP1601.jpg
Keith Campbell grew up in New South Wales and joined the Royal Australian Air Force when he was old enough. He flew 35 operations as a bomb aimer with 466 Squadron from RAF Leconfield and RAF Driffield when, on their 31st operation another aircraft…

AColensoF170522.mp3
Frank Colenso grew up in Cornwall and, at the outbreak of the war, was working for a local newspaper. He recalls the return of injured survivors from Dunkirk into Falmouth Bay. He joined the local defence volunteers following the bombing of Falmouth…

PHenwoodP1701.jpg
Priscilla was encouraged by a friend’s father to join the 600 Squadron in anticipation of the war. She was called up and was based at Finsbury Barracks, involved in recruitment. Priscilla also worked on the telephone exchange at Clerkenwell. In…

AHutsonB171030.mp3
Brian Hutson was a child during the war. He remembers his father, who worked on building airfields and delivering air raid shelters. He also recalls his childhood, sleeping in a shelter and listening to aircraft, air raids, blackouts, playing with…

PJamesHGW1705.jpg
Harry James grew up in Berkshire and, after school, began training as a plumber. He joined the RAF and completed 33 operations as a rear gunner with 166 Squadron. He discusses his crew, their different nationalities, of how the majority of their…

AKroeseFW170829.mp3
Frederik was born in 1924 and recalls the start of the German occupation. Frederik was asked to report to an office to go and work in Germany but chose instead to go into hiding. He was offered work in the resistance by the son of a secretary to…

AParsonsCER160817.mp3
Cecil Parsons was born in 1918 in Victoria, Australia. He volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force in 1939 and trained as a pilot in New South Wales and Canada, as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, before being posted to England in 1940.…

AShuttleworthHJ151021.mp3
Joe Shuttleworth was born and raised in Brisbane but spent a lot of time with family in the Melbourne area. He volunteered for aircrew and began training as a gunner. After initial training he sailed to the United States and on to the UK. While at…

ASzuwalskaW150910.mp3
Wanda Szuwalska was 16 years old when Germany invaded Poland. The family was deported to Siberia by the Russian army. They travelled for several weeks to the Arkhangelsk region, where Wanda then worked as a logger. When war intensified between Russia…

ATaylorJ150916.mp3
John Taylor grew up in Nottingham and was evacuated before he went into sixth form. He left school and started working as an analytical chemist at Boots the Chemist and, although, this was a reserved occupation he volunteered for aircrew. After his…

WhittleG.jpg
Squadron Leader Geoffrey Whittle was born in London. After leaving school, at 14 he became an apprentice printer in the family business. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force on the outbreak of the Second World War and trained as a navigator and…