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Just Another Tailend Charlie
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…
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…
35 Squadron Lancasters
Top- newspaper cutting with photograph of three Lancasters in light paint scheme.
Middle left - line of Lancasters in light paint scheme lined up on airfield.
Middle right - air-to-air view head on of a Lancaster in light paint scheme taken from…
Middle left - line of Lancasters in light paint scheme lined up on airfield.
Middle right - air-to-air view head on of a Lancaster in light paint scheme taken from…
Goodwill visit to United States
Newspaper cutting with three air-to-air view photographs of Lancasters.
Article states that 16 Lancasters of 35 Pathfinder Squadron will arrive 27 July 1946 on three day visit to Denver area. They arrived in the United States at Mitchel Field New…
Article states that 16 Lancasters of 35 Pathfinder Squadron will arrive 27 July 1946 on three day visit to Denver area. They arrived in the United States at Mitchel Field New…
Famed RAF Squadron to visit Lowry
Top - newspaper cutting with two photographs - left air-to-air view showing three Lancasters and on the right an air-to air view of three Lancasters in echelon starboard. Text states that this page has several pictures of Lancasters from famed 35…
Memoir by Arthur Hollis
Second page has colour photograph of Arthur Hollis, wearing blazer with medals, standing in a field at an event. Narrative covers early life in Hornchurch and Carshalton including schooling and hospital admissions. Writes of Dulwich College studies…
Thanksgiving address for the life of Arthur Norman Hollis OBE, DFC
Thanksgiving eulogy for the life and times of Arthur Hollis OBE, DFC of Bomber Command which covers his childhood successes whilst at Dulwich College, his subsequent enlistment into the RAF in 1941, and his pilot training in Florida and the UK. It…
History of 115 (B) Squadron
A four-page personal history of 115 Squadron written by J L Dixon, covering formation in 1917, to the end of hostilities in 1945. It is typed on Registration Research headed notepaper.
Interview with Leonard Ralph Tyrell
Leonard Ralph Tyrell mentions always being keen on aircraft since he was a boy. He was sent to RAF Syerston near Nottingham for Lancaster Finishing School, and then an advanced flying unit near Wolverhampton, before heading to number 17 OTU at RAF…
Interview with Francis Neville Selwood
Francis Neville Selwood of Invercargill, New Zealand was fascinated with aeroplanes in his youth and lived near an airfield where he could go and watch the aircraft. He was keen to volunteer as a pilot but an early rugby injury made that impossible.…
Interview with John Plendeleith
John Plenderleith was in the Air Training Corps before volunteering to join the RAF. He was posted to 626 Squadron at RAF Wickenby and, when the crew were allocated their hut, they were surprised to find it was still occupied with another crew’s…
Interview with Taff Owen
Aneurin ‘Taff’ Owen was born neat Dolgellau, near Penmaenpool in Wales, and joined the Royal Air Force in 1942, aged 18. Taff was a farmer’s son and, as such, was put into a reserved occupation, so some of the areas of the Royal Air Force were not…
Interview with John Alan Ottewell
John Ottewell was a member of the Air Defence Cadet Corps and volunteered for the RAF when he was 18. While undertaking initial training he was present when a Fw 190 attacked the town of Babbacombe. He took part in the clean-up at the church where 24…
Interview with Ken Oatley
Initially too young to enlist at the outbreak of war, Ken Oatley served in the Home Guard until he was able to enlist in October 1940 and, after initial training, he undertook pilot training. After basic flying training he went onto Canada training…
Interview with Peter Morris
Peter Morris lived through the East End blitz. He joined the ATC as soon as it was established and applied to join the RAF as aircrew and was accepted for training as a navigator. While waiting for a course he was part of a group that was sent to…
Interview with Bob Leedham
Bob Leedham was a flight engineer who carried out 21 operations on Stirlings. At the outbreak of war Bob was an apprentice motor mechanic and, along with other apprentices, was left to operate the garage when all the engineers were called up. In 1940…
Interview with Dave Knight
David Knight was a member of the ATC before volunteering for the Royal New Zealand Air Force and beginning training as a navigator. He travelled to Canada, as part of his training, before arriving in the UK and being posted to 75 Squadron at RAF…
Interview with Neil Harris
Neil Harris wanted to join the RAF because he was looking for an exciting life experience and an opportunity for further education. He started as a flight mechanic before training as a pilot. Neil remembers being trained in different locations across…
Interview with Basil Goldstraw
Basil Goldstraw was born in Buxton, Derbyshire. He joined the RAF at aged 17 to do a motor mechanics apprenticeship. He wanted to join aircrew but was grounded due to a medical condition. After training at Number 3 School of Technical Training he…
Interview with Thomas Fisher
Thomas Fisher initially trained as a fitter in the RAF. When the Air Ministry announced that flight engineers were needed from the ranks of the ground mechanics he volunteered for training. The CO was surprised that he volunteered and asked him if it…
Interview with Harry Fearns
Harry Fearns was born and lived in Barnsley South Yorkshire. He left school at 16 and joined the Prudential Insurance Company as a door-to-door premiums collector. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1944 as a flight engineer. Following initial training…
Interview with Megan Edwards
Megan Edwards talks about her husband, Arthur Edwards, who served in the RAF with 102 Squadron. She tells of how they met at school and always kept in touch through the war, until they married on October 7 1944. She remembers working at the Bristol…
Interview with George Charles Culling
George Charles Culling’s town struggled constantly during the war due to the amount of bombing, which eventually forced his school to close. Finding an interest in navigation equipment, George joined the Air Training Corps and learned more about his…
Interview with Bert Mason
Bert Mason was born in Germany and worked in light engineering and driving ambulances before joining the RAF in 1942. He started training as a navigator then joined a crew and became an air gunner on 195 Squadron at RAF Wratting Common. He tells of…
Sqn. Ldr Geoffrey Whittle, DFM RAF (Ret'd)
A brief memoir of Geoffrey Whittle's wartime service. His training started in March 1942 in Scotland. One year later he converted to Wellingtons, then Lancasters at RAF Lindholme. He was then posted to RAF Ludford Magna. On his 15th operation over…
Fred Whybrow draft Obituary
The Obituary describes his service and civilian career from training in the United States to his 105 operations. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He met his future wife, Isobel in Blackpool. Served in the Far East and demobbed in 1947.