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Interview with Harrison Stanley Cammish
Harrison Cammish was born in Scarborough in 1923 and, when he was 14, he became an apprentice carpenter and joiner. When war broke out, he joined the Air Training Corps, and the Home Guard, who gave him a rifle and 40 rounds of ammunition. At the…
Before I was in the RAF by Reg Payne
An account by Reg Payne of his wartime experiences. Too young to sign up at the start of the war he spent two years in the Home Guard. Training started at age 18 and lasted for two years. He served at RAF Skellingthorpe and his brother served at RAF…
Aviation Memory
A detailed account of Reg Payne's service in the RAF. He starts with a list of 18 RAF bases where he served in his 5 years of service. He was 16 when war was declared but volunteered for the RAF at 17. After tests he was selected for training as a…
Interview with Frank Gerald Bassett
Frank was brought up in Woolwich, joined the RAF at the age of 18 and became an armourer. Frank describes the difficult physical work, loading and unloading bombs. He served 617 Squadron and loaded bouncing bombs, which were different. He remembers…
Interview with Peter Swallow
Peter Swallow was born in Sheffield in 1929, one of three children. He recalls hearing Mr Chamberlain’s declaration of war broadcast as a schoolchild. His father, a plumber, volunteered as a member of the Local Defence Volunteers, eventually becoming…
Interview with William Edwin Barnett
William Edwin Barnett talks about his experience of living on the edge of RAF Westcott, near Aylesbury. He remembers starting work on a farm at the age of 14 and describes his everyday life and duties. He tells of being conscripted into the Home…
Interview with Robert Barnes. One
Robert Barnes was working in a Reserved Occupation and knew the only way he could join the RAF was to volunteer for aircrew. Before he volunteered he was also a member of the ARP and Home Guard. Robert trained as a flight engineer and was posted to…
Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
He writes about his night flying and taking three Home Guard for a flight in his aircraft.
Interview with Maurice Snowball
Maurice Snowball was born and educated in Sunderland. After school, he served an engineering apprenticeship with a local family firm and was a member of the Home Guard. Maurice was a keen amateur footballer and had hopes of turning professional but,…
Interview with Doug Packman
Doug grew up in Kent, and joined the Royal Air Force aged 18, as a flight engineer for 630 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby in 5 Group Bomber Command, flying Lancasters. He carried out 34 operations, followed by time as an instructor at RAF Syerston,…
Interview with Thomas Charles Arthur Long
Thomas Charles Arthur Long was born in Quorn, England. He was in the Home Guard and worked at Brush as a draughtsman, also gaining a Higher National Certificate from Loughborough College. He decided to join the RAF, as it was the only way to get out…
Interview with George Holmes
George was born in Mansfield and was bought up by his grandparents until he was seven when he moved back to his parents in Leicester, where his father ran a coffee shop. He was a semi-professional musician playing violin, trumpet and mandolin. He…
Interview with Dennis Kirk. Two
Dennis Kirk was born in Barkston 1920, and lived on a farm near Plungar. He recalls when the war started, the War Executive Committee told farmers what to produce; he also talks about the Land Army. Being in a reserved occupation, he joined the Home…
Interview with Dennis Kirk. One
Dennis Kirk was born in 1920, in the village of Barkestone in Nottinghamshire, to farming parents. He says that he did not want to be a farmer but when he left school he had to work on the farm. When the war started he wanted to join up but, because…
Interview with Harry Winter
Harry Winter grew up in Cardiff and worked in a paper mill from the age of 14. He served in the Home Guard before volunteering for the Air Force. After training as a wireless operator at RAF Yatesbury he flew operations over Germany, France, and…
Interview with Jack Brown Franklin
Jack grew up in Liverpool. His brother was the famous ballet dancer, Frederick Franklin CBE. He describes the Liverpool May Blitz and the paper merchants’ firm, where he worked, being bombed. He returned to his job after the war. After the Local…
Interview with George Dunn
George was born at Whitstable and was 17 when war was declared. He joined the local Defence Volunteers, which became the Home Guard. When he reached 18 he volunteered for air crew. He was interviewed at Chatham and sat an exam and selection board to…
Interview with James Burdin
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…
Interview with Richard Harrison
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…
Three members of the Home Guard
Three quarters portrait of three soldiers standing by a railing in front of a brick building. Tom Jones is in the centre. On the reverse 'Homeguard '40 Birmingham'.
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 Rupert Noye
Rupert Noye completed two tours of operations as a rear gunner with 166 and 156 Squadrons.
Rupert initially tried to become a wireless operator but on being unsuccessful with the requirements of that trade, re-mustered as an air gunner. Rupert…
Rupert initially tried to become a wireless operator but on being unsuccessful with the requirements of that trade, re-mustered as an air gunner. Rupert…
Interview with Brian Hutson
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…
Interview with Jeff Gray
Jeff Gray was a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He trained to fly in Texas and completed 30 operations as a pilot with 61 Squadron. After leaving the RAF he worked for BOAC flying Yorks and VC10s.
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…