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Letter to David Donaldson from M H Edwards
Letter to David Donaldson from his father-in-law Chaplain-in-Chief Royal Air Force M H Edwards congratulating him on achievements. Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.
Interview with John Henry Thomas
John Thomas was born in Australia and joined the RAF in 1943. After completing his initial training in Australia he travelled to the UK via America. Further training, including an accident and night vision tests, led to 102 Squadron and a full tour…
Interview with George Patrick Smith-Leach
George was born in Chelmsford, Essex. He then moved to Clacton-on-Sea where he went to school before going to a seminary catholic college. When war broke out, he and two other boys aged 15 or 16 ran away from college and went to Ipswich to join the…
Interview with James Sampson
James Sampson volunteered for the RAF, trained as a navigator and became a specialist on H2S. He survived three write-offs of his aircraft, including once when the wheels had been shot away. His bomb aimer had a very near miss when shrapnel hit the…
Interview with Haydn Philip Rose
Haydn Philip Rose was born on the 27th of July 1924. After leaving school he worked in the Simmonds factory office before joining the RAF in 1943, training as an engineer. His work colleagues also joined, becoming a pilot and a navigator. Upon…
Ian Archer Wynn memorial book
An album book containing: 1. Photographs of Ian Wynn, his family and his first crew captain. 2. A history of his first captain. 3. Letter of sympathy and memorial scroll. 4. A diary of events from joining the air force up to first operation fully…
Letter from padre at RAF Binbrook to Mrs K Wynn
Thanks her for her letter and includes details of other member of her husbands crew.
Letter from Padre RAF Binbrook to Mrs K Wynn
Letter of sympathy that her husband is reported missing from operations.
Interview with Gerard Norwood
Gerard’s father died when he was very young and, so, he was raised by his mother and his stepfather, who he and his brother disliked. He was working at an engineering factory when the war broke out and he continued until 1942, at which point most of…
Interview with Charles Mears
Charles left school with no formal qualifications and was undertaking further education when the Second World War commenced. Being too young to enlist, he joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps, eventually joining when he was aged 18. He was detached to…
Interview with Alan Jury
Alan Jury began his career with the RAF as an engineering apprentice at RAF Halton. When he retired from the RAF he joined the Parish Council at his local village and was informed that a Lancaster had crashed in the village in March 1945. After a…
Interview with Janet Hughes, One
Janet Hughes’ father, Reginald Charles Wilson, volunteered for the RAF in August 1941. In January 1942, he was posted to America under the Arnold training scheme and was later re-mustered to train as a navigator in Canada. After forming a crew at RAF…
Interview with Harry Hacker
Harry Hacker first came into contact with aeroplanes at the age of 16, whilst working as an apprentice for Rootes Motor Group who were making Wellington aircraft. He was a member of the Home Guard and, after applying to join the RAF, went for basic…
Letter from chaplain to Mrs Wilson
Letter from the Chaplain at Royal Air Force Oakington to Mrs Wilson expressing his sympathy that her husband and his crew did not return from an operation to Nuremberg the previous evening.
An airman to his mother
Letter found amongst the personal belongings of a Royal Air Force pilot recently reported missing believed killed, to be sent to his mother if he were killed. Letter talks about the importance of his role, admiration for his mother, sacrifice for…
Letter to Mrs Hobbs from RAF East Kirkby station padre
Letter from Reverend Squadron Leader G R Cooper RAF East Kirkby to Mrs Hobbs, expressing sympathy that Frank Hobbs was reported missing from air operations over Stuttgart on night 15/16 March 1944. Writes of importance of work a wireless operator and…
Interview with Charles Henry Clarke. One
Charles volunteered for the RAF when he was 17 and trained as a bomb-aimer at RAF North Luffenham. After qualifying, he was posted to 619 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa. He was shot down on his 18th operation and he became a prisoner of war. He talks…
Interview with Donald Wallace
Born in Edinburgh, Donald was 14 when war began. As a messenger during the bombing he remembers wanting to get back at Hitler, so joined the Royal Navy aged 17. He trained at Harwich then joined HMS Hotspur on Atlantic convoy duties. He recalls his…
Interview with Ivon Warmington
Ivon Warmington was working for the Post Office in his native Cornwall before he volunteered for the RAF. After pilot training, he flew a tour of operations with 166 Squadron from RAF Kirmington. His first operation was to Mailly le Camp, where the…
Interview with Lawrence Larmer
Lawrence Larmer was born in Australia in 1920. On leaving school he went to work on the Beaufort aircraft in the Department of Aircraft Production. He was called up in 1942 and volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force to avoid the army. His…
A place to remember
Newspaper article about a reunion and flypast at RAF Elsham Wolds. Mentioned are Mike Stedman (I squared), pilot Anseleme Vernieuwe who had escaped from Belgium through France and Spain then Lisbon, rear-gunner Tom Quinlan, flight engineer Walter…
Airmen's funeral at Vevey
Chaplain, mourners, Swiss military and Royal Air Force officer at the graveside for the funeral of the 14 airmen.
Airmen's funeral at Vevey
Chaplains, Royal Air Force officers and airmen, Swiss military and civilians stand by the graveside. Behind are houses and mountains.
Burial Service of airmen at Vevey
Two photographs of the burial of British airmen at Vevey. The coffins have union flags draped over. There is a large attendance in the background. One photograph is annotated 'First photo of 14 graves taken by Mrs Desborough, Vevey Burial service in…
Extracts from 'Nouvelliste Valaisan'
![MWrightJ[Ser#-DoB]-150527-11.pdf](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/165/2256/MWrightJ[Ser -DoB]-150527-11.jpg "MWrightJ[Ser#-DoB]-150527-11.pdf")
27 pages transcribed from a local newspaper covering the night 100 bombers overflew Switzerland leading to two being shot down. Bombs were dropped on Swiss territory.
14 airmen were buried at Vevey and the funeral is described. There is repetition…
14 airmen were buried at Vevey and the funeral is described. There is repetition…