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Water under the bridge - Alan Gamble's Memoirs in 3 parts.
Part 1. Covers the period from Alan Gamble's years as a schoolboy in Worthing in the late 1930's, up to joining the RAF in 1943, where he trained, before moving to RAF Fairford in 1944. He flew 29 bombing and mine laying sorties over Germany and…
Interview with Arthur Atkins
Arthur Atkins grew up in Melbourne, Australia. As a Boy Scout, he experienced a flight in an aircraft and knew then he wanted to be a pilot. He transferred from the army to the Royal Australian Air Force and started pilot training in Australia. He…
Interview with Harry Hughes
Harry Hughes volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1940 and trained in America, where he was washed out as a pilot and then retrained as a navigator in Canada, flying Ansons and Wellingtons. In 1942, he converted to Halifaxes and flew operations…
Stephen Dawson's memoir notebook
The notebook (consisting of 53 pages) contains written accounts of 32 operations to targets in Germany, Italy and France, between June and November 1943 as well as a list of his crew. Accounts include bomb loads and descriptions of operations…
Interview with Jo Lancaster. One
After leaving school, Jo Lancaster was an aircraft apprentice with Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company in Coventry. Having volunteered for the Air Force, he trained as a pilot and completed a tour on Wellingtons with 40 Squadron from RAF Alconbury.…
Interview with Frederick Limer
Freddie Limer volunteered for the Royal Air Force and completed a course in RAF Blackpool. He was posted to No. 12 Initial Training Wing at RAF St Andrew, although was unsuccessful in his flying test. Freddie was then trained at RCAF Moncton in…
WAR - Frankfurt Revisited
A booklet with information about the progress of the war. This edition covers RAF Bomber Command activities.
An interesting war
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. It includes details of childhood and growing up, tells of him joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. This was followed by training in England and a…
Extract from Bernard Clark's diary
Transcript of the Diary of Sgt. Bernard Clark RAFVR 30 November – 20 December 1943 with notes by M Warburton. Includes head and shoulders portrait of an airman wearing greatcoat and side cap. Includes crew list of his aircraft. Entries contain…
Extract from Bernard Clark's diary
Transcript of diary entry for 20 December 1943. Includes crew list. Account of their first operation to Berlin on. He was wireless operator. Mentions anti-aircraft fire over coast, problems with Monica system, problems with oxygen, problems with rear…
Lancaster crew at war
Memoirs of Eric Baldwin and Tom Gummersall of 467 Squadron RAAF RAF Waddington. Eric Baldwin recounts several of his experiences as a mid upper gunner including flying in the wrong direction due to compass problems, parts falling off his aircraft on…
Was it all a Dream
Bill Bailey's wartime memoirs detailing enlistment, training in UK and Canada and details of each of 31 operations in Bomber Command. After completion of his tour he was transferred to RAF Lossiemouth to train Free French aircrew, after which he was…
To Cologne - Gremberg by Oboe - tribute to Squadron Leader Robert A.M.Palmer VC, DFC & Bar
The story of an attack by Pathfinders of 35,105,109 and 582 Squadrons 23 December 1944. Tribute to Robert Palmer and 30 comrades who died with him. It contains; history of Battle of the Bulge; description of Oboe system; list of aircraft and crews…
Bill Thomas memoir
He describes his first interest in the RAF, in 1938, before joining the Air Defence Cadet Corps and, later in 1941, the Air Training Corps. Being called up by the RAF in February 1942, he proceeded through initial training and the Initial Training…
Interview with Harry Harris
Harry ‘Sam’ Harris grew up in Scotland and volunteered for the Air Force. He trained as a navigator in South Africa. On the penultimate day of his training he flew over a multitude of lifeboats bearing the survivors of a torpedoed ship. The next day…
Interview with Alexander Lamb. One
Alexander (known as Alistair) worked in the Civil Service before and after the war. He joined the Royal Air Force in March 1944. After a medical in Edinburgh, he went down to the Air Crew Reception Centre at St John’s Wood. He did his initial…
Interview with Alan Payne
Alan Payne was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. He volunteered for aircrew with the Royal Air Force and, after initial training, was sent to South Africa where he trained as an observer. When he returned to the UK, he was allocated the role of bomb…
Interview with Sidney Bunce
Sid was working at a garage and a member of the local Air Training Corps when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. At 18, he was kitted out at Padgate and trained as a flight mechanic on engines at Blackpool. Sid describes his 18-week training…
Interview with Dick Maywood
Dick was born in Peterborough and volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1941. He was called up to Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1942. Dick went to No. 6 Initial Training Wing at RAF Aberystwyth. He then went to RAF Desford, flying Tiger Moths and was…
Interview with Thomas James Page
Thomas Page grew up in a farming family before joining the Royal Air Force in 1940, training as a flight mechanic. He was, initially, posted to 257 Squadron (Hurricanes) but soon went to Gloucester to train as a fitter, subsequently being posted to…
Interview with Edward George Key
Ted Key was a flight engineer. He was born to a large family in London which he remembers coming down from Norfolk to visit. His father was in the Navy as a chief petty officer and away a lot. Ted was in the air defence cadet corps before he joined…
Interview with Jim Penny. Two
After volunteering for the RAF, Jim Penny began his training which also took him to USA. He was present when the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbour was made and all RAF trainees could openly wear their uniforms as the two countries were…
Interview with John Robert Watson
John Robert Watson joined RAF Bomber Command in 1943, volunteering after he witnessed his next-door neighbour's house being destroyed by a bomb. Against his father's wishes, John joined Bomber Command, initially, as a wireless operator, before…
Interview with Edward John Smith
Edward served on 90 Squadron as a rear gunner. Born in 1925 on the Isle of Sheppey, he was employed as a butcher’s boy at the outbreak of the war. Evenings were spent fire watching, for which he received a small wage from the council. He became a…