Browse Items (215 total)

  • Tags: Churchill, Winston (1874-1965)

MRadacichM[Ser'#-DoB]-170110-100001.jpg
Following the destruction of a church in Trieste, the leaflet contrasts the horrors of unrestricted bombing warfare with the hypocrisy of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. They describe themselves as devoutly religious despite ordering the…

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MCluettAV120946-150515-180001.jpg
Propaganda leaflet featuring an aerial vertical photograph of Hamburg after a Royal Air Force operation. Buildings are either completely destroyed or gutted, light falling through the gaping windows. Text describes fronts closing in, the Royal Air…

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MCluettAV120946-150515-180001.jpg
The leaflet provides an overview of the strategic situation around mid-1943 pointing out that the tide has turned in favour of the allied, victory is inevitable and fighting futile. Provides evidence of the overwhelming superiority of the allies on…

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PThomasWH1501.jpg
Bill had been a member of the Air Defence Cadet Corps and Air Training Corps. He volunteered as a pilot in the Royal Air Force and flew Tiger Moths at RAF Sywell but was re-mustered as a navigator. Bill went to Canada as part of the Empire Air…

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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…

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AYoungF160720.mp3
Fred Young volunteered for the Royal Air Force at 17 and flew operations as a flight engineer with 57 Squadron from RAF East Kirkby. He recounts his experiences on several operations including Berlin, Magdeburg, Leipzig, Essen, Munich, Dresden, and…

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AHawkinsDH151001.mp3
Desmond Hawkins volunteered for the Royal Air Force and became a navigator. After training on Wellingtons and Manchesters, he flew Lancasters for 44 Squadron and completed a tour of operations. He was commissioned as flight lieutenant and, after the…

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Peter Bellingham worked as a post office engineer before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He trained in Rhodesia and South Africa and completed a tour of operations as a bomb aimer, dropping supplies with 138 Squadron from RAF Tempsford. He…

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SRutherfordRL146342v10094.jpg
The Governments of the Soviet Union, United States and Great Britain order that no Allied prisoner of war shall be mistreated. Offenders will be relentlessly pursued and punished.

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ABatemanJT160802.mp3
James volunteered for aircrew in June 1942, aged 17, purely for the adventure as he was looking for something exciting. He trained in Canada as a navigator and, after a wonderful leave in New York, returned to England for advanced flying training.…

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ACrawleyF151222.mp3
Fred enrolled in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in May 1939. He wanted to be a navigator and was sent to an Initial Training Wing at Bexhill. He received excellent training on DH Rapides at RAF Scone, near Perth. Bombing and gunnery training were carried…

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AGeogheganWT160706.mp3
Bill joined the Royal Australian Air Force from the army, going to Bradfield Park as an Initial Training School. He did a short course on Tiger Moths at Temora but because of his good performance in navigation exams, he was sent for navigation…

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AHarrisB160509.mp3
Bernie Harris joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 and trained to become an air gunner. His first operation was Operation Manna, dropping food on Holland at the end of the war.

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AHarrisB160626.mp3
Bernie Harris joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for the Royal Air Force, joining in April 1943 and training to become an air gunner. He mentions his father serving in the Royal Flying Corps. As a young boy, Bernie witnessed the London…

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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…

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Harry was under age when he joined the RAF in 1940, after witnessing bombing in London. He went to Blackpool in August 1941 and became a rear gunner. Gunnery school for six weeks at RAF Manby followed, and Harry joined 9 Squadron at RAF Waddington.…

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Stan Jeffrey was a flight mechanic at RAF Pocklington. He discusses the camaraderie between the ground and air crews. He would stick chewing gum to the undercarriage as a good luck charm. Shortly after the end of the war, the ground crew were taken…

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AJenkinsAE160709.mp3
Alex was fostered by the cricketer Bill Woodfull and studied at Melbourne University. He had to go from Somers Camp to defend his decision to join up in 1942. He trained at Benalla and converted onto Wirraways at Deniliquin where he qualified as a…

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AJohnsonGL170801-02AV.mp3
George ‘Johnny’ Johnson gives his opinion on Paul Brickhill's book and the 1955 film of the same name (The Dambusters). He provides his thoughts on various topics, including Winston Churchill, the campaign to award medals to Bomber Command and the…

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AMooreWT160703.mp3
Bill Moore grew up in Scotland and volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He completed 36 operations as a navigator with 138 and 161 Squadrons.

Please note: The veracity of this interview has been called into question. We advise that corroborative…

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Rutherford, Les.jpg
During this interview Les describes his experience as a despatch rider in France in 1940, before escaping from Dunkirk and returning to the United Kingdom, eventually joining the Royal Air Force. He also describes his training in South Africa and his…

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PWardC-M1609.jpg
In 1940, aged 20, Charles received papers to join the Royal Artillery and went into the Royal London Rifles. Although he had volunteered and been accepted for the RAF he was sent to Scotland to join a special unit of tanks and artillery. Having been…

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ATaitJT160610.mp3
John Tait was American by birth and was prompted to join the Royal Air Force, to avoid having to report to the police station once a month, because he was considered an ‘alien’. He was a wireless operator and gunner, flying in Ansons, Wellingtons,…

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SCavalierRG1264567v10008-0001.jpg
Propaganda leaflet aimed at the German-speaking population. Page 1 announces that the first two 1000 bomber attacks have taken place and promises more. Page 2 gives quotes from allied leaders outlining the rights a defeated Germany could expect from…

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SCavalierRG1264567v10013-0001.jpg
Propaganda leaflet aimed at the German-speaking population.
On one side, this leaflet repeats promises from Nazi leaders about Germany's clear air superiority. On the reverse are quotations from Allied leaders about the justice that Germans can…

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