Browse Items (246 total)

  • Tags: Operation Exodus (1945)

SBennettDCT[Ser#-DoB]v20007.jpg
Catches up with correspondence. Says he had been looking at Operation Exodus. Hopes to do an article on this shortly.

Tags: ;

BSmithJSmithJv1-2.pdf
Wartime recollections of John (known to his friends as Jack) George Smith from Pinchbeck. He tells of life before the war, how he went on to volunteer for the RAF in August 1940 and describes his training as a wireless operator. The document includes…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BSmithJSmithJv1.pdf
Second version. Covers life before the war and volunteering for the RAF in August 1940 and continues with an account of training as a wireless operator. The article includes radio school crest and photograph of a Battle aircraft. He describes his…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Complete history of the aircraft from 1942 to placement in RAF Museum. Delivered to 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton. Lists all flights with crews and provides details of operations and other sorties. First operation was on 8/9 July 1942. Was founder…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BGambleATGambleATv1.pdf
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ASouthwellDE160424.mp3
Don Southwell grew up in Australia and worked for RKO Radio Pictures and as an Air Raid Precautions Warden, before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. After training in Australia and Canada, he flew nine operations as a navigator with 463 Squadron…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ALastRR151125.mp3
Ronald Last grew up in Dorset and worked as an apprentice for the local gas and water company before volunteering for the Air Force. He attended the reception centre at Lord's Cricket Ground and describes the medical tests and inoculations recruits…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BMcInnesAMcInnesAv1.pdf
An autobiography of Alan's time as a prisoner of war. He talks about his training with his, mainly, Australian crew. He describes the night they were shot down over Germany. He describes their capture, mistreatment and interrogations at various…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGauldA180608.mp3
Born in a gardener's cottage, having finished school and taking a job working the the local Post Office, Andrew Gauld joined the Air Training Corps. Andrew then joined the Air Force and went into 12 Bomber Squadron and was crewed up with Pilot…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AHubermanA160329.mp3
Alfred Huberman volunteered for the RAF when he was 18 and trained as an air gunner. He describes the training and emphasises how physically hard it was. He flew 31 operations in Lancasters, from RAF Elsham Wolds. These included operations over the…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ALimerFW151210.mp3
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BDuwellADuwellAv1.pdf
Peter's recollection of events of Victory in Europe day when he and a bunch of ATS girls volunteered to welcome repatriated troops (prisoners of war) home. They travelled to a base near RAF Bicester where planes landed with returning troops.…

Tags: ; ; ;

AHarrisonJ150809.mp3
John Harrison grew up in Yorkshire and worked in the Civil Service before joining the Royal Air Force aged 18. After training, he flew operations as a mid-upper gunner with 106 Squadron from RAF Metheringham before being shot down over Leipzig and…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PPeckP1602.jpg
Peter joined the 74 Air Defence Cadet Corps at a unit at Crayford, before volunteering to join the Royal Air Force. After a recruiting centre at Hither Green, he attended Lord’s Cricket Ground and was called up towards the end of 1943. He went to RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

APorteousB161102.mp3
Flight Sergeant Bob Porteous grew up in Australia and, after spending time in the bush, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force. After training and spending time in the United States, he travelled to Scotland on the Queen Mary. He flew operations as…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BDodwellSLDodwellPv1.pdf
Including photographs, notes, cartoons and newspaper cutting details of Stan's early life and gaining his pilot's licence aged 18. He married and was commissioned into the Royal Air Force and transferred to Canada to train as a flying instructor at…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SSmithRW425992v10004-0002 copy.pdf
Describes his service after completing his tour and the journey back to Australia.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AMacCormickA161126.mp3
Anderson MacCormick grew up in Glasgow and joined the ATC while waiting to join the service. He trained as a flight engineer and recalls the risks aircrew faced, as well as some beautiful sights he saw in the air. On a flight, as part of Operation…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PNeilsonNS1604.jpg
Norman Neilson was an apprentice engineer at St Rollox Locomotive Works when he volunteered. He had originally wanted to join the Navy but joined the RAF because the only way he could be released from his position was to volunteer for aircrew. His…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PMortensenJC1803.jpg
Born on 27 December 1924 in Aigburth Liverpool, James was 15 when the war began in Europe. He intended to join as a pilot/navigator/bomb aimer in 1943 but, due to the shorter waiting list and training time, he trained to become a wireless operator at…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PLambAM1702.jpg
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AForsythR160214.mp3
Robert was in the Air Training Corps (Sea Cadets). He did Pathfinder navigational training at the Operational Training Unit at RAF Warboys and then joined 156 Squadron at RAF Upwood. They did around 13 Pathfinding operations, usually over Germany,…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABriggsR160128.mp3
Roy Briggs was born in Battersea, London. After leaving school he undertook an engineering apprenticeship with Benham and Sons, producing equipment for the war. He describes his life during the Blitz. When he joined the Royal Air Force he trained as…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Langford "Joe" Green was born in Wales but moved to Marlow, Buckinghamshire with his family when he was still a child. He worked in a factory from the age of 14 until he joined the Royal Air Force. After training, he flew operations as an air gunner…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PBunceFSG1609.jpg
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;