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Interview with Harry Rossiter
Harry Rossiter grew up in East London but his family moved to Essex, which gave Harry a “ringside view” of the Battle of Britain. He volunteered as a bicycle messenger and tried to join the Royal Navy as a telegraphist. He was encouraged to join the…
Operation Manna
An account of how the operation came about and evolved. Describes the events leading up to the need for food relief in Holland, a brief account of how the operation was set up and executed.
Interview with Andrew Gauld
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…
Alexander Lamb's Operational Diary
An unofficial diary kept by Alexander from March 21st, 1945 to May 2nd 1945.
Interview with Bernie Harris. One
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.
Interview with Alfred Huberman
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…
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…
Interview with Bill Moore. One
William Moore was born in Dunoon, Scotland in August 1924 and joined the Royal Air Force after spending some time in the Air Cadet Defence Corps and in the Air Training Corps. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and completed his…
Interview with Sidney Borthwick
Sidney enlisted on 4th January 1944 at the Air Crew Reception Centre, Lord’s Cricket Ground. He was accepted, despite having a tumour on his left arm. Sidney was a rear gunner on Lancasters. After training at Blackpool, he served at RAF Bottesford,…
Interview with Frank Tolley
Frank Tolley was born in 1921 in Tipton and left school at 14, to work as a grocery errand boy. He joined the Royal Air Force at 19 as a ground gunner, and was in at the inception of the Royal Air Force Regiment. After 18 months he volunteered to…
Interview with Jeff Hildreth. One
Jeff Hildreth grew up in a colliery village where his father was a miner. he left school and started working at a tailor’s shop, which he didn’t enjoy. He volunteered for the RAF and was accepted to train as a pilot, navigator or bomb aimer. He…
Interview with Derek Carington Evans
Derek was born on June 20th 1924 in Edlington near Doncaster, volunteering as aircrew at the age of 17. After leaving school at the age of 14, Derek delivered books in and around Doncaster before going down to the Royal Air Force Recruitment Centre…
Interview with Len McNamara
Len McNamara was born in Bristol in 1924. While working as an apprentice plumber, he joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for aircrew. He discusses his initial training at various stations, the gunnery course he passed with merit and…
Interview with Peter John Peck
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…
Operation Manna route
Chart shows route for one flight. It has an inscription which reads 'No 576 Squadron, R.A.F. Fiskerton to Delft, 30 Apr 45, Lancaster G for George, Crew: Pilot F/O. Everitt, Nav Sgt B A Gilbert, BA Sgt T Royall, Eng F/S Kitchen, W/Op P/O. T…
Interview with Bob Porteous
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…
Bob Smith's Memoirs - Book 4
Describes his service after completing his tour and the journey back to Australia.
Interview with Anderson MacCormick
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…
Interview with Charles Frederick Green
Charles Frederick Green was born in Peckham, London, in 1921. On leaving school, he began an apprenticeship with a printing company, acting part-time as a police courier, before becoming an Air Raid Precautions warden. He then volunteered for the…
Interview with Norman Neilson
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…
Interview with James Christian Mortensen
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…
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 Robert Forsyth
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,…
Coby van Riel - personal experiences in the war 1940-45
Begins in May 1940 in the Netherlands and describes the experiences of the start of war; invasion; air raids; casualties; air attack on Rotterdam; surrender of the Netherlands. It goes on to describe events and life during occupation including;…
Interview with Norman Edward Wilkins
Norman Wilkins was born in West Norwood. At the age of 14 he joined the Air Training Corps and became a member of Brighton and Hove Air Cadets 176 Squadron. He then joined the University Air Squadron at Oxford, with fees being paid by the Royal Air…