Browse Items (50 total)

  • Tags: RAF Dalcross

PBaconSG1601.jpg
Stephen joined the Royal Air Force in Kingston upon Hull. He wanted to be a pilot but became a mid-air gunner instead. He started at RAF Dalcross where he trained on Boulton Paul Defiant aircraft and went to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby on Lancasters.…

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

PBrownJ1721.jpg
Jeff left school at 15 and became an electrician. Being keen on aircraft he joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for the RAF when aged 17 to prevent him being randomly sent into the mining industry. Deferred until he was 18, he was initially…

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

PCromartyGE1601.jpg
George was born in London and lost family members in the Blitz. He went to work in the building trade in the Midlands. At his selection board, he wanted to be a pilot. He was called up and went to Cardington, then RAF Tangmere, where 486 Squadron was…

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

AJamesDWK170120.mp3
Douglas (Jim) James was born in India and returned to England when he was nine. After leaving school, he joined the RAF as an air gunner, forging his father’s signature on the application. Jim carried out 29 operations with 460 Squadron, flying in…

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

ABaileyHH160501.mp3
Bill Bailey was born in Stafford. After finishing school, he went to work for the Post Office Telephones service as a telegram boy. He decided to join the Royal Air Force and began training as a rear gunner at RAF Dalcross. He joined 31 Squadron of…

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

PGreenCF1609.jpg
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…

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

ADobleRG151117.mp3
Ron Doble grew up in London and joined the Air Training Corps and the fire watchers, when war was declared. He volunteered for the Air Force when he was 18 and trained as an air gunner. He talks about the conditions in his turret and the mishaps he…

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

PJohnsonKA1507.jpg
Kenneth Alfred Johnson joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19, after being in a reserved occupation making barrage balloon cables. He trained as an air gunner, serving as a mid-upper gunner. He spent time at the Operational Training Unit, flying…

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

PJohnsonKA1507.jpg
Ken Johnson was born in Doncaster. At the start of the war the family was living in Sheffield but his father decided to move the family back to Doncaster, to avoid bombing. Ken started work as a joiner and later made cables for barrage balloons.…

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: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AIbbotsonJ160105.mp3
Jim Ibbotson grew up in Sheffield and recalls the city being blitz bombed. He joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for the RAF when he was 18. He was called up in March 1943 and trained to become either a pilot, navigator or bomb aimer. He…

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

ALarardFN150717.mp3
After being called up, Larry was assessed as pilot, navigator, bomb aimer but changed to rear gunner, to avoid the delay in pilot training. He was trained at RAF Dalcross on Wellingtons before moving to RAF Lindholme to convert to the Halifax and…

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

ANeechPRR161013.mp3
Peter was born in London and recalls his home suffering bomb damage during the war. He served in the Air Training Corps until joining the Royal Air Force in 1943. After reporting to the Aircrew Reception Centre at St John’s Wood, he spent a few weeks…

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

AWilliamsAE150617.mp3
Arthur Emlyn Williams was working as a pump operator at the mines, before he volunteered for the RAF. His mother hid his first recruitment letter. He trained at Lord’s Cricket Ground, and Number 2 Air Gunnery school at RAF Inverness, on Ansons. He…

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

PNeechPRR1601.jpg
Peter was born on the 7 January 1925, in West Hampstead, London. He worked in a jewellers in Hammersmith and left his job to join the air cadets at RAF Hendon from 1941 to 1943. On his 18th birthday, he joined the RAF to begin training as an air…

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

ASwainsDNJ170123.mp3
In 1936, Dennis went to Dr Challoner’s Grammar School in Amersham, where an Air Training Corps was formed. Aged 17, he got a job with the North British and Mercantile Insurance company. He visited RAF Halton with the Air Training Corps each Sunday,…

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

LBrownJ2205595v1.pdf
Flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers for Jeff Brown, air gunner, covering the period from 18 August 1944 to 31 December 1951. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war flying. He was stationed…

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

AGoodallOR190510.mp3
Oscar was born in Australia. His father was a machine gunner who was wounded seven times and died from his wounds two months before Oscar was born. This experience influenced him to join the Royal Air Force. As an Air Cadet Corps member, he went to…

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

LDobleRG3030256v1.pdf
Flying log book for navigators air bomber air gunners flight engineers for R G Doble, air gunner, covering the period from 10 September 1945 to 1 July 1947. Detailing his flying training, instructor duties and post war squadron duties with 97…

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

BCurnockRMCurnockRMv1.pdf
A memoir written by Dick Curnock, covering his wartime service and his service for the RAF after the war. It talks of his brother Sam and his accident as a pilot. Dick started his training at Lords in London, RAF Bridlington then RAF Bridgnorth and…

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

LCurnockRM1815605v1.pdf
Navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book for R M Curnock, covering the period from 28 July 1943 to 25 February 1944 and from 18 September 1946 to 26 October 1946. He was shot down on 25 February 1944 and became a prisoner of war…

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

LEllamsG49286v1.pdf
Flying log book for George Ellams covering the period from 10 January 1942 to 30 June 1967. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. Also contains photographs and various RAF documents relating to his service, ranks, proficiency and…

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

EFordTAFord[Fam]431004-0001.jpg
Terry writes to his parents about his journey to his posting at RAF Dalcross.

Tags: ;

EFordTAFord[Fam]431005-0001.jpg
Terry writes about his arrival at Dalcross. He is very impressed with the accommodation and food.

Tags: ; ;

LFordTA1585520v1.pdf
Flying Officer T.A. Ford’s RCAF Pilot’s Flying Log Book, from 11th July 1942 to 27th August 1950, detailing his training in Great Britain and Canada and operations as a pilot and flying instructor. Also includes post-war duties with Transport…

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