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Interview with Rusty Waughman. One
Rusty describes a mid-air collision during an operation with 101 Squadron. to Hasselt. He describes what it was like prior to a operation and the feelings experienced by the crew, from seeing the battle orders on the notice board, the pre-flight…
Interview with Frank Tilley
Frank Tilley was a flight engineer with 617 Squadron. He took part in the operation to sink the Tirpitz. He explains his flights and pre-operation briefings at RAF Woodhall Spa, RAF Milltown and RAF Lossiemouth. On their return from sinking the…
Interview with Leslie Temple
Leslie Temple spent four years in the Air Training Corps before joining the Royal Air Force as a radio operator. He completed a tour of 30 operations with 101 Squadron at RAF Ludford Magna, as a German speaking special operator. He describes how…
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 Maureen Shirley Lill
Maureen Lill grew up in Louth during the war. She recalls the one night when a bomb destroyed the house of her school friend. Her father was in the Army and she didn’t see him for the duration of the war after he was called up. He had begun to read…
Interview with Rusty Waughman. Two
Russell (Rusty) Waughman was born in Shotley Bridge, County Durham. Due to serious poor health as a child, his education was interrupted. He describes his training with the Empire Training School in Canada. He was posted to 101 Squadron which was a…
Interview with John Ormerod
John Ormerod left school at 14 and worked in the textile industry before he volunteered for RAF. Initially, he trained as flight mechanic but later re-mustered to be a flight engineer. He talks about synchronising props and the German speaking eighth…
Interview with Donald Keith Fraser, One
Donald Fraser grew up in Fifeshire, and worked in forestry until he volunteered into the RAF in 1942, aged 18. He trained as a flight engineer and completed a tour of operations with 101 Squadron. He recalls operations to Berlin; being hit by…
Interview with Donald Fraser. Two
Donald Fraser completed a tour of operations as a flight engineer with 101 Squadron. He discusses the importance of ground personnel, his crew, his operations and the conditions at RAF Ludford Magna. He describes having to stop his mid-upper gunner…
Interview with David Kenneth McKenzie Dall
David Dall spent his early life in South Africa. He moved to the UK as a child to live with his grandmother and continue his education. He was enthralled by the stories his grandmother told him about the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War…
Interview with Arthur Peter Smith
Arthur Peter Smith ('Peter') was born in Kent and attended school until he was 14. He started working for a woodwork shop and, when the war began, they started building army huts. In 1941 he joined the Air Cadets. He recalls how one Sunday he and a…
Interview with Geoffrey Whittle
Squadron Leader Geoffrey Whittle was born in London. After leaving school, at 14 he became an apprentice printer in the family business. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force on the outbreak of the Second World War and trained as a navigator and…
Interview with John Joyner
John Joyner was working for the Co-operative Wholesale Society in London and joined the Air Training Corps in 1940, aged 16. He later joined the RAF and trained as an air gunner, initially on Wellingtons and then on Lancasters as the mid-upper…
Interview with Ralph Freeman
Ralph Freeman volunteered for the RAF in 1942. He began initial training in March 1943 and, in October, was posted to Manitoba where he qualified as a pilot after training on Cornells and Ansons. Upon returning to Great Britain, Freeman was…
Interview with Marian Hollier
Marion Hollier served as a wireless operator in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force from February 1944 to September 1946. Before the war she worked in a construction firm, The George Wimpey Company, which built aerodromes. She learned the Morse code in…
WO Donald Keith Fraser
Memoir describing his life and service career in the RAF, listing 29 operations in which he participated, along with notes on specific operations, and recounting a brief history of the Lancaster.
Interview with Richard Murray Allen
Richard Murray Allen was born in Queensland, Australia. He joined the Air Training Corps and later volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force on his 18th birthday. He trained as a wireless operator in Australia, before being posted to England,…
Sqn. Ldr Geoffrey Whittle, DFM RAF (Ret'd)
A brief memoir of Geoffrey Whittle's wartime service, starting with training in March 1942 in Scotland. Having converted to Wellingtons, then Lancasters at RAF Lindholme, he was posted to RAF Ludford Magna. On his 15th operation over Hanover they…
Peenemünde
A description of the briefing by 'Bomber Harris' and attack on Peenemünde on 17 August 1943.
Sqn Ldr G G Whittle, DFM
An incomplete memoir written by Geoffrey Whittle starting at age 16 and covering him volunting for aircrew duties, aged 18. He trained at RAF West Freugh, converted to Wellingtons then Lancasters and moved to RAF Ludford Magna in June 1943. Over…
Jack Osborne
A review of Tim Barlow's research in to the life of his Great Uncle, Jack Osborne, who died on the night of 22/23 June 1943 in Lancaster 'LM325'. Tim Barlow travelled to Benningen, Holland where there is a memorial at the crash site. Geoffrey Whittle…
Stanislaw Sewerin's Pilots Flying Log Book. Two
Pilots Flying Log Book for Warrant Officer Stanislaw Sewerin covering 19 July 1944 to 16 July 1948 detailing day and night training flights and operations with: 18 Officer Training Unit, 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit and 300 Squadron. The period 29 June…
Record of service
Listing Flight Lieutenant George Albert James Frazer-Hollins's date of birth, previous service, appointments and promotions, postings, honours and awards.
Bremen bridge
Vertical aerial photograph of Bremen bridge. Street patterns and river Wser with bridges are visible but central top of the image is obscured by bombs and smoke. Captioned at top right ‘4B 4B’. Captioned along the bottom ‘‘3258 Lud.M 23.3.45 //…
Geoffrey Whittle's observers and air gunners flying log book. One
Observers and air gunners flying log book for Geoffrey Whittle, navigator, covering the period from 4 November 1942 to 26 July 1953. Detailing his flying training, instructor duties and post war flying. He was stationed at RAF West Freugh, RAF…