Browse Items (431 total)

  • Tags: RAF Skellingthorpe

PProbynEA17010039.jpg
15 photographs taken during the unveiling of the memorial.
#1 and 2 are of the village sign outside the Skellingthorpe Village Hall.
#3 is a view of the memorial with the wreaths left at the ceremony.
#4 and 5 are the standards and attendees at…

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EDoubledayAWScrimshawS440814.jpg
The letter advises Chris' wife that her husband is missing.

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PWebsterE1801.jpg
A large group of airmen and ground crew arranged under a Lancaster. Information supplied with the collection states '61 Squadron 1945'.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form: no better quality copies are available.

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EOC61SqnRAFMatthewsB440925-0001.jpg
The letter advises that his son and crew is missing.

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MGeorgeDB1796593-171117-01.pdf
A record of operations conducted by 9 Squadron aircraft between 15 February and 26 March 1944.

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MSchofieldR1513514-190610-020001.jpg
Made out for LAC Schofield for RAF Skellingthorpe

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BHollisANHollisANv1.pdf
Arthur's memoirs from his early life throughout his RAF career. He also tells of his post-war career and activities.

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AShuttleworthHJ151021.mp3
Joe Shuttleworth was born and raised in Brisbane but spent a lot of time with family in the Melbourne area. He volunteered for aircrew and began training as a gunner. After initial training he sailed to the United States and on to the UK. While at…

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PGoodwinWJ1701.jpg
Wal Goodwin grew up near Melbourne and was conscripted in the Australian Army but was discharged due to his father’s reserved occupation of farming. He later volunteered for the Australian Air Force and received his initial training of meteorology,…

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ABarrJ150731.mp3
Jim joined the Royal Air Force after an engineering apprenticeship. He learnt navigation in South Africa at Oudtshoorn, followed by gunnery training at Port Alfred. After Dumfries, he went to an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF North Luffenham…

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PLoosemoreLJ1501.jpg
Les Loosemore describes his upbringing and employment history in Swansea before joining the war in 1945. He describes the Blitz in Swansea before training to be a mid-upper gunner for 61 Squadron. He describes his rather intensive training, including…

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MMcDonaldEA1076160-150914-01.pdf
Consisting of three parts: The first part gives an eye witness account of an aircraft crash and its aftermath. The second part describes the 'Skilling Follies', an aircrew who completed 25 operations from RAF Skellingthorpe. The third part…

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AValentineM150724.mp3
Murray Valentine was a wireless operator with 61 Squadron and 617 Squadron. He describes his duties, as well as his job on board the Lancasters on bombing operations. He recalls going to an operational training unit and flying Wellingtons for three…

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AHeatonSM160322.mp3
Michael Heaton grew up in Worcester and was a member of the Air Training Corps. He worked in a bank before joining the Royal Air Force and training as a navigator in Canada. He completed 22 operations as a navigator with 50 Squadron from RAF…

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PRoseD1601.jpg
David Rose was born in Swanage, Dorset. His father had been in the Medical Corps during the First World War and suffered ill health afterwards. David believed his father had as much reason to be on the War Memorial as his two brothers, who died…

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BBarffAColingEFv1.pdf
Time in the RAF including selection as an observer, enrolment at Lord's Cricket Ground, navigational dead reckoning and meteorology training in Eastbourne and Paignton. Time spent on navigational sorties in Grahamstown, South Africa in Ansons and…

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AHolmesGH161016.mp3
George was born in Mansfield and was bought up by his grandparents until he was seven when he moved back to his parents in Leicester, where his father ran a coffee shop. He was a semi-professional musician playing violin, trumpet and mandolin. He…

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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…

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YClarkB1578273v1.pdf
Transcript of the Diary of Sgt. Bernard Clark RAFVR 30 November – 20 December 1943 with notes by M Warburton. Includes head and shoulders portrait of an airman wearing greatcoat and side cap. Includes crew list of his aircraft. Entries contain…

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MCatlingBG3005381-151228-02.pdf
Notes that he was posted to 50 Squadron on 2nd November 1944. Then lists 29 operations flown by Lancaster crew including Gordon Catling from Royal Air Force Skellingthorpe between November 1944 and April 1945. First operation flown as co-pilot on…

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AMarlowR160422.mp3
Ronald Marlow went to Middleton Council School, then worked at Forgrove Engineering. He joined the Air Training Corps before volunteering for the Royal Air Force training in London at St John's Wood. He became an air gunner and flew Wellingtons,…

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AEadyIET160628.mp3
Before the war, Liz worked in aeronautical inspection at a factory which made parachutes. She had an interview in Northolt and enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in October 1942. She went to Uxbridge and chose to be a telephonist. After a…

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AFirthJB160706.mp3
John was called up aged 18 and went to Padgate. He comleted a flight mechanics course at RAF Locking, followed by a Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne. He was posted to a flight engineers course at RAF St Athan. John joined up with his crew at RAF…

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ACollerAS160803.mp3
Alan Coller joined the Air Training Corps in 1941, eventually joining the Royal Air Force in 1943, aged 18. He was sent to RAF Skegness for his initial training, after which he was transferred to RAF Barnham, near Mildenhall, where he was assigned to…

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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.…

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