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Henry Sturrock - Recollections of a Flight Engineer. Version One
The recollections of Henry Sturrock, of his time as a Flight Engineer flying in the Halifax with No 640 Squadron at RAF Leconfield. He flew on 35 operations, his first on 12 September 1944 and his last on 2 March 1945. He also recounts his experience…
Horace Cooke's pilot's flying log book
Pilot's flying log book for Horace Cooke covering the period 11 April 1944 to 1 June 1945 when Horace served in Canada with 31 Personnel Dispatch, 19 Elementary Flying School, 17 Service Flying Training School and 7 Bombing and Gunnery School.
The…
The…
If you can't take a joke...
A detailed account of Ken Thomas's life from his early years at school, through his ground crew technical training followed by his aircrew training, operational tour, short post war service and his civilian career, he revised the account in 2005.
Interview with Alan Payne
Alan Payne was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. He volunteered for aircrew with the Royal Air Force and, after initial training, was sent to South Africa where he trained as an observer. When he returned to the UK, he was allocated the role of bomb…
Interview with Bill Lucas. Two
Bill Lucas DFC was born on the 16 January 1917 and lived in Upper Tooting. He left school at the age of 15 and went to work in an Insurance Company, before joining the Royal Air Force in 1939. Bill was sent to 16 EFTS at Derby and then to an Advanced…
Interview with Doug Beasley
At the start of the war, Doug Beasley left school at 16 to start work. Initially a member of the Air Training Corps, he was sent for aircrew selection when he became 18. There was a 12-month wait to enlist as a pilot, so he opted to become a flight…
Interview with Harold Yeoman
Harold Yeoman volunteered for the RAF hoping to become an air gunner and was surprised to find he would be trained as a pilot. He describes a crash landing in a Wellington, returning from an operation to Cherbourg, and being sent to Essen twice…
Interview with Jack Harris. One
Jack Harris was born in Gillingham, Kent. Aged 16, he undertook employment as a clerk in the intelligence department of the Air Ministry. He describes the brief evacuation of his department to Harrow in 1939 and receiving permission to leave his…
Interview with John Derek "Bill" Bailey. One
Derek was in the Air Training Corps before enlisting at 18. He was given deferred service, eventually reporting to the Air Crew Reception Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. He proceeded to Ludlow and an Initial Training Wing at Paignton. Derek was…
Interview with John Taylor
John Taylor grew up in Nottingham and was evacuated before he went into sixth form. He left school and started working as an analytical chemist at Boots the Chemist and, although, this was a reserved occupation he volunteered for aircrew. After his…
Interview with John Whitworth
John Leslie Whitworth was born in Sutton Coldfield. He signed up for the Royal Air Force in 1940, finally being called up for service in 1941, before starting his training at the Initial Training Wing in Torquay, followed by more training at RAF…
Interview with Ken Marshall
Ken Marshall, grew up in Barton on Humber and enrolled with the ATC before joining the University Air Squadron at Durham University. On one occasion he saw an aircraft on fire at RAF Elsham Wolds and, although the crew was rescued, it was a reminder…
Interview with Kenneth Killeen
Ken Kileen was called up and reported to ACRC in London at the beginning of 1942. He started flying as a navigator at 12 Air School, Queenstown in South Africa flying in Oxfords and Ansons. On his return to UK in 1943, he joined 83 OTU at RAF Peplow…
Interview with Monty Felton
Monty grew up in Croydon and became an articled accountant in London before joining the RAF. Training at the Initial Training Wing in Torquay was followed by RAF Bishops Court in Northern Ireland and RAF Kinloss, which had a flight simulation room.…
Interview with Percival Trotman
Applying for RAF Bomber Command in May 1940, Percival Trotman was called up in September 1940, training as a pilot at RAF Towyn in Aberystwyth. Being present at Coventry when the town was bombed, he recalls deciding that the Germans deserved to have…
Interview with Reg Freeth
Reg Freeth grew up in Wales and worked for the Civil Service in the Labour Exchange before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. In South Afica, he trained as an observer and flew operations, and served as a bomb aimer with 61 Squadron from RAF…
Interview with Robert Barnes. One
Robert Barnes was working in a Reserved Occupation and knew the only way he could join the RAF was to volunteer for aircrew. Before he volunteered he was also a member of the ARP and Home Guard. Robert trained as a flight engineer and was posted to…
Interview with Thomas Peter Payne. Two
Tom joined the Air Training Corps as a deferred service airman, even though he was under-age. In April 1942 he received his call up papers to report to the Air Crew Reception Centre at St John’s Wood, before being posted to Ludlow. He then went to…
Interview with William Anderson
Flight Officer William Anderson began his service in the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 when he signed up in Edinburgh. He recalls his training, reporting to Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, being paid at the London Zoo, and having to quickly learn…
John Hopgood
Full length image of an airman wearing tunic and side cap, standing in front of a balustrade with sea cliffs in the background. Submitted with caption ' John training Torquay 1940'.
Additional information about this item kindly provided by the…
Additional information about this item kindly provided by the…
John L Kennedy’s pilots flying log book
Pilots flying log book for John L Kennedy, covering the period from 2 February 1942 to 30 November 1945. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Induna, RAF Kumalo, RAF Perth, RAF South Cerney,…
Keith Dexter diary. One
Day by day diary recording events from his joining the Air Force in April 1941 up until 8 November 1942. Covers time at 1 Initial Training Wing and No 1 Elementary Flying School at Hatfield including interview with the British Broadcasting…
Leonard Dorricott's wartime letters to his parents
Note book containing 84 pages of letters covering the period 1 September 1941 to 4 July 1942. It covers his training in the UK, Canada and the USA. He describes, in detail, his social life and eating arrangements but very little about the actual…
Letter from Dec Dexter to Phyllis
Letter from Cadet Dexter to Phyl giving his new address at initial training wing, Babbacombe, Devon. Describes his hasty preparations, before leaving home, items left behind to be sent on, concerns of the welfare of another female friend, standards…
Letter from Alan Green to his Family
![EGreenAWGreenWH-[Mo]-G4011XX-0001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/1541/28173/EGreenAWGreenWH-[Mo]-G4011XX-0001.jpg "EGreenAWGreenWH-[Mo]-G4011XX-0001.jpg")
Alan writes during his training at Torquay. He had just heard about the bombing of Coventry, where his family lived. He has arranged leave to visit his family. His course has finished and he has been made Guard Commander.