Mike Connock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Claire Campbell]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Northern Ireland]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cornwall]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> He flew 95 operations as Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Gunnery Leader and Cameraman with 49 and 617 Squadrons and survived nine days adrift in the North Sea. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and a rare Soviet Medal for Valour, flew in the first 1,000-bomber raid, and filmed the liberation of Europe with the RAF’s No.1 Film Production Unit.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Campbell]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Navy]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Croydon]]> Germany]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> England--Seaford]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Morecambe]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Texel]]> France]]> France--Brest]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> England--Great Yarmouth]]> Germany--Rostock]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Germany--Sylt]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Neubrandenburg]]> Germany--Kassel]]> England--Yate]]> Germany--Essen]]> France]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Switzerland]]> Italy]]> Italy--La Spezia]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Friedrichshafen]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Peenemunde]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Algeria]]> Algeria--Blida]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Liège]]> France--Limoges]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> France--Albert]]> France--Saint-Étienne (Loire)]]> France--Woippy]]> France--Clermont-Ferrand]]> France--Bergerac]]> France--Angouleme]]> France--Lyon]]> France--Paris]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> France--Le Havre]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Germany--Limburg (Landkreis)]]> Norway]]> Norway--Gardermoen]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Denmark]]> Denmark--Copenhagen]]> Norway--Tromsø]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> North Africa]]> 1941-04-16]]> 1941-05-10]]> 1941-05-12]]> 1941-06-30]]> 1941-08-12]]> 1941-08-13]]> 1941-08-13]]> 1941-08-17]]> 1941-08-19]]> 1941-09-02]]> 1941-09-08]]> 1941-09-28]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-06-01]]> 1942-06-05]]> 1942-07-31]]> 1943-08-30]]> 1944-02-08]]> 1944-06-08]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-15]]> 1945-06-19]]> 1945-06-25]]> G Welash]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Gloucester]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic sea]]> Germany--Sylt]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Poland]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1941-10-23]]> 1941-11-01]]> 1942-03-28]]> 1942-05-27]]> 1941-10]]> 1946-01]]> Initial training as a pilot at Nos. 3 and 2 Flying Training Schools. Posted to 99 Squadron in January 1932. Between January and August 1933 posted to Iraq with 70 and 203 Squadrons. 1935 saw a posting back to England with 24 Squadron and then the Home Aircraft Depot Ferry Flight and Ferry Squadron.
Posted to the Central flying School in August 1937 followed by No. 11 Flying training School. Posted to 9 Squadron in November 1938.

Served at RAF Grantham (Spitalgate), RAF Digby, RAF Upper Heyford, RAF Hinaidi, RAF Shaibah, RAF Hendon, RAF Henlow, RAF Cardington, RAF Upavon, RAF Wittering, RAF Shawbury, RAF Stradishall, RAF Honington.

Aircraft flown were Vickers Victoria, Westland Wapiti Float Plane, Blackburn Monoplane, Fairey Gordon, Hawker Audax, Fairey Seal, Avro Tutor, Gloster Gauntlet, Fairey Swordfish, Handley Page Heyford, De Havilland Queen Bee, Vickers Vildebeeste, Avro Prefect, Tiger Moth, Fairey IIIF, Hawker Hart, Hawker Hind, Hawker Fury, Vickers Valentia, Bristol Bulldog, Vickers Vincent, Westland Wallace, Blackburn Shark, Boulton Paul Overstrand, Avro Anson, Vickers Wellington, Miles Magister, Handley Page Harrow.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Pending review]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Middlesex]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Wiltshire]]> Iraq]]> Iraq--Baghdad]]> Iraq--Baṣrah]]> 1930]]> 1931]]> 1932]]> 1933]]> 1934]]> 1935]]> 1936]]> 1937]]> 1938]]> 1939]]> Leonard Trent]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> France]]> France--Bétheniville]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Rotterdam]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> Netherlands--Amsterdam]]> France--Landrecies]]> France--Poix-du-Nord]]> Great Britain]]> England--Felixstowe]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Inverness]]> Germany]]> Germany--Weeze]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1953-07-05]]> 1954-04-20]]> 1955-01-28]]> 1955-07-07]]> 1956-05-04]]> 1957-10-25]]> Continuing with 69 (PR) Squadron in Germany as a Squadron Commander. Posted to 8 Flying training School in May.
In July 1957 posted to 232 Operational Conversion Unit.
In July 1958 posted to the British Joint Services Mission(Washington) as United Sates Air Force Liaison.

Served at RAF Laarbruch, RAF Gaydon, RAF Swinderby, RAF Wittering.

Aircraft flown were Canberra PR3, Canberra T4, Valiant, Anson, C-47 Dakota, Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, Douglas C-54 Skymaster.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Pending review]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Weeze]]> United States]]> Washington (D.C.)]]> 1956]]> 1957]]> 1958]]> 1959]]> 1960]]> Hull Daily Mail]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Falkland Islands]]> Falkland Islands--Goose Green]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1982]]> The Sun]]> Daily Express]]> Sunday Telegraph]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Falkland Islands]]> Falkland Islands--Goose Green]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1982]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Turin]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Mülheim an der Ruhr]]> 1943-05-01]]> 1943-05-02]]> 1943-05-04]]> 1943-05-05]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-05-14]]> 1943-05-15]]> 1943-05-23]]> 1943-05-24]]> 1943-05-25]]> 1943-05-26]]> 1943-06-11]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-14]]> 1943-06-15]]> 1943-06-16]]> 1943-06-17]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-24]]> 1943-06-25]]> 1943-06-28]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-07-14]]> 1943-07-24]]> 1943-07-25]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-07-28]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-07-30]]> 1943-08-01]]> 1943-08-02]]> 1943-08-07]]> 1943-08-08]]> 1943-08-09]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-11]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-05-14]]> 1943-05-15]]> 1943-05-23]]> 1943-05-24]]> 1943-05-25]]> 1943-05-26]]> 1943-06-11]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-14]]> 1943-06-15]]> 1943-06-16]]> 1943-06-17]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-24]]> 1943-06-25]]> 1943-06-28]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-07-14]]> 1943-07-24]]> 1943-07-25]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-07-28]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-07-30]]> 1943-08-01]]> 1943-08-02]]> 1943-08-07]]> 1943-08-08]]> 1943-08-09]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-11]]> Australia. Royal Australian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Australia. Royal Australian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Review Oct 2024]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> New South Wales]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> New South Wales--Wagga Wagga]]> Greece]]> Greece--Maleme]]> Libya]]> Libya--Darnah]]> Greece--Rhodes (Island)]]> Libya--Gazala]]> Lebanon]]> Lebanon--Beirut]]> Syria]]> Syria--Aleppo]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Kibrit]]> Greece--Corinth Canal]]> Egypt--Marsá Maṭrūḥ]]> Libya--Tobruk]]> North Africa]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Turin]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Egypt--Sallūm]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Greece--Ērakleion]]> Egypt--Sallūm]]> Libya--Jarabub]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Mülheim an der Ruhr]]> Libya--Antlat]]> Libya--El Gubbi]]> Libya--Msus]]> Libya--Al Adm]]> 1941-05-25]]> 1941-05-26]]> 1941-06-03]]> 1941-06-04]]> 1941-06-08]]> 1941-06-09]]> 1941-06-12]]> 1941-06-13]]> 1941-06-16]]> 1941-06-17]]> 1941-07-02]]> 1941-07-03]]> 1941-07-10]]> 1941-07-11]]> 1941-07-23]]> 1941-08-01]]> 1941-08-02]]> 1941-08-03]]> 1941-08-04]]> 1941-08-08]]> 1941-08-09]]> 1941-09-28]]> 1941-09-29]]> 1941-10-05]]> 1941-10-06]]> 1941-10-10]]> 1941-10-11]]> 1941-10-15]]> 1941-10-16]]> 1941-10-20]]> 1941-10-21]]> 1941-10-29]]> 1941-10-30]]> 1941-11-01]]> 1941-11-02]]> 1941-11-07]]> 1941-11-08]]> 1942-01-15]]> 1942-01-20]]> 1942-01-23]]> 1943-05-01]]> 1943-05-02]]> 1943-05-04]]> 1943-05-05]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-05-14]]> 1943-05-15]]> 1943-05-23]]> 1943-05-24]]> 1943-05-25]]> 1943-05-26]]> 1943-06-11]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-14]]> 1943-06-15]]> 1943-06-16]]> 1943-06-17]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-24]]> 1943-06-25]]> 1943-06-28]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-07-14]]> 1943-07-24]]> 1943-07-25]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-07-28]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-07-30]]> 1943-08-01]]> 1943-08-02]]> 1943-08-07]]> 1943-08-08]]> 1943-08-09]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-11]]> Ivan Ure]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Royal Air Force]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Wales--Colwyn Bay]]> England--London]]> England--Lancing]]> England--Blackpool]]> Scotland--Edzell]]> Scotland--Arbroath]]> England--Whitley Bay]]> Germany]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France]]> France--Le Tréport]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Poland--Świnoujście]]> Poland--Białogard]]> Europe--Elbe River]]> Germany--Lüneburg]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Poland]]> GB Blacklock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Skipton]]> Scotland--Bedrule]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--London]]> England--Appleby-in-Westmorland]]> Egypt--Alexandria]]> Egypt--Aboukir Bay]]> England--Chester]]> England--Newmarket (Suffolk)]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Guernsey]]> France--Marseille]]> Northern Ireland]]> Scotland--Montrose]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Wangerooge Island]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Borkum]]> England--Wisbech]]> England--Weybridge]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Norway--Stavanger]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Netherlands--Rotterdam]]> France--Givet]]> Belgium]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Hazebrouck]]> France--Dunkerque]]> France--Socx]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> France--Salon-de-Provence]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Lünen]]> Wales--Hawarden]]> Germany--Baden-Baden]]> England--Eastleigh]]> Scotland--Stranraer]]> England--Doncaster]]> France--Brest]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany--Lingen (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> France--La Pallice]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> France]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Egypt]]> North Africa]]> Italy]]> Miss P Pesfet]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Stamford]]> England--Sheffield]]> 1943-11-01]]> Bottom left - view of a three storey end terrace house with car parked in front. Captioned 'another step in the quest.. Finding the terraced house in Bridlington where Geoff was billeted during his time with 14 I.T.W in 1941 was a great day! Left: 81 Hilda's Street [authors photograph'.
Bottom right - three airmen wearing tunics and side caps standing in line outside a brick building with doorway to right. Captioned 'Below right. Sunday 3rd March 1940 at RAF Wittering. After a walk. A.C.s Woolford, Foster and Beckett outside block 3'.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northampton]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Peterborough]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Bridlington]]> 1940-03-03]]> G Beckett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> 1941-05-10]]> G Beckett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> 1940]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Stamford]]> 1939]]> 1940-06]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> G Beckett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sandra Jones]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> 1939-12-25]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> G Bennett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> 1939-12]]> 1940-01]]> First letter to parents asking for enclosed to be cleaned for friend going overseas.

Second letter to parents dated 10 May 1941. Mentions recent letters and that they had been bombed and machine gunned but they worked through. Describes events. Mentions Nottingham bombing. Continues with family news and gossip. Mentions damage to camp. Commentary at end by transcriber explaining some detail and a little about Geoff's work on RDF and fighter interceptions.]]> G Beckett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Nottingham]]> 1941-05-10]]>