207 Squadron association]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Wesseling]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1944-06-21]]> 1944-06-22]]> 582 Squadron]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Liz McElwee]]> Lancaster ED908, George MacArthur]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> France]]> France--Forêt du Croc]]> 1944-07-20]]> A E Edwards]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> France]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Lille]]> France--Laon]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> France--Nantes]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Louvain]]> France]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Aachen]]> France--Dunkerque]]> France--Calais]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Tours]]> France--Lens]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Nucourt]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Vaires-sur-Marne]]> France--L'Isle-Adam]]> France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Brest]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Poland]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-24]]> 1944-05-11]]> 1944-05-19]]> 1944-05-21]]> 1944-05-25]]> 1944-05-28]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-04]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-10]]> 1944-06-11]]> 1944-06-15]]> 1944-07-02]]> 1944-07-05]]> 1944-07-09]]> 1944-07-10]]> 1944-07-11]]> 1944-07-15]]> 1944-07-16]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-19]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-04]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-25]]> 1944-08-26]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-09-09]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-19]]> 1945-01-31]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1944-08-08]]> A L Joslin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Binbrook]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Merville (Nord)]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> France]]> France--Vire (Calvados)]]> France--Ile-de-France]]> France--Eure]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Paris]]> France--Dijon]]> France--Foret du Croc]]> France--Jura]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France--Gironde]]> France--Douai]]> Netherlands]]> Belgium--Ghent]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Netherlands--Westkapelle]]> Germany--Saarbrucken]]> Belgium]]> Germany]]> France--Reims]]> 1944]]> A R Witty]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Hull]]> England--London]]> England--Devon]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Liverpool]]> South Africa]]> South Africa--Durban]]> South Africa--East London]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> France--Rennes]]> Germany]]> Germany--Aachen]]> France--Paris]]> France--Normandy]]> France--Evreux]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> France--Le Havre]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France--Calais]]> France--Dijon]]> France--Tours]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Orléans]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Domléger-Longvillers]]> Germany--Spiekeroog Island]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> 1943-03-29]]> 1943-07-10]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-09-08]]> 1943-10-12]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-28]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-12]]> 1942-06-13]]> 1944-06-22]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-12-12]]> 1945-07-07]]> 1945-07-17]]> A Simpson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Manchester]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> France]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Turin]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Berlin]]> France--Lorient]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Cologne]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Germany--Bochum]]> France--Montchanin]]> Germany--Mülheim an der Ruhr]]> England--Leicestershire]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Munich]]> France--Modane]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> France--Sablé-sur-Sarthe]]> France--Lille]]> France--Cherbourg]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Leopoldsburg]]> France--Nantes]]> France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)]]> France--Argentan]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Poitiers]]> France--Somme]]> France--Vitry-le-François]]> France--Saint-Leu-d'Esserent]]> France--Caen]]> Germany--Euskirchen (Kreis)]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> Germany--Rheydt]]> Germany--Mittelland Canal]]> Germany--Merseburg]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Most (Okres)]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Würzburg]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia)]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--IJmuiden]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Reims]]> 1942-06]]> 1942-07]]> 1942-08]]> 1942-09]]> 1942-10]]> 1942-11]]> 1942-12]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1956]]> 1958]]> 1959]]> 1960]]> 1961]]> 1970]]> 1972]]> 1973]]> 1982-08]]> ]]> S Bond]]> A T Cole]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> France--Lens]]> Germany]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Normandy]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Bottrop]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> Germany--Hannover]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> A T Harris]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Wehrmacht]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> North Africa]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> Belgium--Saint-Vith]]> France--Dunkerque]]> France--Normandy]]> 1945-05-10]]> A Thomsett]]> S Bond]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Steeple Aston]]> England--Norfolk]]> Netherlands]]> Scotland--Edinburgh]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Scarborough]]> England--Suffolk]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> England--Cornwall]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1943-10]]> 1944-03]]> 1944-10]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1948]]> 1941-10]]> 1958]]> 1943-09-14]]> 1943-11-26]]> 1944-08-15]]> 1944-08-15]]> A. A. Farr]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Robin Christian]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> France]]> Netherlands]]> Belgium]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France--Dieppe]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Creil Region]]> France--Bordeaux Region (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Caen Region]]> France--Béthune]]> France--Douai]]> France--La Rochelle]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Falaise]]> France--Falaise Region]]> Netherlands--Uden]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> France--Limoges Region]]> Belgium--Ghent]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Netherlands--Breda]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Osnabrück Region]]> France--Calais]]> Germany--Neuss]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Poland]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Nieppe Forest]]> France--Fontenay-le-Marmion]]> France--Ferfay]]> France--Bois des Jardins]]> France--Fromentel]]> France--Vincly]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-28]]> 1944-07-31]]> 1944-08-02]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-04]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-10]]> 1944-08-11]]> 1944-08-12]]> 1944-08-14]]> 1944-08-15]]> 1944-08-16]]> 1944-08-18]]> 1944-08-25]]> 1944-08-26]]> 1944-08-28]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-03]]> 1944-09-05]]> 1944-09-06]]> 1944-09-08]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-16]]> 1944-09-29]]> 1944-09-23]]> 1944-09-25]]> 1944-09-26]]> 1944-09-27]]> 1944-09-28]]> 1944-10-03]]> 1944-10-04]]> 1944-10-05]]> 1944-08-08]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Juvincourt-et-Damary]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Scotland--Wigtownshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Potsdam]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Germany--Ingolstadt]]> Poland]]> Poland--Bąków]]> 1943]]> 1943-03]]> 1944]]> 1944-02]]> 1945-04-25]]> 1945-04-29]]> ]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--London]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> Germany]]> Ken describes how he met his pilot. They initially shot down V-1s flying Mosquitoes. They went to northern France and did cross countries. Ken missed D-Day as he was training on Mark 10 radar at RAF Twinwood Farm. They did intruder raids. He describes going to Linz and their encounters with fighters. His squadron, along with another Mosquito squadron, were sent to the Channel Islands and was instrumental in the surrender German forces stationed there on 9th May 1945.
Ken was a recipient of Lady Ryder’s Dominion and Allied Services Hospitality Scheme and describes some of the hospitality and leisure pursuits he experienced.
After the war, Ken received the Legion of Honour.
]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Austria]]> Austria--Linz]]> Canada]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Sussex]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Channel Islands]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Victoria]]> Victoria--Mornington Peninsula]]> Victoria--Mount Martha]]> Western Australia]]> Western Australia--Bunbury]]> Western Australia--Busselton]]> Western Australia--Geraldton]]> Western Australia--Moora]]> 1945]]> Aidan Saunders]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text. Personal research]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> Wales--Llandovery]]> Singapore]]> Burma]]> England--Colchester]]> Poland--Warsaw]]> England--Ely]]> England--Isleham]]> England--Looe]]> Nigeria--Lagos]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Lancing]]> England--Welwyn Garden City]]> England--Wantage]]> Poland]]> Nigeria]]> England--Essex]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Sussex]]> Air Commodore Henry Probert]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> 1995]]> He reminisces about pre-war and early war days as a schoolboy in Lewisham, recalling events at the beginning of the war. Includes photographs of aircraft and naval ships. He continues with history of events through the war's early years including: conscription; German actions in Europe; battle of France; Dunkirk and the battle of Britain, and includes detailed accounts of German air force attacks. Includes photograph of Hitler and Churchill. He describes Royal Navy attack on Taranto and includes photograph of Swordfish. He continues with German offensives in North Africa and the Balkans. He talks about his job at the Redwing Aircraft Company and joining No 1 Maintenance Unit and Barrage Balloon Centre as an apprentice at RAF Kidbrooke. In 1943 he transferred his apprenticeship to De Havilland Aircraft Company. He describes life during the war, including bombing and people moving to the country. He talks about D-Day, V-weapons, Bomber Command operations. In 1945 was transferred to RAF Hatfield. He goes on to describe events in 1945 and the end of the war followed, and comments on American servicemen in the United Kingdom.

]]> Alan Mann]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Kent]]> England--London]]> England--Hertfordshire]]> England--Hatfield (Hertfordshire)]]> England--Herefordshire]]> Algeria]]> Algeria--Mers el Kebir]]> North Africa]]> Italy]]> Italy--Taranto]]> France]]> Germany]]> 1938-05-20]]> 1938]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1941-05]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 2008-06]]> Andrew Cowley]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Devon]]> England--Torquay]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1940-09-07]]> 1945-02-21]]> Early in 1944, the Allies discovered sites in France which they suspected were V-1 and V-2 installations. The V-2 sites, near Eperlecques forest and St-Omer were large concrete structures which were attacked by Bomber Command but could not be put out of action by conventional weapons. So the task was given to 617 Squadron using the Tallboy bomb.
On 17th July, an operation to attack the St-Omer site was launched and John recalls approaching from the north-west at a speed of 200mph and 18,000 feet and could clearly see the concrete dome protecting the site. He watched the bomb going down to explode next to the dome which severely damaged the supports and rendered the site unusable.
John next attacked the Eperlecques forest site on 25th July and several direct hits put the site out of action. Neither site launched any weapons.
Another site was discovered near Mimoyecqes in the Pas de Calais area and was attacked by the RAF and USAAF. Being largely underground it was difficult to hit and so on July 6th 617 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Cheshire, successfully put the site out of action using Tallboy bombs. This was Cheshire's 100th mission and he was immediately stood down and awarded the VC. Advancing Allied troops later inspected the installation and found it to be a supergun capable of firing a 30kg explosive shell into London at a rate of 3000 shells per day.
John was an admirer of Barnes Wallace and describes in detail two of his inventions, the Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs. The first of these was issued to 617 Squadron and used to destroy the Saumur tunnel on 9th June 1944 and proved its effectiveness in destroying underground structures. He describes the Tallboy installation and remembers that, due to their scarcity and expense, they were ordered to bring back the bomb if unable to obtain a successful release.
John's next operation was to the U-boat pens at Brest and recalls very heavy flak. His abiding picture of all his operation was the wall of anti-aircraft fire that he met, there was no avoidance and he just hoped to get through unscathed.
The operation to Brest was John's 50th and he was moved to a training role.
]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Gill Kavanagh]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Terry Holmes]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France--Mimoyecques]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Saumur]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> France--Watten]]> France--Brest]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> England--Chatham (Kent)]]> England--Kent]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Scotland--Moray]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942]]> 1943-08-17]]> 1943-08-18]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Andrew Sadler]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carolyn Emery]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Mimoyecques]]> Wales--Bridgend]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Andy Barff]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steven Westwood]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> South Africa]]> Great Britain]]> England]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> France--Nantes]]> Germany]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Milan]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> Tanzania]]> South Africa--Makhanda]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Anna Hoyles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> 1944-07]]> Anne Phillips]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Maureen Clarke]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> France]]> France--Normandy]]> 1944-06-30]]>