Browse Items (925 total)

  • Tags: crash

ABerrieD161031.mp3
David Berrie joined the RAF and served as a wireless operator. He flew six operations with 576 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds and shares his experience of living on the station with Polish crews. David remembers crashing twice in 24 hours and, on one…

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AGrayG160223.mp3
Gilbert Gray grew up in Dunfermline and joined the Air Training Corps before enlisting in the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer in 1940, aged 18 years. He trained at RAF St Athan in Wales, graduated as a sergeant and was posted onto Lancasters. He…

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MDyerJH1217992-160108-01.pdf
Note from his niece which gives outline of operation to Berlin on 2 January 1944. Mentions that Missing Research and Enquiry Service contacted his parents with news that his remains had been found and he and rest of crew were buried in the village of…

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YPattissonC1264245v1.pdf
Transcription of day by day account of activities from 19 April 1942 to 3 October 1942. Commences with photograph of Squadron in front of Halifax and of pilots on training course (Pattisson top left), Records daily activities, casualties, losses of…

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MPritchard2206805-171108-030001.jpg
A biography of Arthur Pritchard written by his daughter, covering his training, operations and the night he was shot down. Despite speaking no French he was assisted to a hideout in Paris where he remained until Paris was liberated in August 1944.

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ABattyPH161014.mp3
Philip Batty grew up in Walsall. He discusses the death of his older brother Dennis, a wireless operator with 226 Squadron, early in the Second World War. Philip volunteered for aircrew. After training, he was posted to 50 Squadron at RAF Sturgate as…

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AHandleyE-BushD171012.mp3
Twins, Eileen and Dennis, were born in Waddington in 1929. They give a detailed account of their experiences living adjacent to RAF Waddington throughout the Second World War. Summer evenings were spent waving to aircraft departing on operations,…

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EHourriezCMaizelsM[Date]-010001.jpg
The letter is a copy of the original and contains detail about the death of his cousin, Norman Gorfunkle. He attended the crash site but after the Germans had removed the crew survivors. His cousin had died in the crash. He was buried with…

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EMorrisWMAlexanderWS[Date]-01.jpg
The writer expresses sympathy on the loss of Denis. He describes the events of the accident.

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PBellinghamPF1602.jpg
Peter Bellingham worked as a post office engineer before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He trained in Rhodesia and South Africa and completed a tour of operations as a bomb aimer, dropping supplies with 138 Squadron from RAF Tempsford. He…

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AOConnellDA160809.mp3
Desmond O’Connell was born in London in 1919. He followed in his brother’s footsteps by joining the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve in 1939. He went to Cambridge to commence pilot training but half the contingent were transferred to become…

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AChaplinSR170407.mp3
Susan Chaplin was born in North Marston and was a local teacher. She recounts the story her mother told her as a young girl, about Wellington HE740 which crashed near the village. With her local history group she researched and wrote a book “The…

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AMcPhersonWhiteR150901.mp3
Roy White was born in Perth, Scotland but grew up in London. He joined the Air Training Corps, went on as a volunteer reserve and then served as an air gunner in the RAF. He tells of his brother serving in Coastal Command and surviving an aircraft…

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ASaundersAC170201.mp3
Sandy Saunders recalls Liverpool being bombed in 1941 and, while on a rescue squad, he sustained splinter injuries from a blast and required hospital treatment. After taking a science degree he served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers…

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PStangryciukBlackJ1701.jpg
Jan Black Stangryciuk was born in Poland although his family emigrated to Argentina in 1934. He volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in 1939. He recalls his journey to England and explains reasons for his decision. He describes, in detail, a…

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PMellorG1501.jpg
Gordon Mellor grew up in London and was hoping to become a quantity surveyor, when he was called up. He volunteered for the Air Force and trained as a navigator in Canada. On his return to the UK he and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham…

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APayneTP160422.mp3
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…

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ATrentKL160112.mp3
Ken grew up in London and joined the Royal Air Force, as a pilot, on his 18th birthday. After exams and interview at RAF Uxbridge, he went to Number 9 Receiving Wing in RAF Torquay and an Initial Training Wing in Stratford-upon-Avon. He then trained…

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PBarnettWE1701.jpg
William Edwin Barnett talks about his experience of living on the edge of RAF Westcott, near Aylesbury. He remembers starting work on a farm at the age of 14 and describes his everyday life and duties. He tells of being conscripted into the Home…

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AColbeckJC170524.mp3
Joy Colbeck was born in Maidstone, Kent and served within the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the war. Her brother, John, joined the RAF on the 28 April 1943, qualified as an air gunner in April 1944, before being transferred to an Operational…

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AGillRA-JT170930.mp3
Rachel's father, Peter Hazeldene lived in Wales and joined the RAF when he saw a poster encouraging people to see the world from a different perspective. He trained as a wireless operator and, during training, suspected a couple of incidents of…

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AGossRG170614.mp3
Raymond Goss lived on the family farm at Westcott before, during and after the construction and occupation of RAF Westcott as 11 Operational Training Unit. One evening a Lancaster collided with a Wellington on the field and both exploded. The Goss…

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AHolmesWC151105.mp3
William Holmes remembers his time as a pilot in the RAF. He gives a vivid and graphic account of the dramatic crash-landing which left him badly injured and brought him to join the Guinea Pig Club. William remembers various episodes of his…

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AJuryAR171222.mp3
Alan Jury began his career with the RAF as an engineering apprentice at RAF Halton. When he retired from the RAF he joined the Parish Council at his local village and was informed that a Lancaster had crashed in the village in March 1945. After a…

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PKeyEG1701.jpg
Ted Key was a flight engineer. He was born to a large family in London which he remembers coming down from Norfolk to visit. His father was in the Navy as a chief petty officer and away a lot. Ted was in the air defence cadet corps before he joined…

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