Browse Items (114 total)

  • Tags: ditching

MMartinWF1554690-191020-18.jpg
The first telegram states that WF Martin is missing and the second states he has been rescued from the sea.

Tags: ; ; ;

SBondS-RichardsonAv10015.MP3
Alan Richardson begins half way through a story of an aircraft losing wings flying through the Needles. S Bond then tells a couple of stories about crew who ditched a Wellington and an air gunner taken off ops. Alan finishes with some comment on log…

Tags: ; ;

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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PTomlinR1503.jpg
Ron Tomlin grew up in Birmingham and was an apprentice carpenter before working in a munitions factory. He volunteered for the Air Force aged 18 and, after training, flew operations as a bomb aimer with 10 Squadron. His aircraft was forced to ditch…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PPattersonGE1901.jpg
Before joining the Royal Air Force on 4 February 1942, Ernie worked as an apprentice joiner. On being called up he went to RAF Blackpool for training, which included Morse code. Following training at different places he then attended the advanced…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BWalleyBSWalleyBSv10001.jpg
Brian Walley's detailed account of his two ditchings.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EWalleyBSWalleyFG-[Mo]430120-0001.jpg
He has received 12 letters in a week. He explains the circumstances of the death of his crew members in the dinghy, the Red Cross had been asking him.

Tags: ; ; ; ;

ALeithJM170112.mp3
James McKenzie Leith was a swimming instructor before he joined the RAF. He trained as a gunner and was posted to 429 Squadron at RAF Leeming. On their first operation their aeroplane was damaged and they attempted an emergency landing but this was…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BLillieCFLillieCFv1.pdf
Account of the operation to locate a German submarine and shooting down of a United States Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator by a Ju 88 in February 1944. Author is the nose gunner/bomb aimer and describes the operation, attack by fighters, ditching, escape to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

BSaundersCFSaundersCFv1.pdf
An account by Charles Saunders of his service in the RAF during the war. He served as a mid upper gunner flying in the Halifax with No 102 Squadron at RAF Pocklington and carried out 18 operations. VE day ended his flying career and he was retrained…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v320002.mp3
Nelson Nix grew up during the war. His father kept the village shop and was also a special constable and member of the Observer Corps, which later became the Royal Observer Corps. The post had access to the Darkie sets which were used to guide…

Tags: ; ; ; ;

SWatsonC188489v1-1.pdf
A memoir written by Cliff Watson divided into 20 chapters.

The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ERyanRHLeighGE430124.jpg
The writer advises that John is missing.

Tags: ; ; ; ;

WoolgarR (Pesaro).jpg
Reg Woolgar was born in Hove. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force in December 1939 and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner. He flew Hampdens with 49 Squadron. His aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire on a mine-laying operation to Oslo…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PStonemanMW1801.jpg
Maurice Stoneman was posted to 57 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby as the flight engineer on Lancasters in 1943. He recalls that, on returning from operations, they used to fly around the Boston Stump and around Lincoln Cathedral before finally landing.…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PdiPlacitoLH1701.jpg
Lawrence di Placito served as a second-class coxswain on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches during the Second World War. Henry gives further details of his experiences in rescues, both successful and those with a tragic ending. He also tells of Ealing…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGoldbyJL171025.mp3
John Goldby was born in Kent but the family moved to London the year after. He was inspired to join the RAF when a schoolfriend joined and became a Spitfire pilot. John believes that it was a mid-air collision with a night fighter that led to his…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PCommissoP1601.jpg
An emergency red light, designed to be attached to a life jacket to allow the wearer to be located at night. The light assembly appears to be complete and has signs of wear to the black painted components.

One image shows the item fully assembled.…

Tags: ;

BDunmoreGDunmoreGv1.pdf
A 25 page account of the preparation for, and carrying out of a maximum effort operation against Duisburg by Lancasters of 83 Squadron at RAF Wyton, part of 8 Group Bomber Command. Account provides detailed description of preparations, briefing and…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PColingE1801.jpg
Eric Coling’s father died when Eric was a child which left his mother to cope on her own, economically. Eric and his sister were sent to live in an orphanage but their mother was able to visit monthly. When Eric left the orphanage he began working…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PDoneK1701.jpg
Upon leaving Battersea Grammar School aged 14, he was employed at Chelsea Town Hall as a junior clerk. When the war started, he discovered he was in a reserved occupation and unable to enlist. However, suffering The Blitz was too much and after being…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BCopemanGCopemanGv1.pdf
An operation undertaken to attack Wesseling, near Cologne. The aircraft suffered engine and fuel line damage and ditched in the North Sea. The crew survived the ditching and were rescued by a launch.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AMarshallJ180116.mp3
Jack went to New Zealand in 1937 and became a steward in a gentleman’s club in Napier, where he stayed for two years until the war broke out. He joined the Royal Air Force and went to England where he did train to become an air gunner at RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EAirMinLeighGE430529.jpg
The letter explains that John's aircraft was seen to be shot down and enter the North Sea. They express sympathy and since nothing has been heard they feel he is no longer alive.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

LWoolgarRLA139398v1.pdf
Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Flight Lieutenant Reg Woolgar from 29 November 1940 to 21 July 1947. Detailing training schedule, instructional duties and operations flown. Served at RAF Yatesbury, RAF West Freugh, RAF Upper Heyford,…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2