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Interview with Romualdo Siccardi
Romualdo Siccardi (b. 1926) remembers the bombing of the Borgo San Paolo gas holder in Turin, November 1942, when he was 16. He mentions, briefly, makeshift shelters in basements deemed tantamount to death traps and gives a detailed account of the…
Interview with Aldo Magnaghi
Aldo Magnaghi (b. 1927) remembers the bombings of Milan and explains how his house was not directly hit but rather heavily damaged by blast waves. He describes phosphorus loaded incendiaries, their effects on wooden structures, and how civilians…
Interview with Günter Lucks
Günter Lucks (b. 1925) describes how he was forced to join the Hitler Youth in 1939, an event that caused a great deal of disturbance in a family with a strong communist background. When his parents moved out, because of his father’s job as aircraft…
Interview with Marta Papotti
Marta Papotti (b. 1937) remembers the bombings of Turin and how she and her family dashed to the shelter in the basement. She recalls the sense of community and describes people reciting the rosary or just chatting. She describes how her father, the…
Interview with Laura Perego
Laura Perego (b. 1919) tells how her village, on the outskirts of Milan, went through the war almost unscathed, despite being close to an ammunition dump and other potential targets. She remembers a mysterious, badly dressed man who lived in a nearby…
Interview with Rosetta Gobetti
Rosetta Gobetti (b. 1930) describes the bombing of a marsh near Isola della Scala, describing it as, probably, target mis-identification. She recalls a more severe bombing which destroyed many houses and killed 28 people. She gives a short…
Interview with Luigia Colussi
Luigia Colussi (b. 1925) gives a short account of her wartime life and describes how she persuaded German troops to release her father. She talks about the contrast between the attitude of adults (who prayed and were generally worried by the…
Interview with Carlo Bertolo
Carlo Bertolo (b. 1939) remembers a bombing of Turin when incendiaries were dropped. He recalls how one of them hit his house, but it was stopped by a trunk full of clothes before it could reach the shelter.
Interview with Anna Maria Baccolini
Anna Maria Baccolini (b. 1933) recalls the first bombing of Turin, aimed at the Lingotto industrial area. She describes the impressive sight of the city burning and highlights the effects of nearby hits. She remembers the tender gesture of her father…
Interview with Mirco Marelli
Mirco Marelli describes a bombing raid on the factory where he worked in 1941: when the alarm sounded, bombs started falling but he was too far from any of the shelters, so he and a friend took cover under a staircase. He highlights how shocking it…
Interview with Carla Fantini
After leaving school, Carla Fantini started working as telegraph operator, which she found a gratifying and thoroughly enjoyable occupation. She describes the bombing war in Milan, stressing widespread destruction and ravaging fires. She recalls the…
Interview with Tito Samorè
Tito Samorè recalls wartime memories in Milan, when he was a member of the Balilla youth organisation. He remembers the outbreak of war and its announcement on the radio. Tito describes the first bombing of Milan in 1940, stressing how easy it was…
I went back, saw Duisburg die
An article describing daylight and night time operations on Duisburg. There is a photograph of a Lancaster dropping a 4000 pound bomb and incendiaries and a photograph of an aircrew. The crew is Flying Officer J Whitwood, pilot and Ken Thomas…
Procedures and Life of an Air Gunner with a Lancaster Squadron
![MBrookerWH[Ser#-DoB]-180402-04.Pdf](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/1272/17692/MBrookerWH[Ser -DoB]-180402-04.jpg "MBrookerWH[Ser#-DoB]-180402-04.Pdf")
William Brooker's service. He recalls RAF stations, names the crew and lists operations he was involved in.
This item was provided, in digital form, by a third-party organisation which used technical specifications and operational protocols that…
This item was provided, in digital form, by a third-party organisation which used technical specifications and operational protocols that…
World War II service History of Flight Lieutenant WH Brooker DFC
WH Brooker volunteered in 1940, was called up on 27 February 1941 and trained in Pearce, Western Australia. On transfer to UK there were delays in further training. He provides details of operations in which he was involved. After 30 operations he…
Letter to George Thomson from his father
![EThomson[Fam]ThomsonGB440220-0001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/1157/51733/EThomson[Fam]ThomsonGB440220-0001.jpg "EThomson[Fam]ThomsonGB440220-0001.jpg")
Notes that they had heard news of heavy raids on Leipzig and Berlin but at heavy loss of 79. Comments on incendiaries. continues with news, chat and gossip as well as descriptions of activities. Mentions Anzio beachhead still in news as well as…