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Interview with John McCredie
John successfully negotiated a transfer to the Royal Australian Air Force from the militia. There was an Initial Training School at Somers, followed by elementary flying training at Temora. He flew Oxfords at the Service Flying Training School at…
Interview with Lesley Joseph Loosemoore
Les Loosemore describes his upbringing and employment history in Swansea before joining the war in 1945. He describes the Blitz in Swansea before training to be a mid-upper gunner for 61 Squadron. He describes his rather intensive training, including…
Interview with Ronald Last
Ronald Last grew up in Dorset and worked as an apprentice for the local gas and water company before volunteering for the Air Force. He attended the reception centre at Lord's Cricket Ground and describes the medical tests and inoculations recruits…
Interview with David Rose
David Rose was born in Swanage, Dorset. His father had been in the Medical Corps during the First World War and suffered ill health afterwards. David believed his father had as much reason to be on the War Memorial as his two brothers, who died…
Interview with Frank Tolley
Frank Tolley was born in 1921 in Tipton and left school at 14, to work as a grocery errand boy. He joined the Royal Air Force at 19 as a ground gunner, and was in at the inception of the Royal Air Force Regiment. After 18 months he volunteered to…
Interview with Joan Ray
Joan Ray was born in Doncaster on the 11th March 1925. She suffered problems with her eyes in her early life and tells of the impact it had, including problems with reading and writing. She spent time in domestic service working at Hesley Hall in…
Interview with Ron Tomlin
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…
Interview with Geoff Packham
Geoff’s father had been in the Royal Flying Corps and Geoff joined the Royal Air Force at RAF Cardington. He was posted to various stations before going to Halifax in Canada to train as a pilot on Tiger Moths and then Oxfords. On his return, Geoff…
An interesting war
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. It includes details of childhood and growing up, tells of him joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. This was followed by training in England and a…
Service History of Benny Goodman
Benny recalls his RAF career, including recruitment and initial training, both in the UK and Canada. He provides details of the 30 operations he went on.
Interview with Eric Reginald Barton
Flying Officer Eric Barton flew operations with Bomber Command. Eric talks about the various aircraft he flew in, and recalls an incident at Banff in Scotland where, following a night exercise, his tyre blew out on landing. He gives an account of an…
Interview with Stephen Granville Bacon
Stephen joined the Royal Air Force in Kingston upon Hull. He wanted to be a pilot but became a mid-air gunner instead. He started at RAF Dalcross where he trained on Boulton Paul Defiant aircraft and went to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby on Lancasters.…
Interview with Derry Derrington
Dr Arnold Pearce Derrington grew up in Cornwall and joined the University Air Squadron at Exeter. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and completed training at RAF Ansty, South Africa, RAF West Freugh and RAF Moreton in the Marsh, where he trained…
Interview with Cyril Abbotts
Cyril Abbotts volunteered for the Royal Air Force while he was an engineering apprentice with W T Avery at Smethwick. After his reception and basic training at Lord’s Cricket Ground, he trained as a pilot at RAF Bowden and Moose Jaw in Canada. On his…
Interview with Charlie Darby
Charlie Darby joined the Royal Air Force in September 1943 and describes, in great detail, his training as an air gunner/wireless operator on Wellingtons and Ansons at RAF Bridlington, RAF Bridgnorth, RAF Castle Kennedy, RAF Acaster Malbis and RAF…
Interview with George Haig
George Haigh was already a keen footballer when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force and became a physical training instructor. He was posted to RAF Morecambe, where he provided basic training to new recruits. He discusses the mixed level of…
Interview with Frank Wilcox
Frank Wilcox was born in Wales and worked in aircraft manufacturing. He was later called up and served in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Anzio and became a prisoner of war. When he was released and returned to the UK,…
Interview with Rusty Waughman. Two
Russell (Rusty) Waughman was born in Shotley Bridge, County Durham. Due to serious poor health as a child, his education was interrupted. He describes his training with the Empire Training School in Canada. He was posted to 101 Squadron which was a…
Interview with John Firth
John was called up aged 18 and went to Padgate. He comleted a flight mechanics course at RAF Locking, followed by a Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne. He was posted to a flight engineers course at RAF St Athan. John joined up with his crew at RAF…
Interview with James Burdin
James Burdin went at Hutton Grammar School and worked in radio sales and repair. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force but had to wait and joined the Local Defence Volunteers instead. He did some rifle practice, general infantry training and…
Interview with Jane Carrington
Jane Carrington joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1942 at the age of 18 because it sounded more exciting than the Army or Navy and she liked the colour of the uniform. She served as a cook, and volunteered to join the band as a drummer. She…
Interview with Benny Goodman. Two
Benny Goodman grew up in London and hoped to become a pilot. He volunteered for the Air Force and was, originally, posted to RAF Abingdon as a ground gunner before beginning his flying training. After qualifying as a pilot in Canada, he became an…
Interview with Bernard Charles Mabey
Bernard Mabey was born in London and experienced the Blitz at first hand. He was a member of the Air Training Corps in 1941, before volunteering for the RAF. He trained as an air frame mechanic at RAF Locking. His first posting was RAF Marston Moor…
Interview with Dick Maywood
Dick was born in Peterborough and volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1941. He was called up to Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1942. Dick went to No. 6 Initial Training Wing at RAF Aberystwyth. He then went to RAF Desford, flying Tiger Moths and was…
Interview with Thomas Peter Payne. Two
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…