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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Akrill, William
Billy Akrill
W Akrill
Description
An account of the resource
132 items. The collection concerns Sergeant William Akrill (1922 - 1943, 1436220 Royal Air Force). He was a navigator with 115 Squadron. His Wellington was shot down by a night-fighter on an operation to Essen and crashed into the Ijsselmeer 12/13 March 1943. The collection contains his photographs, letters, and cartoons as well as an oral history interview with Michael and Ann Akrill about their uncle. There is also a subcollection of letters written as a teenage boy to his father in hospital. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Michael and Ann Akrill and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Additional information on William Akrill is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/200183/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/akrill-we/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-12-04
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Akrill, M-A
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
No 1436220 L.A.C. Akrill.
Hut 20. 4. A.O.S.
West Freugh,
Stranraer.
Scot.
Sunday. 26.7.42.
Dear Mum,
I’ve just got my first Air Force meal resting very uncomfortably & insecurely on my stomach & am [deleted] jus [/deleted] wondering what you’ll be having for dinner at this minute. I must get my stomach used to it gradually!!
Thought I’d better get this off as soon as I could to let you know I got back to camp more or less in one piece this morning. We had a pretty awful journey. I met the Nottingham lad at Derby & the others at Crewe. We had to change at Carlisle & I thought we were never going to get to Stranraer. Gosh my behind hurt with sitting squashed there. Eventually got to Stranraer in pouring rain
[page break]
at just gone eleven to find that the 11.15 bus wasn’t running any longer. As nearly all 40 of us were there we got the R.T.O. to ring up the Freugh for transport. We stood in cold & rain, hungry & hardly able to keep awake until nearly one o’clock. My hand was an awful mess & had been most of the journey. Swelling went right up my arm & it felt as if it was going to bust. Eventually a lorry & a bus turned up & we piled in. On the way we in the bus nearly ended upside down in the ditch but at last reached camp (after our passes had expired) raided the cookhouse for a hot pie & a mess-tin full of cocoa, sorted out our sheets & bedding & didn’t get settled down till gone two.
We all overslept this morning & didn’t go on parade & finally trickled into the classroom very late & minus breakfast (though Ted D. did bring me a mess-tin of
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
tea) however we got away with it & with “overstaying leave” What a game!!
[underlined] Night [/underlined] Every body on the train & all the boys were horrified at my fist & I was more or less ordered to see the M.O. today. However it had gone down this morning & I hate reporting sick so I havn’t [sic] bothered. It really was a mess last night – never seen anything like it. I shan’t sniff at a wasp sting again!!! It’s still inflamed & stiff but itches more than anything. I squeezed out a lot of fluid from the spot where he punctured it.
It was great being home and I certainly feel better for it. It didn’t seem very long though. I’d hardly realised I was at home before I had to be off again. Somebody remarked that we should get 7 days leave & 3 weeks travelling allowance!!! That journey’s terrible – especially from Carlisle to Stranraer. Think I could like it as
[page break]
[underlined] 4 [/underlined]
quick – which reminds me I found Lizzie quite O.K in the shed. Well now to make by bed & get some sleeping hours in. I’m ready for it.
Well now its back to some real hard work for a few months & then – dear old home again. What a treat to look forward to!
Love to Ros Harry & Michael who I didn’t see to say goodbye. Please thank Mr. Henry again. He was very good. Tell Sis the sandwiches were super good - & the sausage rolls. Must stop. Writing’s not very good as my hand’s giving me some “hemp”.
Bless you all.
[underlined] Bill [/underlined]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
Description
An account of the resource
Bill writes of the dreadful journey back to West Freugh after leave. Nearly had to report sick due to wasp sting on hand which had swelled up badly. Feels better for leave but seemed to go really quickly and journey back terrible. Catches up on news and is now back to hard work.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-07-26
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Four page handwritten letter
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420726
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Civilian
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-07
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
William Akrill
military living conditions
military service conditions
RAF West Freugh
training