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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1627/25330/BThickettPSaundersEJv10010.1.jpg
79474b5bf6a522d9e1456223a7e2408f
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
Saunders, Ernest John. Album 1
Description
An account of the resource
A history of Sam Saunders RAF experiences complete with a biography. It is presented in an album.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Penny Thicket
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-02-13
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
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
Saunders, EJ
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
So Sam came back to England, a dangerous crossing through the North Atlantic. There would have been a convoy of allied boats, the danger being German submarines. He must have had some leave and then started further training and tests at Harwell. In the logbook, his successful Night Vision Test was on 11th October 1941.
He was in Number 15 Operational Training Unit (OTU) from the 7th of November 1941 until the 25th of January 1942, he flew in Ansons and Wellingtons. These were exercises as an Air Observer and Gunner and were all cross country in the UK. At this point his total flying hours were 146.40 by day and 39.05 hours by night, none so far on ‘active’ service. This is part of the squadron he was with, perhaps at Harwell.
[page break]
In February 1942 he went to 38 Squadron, as a navigator flying across the Mediterranean in Wellingtons. He talked about being attacked by German aircraft in Malta; the aeroplanes being delivered by his squadron were destroyed on the airfield. He had to wait for more aircraft to arrive and their supplies were running out. It’s for this reason that he hated corned beef. The logbook shows that in fact this was only his 5th night with the Squadron, he flew into the eye of the storm, at night, to an island without supplies, under attack and now without hope of support. This was between the 16th February and the 4th of March 1942.
Four Wellington aircraft from a delivery flight for Malta were lost overnight. The four were among a group of thirteen which left Gibraltar in darkness heading for Luga. Italian news had reported one Wellington shot down in flames by fighters from Castel Vetrano airfield, with a crew of six taken prisoner. A second Wellington was also reported forced down at Modica by German fighters. The aircraft was undamaged but its crew of seven were captured. A third was shot down into the sea by JU88 aircraft just 45 kilometres from Malta. F/O J Willis-Richards was rescued by an Italian destroyer; the remainder of the crew did not survive. The fourth Wellington crashed on landing at Luga airfield the, the [sic] aircraft was a write-off but the crew escaped uninjured.
This is from a Malta war diary; “Enemy bombers launch yet another series of raids on Malta’s defences, this time concentrating on Luga. 36 High Explosive bombs are dropped on the airfield, including two massive 1000kg ‘Herman’ bombs. Yet again the Island’s infantry battalions are hard at work filling in craters to keep the aerodrome serviceable”.
Later in the month there were Wellington flights from Portreath in Cornwall to Gibraltar, Luxor, Shallufa, Heliopolois and Mersa Matruh, as Navigator. Total flying time so far 219 hours by day and 83 by night.
[photograph of an air-to-air view of a Wellington]
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
Sam Saunder's UK Training and Malta
Description
An account of the resource
A description of Sam's further training in the UK then operations at Malta.
Photo 1 is an informal group photograph with airmen, two WAAFs and three dummies.
Photo 2 is an air-to-air view of a Wellington.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Penny Thickett
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2013-10
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two printed sheets with two photographs
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Text
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BThickettPSaundersEJv10010
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
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Malta
Gibraltar
Great Britain
England--Cornwall (County)
Egypt--Luxor
Egypt--Cairo
Egypt
North Africa
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-11
1941-12
1942-01
1942-02
1942-03
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
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Alan Pinchbeck
15 OTU
38 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
Anson
ground personnel
Ju 88
navigator
Operational Training Unit
prisoner of war
RAF Harwell
training
Wellington
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force