Bratley, Harold W
Title
Bratley, Harold W
Bratley, H W
Description
30 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Harold W Bratley (755503, 145716 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 9 and 7 Squadrons. He was shot down and was captured but escaped and evaded through Spain.
The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Hayley Keady and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Hayley Keady and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Date
2019-03-22
Publisher
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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
Bratley, HW
Collection Items
Letter from MOD medal office
Covers awards enclosed and states that they represent the full outstanding medal entitlement. If he had not received a medal he had expected, it was because the qualifying criteria were not met.
Poem written on post card by Harold
Six verse poem about six man crew flying operations. Annotated 'written by Harold during flight to Cologne'.
Photomontage
Montage showing various members of Bratley family with caption 'Happy Christmas 2000'. Includes photograph of Harold in uniform at the bottom.
Letter to Mrs Bratley from RAF records office
Confirms that her husband had arrived safely in Gibraltar. Two copies of same letter.
Letter to Mrs Bratley
Informs her of news that Vichy government had made a statement that a twin engine landed in France the last Saturday and the crew who had set fire to their aircraft had been interned.
Award of Path Finder badge
Letter informing H W Bratley that he was qualified for award of Path Finder badge.
Letter to Mrs H W Bratley from RAF records office
Confirms that her husband was missing believed interned in occupied France. Mentioned that his aircraft was believed to have force landed owing to engine failure.
Man between two woman
A man wearing jacket and check jumper sitting on a bench between two women. Houses and buildings in the background.
Grainthorpe bride for Mablethorpe
Newspaper cutting with b/w photograph of wedding party for marriage of Harold Bratley to Miss Sally Borman.
Man climbing into rear cockpit
A man wearing white flying suit and helmet climbing into the rear cockpit of an aircraft. A man with glasses already sitting in front cockpit.
Harold Bratley
Head and shoulders portrait of an RAF officer wearing tunic with wireless operator brevet, medal ribbons including DFC, pathfinder badge, and peaked cap.
Emergency travel certificate
Issued to Harold William Bratley by H M Consul General Barcelona to certify he was a British subject for journey to United Kingdom via Portugal.
Path Finder badge award
Certifies that H W Bratley qualified for Path Finder force badge. Signed by Donald Bennett AOC Pathfinders.
Harold Bratley school report
School report from Louth Wesleyan Methodist Chapel School for April 1918. List all subjects and marks. Notes he was top of his class.
Citation for Distinguished Flying Cross for acting Flight Lieutenant Harold William Bratley
On second tour of operations had completed 45 sorties, 24 as Pathfinder. Describes his qualities and recounts his escape from interment after forced landing during his first tour and making his way back home.
Newspaper cutting - D.F.C for old Ludensian
Announces that his parents from Louth had received news that their son Flight Lieutenant Harold William Bratley had been awarded the DFC. Gives details of former employment. Mentions that on his first tour he and crew came down in occupied enemy…
H W Bratley - personnel documents
List promotions to flight lieutenant and award of DFC. Award of Path Finder badge at 7 Squadron. Some pay details and postings.
Sergeant Blaydon
An airman wearing flying suit, helmet, harness and life preserver sitting by the engineer's panel inside a Wellington. On the reverse 'Sgt Blaydon ("BB"), 2cd W/Op)'.
Sergeant Goldingay
An airman wearing flying suit, parachute harness and flying helmet standing inside the astrodome of a Wellington. . On the reverse 'Sgt Goldingay ("Goldy")(Observer).'
Description of operation
The document relates the experience of a pilot trying to get control of their Wellington which had iced up. The author describes an incident where he was trying to get the front gunner out of his turret, and putting his torch inside his clothing, as…
Reunion Dinner
German language menu for reunion dinner Luftwaffe, 7 Squadron held July 25th 1984. Held at Flufhafenrestaurant Bonn-Hangelar.
Harold Bratley service record
Gives personal details and list of postings. Notes at one stage missing believed intered.
Notes for the general information and guidance of the next-of-kin or other relatives of airmen reported missing, deceased, prisoners-of-war or interned
For airmen missing or deceased covers dealing with private effects, family allowance, pay and pensions.
Collection Tree
- Bratley, Harold W