Browse Items (118 total)

  • Tags: RAF East Kirkby

PHolmanR1801.jpg
Robert Holman was born and brought up in Leeds. He joined the Air Training Corps, enjoying camps at RAF Pocklington. On leaving school at fourteen he went to work in the shoe industry. He then joined the Royal Air Force as an engineer on ground…

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PHanksJ1602.jpg
John Hanks joined the RAF and served as an armourer. Describes his role and his duties. Tells of his posting at Swinderby and East Kirkby. Gives a graphic and vivid account of an aircraft crash at RAF Swinderby. Describes comradeship between ground…

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AGillRA-JT170930.mp3
Peter Hazeldene joined the RAF from Wales when he saw a poster to see the world from a different perspective. He trained as a wireless operator and during training suspected a couple of incidents of sabotage on the base. Peter was posted to 106…

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PCookJH1701.jpg
Completing school and moving on to work at 20th Century Fox Films, he worked as a fire watcher at the beginning of the war before joining the Royal Air Force. He states that he did that because he always wanted to fly and didn’t want to join the…

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BPayneRPayneRv2.pdf
An account by Reg Payne of his wartime experiences. Too young to sign up at the start of the war he spent two years in the Home Guard. Training started at age 18 and lasted for two years. He served at RAF Skellingthorpe and his brother served at RAF…

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BPayneRPayneRv1.pdf
A detailed account of Reg Payne's service in the RAF. He starts with a list of 18 RAF bases where he served in his 5 years of service. He was 16 when war was declared but volunteered for the RAF at 17. After tests he was selected for training as a…

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BFraserDKFraserDKv1.pdf
Memoir describing his life and service career in the RAF. He also gives a list of 29 operations he participated in with notes on specific operations, and recounts a brief history of the Lancaster.

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ATaylorDP181017.mp3
Doug Taylor already had a pilot’s licence when he volunteered as RAF aircrew. However, he considered the prospect of lengthy training ahead to join the RAF as a pilot and thought the war might end before he’d had a chance to join and so he…

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PStorerB1616.jpg
Wallet with good luck black cat card and photograph of a young girl inside. In front a driving licence and a sergeants mess subscription book from RAF East Kirkby.

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MHobbsFJ1262633-160404-040001.jpg
Inside table for amounts paid. One entry for nine shillings on 24 February 1944. On the reverse RAF East Kirkby stamp.

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LHobbsFJ1262633v1.pdf
Observers and air gunners flying log book for Frank Hobbs, wireless operator, covering the period from 15 March 1941 to 16 March 1943 when he was killed in action. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at RAF Pembrey,…

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EYeatsAFHobbsK440316-0001.jpg
Informs Mrs K Hobbs that her husband Flight Sergeant Frank J Hobbs is missing in action on night of 15/16 March 1944. Offers possibility that crew were able to abandon aircraft. Mentions that the request in previous telegram was included to avoid…

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ABradfordS161031.mp3
Stanley Bradford was working in a Reserved Occupation until he volunteered. The three services were represented but as he approached them in turn the army and navy both rejected him because of his work. The RAF said that since he was in Reserved…

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EHobbsKMHobbsFJ440215-0001.jpg
Starts with discussion about laundry. Mentions she enjoyed reading about his sporting adventures. Catches up with family news and possibility of her coming up to see him, though this would be difficult to arrange. Writes of letters from other…

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EHobbsFJStorerB[Date]-030001.jpg
Apologising for no letter and a long time since leave. Writes about shows they have seen and those they will see on next leave and asks how things are going at school.

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ECooperGRHobbsK440321-0001.jpg
Letter from Reverend Squadron Leader G R Cooper RAF East Kirkby to Mrs Hobbs, expressing sympathy that Frank Hobbs was reported missing from air operations over Stuttgart on night 15/16 March 1944. Writes of importance of work a wireless operator and…

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PWoolfAS1701.jpg
Arthur Woolf was working in an office before he volunteered for the RAF. He was keen on flying and would cycle to Castle Bromwich airfield to watch the aircraft. He was accepted for aircrew training and became a wireless operator. After joining a…

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PPackmanDE1601.jpg
Doug grew up in Kent. He joined the Royal Air Force at 18, as a flight engineer for 630 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby in 5 Group Bomber Command, flying Lancasters. He carried out 34 operations, followed by time as an instructor at RAF Syerston,…

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AMorrisW170218.mp3
Walter Morris was born in Kettering and started employment in 1939; after a while, older workers disappeared mostly to join the Territorial Army. He enlisted in the Air Training Corps, 101 Squadron, based at RAF Grafton Underwood. Walter reported to…

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Vera Willis.jpg
Vera Willis nee Tomlinson volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force because she wanted to be a driver. Her driving career in the RAF involved driving long distances as well as driving aircrew to dispersal. Some crew gave her letters for…

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PLeedhamA1601.jpg
Alma Leedham grew up in London and worked for Hawker aircraft on the Hurricane at the start of the war. She later trained as a driver in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and served at RAF Scampton driving tractors taking bombs to the aircraft. Alma…

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Vera Willis.jpg
Vera Willis volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force because she wanted to be a driver. Her driving career in the RAF involved driving driving aircrew to dispersal.This content is available as embedded video:

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PBullockWEJ1601.jpg
William Bullock was born in Marshfield in Gloucestershire in September 1916 and joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice in 1932. He was posted to Egypt for training - after serving in the Middle East he joined Bomber Command as an engineer. After…

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SChattertonJ159568v10751.jpg
Signal provides weapons settings for tonight. Details distributor, delay and TV settings for bomb sight. Details photo flash and camera settings. Provides specific settings for 52 Base, East Kirby Base and 617 Squadron. Concludes with instructions on…

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LChattertonJ159568v1.pdf
Pilot’s flying log book for Flight Lieutenant John Chatterton 30 March 1942 to 15 April 1954 detailing training schedule, instructional duties and operations flown. Served at RAF Dunholme Lodge, RAF Syerston, RAF East Kirkby and RAF Swinderby.…

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