3 Squadron, RAF]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Devon]]> England--Torquay]]> 1943-08]]> 41 SFTS Weyburn]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Canada]]> Saskatchewan--Weyburn]]> Saskatchewan]]> 1942-09]]> Additionally there are two handwritten pages of radio notes.]]> 41 SFTS Weyburn]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Canada]]> Saskatchewan--Weyburn]]> Saskatchewan]]> 1943-01]]> A Gould]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Training material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> A Marsh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Trevor Hardcastle]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Training material]]> Royal Air Force]]> A T Edwards]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincoln]]> Australia]]> South Australia]]> South Australia--Adelaide Region]]> 1945-07-16]]> A Woolf]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Physical object]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> France--Meurthe-et-Moselle]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-24]]> Albert Victor Cluett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Training material]]> Royal Air Force]]> 1941-02]]> Albert Victor Cluett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Training material]]> Royal Air Force]]> 1942-12]]> Albert Victor Cluett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Training material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Andrew Cowley]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Kent]]> England--Cambridge]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Beth Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Anne-Marie Watson ]]> Steph Jackson]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> England--Wisbech]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Durham (County)]]> 1942-02-04]]> Bill Brooks]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> 1944-05-24]]> 1944-05-25]]> 1945]]> Birmingham Mail]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> ]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Paderborn]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Europe--Skagerrak Region]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> Austria--Vienna]]> Hungary--Szombathely]]> Slovakia--Bratislava]]> Czech Republic--České Budějovice]]> Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany]]> Austria]]> Czech Republic]]> Hungary]]> Slovakia]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1945-03]]> On the reverse are adverts.]]> Birmingham Mail]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Czech Republic--Bohemia]]> Germany--Coesfeld]]> Germany--Dülmen]]> Germany--Ahaus]]> Germany--Bocholt]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Denmark--Copenhagen]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Netherlands--IJssel Lake]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany]]> Denmark]]> Czech Republic]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1945-03]]> James says that a separate briefing was held for wireless operators to inform them of callsigns and code words to be used before the main briefing. James was also the mid-under gun operator when the aircraft required one. James’ crew only flew four operations over Berlin being near the end of the war; he mentions a mis-identified target incident and an attack by a night fighter. James’ account also details being involved in the Operation Dodge and Operation Manna, as well as recalling a time that he was invited to fly in a Mosquito which he described as ‘a terrific aircraft’. James continue to serve until 1947 until he de-mobilised due to his ‘dislike of a lack of flying’. James retired from active service as a warrant officer. He would work as a delivery driver until retiring in 1997. James recalls that he kept in contact with three members of his crew until 2015.]]> Brian Wright]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Alex Joy]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Steph Jackson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> Carolyn Pritchard]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France--Paris]]> Great Britain]]> England--Liverpool]]> Wales--Y Felinheli]]> France--Étampes (Essonne)]]> France]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1944-06-09]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Uganda]]> England--Suffolk]]> 1941]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Zimbabwe]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Zimbabwe--Gweru]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Second generation]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Birmingham]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Northern Ireland--Antrim (County)]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> England--Warwickshire]]> 1943-09-23]]> 1944-04-04]]> 1944-08-12]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1945]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> Manitoba]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Barth]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Scotland--Moray]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941-05-01]]> 1941-06-21]]> 1941-06-03]]> 1942-09]]> 1943]]> 1945-05-01]]> 1945-05-09]]> Recruited as an engine fitter he trained at St. Athans and then volunteered for flying duties as it was a quick promotion. Because of his engineering background his flight engineering training was reduced to two weeks
He was then posted to RAF Swinderby to fly the Manchester and then to 97 squadron, which became a Pathfinder squadron, at RAF Woodhall Spa alongside 617 Squadron. In May 1943 the squadron moved to RAF Bourne and he was promoted to warrant officer. Henry was happy to stay as an NCO and did not welcome more responsibility.
After his first tour he was rested for six months as a senior instructor at 1661 HCU unit at RAF Winthorpe flying the Stirling. He compares flying the Lancaster and Stirling in some detail.
He returned to operational flying and recalls bombing La Spezia and landing in North Africa where his aircraft went u/s but he repaired it himself in order to return home.
Henry remembers that there were no great celebrations on VE day and he was demobbed in February 1946.
After a period in civilian life, Henry re-enlisted in the RAF in September 1948 as a corporal fitter and was posted to Malaya and Singapore. He left the RAF again in 1952 and then worked for Rolls Royce for 26 years, working on Merlin engines.
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Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Terry Holmes]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--La Spezia]]> North Africa]]> Singapore]]> Malaya]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1943-05-19]]> 1943-05]]> 1940-04]]> 1946-02]]> 1948-09]]> 1952]]>
Chris Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Croydon]]> England--Suffolk]]> France]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Poland]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1939]]> 1940-07-10]]> 1940-08-15]]> 1940-12-25]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943-06-27]]> 1943-08-17]]> 1943-08-23]]> 1943-08-29]]> 1943-09-23]]> 1944]]> 1945-08]]> 1946]]> 1947-05]]> Claire Monk]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> England--Suffolk]]> Wales--Cardiff]]> 1941]]> 1944]]> 1946]]>