1
25
51
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1252/16490/MCheshireGL72021-181210-010002.1.jpg
de1b90ca99d4b152a16bef637fd44c6d
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
Cheshire, Leonard
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard
Baron Cheshire
Description
An account of the resource
374 items concerning Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC. Collection consists of photographs of people, vehicles, places, aircraft, weapons and targets; documents including, private and service letters, signals, telegrams, intelligence reports, crew lists and official documents. Cheshire served on 102 and 35 Squadrons and commanded 76 and 617 Squadrons. The collection includes details of 617 Squadron's precision bombing operations. Also included are two sub-collections: one containing 21 photographs of Tinian and Saipan, the other consisting of 37 audio tapes of speeches given by Cheshire after the war.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by The Leonard Cheshire Archive and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
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 property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Permission granted for commercial projects
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
From : A.O.C. HQ. No 5 Group.
To : Conningsby Base, R.A.F. Station, WOODHALL.
A.407. 10th. JUNE (Personal for Officer Commanding) The following message has been received from A.O.C.-in-C Bomber Command. Please give my congratulations to all concerned in the attack on Saumur Tunnel. The results speak for themselves of the astonishing skill and efficiency shown.
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
Note from Air Officer Command 5 Group
Description
An account of the resource
To officer commanding Conningsby Base RAF Woodhall Spa passing on congratulations on success of Saumur tunnel operation.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
A.O.C. No 5 Group
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-06-10
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Service material
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MCheshireGL72021-181210-010002
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.
France
France--Saumur
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Cheshire, Leonard. Bombing of the Samur tunnel (8/9 June 1944)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
License
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Royalty-free permission to publish
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ashley Jacobs
David Bloomfield
Georgie Donaldson
5 Group
617 Squadron
Bombing of the Saumur tunnel (8/9 June 1944)
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Coningsby
RAF Woodhall Spa
Tallboy
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1219/15061/EWingleyKMAppletonN450719.1.jpg
fc9dec2b733bb6a187459f73cd7527f1
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
Appleton, Noel
Noel Appleton
N Appleton
Description
An account of the resource
5 items. Two photographs and correspondence concerning Noel Appleton DFC (1920 - 2008, 414980 Royal Australian Air Force) and the award of his Distinguished Flying Cross. He conpleted a tour of operations as a pilot with 166 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jane Louise Reynolds and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
2018-08-25
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Appleton, N
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Commonwealth of Australia Letterhead]
IN REPLY PLEASE REFER TO FILE NO 1213/6713/P.2.
19th July, 1945.
Flying Officer N. Appleton, D.F.C.
(Aus. 414980),
No. 1656 C.U.
R.A.F. Station,
Lindholme,
Doncaster,
[underlined] Yorks. [/underlined]
Dear Appleton
I have just received the good news from Air Ministry that you have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
2. Please accept my heartiest congratulations on this award.
3. With this note I am forwarding a small piece of D.F.C. ribbon, in case you are unable to obtain this locally.
Kindest personal regards,
Your sincerely,
[signature]
Air Vice Marshal.
Air Officer Commanding.
(Encl.)
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 to Noel Appleton from Royal Australian Air Force
Description
An account of the resource
The letter refers to his award of a Distinguished Flying Cross, offers congratulations and includes a medal ribbon.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1945-07-19
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
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
EWingleyKMAppletonN450719
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
Royal Australian Air Force
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
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-07
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Australia. Royal Australian Air Force
aircrew
Distinguished Flying Cross
RAF Lindholme
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1169/18224/EHarriesDTurnerKW[Date]-010001.jpg
e445b2ff974aba4a246d14d44ca7e251
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1169/18224/EHarriesDTurnerKW[Date]-010002.jpg
969598fe4788e1d7fdc23150ab665a8d
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
Turner, John
Albion John Turner
A J Turner
Description
An account of the resource
<a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/228620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>116 items. Concerns Flight Sergeant Albion John Turner (1911 - 1939, 561939 Royal Air Force) who joined the RAF as an apprentice in 1927. After service as a fitter he re-mustered as a pilot in 1935 and after training served on 216 Squadron flying Vickers Victoria and Valentia before moving to 9 Squadron on Handley Page Heyfords in 1936. He converted to Wellingtons February 1939 and was killed when his aircraft was shot down on 4 September 1939 during operations against shipping at Brunsbüttel. Collection consists of an oral history interview with Penny Turner his daughter (b. 1938), correspondence, official documents, his logbook and photographs. <br /><br />Additional information on Albion John Turner <span>is available via the </span><a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/228620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBCC Losses Database</a><br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Penny Turner and catalogued by Nigel Huckins
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
2017-05-29
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
Turner, J
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Telephone No. : RUISLIP 3381 ;
and direct lines from Air Ministry.
Telegraphic Address :
RECORDS, RUISLIP.
Any communications on the
subject of this letter should
be addressed to :-
OFFICER i/c RECORDS,
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
RUISLIP, MIDDLESEX,
and the following number
quoted :-
C7/561939
Dear Madam,
With reference [missing text] 5th September 1939, it [missing text] you that according to [missing text] the International Red [missing text] No. 561939 Flight Serg[missing letters][missing text] No. 9 Squadron, Royal [missing text] considered as killed in [missing text] 4th September 1939.
It is further [missing text] in the Wilhelmshaven [missing text].
In conveying this information to you [missing text] Air Council desire me to express their deep [missing text] at your husband’s death in his Country’s service.
Any private effects which are under Royal Air Force control will be forwarded to this office, but some time must necessarily elapse before disposal can be effected.
Any communications regarding effects or the disposal of any monies that may eventually be found to be due to the airman’s estate, should be addressed to the “Under Secretary of State, Air Ministry, London, W.C.2”.
[underlined] /Should you wish [/underlined]
Mrs. K. W. Turner,
Fotherby Vicarage,
Fotherby, Nr. Louth.
[page break]
[missing text][missing letters]ou wish to make application for [missing text][missing letters]ocompanying Form should be completed [missing text] the envelope provided to the Ministry [missing text] the question of an award will be [missing text][missing letters]he result notified to you in due [missing text]
[missing text] you of the Air Council’s deepest [missing text] great loss.
I am,
Dear Madam,
Your obedient Servant,
[signature]
Air Commodore,
Officer i/c Records
ROYAL AIR FORCE
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 to Mrs K Turner from Air Ministry Records Office
Description
An account of the resource
Notification that Flight Sergeant A J Turner was killed in action on operations in the Wilhelmshafen area on 4 September 1939.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
B Harries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Text. Service material
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EHarriesDTurnerKW[Date]-01
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.
Germany
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939-09-04
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
Steve Baldwin
9 Squadron
killed in action
RAF Ruislip
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1242/16314/MAllenJH179996-160512-09.2.jpg
c9ac0c4d0efd59ad9e37ce5998ea8e56
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
Allen, Jim
J H Allen
Description
An account of the resource
18 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant James Henry Allen DFC (b. 1923, 179996 Royal Air Force). He flew a tour of operations as a pilot with 578 Squadron. The collection consists of a number of memoirs, photographs and a diary. It includes descriptions of military life and operations and his post-war life and work.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Steve Allen and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
2016-05-12
2019-02-05
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Allen, JH
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
PASSING OVER
Silver fish above the clouds,
Rising, falling in the sun,
Floating through the endless sky
In an aura of silent thunder.
They change, and change again,
Arranging up and down, and back and forth,
A shoal of fish against the stream,
Interbalancing in rise and fall.
Three miles below a microscopic breed,
As in a falling spell, now sense and omnipresent throb.
Stronger now – Crescendo! Louder yet!
Oh roar Roar Roar The CLAMOUR!
Dying, dying, gone away,
Linger on the greying day
The rumble of unnumberable guns.
………………………………………………………………..
But those above can hear no sound.
The gently ears have long shut out
The never-ending crash, the savage rave,
That like great trumpets on the Day of Judgment,
Shakes the immaculate plain of Heaven.
Among these palpable and thinking men,
Encased within their fiery cans,
The obliterating rant has overgrown infinity
And now becomes a silence,
Only to return again
In halfway hours of hungry sleep.
And then the throbbing blast that now
They cannot hear will roar again,
Reincarnated in the sleepless dreams
Of airmen lying in their tin-hut beds,
Wearied, worn, and praying for cessation.
Colin Joseph Lundley
1944
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
Passing over
Description
An account of the resource
Poem describing the hardship of wartime service, stressing the emotional strain of operations and the longing for rest.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colin Joseph Dudley
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Poetry
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MAllenJH179996-160512-09
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
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
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.
aircrew
arts and crafts
military living conditions
military service conditions
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1009/18709/EHarkerGMadgettLR431222-0001.2.jpg
dd6547071f261158e76ffa60d724d285
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1009/18709/EHarkerGMadgettLR431222-0002.2.jpg
e7ac7ad64d24771917c0e8c55cc6887b
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
Madgett, Hedley Robert
H R Madgett
Description
An account of the resource
250 items. The collection concerns Pilot Officer Hedley Madgett DFM (1922 - 1943, 147519, 1330340 Royal Air Force), a pilot with 61 Squadron. He was killed 18 August 1943 on the last operation of his tour from RAF Syerston to Peenemünde. The collection consists of letters, postcards and telegrams to his parents while he was training in the United Kingdom and Canada. In addition the collection contains memorabilia, documents from the Air Training Corps, artwork, a railway map, diaries, medals as well as his logbook, photographs of people, places and aircraft. Also contains letters of condolence to parents and a sub collection containing a photograph album with 44 items of his time training in Canada'.<br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Joan Madgett and Carol Gibson, and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.<br /><br /><span>Additional information on Hedley Madgett is available via the </span><a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/114690/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/madgett-hr/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a><span>.</span>
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
2015-03-17
2019-06-14
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Madgett, H
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[letterhead]
SS/EMD.
22nd December, 1943
[underlined] NOTE [/underlined] AS A RESULT OF ENEMY ACTION
[Underlined] WAREHOUSE & FACTORY. [/underlined]
MARSHALSEA HOUSE. LONG LANE,
BOROUGH, LONDON. S.E.1.
[underlined] SALEROOM & OFFICE. [/underlined]
9, EASTCHEAP, LONDON. E.C.3.
ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO 9, EASTCHEAP.
REMITTANCES AS PREVIOUSLY ADVISED
– Madgett Esq.,
127, Longland Road,
Sidcup,
Kent.
Dear Sir,
We think that you will find that the enclosed is self explanatory and you will note that the cheque is made out to Bearer. The Directors and Staff would like to take the opportunity of expressing their great sympathy with you in the anxious time through which you are passing, and in which we share.
Your Son was one of our most popular and brightest lads.
We are,
Yours truly,
FOR GEORGE HARKER & Co. LTD.
[signature]
MANAGING DIRECTOR
[page break]
GEORGE HARKER & CO. LTD.
9, EASTCHEAP,
LONDON, E.C.3.
23rd December, 1943
Dear Mr Madgett
In December last year we advised [deleted] you [/deleted] [inserted] your son [/inserted] that we were retaining the sum of [underlined] 34-4-0 [/underlined] as a reserve against Income Tax. As Assessments have now been made for the period concerned, we assume that where we have not been called upon to recover Tax, either nothing is due or other arrangements have been made.
We therefore set out hereunder Statement of account.
Amount held to [deleted] your [/deleted] [inserted] his [/inserted] credit on a/c of Tax December 1942 34-4-0
Amount deducted on a/c of Tax November and December 1943 –
Loss Income Tax due as per a/c rendered –
Balance Due – Cheque enclosed 34-4-0
Yours truly,
FOR GEORGE HARKER & Co. LTD.
[signature]
MANAGING DIRECTOR
[inserted] [indecipherable word] [underlined] Dec 23 [/underlined][/inserted]
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 to Hedley Madgett's father
Description
An account of the resource
Letter from George Harker & Co Ltd enclosing cheque and offering condolences.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
G Harker & Co Ltd
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-12-23
1943-12-22
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page typewritten 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
EHarkerGMadgettLR431222
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--London
England--London
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-12-22
1943-12-23
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
missing in action
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1252/16988/SCheshireGL72021v10070.2.jpg
f05b7afe9fc8d5aebc8ac6557eee2623
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
Cheshire, Leonard
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard
Baron Cheshire
Description
An account of the resource
374 items concerning Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC. Collection consists of photographs of people, vehicles, places, aircraft, weapons and targets; documents including, private and service letters, signals, telegrams, intelligence reports, crew lists and official documents. Cheshire served on 102 and 35 Squadrons and commanded 76 and 617 Squadrons. The collection includes details of 617 Squadron's precision bombing operations. Also included are two sub-collections: one containing 21 photographs of Tinian and Saipan, the other consisting of 37 audio tapes of speeches given by Cheshire after the war.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by The Leonard Cheshire Archive and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
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 property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Permission granted for commercial projects
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
No. 617 Squadron,
RAF. Station,
Woodhall Spa, Lincs.
17th June, 1944.
Dear
I would like to thank you most sincerely for so kindly looking after us on our visit to you.
The information which we gleaned has been most useful and interesting, and is, I can assure you, a very great help in laying future plans.
We have been particularly busy these last few days, but I hope to be able to come down again very soon.
Yours
[signature]
G.W.H. Gardiner Esq.,
Royal Aircraft Establishment,
Farnborough, Hants.
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Title
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Letter from Leonard Cheshire to G W H Gardiner
Description
An account of the resource
Letter to Royal Aircraft Establishment thanking them for looking after them on their visit, which will be of great help in future plans.
Date
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1944-06-17
Language
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eng
Type
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SCheshireGL72021v10070
Coverage
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Civilian
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
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Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Hampshire
England--Farnborough (Hampshire)
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1944-06-17
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Cheshire, Leonard. Correspondence
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IBCC Digital Archive
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Royalty-free permission to publish
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This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Creator
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Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire
Format
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One-page typewritten letter
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
617 Squadron
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992)
RAF Farnborough
RAF Woodhall Spa
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1252/16993/SCheshireGL72021v10083.2.jpg
db9abebab3c117940b3728262f3ffe05
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Title
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Cheshire, Leonard
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard
Baron Cheshire
Description
An account of the resource
374 items concerning Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC. Collection consists of photographs of people, vehicles, places, aircraft, weapons and targets; documents including, private and service letters, signals, telegrams, intelligence reports, crew lists and official documents. Cheshire served on 102 and 35 Squadrons and commanded 76 and 617 Squadrons. The collection includes details of 617 Squadron's precision bombing operations. Also included are two sub-collections: one containing 21 photographs of Tinian and Saipan, the other consisting of 37 audio tapes of speeches given by Cheshire after the war.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by The Leonard Cheshire Archive and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
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Permission granted for commercial projects
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Transcription
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11th. March, 1947.
F.T. Hornaby, Esq.,
Marshalls’ Flying School Ltd.,
The Aerodrome,
Cambridge.
My dear Hornaby,
Just to confirm our telephone conversation that April 21st. will suit me as a starting date.
I am reorganising the construction of V.I.P. next week with Colonel Kirkpatrick, the Lawyers and the Accountants, and think I had better hold over the question of cards until then.
I did not know Whitney Straight was interested in the Mosquito, and I haven’t any idea what price Dundas are asking. I left it to them and gave them no figure.
With all best wishes
Yours very sincerely,
GC/MT
Dublin Core
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Title
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Letter from Leonard Cheshire to F Hornsby of Marshalls Flying School
Description
An account of the resource
Confirming telephone conversation. Reorganising construction of VIP. Writes of Whitney Straight's interest in a Mosquito. No idea of asking price.
Date
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1947-03-11
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
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SCheshireGL72021v10083
Coverage
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Civilian
Spatial Coverage
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Great Britain
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Cambridge
Temporal Coverage
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1947-03-11
Is Part Of
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Cheshire, Leonard. Correspondence
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
License
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Royalty-free permission to publish
Rights
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This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Creator
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Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire
Format
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One-page typewritten letter
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992)
Mosquito
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/812/23485/SEllamsG49286v20070-0001.2.jpg
d491fe1fe1183032d4f5123a4500f7b3
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/812/23485/SEllamsG49286v20070-0002.2.jpg
9ed5efad81cb76245979dd7fa3b6ff5d
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Title
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Ellams, George
G Ellams
Description
An account of the resource
60 items. An oral history interview with George Ellams the son of Wing Commander George Ellams OBE (b. 1921), and documents and photographs concerning his fathers service. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 223 and 199 Squadrons.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Stephen Ellams and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2016-10-06
Rights
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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.
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Ellams, G
Transcribed document
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1. ‘Parade’ “Open Order March”
“Right Dress”
“Eyes Front”
2. ‘Officers take post in Review Order – “Outwards Turn”
“Quick March”
‘Officers’ “Left Turn”
3. ‘Parade’ – “General Salute”
4. “xxx Officers & Airman on Parade & ready for inspection – “Sir”
5. “Permission to carry on with the Ceremonial”.
6. “Officers take post” – “Left Turn”
– “Quick March
“Officers” – “Inwards Turn”
7. ‘Parade’ – “Close Order March”
– “Right Dress”
– “Eyes Front”
[page break]
8. “Parade will march past by Flights in column at 25 paces distances – No 1 Squadron leading”.
9. ‘Parade’ – “Left Dress”
– “Eyes Front”
10. “Parade will march past by Squadrons in Close Column of Flights – No 3 Squadron leading”.
11. “Parade will form line of Squadrons on the Receiving Base – No 3 Squadron leading”.
12. ‘Parade’ – “Right Dress”
– “Eyes Front”
13. ‘Officers take post in Review Order’ –
– “Outwards Turn”
– “Quick March”
‘Officers’ – “Left Turn”
[page break]
14. “Parade will advance in Review Order, by the centre – Quick March”.
15. ‘Parade’ – “Halt”
16. “That concludes the ceremonial – permission to dismiss the parade – Sir”
17. ‘Officers take post – “Left Turn”
– “Quick March”
“Officers” – “Inwards Turn”
18. “Squadron Commanders march off your Squadrons independently”.
[underlined FALL OUT[/underlined]
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Title
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Parade Commanders Orders
Description
An account of the resource
Script for parade commander.
Creator
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George Ellams
Format
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Two typewritten cards
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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SEllamsG49286v20070-0001, SEllamsG49286v20070-0002
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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.
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
military service conditions
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1259/17140/MWhiteheadT1502391-180307-13.1.pdf
e40c8148ef56e42551b8d7ac3084d93b
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Title
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Whitehead, Tom
T Whitehead
Description
An account of the resource
31 items and an album sub collection. Collection concerns Warrant Officer Tom Whitehead (b. 1923) who served as a rear gunner with 428 Squadron operating from RAF Dalton in Yorkshire. He was shot down over Duisburg and became a prisoner of war. Collection includes his prisoner of war logbook, official correspondence to his mother, official documentation, letters from the Caterpillar Club, German prisoner of war propaganda, 14 editions of the Red Cross prisoner of war newspaper and photographs of Royal Air Force personnel including himself.
Album in sub collection consists of 47 pages of prisoner of war related photographs.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Pamela Hyslop and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2018-03-07
Rights
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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.
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Whitehead, T
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
THE Prisoner of War
[Red Cross and St John Logo’s]
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE PRISONERS OF WAR DEPARTMENT OF THE RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN WAR ORGANISATION, ST. JAMES’S PALACE, LONDON, S.W.I
VOL. 2. No.18 Free to Next of Kin October, 1943
The Editor Writes –
THE turn of events in Italy must, I fear, have caused anxiety in many homes. Following hard upon the good news of the Armistice which provided for the liberation of their men in Italian hands, they learnt of the German advance which bought with an uncertainty as to their position. At the moment of writing I have no information beyond what was given by Mr. Churchill and Sir James Grigg to Parliament. This may be summed up as follows :-
Italians Will Help Them
Before the fall of Mussolini about 2,400 prisoners of wat were transferred from Italian to German camps, and though their letters express indignation at their transfer they do not complain of their treatment.
It is possible that the Germans are transferring prisoners to Germany from areas in which they are now in control. The Italians, however, gave orders for the release of all Allied prisoners in their hands, and Mr. Churchill has no doubt that “they will be succoured by the Italian people among whom they are dispersing.”
A comparatively small number of prisoners have been released from Southern Italy (where we are in control) and others have escaped from Northern Italy into Switzerland.
Why I am Optimistic
With this information we must for the time being be contented, but Mr. Churchill has given his assurance that “in all these matters we are acting with the greatest vigilance and earnestness and everything in human power will be done.” My own feeling is optimistic. If the advance of our armies proceeds as we hope and believe it will, I have such confidence in the resourcefulness of our men and the readiness of Italian civilians to help them that I believe they will filter through to our lines in considerable numbers. That is my personal hope and belief.
Anzac Way
A P.O.W. at Stalag 383 writes home about the wide range of sports for the 4,000 men at this camp. “We have a swimming pool, football, rugby, hockey and cricket pitch.” He also mentions that their huts are laid out in streets “with appropriate names such as ‘Springbok Avenue’ and ‘Anzac Way.’”
[photograph]
UNLOADING Red Cross parcels at B.A.B. 21.
Stalag Gardeners
The Editor of [italics] The Countryman [/italics] has shown us an interesting letter from Stalag XVIII-A describing a “mixed plantation” in the camp as it was in mid-June. There were lettuce, cucumber plants, “a yard of beet,” radishes, kohlrabi, tomatoes and a spinach bed “divided from the salads by a row of dwarf peas.” The letter concludes : “Although somewhat cramped for room the herbaceous border will, we hope, make quite a good show in late summer with wallflowers, scabious, stocks and violas. The holding is under the anxious care of five townsmen and one countryman and we have no ‘experimental stations’ to call up for advice, but our only unsolved problem is space.”
Ingenious Make-up
From a sergeant at Stalag-Luft I comes a letter describing a recent revue produced in this camp. One of its highlights was “a marvellous pianist, an American one who has played in concerts in London.” The costumes for the show came from Hamburg, and make up “from a box of crayons and vase-line mixed together.”
His Two Reasons
“I don’t mind how long the war lasts so long as England comes out on top. My two reasons for this are John and Mary and all other children.” Thus typically writes a P.O.W. at Stalag VIIB to his wife in Devonshire. His letter ends
[page break]
2 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
with this charming compliment to his wife: “I’ve made a bag to put your letter in and it hangs on my bed.”
Arthur and Archie
Two brothers, Arthur and Archie, were taken prisoner together in June, 1942, and have been together ever since. Recently, they were moved from P.G.75 to P.G.70. Arthur has spent much of his time studying German, Italian and shorthand, while his brother has been making a name for himself in the camp concerts.
“Please give something out of the bank to the Red Cross for me.” writes Archie to his mother, who sends us cheque for £2 12s.
Prison Bar
There’s a certain P.O.W. in Stalag XVIII-A who writes home very cheerfully. And no wonder – for besides giving dancing lessons and taking part in the innumerable musical activities of the camp, he has made himself a barman behind his own bar. “We have 18 barrels of beer per week for 66 of us,” he says. A popular fellow no doubt !
Breath-taking
A repatriated prisoner has written to tell us what he thinks of our services. Soon after his capture, it seems , while he and his comrades were kept waiting in Benghazi, there were gloomy forebodings about the fate that lay in store for them ; but “the glorious realisation of what you actually did, after we got to Italy, was enough to take our breath away.” He has a tribute to pay, too, to our Organisation in the Middle East, which met him on his journey home. “Their reception of us at Smyrna and Alexandra and Cairo was great, and will always be remembered with profound gratitude.”
Field Days
Farm work can be pleasant under almost any conditions, as a lot of our men have found out in the course of their captivity. One of them who has been helping to get in the harvest in Italy admits to feeling “more contented than I have ever been since becoming a P.O.W.” His is a small camp, which divides its 50 members among different farms. “On our farm,” he adds, as a touch of local colour, “some girl rice-pickers have arrived and it is a treat to hear them singing in the fields where they work.” Though quite accustomed to his own work now, he naturally “felt a little stiff at first, as we do eight hours a day for six days a week.”
A Driver of Oxen
In Germany, too, farming has made many converts among P.O.W.s. “Work is better, food is better,“ says a man who has been “farmed out” from Stalag XVIII-A. “It’s nice and peaceful out here. The only noise is the cocks crowing, the cows mooing, the pigs squealing. Instead of horses we use oxen for draft purposes. I bet you’d laugh if you could see me driving a pair of oxen.”
Tending the Russians
A member of the Friends Ambulance Unit, now a prisoner in Stalag V-B, is in sole charge of the nursing of severe Russian cases at the camp hospital and finds the responsibility rather a strain – especially, he says, as it means “nursing people of whose speech one can understand nothing, none of the comforting little phrases being any use at all. In
[inserted]“HOW CAN I THANK YOU ?”
The Red Cross receive many thanksgiving letters, but few more moving than this one from a repatriated South African corporal in Cairo:-
“How can I thank you? It is a problem that I cannot solve, but instead let me say :
“When I was hungry – you fed me.
“When my pals were sick – you sent medical supplies.
“When we wondered about our folks at home – you brought letters.
“When we wanted something to do inside a dreary cage – you supplied books, games, musical instrument and educational facilities.
“When conditions were bad – you sent representatives round to see they were improved.
“You kept our spirits high, and you kept us alive, and then you brought me back to my own people.
“How can I thank you? Even now you go on piling on a debt that I cannot possibly repay. I cannot thank you. Perhaps God will one day. I pray He will.” [/inserted]
fact, one has to act helpful all the time.” He deserves our sympathy and admiration in such exacting work, although he finds that at least “it makes the time fly past, and I learn a few more words of Russian every day.”
Living and Learning
A captain in Campo P.G.21 compares his camp with “a small crowded University, with its numerous societies and clubs. There are no cars, no yachts and no rods, yet we have motor and yacht clubs and angling society! We talk and think about, and even impersonate, practically everything in the world outside.” He remarks that one of the chief advantages of a big camp lies in just this rich variety of life. “A great deal goes on. People are writing to tell you the truth here about their jobs and so forth, much more than they normally would. I am sure it is a good school of general knowledge, and certainly broadens one’s mentality.”
“The Red Angel”
Sitting in the crowded recreation room of his German prison camp and dreaming quietly of the English countryside, Lt. Col. Guy Adams wrote his first novel and sent it home to be published. So well has “The Red Angel” been received by critics and public alike that it completely sold out and has now been reprinted. “I feel I should like to celebrate this,” says Mrs. Adams in a letter to me, with which she generously sends £5 to the Fund “in gratitude for all the Red Cross is doing for my husband and other prisoners.”
“Would Make Pops Jealous”
Leslie Blud, of Birmingham, 26, describes himself as “a real old farm yokel” and says the garden at his farm would make Pops jealous. They grow “everything except hops,” including carrots as large as turnips and cabbages as large as oak trees –“believe it if you like.”
Relief in Books
A trooper in Stalag IIID gives his view of the prisoner’s mental life in a recent letter. “The compensation for this monotony is that one tends to lose count of time and thus the weeks and months go more quickly by.” He speaks, too, of the great relief he finds in books, and of his eagerness to read “How Green Was My Valley.” This novel was so much in demand that he had to wait his turn.
Toc H at Stalag Luft 6
A sergeant pilot at Stalag Luft 6 sends the “bigs news” that his new camp has a Toc H group which collects surplus cigarette to distribute to “needy new arrivals or lads who get no parcels.” He ends with the news that at a recent fancy dress parade his friend, Taffy, won the beauty contest as Miss Luft 6, 1943. The prize was “1,000 fags.”
Kindly be Patient
The printer’s lot is not any [sic] easy one nowadays. There are more and more readers to whom this journal is being sent, and our printers say that it may sometimes be impossible to get the issue posted to everyone by the first of each month. So please don’t think you have been forgotten if your copy doesn’t always reach you punctually in future. The delay will, at worst, be a matter of not more than a few days.
All the information concerning Italian camps contained on this and other pages refers, of course, to the period before the Armistice.
[page break]
October, 1943 The Prisoner of War 3
ART IN CAMP
[italics] Here a member of Stalag 383 describes the Arts and Crafts Exhibition held at the camp this summer, while a member of Campo P.G.59 describes a three-day Art show [/italics]
At Stalag 383.
IN the near future Londoners may see an exhibition of prisoner-of-war arts and crafts at one of the city’s leading stores. That is, if the recent overtures made by the International Red Cross to the German authorities are successful. It is believed they will be.
The ”Arts and Crafts” group at Stalag 383 are very keen on this idea, which prompted their second exhibition of talent produced in camp. This display was better than that held in April, both in quality and quantity. In the three days of the exhibition over 4,000 of the camp inhabitants passed through the gallery, many more than once.
It was also honoured by a visit from M. Erik Berg, of the World Alliance of Y.M.C.A.s. He was greatly impressed, and as well as congratulating each exhibitor took many photographs for his organisation and the Red Cross.
Looking Ahead
Again the exhibition was divides into three classes : Arts, Crafts, and Tapestry. In the Arts section were large displays in both portraiture and posters. Some of the portraits were in oils, but owing to the scarcity of this material most people were content to work with pencil or charcoal.
The poster display was made up of various subjects and was very outstanding. Many men here are turning to advertising with an eye to employment in this field after the war. Landscape water-colour artists were restricted by lack of subjects, but there were quite a few exhibits.
Cartoon and caricature suffered a loss in entries, but it was pleasing to note the best “black and white” men of the first exhibition remained. Woodcuts
[photograph]
A view of Stalag 383. Its members hope that their exhibition may be on view in London shortly.
were almost entirely lacking, there being only one exhibitor with two fine pieces of work.
In the crafts, model-makers showed trains, planes, boats and inlaid household ornament. Two ingenious exhibits were a church in miniature and a working model of a mill-loom.
Needle and Thread
The third section was proof that needle and thread are not entirely the prerogative of woman. Many regimental crests of the British Army, pyjama cases and other types of men’s travel necessities were on view, together with colourful tapestries of the English and German countryside.
At Campo P.G.59.
THROUH not the first of the Italian P.O.W. camps to hold an art exhibition, we may perhaps be one of the first to have the event reported in the [italics] Prisoner of War [/italics] and thus made public in Britain. That, in so far as it reflects a little of our way of life here in Italy, will be a great source of gratification to us.
At first, of course, there were all sorts of difficulties in the way of organising the show: securing proper drawing materials, for instance; in face of the ban on their supply from home, and the censorship regulations; finding suitable accommodation; making any definite arrangements with the camp personnel, two thirds of whom had only just arrived.
Such obstacles, which might have turned back a less resolute man than our Camp Leader (the sole executive organiser) trebled the work of production. But they were all eventually overcome and on May 15th, 1943, the exhibition became a triumphant [italics] fait accompli. [/italics]
Three-day Show
It ran for three days. No fewer than 159 pictures were hung, consisting of oil paintings, water colours, crayon and pencil drawings, pen-and-ink sketches, and
[poster]
Poster for Anzac Day designed by a sergeant at Stalag 383.
ranging in subject from landscapes to caricatures. The pleasant landscapes of Britain and London street scenes complete with the London “Bobby,” were in particular a refreshing reminder to us of the fact that “There will always be an England.”
Various Prizes
Various and substantial prizes were awarded for the three best entries in each of the ten subject groups. The winners were chosen by general vote, and the Colonel Commandant himself made a most generous contribution of 500 lira in support of the prize list. Indeed, the keen interest shown by all the Italian Officers and camp authorities in our venture was a great encouragement. Thanks to their help, to the skill and enthusiasm of our artists and to the untiring energy of our Camp Leader, we are grateful to be able to record that our first Art Exhibition has proved an immense and most stimulating success.
SEPTEMBER PENGUINS
THE following ten books were chosen as the September selection for prisoners in camps in Germany and Italy:
PENGUINS: – [italics] Death of My Aunt [/italics], C. H. B. Kitchen; [italics] The Gun [/italics], C. S. Forester; [italics] Ju Ju and Justice in Nigeria [/italics], Frank Hives and Gascoigne Lumley; [italics] The Silk Stocking Murders [/italics], Anthony Berkeley; [italics] Friends and Relations [/italics], Elizabeth Bowen; [italics] Country Life [/italics], H. E. Bates; [italics] Modern Irish Short Stories [/italics], edited by Alan Steele and Joan Hancock; [italics] A Man’s Man [/italics], Ian Hay.
SPECIAL: [italics] Design [/italics], Anthony Bertram.
PELICAN: [italics] The Personality of Animals [/italics], H. Munro Fox.
[page break]
4 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
OFFICAL REPORT FROM THE CAMPS
[inserted][italics] IN every case where the conditions call for remedy, the Protecting Power makes representations to the German or Italian authorities. Where there is any doubt whether the Protecting Power has acted, it is at once requested to do so. When it is reported that food or clothing is required, the necessary action is taken through the International Red Cross Committee. [/italics][/inserted]
Germany
STALAG VIIIB
Hospital at Cosel. – On the day of the visit there were 75 British patients, four British Medical Officers, including a British surgeon, and 61 British Medical Orderlies. The hospital is considered excellent, but there is a definite shortage of drugs. Food rations are the same as those received in German Hospitals.
The camp compound has been extended and a great deal of the ground has been turned into a garden, kept by prisoners of war, who have made vegetable and flower gardens and paths leading to the hospital barracks. (Visited June.)
Bau und Arbeitsbatallion 20, Heydebreck. – 1,189 prisoners include 127 naval men. Food is described as satisfactory, though for a time the potatoes were not good. A considerable number of minor working accidents have been reported, but medical attention is satisfactory. Prisoners are sent to Blechhammer for dental treatment by British dentists and to Neustadt for eye treatment.
Clothing is satisfactory and working overalls have been distributed among the men. Recreational facilities are good.
[photograph]
Recreational facilities are good at B.A.B.20. Here is their band.
The receipt of mail has been bad of late.
(Visited June.)
Bau und Arbeitsbatallion 21, Heydebreck. – Of the 1,170 men in this camp, 316 are naval prisoners of war. The new organisation of the camp, since the amalgamation of 21-48, is described as fairly satisfactory. As at B.A.B.20, there are many minor working accidents.
There were no complaints about washing, bathing and toilet facilities, nor about the food. A new dental station is to be opened shortly where the dental and medical officers will work together. Working clothes are in bad condition and very few working overalls have been issued. A new chapel has been built. (Visited June.)
STALAG IIID
Work Camp 329, outside Berlin. – Camp 329 was newly opened in May and contains prisoners of war from Camps 517 and 520. The strength is given as 552. They are working on railway construction. The camp is situated in the middle of a large pine forest, and is as yet not quite completed.
The prisoners are accommodated in four large wooden huts furnished with two-tier bunks, straw mattresses and two blankets each. The rooms are light and airy; other huts are used for kitchens, washhouse, store rooms and an infirmary. At present there are no facilities for private cooking.
Clothing is fairly satisfactory, but no work clothes have been issued. There are repair shops in the camp. So far there is no canteen. Cold showers are always available.
Medical attention is given by a British doctor and dental attention us given at a neighbouring detachment. There is a large sports ground where the prisoners are able to play football and other games; they have formed orchestras, etc., and have a library. Compensation is given for Sunday work. Religious services are held each Sunday. There are air-raid shelters in the camp, to which the prisoners are obliged to go during an alert. (Visited May.)
Hospital No. 119 at Neukolln. – The hospital is installed in a school building and has air-raid shelters in the cellars. Accommodation is satisfactory.
Sanitary installations are inadequate and the supply of hot water is insufficient. Although the building is regularly disinfected, bugs appear on all the floors. Medical and dental attention is satisfactory, thought it takes a considerable time to procure dentures.
The British patients are visited fortnightly by a chaplain. Food is prepared by German civilians and special diets are available with the help of Red Cross parcels. (Visited June.)
Italy
CAMPO P.G.12 P.M. 3200,
VINCIGLIATE, near FLORENCE
This camp for British Generals continues to be satisfactory. A few minor complaints were brought forward and settled on the spot. No British chaplain has yet visited the camp. (Visited June.)
CAMPO P.G.47 P.M.3200. MODENA
There are over 1,000 officers here, and this camp is slightly overcrowded. Extra beds have been placed in the dormitories, and space is generally restricted. Electric light has been improved. Kitchen boilers were being repaired, and water pressure made sufficient to prevent further burst. Cold showers can be had at any time, and warm showers twice weekly.
Medical service is described as quite satisfactory. Dental treatment is given by two surgeons, but materials are lacking. An oculist is called in when necessary. The impression gained by the visiting delegates was that the camp has improved since the previous visit. (Visited June.)
CAMPO P.G.49 P.M.3200,
REGGIO NELL, EMILIA
540 officers and other ranks are detained in a large new orphanage, a four-storied stone-built house, standing on a plain, surrounded by fields and vineyards. The building is modern with up-to-date installations. The officers’ quarters are on the first and second floors. The interior arrangements are described as comfortable. Other ranks sleep in long dormitories and have their own mess room and common room. The building is spacious with marble staircases, tiled floors.
Mail delays have been experienced owing to transfers from other camps.
Kitchens are up to date and well equipped. The wood ration seems hardly sufficient. There are canteens for both officers and other ranks. Clothing conditions are, on the whole, satisfactory.
Sanitary installations appear to be satisfactory, with ample water supply.
Three British M.O.s assist an
[page break]
October 1943 The Prisoner of War 5
Italian surgeon with medical attention; materials are needed for dental treatment. There is ample space for indoor games; a large playground is to be levelled for use as a football field, and there is a library of 3,000 books (Visited May.)
CAMPO P.G.59 P.M.3300,
SERVIGLIANO (PICENO)
The number of prisoners of war at Camp 59 has been considerably reduced, as many men have been transferred to work camps, and of a total of 1,328 prisoners or war 313 are English and 913 American. There have been no changes in accommodation. Water supply is ample, and hot baths are available every 10 days. The canteen is quite well stocked. Clothing is fairly good. There has been some difficulty in obtaining an ambulance for the transfer of sick prisoners of war to hospital, though the situation is better than it was.
Recreational facilities appear to be quite well organised. Religious services are held regularly. (Visited June.)
CAMP P.G.54 P.M.3300,
FARAIN SABINA
At the date of the visit there were about 3,500 prisoners of war at this camp. Two agricultural labour detachments have been organised. Two of the sections of the camp were occupied, the third one being still unfinished.
The majority of the prisoners of war
[photograph]
Three P.O.W.s at Campo P.G.73.
are still accommodated in tents. Workers in the camp receive supplementary rations. There is a canteen in each section. Clothing conditions have improved considerably since the previous visit. The water supply is still inadequate, and consequently sanitary installations, although improved are almost useless.
The infirmary is still installed in tents, but serious cases are sent to military hospitals at Rome and Perugia. There is no improvement in the dental attention. The preparation of a sports ground outside the camp was under consideration, and there is now a Church of England chaplain in the camp. (Visited May.)
CAMPO P.G.73 P.M.3200, CARPI
Of the total of 4,457 prisoners of war at this camp, 250 men are in the two work camps and 286 were in hospital. The patients were distributed in Hospital 201 and 203 and at Carpi and Piacenza. Adjoining this camp is a new camp of equal size, which was empty at the time of visit.
The interior arrangements of the camp have not altered. Vegetables and fruit are plentiful, and the canteen is well organised. Consignments of clothing had recently been received.
In the hospital two British medical officers and 20 orderlies assist the Italian doctor with medical attention, which is described as satisfactory. Conditions at the hospital are said to have improved. There is now a Church of England chaplain in the camp. (Visited June.)
CAMPO P.G.201 P.M.3200, BERGAMO
Bergamo Hospital is no longer overcrowded. The medical personnel are well accommodated. Food is satisfactory, and commodities are brought in regularly from the canteen, which is outside the camp. Hospital clothing is issued, and everyone is well equipped.
Two new wash basins have been added for the use of medical personnel. There are three British medical officers besides the Italian staff, but there is no British dentist. About half the patients are suffering from wounds. There is an Anglican chaplain and an Italian priest attached to the camp. (Visited June.)
CAMPO P.G.202 P.M.3200, LUCCA
As a result of recent repatriation, only
[photograph]
A group at Campo P.G.54, a report of which appears on this page.
one-third of this hospital is now occupied. The new wing of the building has been completed. Sanitary installations are described as satisfactory, and there is sufficient hot water for the use of the patients. There are 11 medical officers and a dentist, besides the Italian staff.
A civilian dentist visits the hospital twice a week. X-ray and electrical treatment has recently been made available. The canteen is well stocked with fruit and vegetables, and special diets can be supplied. There is no room in which to hold Church of England services, though there is a Roman Catholic chapel. (Visited June.)
CAMPO P.G.203 P.M.3200, BOLOGNA
The number of patients at this hospital has been greatly reduced. Accommodation is satisfactory. Mail and parcels service appears to be satisfactory. Hospital clothing is issued to all patients. The dental cabinet has not yet been installed, but it promised.
There is no space available for sport, but regular walks have been arranged.
[italics] Note. [/italics] – Information has been received that patients from P.G.206 have been transferred to 203. (Visited June.)
P.O.W.s MOVED FROM ITALY TO GERMANY
Stalag IVB, which is at Muhlberg, appears to be mainly a transit camp, and many prisoners of war who have been sent there from Italy are now reported as having arrived at Stalag VIIIB.
Any parcels already sent to Stalag IVB should be forwarded by the camp authorities.
Next of kin and acting next of kin of these P.O.W.s should remember that it is important that the prisoner of war number should be given on all letters and parcels sent to men now in Germany.
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6 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
Groups from the Camps
[photograph]
CAMPO PG52
[photograph]
ILAG VIII H
[photograph]
STALAG VIII B
[photograph]
STALAG XXB
[photograph]
STALAG XXID’9
[photograph]
STALAG IX C
[photograph]
STALAG XVIII B
[photograph]
STALAG VII A
[page break]
October, 1943 The Prisoner of War 7
[photograph]
Hockey on the Island – at Stalag XXIA.
The Letters They Write Home
From Italy to Germany
Stalag IVB. 28.7.43.
I HAVE left Italy and am now at Stalag IVB in Germany. The reason for this move? Well, your guess is a good as mine and probably as corrects.
What a difference in our two existences. In Italy, the land of easy come, easy go, and Latin indifference, we found life very much as we made it. They just pinned you up and left you to your own devices.
Now we are in Germany, the land of efficiency and love of discipline. Within 48 hours of entering the country we were “de-bugged,” registered, medically examined, X-rayed and inoculated: some organisation!
The food is better, there is more space, conditions are cleaner and, believe it or not, a swimming pool. Now the great thing is for you not to worry. If I know you won’t, then I’ll be all right.
I am not worrying; maybe I won’t be home as soon as you expected, but I wouldn’t have missed this for worlds.
Travelling here I have seen the most wonderful scenery in my life, its beauty touched something inside me and life seemed worth all its bumps. I am happier here than I have ever been as a prisoner.
Don’t think we don’t get any news here; we probably get even more than you do, and we can form our own conclusions.
Comrades in Adversity
Oflag VIIB. 20.7.43.
I HAVE no doubt you wonder how I pass the time. There are many little things that have to be done and which pass the day, such as washing dishes, making hot drinks, drawing parcels or tin store, going to the library, shorthand after lunch every day, and in the evening three times a week as well; visiting friends in other blocks and, of course, reading and playing games and sunbathing in the summer.
Then we spend a lot of time discussing everything and anything, from ships to sealing wax. I have accumulated a mass of general knowledge on all sorts or subjects. Other people’s jobs are often discussed. Everyone seems to know more about that particular job that the man actually concerned.
You may think I am just wasting my time from what I do. There are some who work much harder than I, but I can assure you I do more than a great many. I think I am keeping as fit as I can, both mentally and physically.
Try not to worry about me. This life is never any worse than you are able to imagine it, and I expect often a great deal better. There is a great deal in the comradeship of people suffering the same adversity. If you keep as cheerful and smiling as I do, which I am sure you do, we shall all be doing fine.
Post-war Plans
Stalag XXB. 1.8.43.
I AM still on the farm and am quite an experienced farm hand. I have papered another three rooms out recently.
Is Dad at work in his own line, and what do you intend doing after the war? Where shall we live? I don’t think I could like right inside the city again, although I should like to be near a town. Please let me know.
P.O.W. Surveyor
Stalag XXB (380). 1.8.43
SUMMER at last seems to have come to stay and we are now experiencing a warm spell.
I have been acting in a partly professional capacity as surveyor for a land drainage job. I’ve been supplied with “Dumpy” level and staff, and it was given me valuable experience in surveying and levelling. There is yet several months’ work to be done.
Later this afternoon I am due over the lake to convey our weekly washing to the laundry. We all take our rota in such fatigues as these, irrespective of rank.
Nearer Home
Stalag IVB. 28.7.43.
I AM nearer home than I have been for years. I still have not been told I am a P.O.W. of the Germans now, but still they did capture me, so here we are, at least some of us, in Germany.
We brought a few Red Cross parcels with us but are hoping to soon have a supply here as there are no parcels here at the present moment. I must tell you I enjoyed the trip here from Italy.
Life Agrees With Me
Campo P.G.118/VIII. 19.7.43.
WE have actually started fruit picking this week and we have been very busy collecting pears and apples. It’s really great fun, too, as we have to use the local counterpart for a ladder; they are just long poles with sticks through them for rungs. However, after a few spills are slips we managed to conquer them and are becoming quite expert.
We go to the farm at seven in the morning and finish at the same time at night and, with exception of a two-hour break mid-day, we are kept well on the go.
[photograph]
Parcels staff at Stalag XVIIIA.
I must say that this life certainly does agree with me and I feel almost disgustingly healthy.
The people we work for are very good, too; they’ve got a lovely great St. Bernard dog which has become great friends with us, and altogether life “down on the farm” seem all that it is cracked up to be.
But of course,
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8 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
[photograph]
Members of Stalag VIIA/277.
there is always the one big hope in our minds; there’s no place like home and may that hope soon be realised.
Milking the Cow
Stalag XXA (127). 18-7-43.
I AM getting on fine with the farm work. The farmer said “Have a try at milking a cow.” Well, down I got to it, and now I am quite an expert at it. I said to the farmer. “I only want a frock and my hair curled and then I would be a proper dairymaid.”
P.O.W. Farm Workers
Stalag XXA (173). 25-7-43.
I HAVE left the Fort again and am back on another farm, camper number (173); it is in the same area, not far away. We get good food here and plenty of greens. The Red Cross is still keeping us well supplied.
We have had plenty of rain here of late, but now comes the sun; we are on the cornfield all day, and although it is tedious work I enjoy it; my shirt is off all day and I am quite brown. My hair is going white here with the sun. I think I have put on weight since being here and feel better.
The girls on the farm tie the corn and we stack it in small heaps; they are very big fields here. We will be stacking barley next week.
The Russian prisoners are here on farms around as well – they drive the oxen. We have been bean-picking, carrot-picking and beetroot-pulling during the past few weeks.
A New Camp
Stalag Luft VI. Undated.
WE arrived safely at our new camp on Wednesday, June 16th, after a 30-hour journey. It was wonderful to gaze at changing scenery after having seen none for so long. We saw thousands of blue lupins growing wild right across East Prussia.
The new camp is bigger and not so shut in. We are the first here and are in long barracks.
They are the most comfortable quarters we have had yet. There are no facilities for cooking, so everything is lashed up in the cookhouse, and we all feed down the centre of our rooms at the same time. Nothing is organised yet, of course.
I am working already rigging up a post office. The sports field, theatre, etc, will have to be done before October as we get a very long winter up here.
We Get Potatoes
Stalag IVB. 5.8.43.
AS you will see from my new address I am now in Germany, and we are treated very well. The food is more substantial than in Italy. I have not yet received any Red Cross parcels or cigarettes, but our move will have delayed them more than ever.
I am allowed to write six times a month, including letter and postcards. Well, there is one thing about this country – It is very much like England. The countryside is beautiful and the people are very much like us only their language differs. Prison life is not sweet any time, but we are treated as men here and get potatoes – a food I have not since I was taken prisoner in June, 1942. We get plenty of fresh vegetables so I have no worries.
[photograph]
Working party trio at Stalag IVC/380.
A New Craze
Stalag 383. 4.7.43.
WE had a swimming pool made for us some time ago, but just now the water is a bit too dirty, so everybody has got a new craze on; they’re making little toy sailing boats and sailing them on the water. Sometimes an old boot with an old shirt tied to it will come out of the blue, causing a great laugh.
They Look After the Graves
Stalag VIIIB. 4.7.43.
I BELONG to a party of 10 N.C.O.s who look after the graves of the boys who have died here, planting and tending to the flowers, and I must say the cemetery looks really lovely now.
Life What You Make It
Stalag XXID 13. 4.7.43.
I KNOW everybody expects big things to happen in the near future, but it does not do to swallow all you read or hear in wartime.
As for myself, I’m well and out to work six days a week. It’s nearly all pick and shovel work, so I shall be a good “navvy” one day; but it’s not too hard a work and the most we do is six hours a day, very often less.
To-day is our day of rest and everybody in the room is either reading, writing home, or arguing over something or other. Some of the lads are walking around the camp grounds, and outside some of the rooms the lads are having a singsong accompanied by various instruments.
Soon it will be tea-time when we get into what’s left of our Red Cross parcels. So you see life is what we make it in a prisoners’ camp; most of us are fairly cheerful and “chins still up.” So don’t think we are in cells with chain and iron balls locked on our ankles, and most of our guards are just as human as we are and want to back in their homes. Like us, they have had enough of it.
A Win for Australia
Marlag und Milag. 25.7.43.
CRICKET going along famously and the pitch is
[inserted] PICTURES AND LETTERS
POSTAL orders 10s will be awarded each month to the senders of the first three letters printed. We should be very much obliged if readers would send is COPIES of their prisoners’ letters, instead of the original ones, and on a separate sheet of paper.
Photographs, preferably of prisoners at work of recreation. will also be welcomed. Payments of 10s. will be made for every photograph reproduced across two columns, and 6s. for every photograph across one column. The name of the subject, the position of any known P.O.W. in photograph, and also the name and address of sender must be written in block letters on the back. All letters and photographs will be returned as soon as possible.
Address : RED CROSS EDITOR, PRISONER OF WAR DEPT., ST. JAMES’S PALACE, LONDON S.W.1.
The cost of these prizes and fees is defrayed by a generous friend of the Red Cross and St. John War Organisation.
[photograph]
“Our concert party” At Stalag XXIA.
[page break]
October, 1943 The Prisoner of War 9
good. The first Test was played about a week ago and resulted in a win for Australia. They batted first and knocked up 114. England started well but collapsed and finished up forty runs behind.
We have so far played four county matches, lost two and won two.
Athletics are going strong; we have four clubs; Oxford, Cambridge, Yale and Harvard; and if you feel inclined you can join a club and after much training they have a meeting. Last night we had the relays and long and high jumps. Yale, with Oxford and Cambridge were runners up.
From a Civilian Internee
Biberach. 3.7.43.
IT may be of interest to know how one spends the day. 7 a.m. fetch porridge for the ladies; 7.30, clean stove and room; 9-9.30, breakfast, sweep corridor 100ft. long, empty ashes, then dole out rations as they come along (marg., potatoes, sugar, salt, curds, etc.); this takes until 11 a.m.
I am then free till noon, when I dole out soup for twenty men – this is our only ration meal. In the afternoon, issue bread ration and do light fatigues, such as carrying Red Cross parcels, water for ladies’ washing and tea. At 5 p.m. go over to Flo for a Red Cross high rea (a real meal).
There are periodical jobs such as emptying mattresses and refilling and having a spring clean of barracks. The ladies have a roll call in the morning and the men a roll at night. We are locked in barracks from 10 p.m. till 6 a.m.
The over-sixties do not do any heavy fatigues. such as digging. Flo goes for a long walk about every ten days, parties of about 200, a guard in front and at rear.
Plenty of Chaff
Stalag VIIIB E235. 11.7.43.
IT is Sunday afternoon, most of the chaps are sleeping, a few are darning socks, etc.
There are 51 of us in this camp, none of them are local ; in fact, they are nearly all from the South. We are still on the same job; we have been on it over five months now – the longest bar one that I have been on one job. Last year I was over nine months in a sawmill, working in the woodyard.
I have had a good variety of jobs in the last three years, from digging drains to pulling sugar-beet, loading coal at a paper mill, and, of course, in winter, the inevitable snow-clearing. The jobs we work on are not very hard, but, of course we have to do a bit. We always work in gangs, and there is always plenty of chaff. We get two breaks in the day, around 9 to 10 o’clock for breakfast or [italics] fruhstuck [/italics], 12 to 1 for dinner or [italics] mit-tag [/italics], and then anywhere from 4 to 5 comes the welcome words [italics] feier-abend [italics], pronounced by us as “fire-arm.”
[photograph]
Replay race at Stalag Luft 3.
Amateur Tinkers
Campo P.G.53. 2.8.43.
EXPECT the weather is glorious now; it is tropically hot here and I am very sun-tanned and fit. Our platoon team (Lancashire) lost by 24 runs to Yorkshire this week – we only scored 61 runs. I have made a good job of a tea-urn out of tins, etc. Looks quite “posh” polished up. We are all more or less amateur tinkers now. Some chaps have even made attaché cases.
Takes His Boss to Town
Stalag XXB 631. 1.8.43.
I HAVE been very busy cutting corn day and night. I have four horses and the binder, and I am the only
[photograph]
A cheerful group at Stalag 383.
Englishman allowed to work or go with any machinery.
We are having lovely weather here and am “as brown as a berry.” My boss (a woman of 28) is very good to us and we get along fine together. I often take her to town in the coach with two horses.
Oxford Dinner
Campo P.G.21. 22.6.43.
LAST Sunday we had an Oxford dinner – some fifty odd members of the university attended, and it was an extremely successful evening.
Our hosts have now produced a cinema – first performance in the open air tonight. I am still very busy with the dance band and orchestra. Recently we played the whole of Beethoven’s Second Symphony.
Rabbit-Keeping – A New Craze
Stalag VIIIB E3. 20.7.43.
I WORK ten hours a day for five days of the week, and finish at 1 o’clock on Saturdays. My work consist of moving iron, sand, etc., and, in plain words, what I am told to do.
Saturday afternoons and Sundays we do our washing and give our billet a good tidy up.
We have a craze here – rabbit-keeping. I have been given two, and I might tell you it passes many hours away looking after them.
Our biggest job is getting wood for our fire.
Reads Between the Lines
Campo P.G.78 29.7.43.
IT is getting pretty hot down here now and I am getting as brown as a native. I played a game of cricket yesterday ; I did not make any runs, but caught three of the other side out.
In the Red Cross special invalids’ parcels they sent me were some vitamin B yeast tablets; they taste just like beer – they are good!
Did I tell you I get the paper every day? I can read Italian quite well now, especially between the lines.
[page break]
10 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
EXAMINATION RESULTS
CORPORTATION OF CERTIFIED SECRETARIES. Corporal E. G. Weller; Passed Final, Part I.
EAST MIDLAND EDUCATIONAL UNION.
Lieut. H. H. Ledger; Passed German III, 1st class; passed Spanish I and II, 1st class; passed Spanish III, 2nd class.
Lieut. C.J.R. Yeo; Passed Spanish I and II, 1st class; passed Spanish III 2nd class.
SMAE INSTITUTE.
L/Cpl. J.E. Warren; Passed Diploma Examination (very high standard).
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Pte. A.W. Jeyes; Passed Senior General, Class III, Sgt. A. Francis-Clare, passed Senior General, Class I.
RESULTS OF THE INSTITUTE OF BOOK-KEPPER EXAMINATIONS.
June, 1943.
Associate Stage. Successful Candidates.
BOOK-KEEPING; Sapper G.W. Griffith.
Elementary Stage.
L/Cpl. F. Schofield.
March, 1943.
Associate Stage. Successful Candidates.
BOOK-KEEPING.
Sgt. J.O. Badcock with distinction; Cpl. G. Butterworth; C.Q.M.S. R.A. Keys
BUSINESS METHODS AND ORGANISATION.
Pte. H.D.G. Cunnold; Sgt. J.O. Badcock; Cpl, G, Butterworth; C.Q.M.S. R.A. Keys; L/Bdr. T. Smith
COMMERCIAL ARITHMETIC.
Sgt. J.O. Badcock; Cpl. G. Butterworth; C.Q.M.S. R.A. Keys.
ECONOMICS
Pte. H.D.G. Cunnold.
INSTITUTE OF BANKERS.
Associate Examination.
J.E.H. Barnfield, Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed, English Composition, Part II passed.
W.G.A. Hill; Banking, Part II, passed.
Lt. A.H. Blackbourn; *Accountancy, Part II, passed;
Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed.
Lt. R.G. Brown; Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed; Eng. Composition, Part II, passed.
Lt. D.M.C. Burrough; *Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed (Distinction).
Lt. R.L. Charlesworth; Economics, Part I, passed. Lt. J.W.Y. Cullen; Economics, Part I, passed.
Capt. B.A. Dowling; Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed.
Lt. I.F. Dunkley; Book-keeping, Part I, passed; Economics, Part I, passed.
Lt. P. Elliott; Economics, Part I, passed; Banking, Part I, passed; English Composition, Part II, passed.
Lt. G.I. Fisher; Accountancy, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed; Banking, Part II, passed.
Capt. P.S. Ingham; [symbol] Booking-keeping, Part I, passed; Economics, Part I, passed.
Lt. F.H.H. Jackson; *Accountancy, Part II, passed.
Capt. G.H. Killey; Book-keeping, Part I, passed;
English Composition, Part I, passed; Banking, Part I, passed.
Lt. N.T. Lawson; Economics, Part II, passed.
Lt. P.M.C. Onions; Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed; English Composition, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed.
Lt. C.G. Osmond; [symbol] Book-keeping, Part I, passed; Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed; Banking, Part II, passed.
Lt. S.D. Rae; [symbol] Accountancy, Part II, passed; Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed (Distinction); Banking, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed.
Lt. T.W. Retter; Accountancy, Part II, passed; Banking, Part II, passed (Distinction).
Lt. B.L.S. Rich; Book-keeping, Part I, passed. Economics, Part II, passed; Banking, Part II, passed.
Lt. J.A. Rodger; Book-keeping, Part I, passed; Economics, Part II, passed; Banking, Part II, passed.
Lt. J.W. Shearer; Foreign Exchange, Part II, passed; English Composition, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed.
Pte. H. Thorpe; English Composition, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed; Banking Part II, passed.
Lt. P.L. Verity; *Accountancy, Part II, passed; Foreign Exchange. Part II, passed; English Composition, Part II, passed; Economics, Part II, passed.
*Completes Part II.
[symbol] Completes Part I.
Lt. F.S. Wenborn; Book-keeping, Part I, passed,
Banking, Part I, passed.
ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS.
BOOK-KEEPING, STAGE I.
Gnr. J.F. Archer; pass with credit.
J.D. Bibby; pass with credit.
E.G. Christian; pass with credit.
Pte. H. Findlay; pass.
A. Hogg; pass with credit.
S.M. McGifford; pass with credit.
J.J. Mooney; pass with credit.
Sgt. G.W.P. Reid; pass with credit.
L/Cpl. C.W. Rooke; pass.
J. Sharp; pass.
Sgt. D.F. Springett; pass with credit.
C.G. Vowles; pass.
BOOK-KEEPING, STAGE II.
Pte. C.E. Allison; pass, 1st class.
Capt. A.T. Bardwell; passed 1st class.
J.D. Bibby; pass, 1st class.
C.A.R.M. Bolton; pass, 2nd class.
R. Bone; Pass, 2nd class.
Major J.I. Breeds; passed 1st class.
Major W. Christopherson; passed 1st class.
Major H. Coghill; passed 1st class.
Major W.W.N. Davies; passed 1st class.
Capt. S.A. Day; passed 1st class.
Brig. H.C. Eden; passed 1st class.
Capt. K. Keens; pass, 1st class.
J.G.I. McKeman; pass, 2nd class.
A. H. MacKinnon; pass 2nd class.
Major N. MacKinnon; passed 1st class.
Pte. S.W. Mills; passed 1st class.
Capt. R.K. Montgomery; passed 1st class.
Major A.R.E. Parsons; passed 1st class.
Major C.A. Peel; passed 1st class.
Major R.W. Porcas; passed 1st class.
Major J.R.L. Roberts; passed 1st class.
Pte. L.H. Rowland; passed 1st class.
C. Salt; pass, 2nd class.
S/Sgt. J.G. Sheekey; pass 1st class.
W.J. Strawbridge; pass, 2nd class.
W.J. Thompson; pass, 2nd class.
Major J.F. Wallace; passed 1st class.
Pte. J. Ward; passed 1st class.
GERMAN, STAGE I.
P. Anderson; pass.
D.F. Brunger; pass.
J. Byford; pass, with credit.
J. Galvin; pass.
Pte. N.T. Hinks; pass with credit.
Pte. E.H. Hobby; pass.
I.K. Lawson; pass with credit.
W.H. Pond; pass with credit.
G.W. Poole; pass.
GERMAN, STAGE II.
J. Byford; pass, 2nd class.
Pte. S.K.P. Brick; pass, 2nd class.
W/O H.W.J. Cawood; pass 1st class.
S.C. Davis; pass, 2nd class.
N.T. Hinks; pass 2nd class.
I.K. Lawson; pass, 1st class.
J.C. Limerick; pass, 2nd class.
D.C. Lock; pass, 2nd class.
W.H. Pond; pass, 2nd class.
Spr. G.W. Poole; pass, 2nd class.
E.T. Russell; pass, 1st class.
J.A. Wise; pass, 1st class.
FRENCH, STAGE I.
Pte. V.M. Egan; pass with credit.
Pte. L.F. Horton; pass with credit.
Sgt. A.G. Jones; pass with credit.
W. Standage; pass.
R.S. Taylor; pass.
H. Terry; pass with credit.
G.C.S. Turner; pass with credit.
FRENCH, STAGE II.
Pte. V.M. Egan; pass, 1st class.
W. Golledge; pass, 2nd class.
Pte. L.F. Horton; pass 2nd class.
Sgt. A.G. Jones; pass, 2nd class.
L/Cpl. H.E.L. Rose; pass, 1st class.
S/Sgt. J.G. Sheekey; pass, 1st class.
H. Terry; pass, 2nd class.
Sgt. G.C.S. Turner; pass 2nd class.
SPANISH, STAGE I.
H.L. Astbury; pass.
J.A.R. Coulthard; pass with credit.
E.H. Hobby; pass.
A.T.R. Kemp; pass.
Sgt. I. Ramsay; pass with credit.
ENGLISH, STAGE I.
G. Clare; pass.
Continued at foot of next column
PARCELS FOR P.O.W.s IN ITALY
THE Postmaster-General has announced that in view of the armistice with Italy no more next of kin or permit parcels should be sent to prisoners of war in Italy.
Parcels not yet dispatched from the Parking Centres at Finsbury Circus and Glasgow will be returned to the senders.
We are not able to make any statement as to the possibility of the return of parcels already on their way to Italy.
Coupons already issued for a prisoner in Italy should be carefully kept until further notice. If, however, the next of kin have returned them to the Red Cross, a new issue will be made later on should it be found to be necessary.
If information is received that the prisoner from whom the coupons were issued has been moved to Germany, they may be used for a parcel to be sent to that country, even though the coupon book is stamped “Italy.”
If any of the coupons have already been used for the purchase of clothing, the garments should be kept until further information about the prisoner is available.
No fresh issues of labels and coupons will be made at present for prisoners believed to be in Italy.
– and letters
Until further notice letters and postcards can continue to be posted to prisoners and internees in Italy addressed to the last know camp address for transmission by surface mail, but no guarantee can be given that it will be possible to effect delivery. Correspondence cannot be forwarded by air mail.
CAMP LIST
The following additions should be made:
Italy: P.G.19. P.M.3200; P.G.207, PM. 3200 (hospital). Casacelenda, Province di Campobasso (new civilian internment camp for women).
The following should be deleted: P.G.35. P.M.3400; P.G. 51, P.M. 3450; P.G.206, P.M.3400 (camp closed); Corropoli (civilian internment camp).
The location of P.G. 47 is MODENA, and not PIACENZE as previously stated. The location of P.G.136 is BOLOGNA.
The following should be added: France: Embrum – Hautes Alps (civilian internment camp).
W. Linder: pass.
H. Widdows: pass.
ENGLISH, STAGE II.
N. Cossins: pass, 2nd class.
Pte. L.F. Horton; pass, 2nd class.
Sgt I. Ramsay; pass, 2nd class.
H. Widdows; pass, 2nd class.
COMMERCIAL LAW, STAGE II.
Sgt. D.J. McCarthy; pass, 1st class.
R.J.E. Hawkins; pass, 2nd class.
Sgt. I. Ramsey; pass, 1st class.
ARTITHMETIC, STAGE II.
S.M. McDonald; pass, 1st class.
[page break]
October, 1943 The Prisoner of War 11
WHAT GERMANS PUT IN THEIR RED CROSS PARCELS
AXIS prisoners of war in Great Britain receive rations strictly according to the 1929 Geneva Convention, which means that they are fed on the same scale as the British troops who guard them. There is, therefore, little need to point out that German and Italian prisoners have not the same vital need of Red Cross food parcels as our men in Germany and Italy.
Nevertheless, the Red Cross is still the chief link with home for prisoners in our hands, and both the German and Italian Red Cross Societies send various supplies to this country for their own nationals, although on a far smaller scale than those provided by the War Organisation for our prisoners in enemy hands.
Direct to Lisbon
The consignments usually come direct to Lisbon and thence to this country, but on a few occasions a very small amount has come on the return trips of the British Red Cross “shuttle” service of ships between Lisbon and Marseilles.
When the parcels reach Great Britain, whether from Germany or Italy, they go either direct to the camps or in some cases to the International Red Cross Committee’s delegation in London, who have special storage accommodation for these parcels so that supplies can be sent to any camp which may have a sudden influx of new prisoners.
A detailed system of checking and acknowledgements is carried out by the International Red Cross in London and in Geneva, rather similar to the system in force for British Red Cross shipments to our own men in Germany and Italy. In each case Geneva acts as the clearing house and forms a “neutral” bridge by which both supplies and information can pass between prisoners of war and the national Red Cross Society which cares for them
German Parcels
The relatives of German prisoners of war in Great Britain are able, through the German Red Cross, to send them, at the cost of one mark each, small parcels known as “Typenpakete” (standard parcels). The “Typenpaketen” weigh from 1 1/2 to 2Ib. each, and only a very small number (about 1,700 per month) are sent to German prisoners here, as compared with the big consignments of next of kin and “permit” parcels from this country to our men in Germany. They are of three kinds, containing cigarettes or tobacco, or soap and other cleaning materials, or sweets and biscuits. These packages, which are individually addressed, are sent off by the German Red Cross from their head
[inserted] WE have received enquiries from time to time from next of kin about how the Axis powers help their prisoners of war through their own Red Cross organisation as compared with the service that the Red Cross and St. John War Organisation are able to do for British P.O.W.s. The following article gives some amount of the contents of the parcels which reach P.O.W. camps in this country from Germany and Italy. It was written before the Armistice with Italy was signed and refers to the conditions obtaining at the time it was written. [/inserted]
quarters at the former Ufa film “city” at Babelsberg, near Potsdam, and they go by air to Lisbon and then by post direct to the camps. Censorship is carried out in the camps themselves.
In addition to these individual parcels collective consignments are sent by the German Red Cross in the form of parcels, each about 10 Ib. in weight, well packed in waterproof brown paper fastened with gummed paper.
The food sent in the collective consignments includes rye bread wrapped in Cellophane, tins of apricots and other fruit, powered and condensed milk, typical German sausages of various kinds, some with fish filling, tinned meat and soup. Jam made of some kind of berries comes in solid slabs of the consistency of a table jelly.
In addition to foodstuffs there are collective parcels of soap; this is very hard and heavy, with a pungent and peculiar scent; there is also some kind of face cream in glass jars with the same distinctive scent as the soap.
Uniforms Sent from Germany
“Other Rank” prisoners of war in this country are issued with British battledress ornamented with the large coloured patches that are noticeable on Italian prisoners working on the land. The prisoners may, however, if they choose, wear their own uniforms, and most German prisoners of war prefer to do this. Large bales of uniforms sent over through the German Red Cross come to the International Red Cross stores for sorting and issue. Boots are not sent, but the quality of the uniforms is high, and a good proportion of either wool or a good imitation is used in the cloth.
Serious Book Preferred
German prisoners are supplied with books largely through the World Alliance of the Y.M.C.A., but many volumes, particularly textbooks of various kinds, are sent from Germany. Almost all the books are serious study books on science, mathematics, law and languages, etc., and little provision is made for recreational reading.
Recreational gear such as musical instruments and sports equipment occasionally comes from Germany. For the most part, however, the Germans rely on gifts from the Y.M.C.A.
Parcels from Italy
Until quite recently very little was sent to Italian prisoners in this country by the Italian Red Cross, although the next of kin of a small proportion of the men sent occasional parcels.
Within the last few weeks, however, a few food parcels have arrived from the Italian Red Cross after being re-directed from South Africa by the International Red Cross at Geneva. These parcels appear to be standardised but individually addressed. Each is of about the same weight as a British Red Cross food parcel and contains two tins of preserved meat (about 8 oz. each,) two packets of potato flour semolina (about 4 oz. each), a slab of solid jam (about 1 Ib.), and a tin of condensed milk, two tablets of poor quality soap, and a hundred Macedonian cigarettes. There is also a packet of stomach powders.
What Italian Next of Kin Send
Next of kin parcels from Italy vary greatly in size, and they are obviously packed by the senders. All are stitched up in some kind of fabric. The contents are often rather pathetic – home-made cakes and biscuits, so stale after their journey that they are as hard as stone; little twists of sewing cotton, half-used tablets of soap, and a curious-looking sweet something like a popcorn.
Packets of ten cigarettes of Macedonian tobacco labelled “2.20 lire” are often sent.
In the ordinary way these Italian next of kin parcels go direct to the camps, but when the package is damaged or the
(Continued overleaf)
[page break]
12 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
HOW THEY HELP THE FUNDS
VERNA DENNIS and Lorna Rudd are twelve years old and eleven years old respectively. Verna has a brother and Lorna an uncle, both P.O.W.s in Italy – and what, thought the girls, could they do about it? We know their answer to that question now, and we are very glad and grateful to know it, for they held a sale in Bishop Auckland, where they live, and have raised fifteen guineas. On behalf of your brother and uncle and all their comrades – thank you, Verna and Lorna, very much indeed.
A Jumble Sale
Other enterprising young people have been: Valerie Wright. Of Rickmansworth, who arranged a jumble sale and raised £4 1s.; Patricia Aitken and Elizabeth Lovett (aged 12 and 11), who gave concerts to their friends and raised £1 10s.; Jane Mitchell (aged 12), of Blackheath. Birmingham, who has also collected £1 10s from the proceeds of a concert; Thelma Bowen (aged 13) and her friends at East Southsea, who in the same way raised £1 6s 6d.; Bryan Bird-eye (aged 12), of Kelvedon, who has earned 14s. for the Fund by painting fireplace decorations; the pupils of St. Margaret’s Kindergarten Sunday School, also of East Southsea, who contributed 4s.; and three little girls of Sutton-at-Home, Dartford – Olive Gunner, and Jean and Ivy Capon – who gave a party and raised 3s. The children of Perth whose fathers are P.O.W.s met at a happy tea-time gathering and presented £5 to the Fund.
Mr. F. G. Cornish, who raised £25 for the Fund with his poem “Calais,” has written another poem entitled “A Prayer.” Copies can be obtained from Mr Cornish at 30, Dacre Road, Upton Manor, E.13. for 5 1/2d. post free – all proceeds to the Fund.
By house-to-house collecting in her own immediate neighbourhood, Mrs. Collins, of Longford. Coventry has raised £58 16s 8d. during the last sixteen months. By selling garden produce Mrs. Startin, of Brimpton, Reading, has realised (for the second time) 3 guineas. By saving halfpennies or threepenny bits Miss White and Mrs. Laidler, of Morpeth, have collected £1 10s.; Mrs. Selby and her family, of Stratford, and Mrs. Bull, of Fratton, 10s. each.
Model Airplanes
By making model airplanes and selling them, Mr Deering, of Staplehurst, Kent, £8 17s. 6d.; and Mrs. Sweet. £5. By running whist-drives, dances, etc., Mrs. Thomas, of Fleetwood. Lancs (“in thanksgiving for a postcard from my husband, now a prisoner in Japanese hands”), £15 10s.; the Women’s Co-operative Guild of Topsham, Exeter, £10 8s. By selling a parcel contributed by the staff of South Brent Co-operative Society, Devon. £6 10s.
Other Helpers
We are grateful, too, to report that Mrs. Walker, of Mirfield, Yorkshire, has given £5; Miss Winifred Ford of Bramhall, Cheshire. 1 guinea; Mr. Islwyn James, of Morriston, Swansea, half a guinea ; Mrs Hogg, of Loanhead, Midlothian, Mrs. Barbour, of Tingley, Wakefield, Mrs. Nichols, of West Bilney, King’s Lynn. Mr. George Allsworth, of Harrow, and Miss Joan Hughes, of Taly-bont. Bangor (“to help towards a parcel for Daddy”), all 10s.; and Mrs. Thorneycroft, of Birmingham, 5s.
The Haslemere and Shottermill N.F.S. have nobly sent us £8 for the second time in two months.
“Could you let me have a collecting box and posters? “asks Mr. Yardy, of Streatham, on behalf of his Rover Scouts. “Two of the troop are prisoners in Italy and we want to help.”
The magnificent sum of £90 has been the result of a Sale of Work and Concert held in aid of the Red Cross by the little village of North Weald. £73 of this is due to the work of a few woman who made dolls and other toys in their spare moments.
WHAT GERMANS PUT IN THEIR PARCELS
address is not clear they are looked after by the staff of the International Red Cross delegation until the addressee has been located.
Special Books for Farmers
Most Italian prisoners in this country are peasants in uniform, whose normal life centres entirely on the land. This fact is, of course, well recognised by the Italian Red Cross, and it is shown very interestingly by the type of books sent from Italy to the camps.
A few Italian translations of popular American novels are included, and certain school textbooks, but the outstanding item is a set of seventy-three illustrated booklets, well printed in colour and produced by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. They deal with every conceivable type of job likely to be performed by an Italian farmer or gardener, and a complete set is sent to every camp.
Several volumes, seen at random, dealt with maize-growing, lavender culture, mushrooms, silage, bees, tomatoes, chicken-sexing, and animal parasites. The books are written in simple language, aided by many diagrams.
Gifts to Both Sides
Parcels from Germany and Italy make up the main part of incoming supplies for enemy prisoners over here, but a certain amount also arrives from other sources.
South American Red Cross Societies send consignments, for instance, for Italian prisoners, while the Hungarian Red Cross Society sent here not only a large case of tapioca for German and Italian prisoners, but an identical case to Geneva for British prisoners in Germany and Italy.
Work of the International Red Cross
All the organisation work involved in this distribution is carried out by the International Red Cross in Geneva and through their delegations in the belligerent countries.
In Great Britain the delegation also takes an important part in welfare work for these enemy soldiers who are finished with the war. The delegates, together with representatives of the War Office, the Y.M.C.S., and the Society of Friends, form a special welfare committee that meets regularly.
Recently it purchased a printing press that has been installed in an Italian prison camp convalescent hospital so that permanently disabled prisoners can produce much-needed educational books for their fellow prisoners. The committee has also provided seeds and instigated a camp gardening competition.
Reciprocal Humanity
The work of the International Red Cross Committee’s delegation in Great Britain has its counterpart in the unending watch over the interests of our men kept by the International Red Cross delegates in Germany and Italy.
This bright streak of humanity in the midst of the gloom of war has sometimes another and even more impressive power for good. There have been occasions when some concessions, made at the suggestion of the Red Cross delegate by the Government of one country to ease the lot of the prisoners in its hands, has had a direct effect on the welfare of prisoners held by the opposing nation.
For Wounded and Sick
For example, wounded and sick prisoners in this country were allowed to receive occupational therapy materials from the International Red Cross, and this was followed by permission from the German authorities for similar materials to be sent to camp hospitals by the British Red Cross. Similarly, when the delegate in his camp report was able to describe the good conditions of the civilian internee camps in the Isle of Man, the Germans reciprocated by moving British women from the notoriously bad camp at Besancon to more comfortable accommodation at Vittel.
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October, 1943 The Prisoner of War 13
NEWS FROM THE FAR EAST
Official Reports on Camps in Japan
CAMPS IN OSAKA AND FUKUOKA GROUPS
VISITS were paid to prisoner of war camps in Japan in April, 1943. The following features are common to all the camps.
Buildings are usually of wood or a combination of wood and plaster. The food is described as quite satisfactory, considering the present conditions in Japan (where strict rationing appears to be in force), but nevertheless, insufficient in quantity. It consists mainly of rice, barley, vegetables and bread, with meat and fish from time to time. Butter fats, eggs and jam cannot be obtained. There is an issue of six cigarettes a day. Canteens have been organised, but are short of stocks; such goods as are available are sold at cost price.
There is certain shortage of clothing and underwear; it appears that the amount issued has been insufficient.
Bathing and hygienic arrangements are very satisfactory. The prisoners of war use large baths of the Japanese type.
Medical care is well organised. There are infirmaries for light cases, and graver cases can be sent to hospital. There are weekly medical inspections. Dental treatment is given by civilians.
All other rank prisoners who are fit work for an average of nine hours a day. There are three rest days in each month. The work does not conflict with the provisions of the 1929 Convention. The working pay varies according to each prisoner’s capacity, between 10 and 35 sen per day. Officers are paid at the same rate as Japanese officers of equivalent rank. But only a limited amount of the pay may be retained by prisoners of war; the rest is credited to their bank accounts.
The length of the working day (which was the subject of complaints) leaves little opportunity for the use of the sports grounds which have been provided. The prisoners have some books and gramophones, and the Y.M.C.A. is obtaining more books for them.
No severe disciplinary punishments have been imposed, and no judicial prosecutions have been instituted. Two roll-calls are held daily.
Some Red Cross relief has been received in all the camps.
Brief reports on visits to individual camps convey the following information:
OSAKA GROUP
Osaka Docks (Principal Camp) – Strength was 850 Americans, British and other races. The British are from Hong Kong. The site is not very pleasant and does not get enough sun.
Sakurajima. – The strength is 197, all British from Hong Kong, including 27 civilians formerly employed in the naval dockyard. The site of the camp is a suburb of Osaka, is sunny and healthy, but the men are overcrowded.
Amagasaki. – The strength is 192, all British from Hong Kong. They are overcrowded. The site is a pleasant and healthy one, in a suburb of Osaka, near the sea.
Harima. – The strength is 399; there are only five British prisoners; the remainder are Dutch. It is situated on a promontory overlooking the inland sea in a healthy and pleasant position.
Kawasaki Park. – Three camps in Japan bear the name of Kawasaki. Two of these are in the Tokyo group. They are American camps, and reports on them have not been received in this country. Kawasaki Park is in the Osaka Group and is mainly a Dutch camp, with some Australians and five British out of a total strength of 382. The prisoners are accommodated in roomy new wooden huts on a hill in a park near Kobe.
Kobe (business quarter). – Contains 371 British and 46 Americans from Hong Kong and the Philippines. Situated near a sports ground, the brick buildings are said to be comfortable.
FUKUOKA GROUP
Omine. – It appears that the large figure given as the strength of this camp in a previous report may have been erroneous.
The strength at the April visit was only 189, of whom eight were officers. They are all British from Java. They are all British from Java. They are comfortably housed in two-storeyed wooden buildings on a sunny and healthy hillside. The rooms are electrically heated. Here the food is considered to be sufficient; fresh fruit is included in the rations. The canteens are better stocked than in other camps.
The camp included a Dutch doctor, a priest and three medical orderlies. A prayer is said daily and a sermon is preached once a week.
[photograph]
Changi Camp, Singapore
Ube. – 153 British from Java are comfortably housed in one-storeyed huts. The officers, of whom there are 16, conduct short services. Food is said to be just sufficient.
Higashimisome. – 165 British from Java are in spacious wooden huts in pleasant district on the coast of the inland sea. A chaplain conducts daily prayers and preaches a weekly sermon. There have been two cinema shows.
Ohama. – 151 British from Java. The site is on the shores of the inland sea, and is sunny and healthy. The food is just sufficient and includes fresh fruit. There are four medical orderlies in the camp.
Motoyama. – 160 British from Java. Conditions are similar to Ohama. Electric heating is installed.
Mukojima. – Contains 179 British from Java. There is a Dutch doctor and a priest, who conducts a daily service and preaches on Sundays.
TYPING SERVICE
IN view of the new ruling made by the Japanese whereby letters in ordinary handwriting are no longer acceptable, attention is once again drawn to the facilities that we are able to offer for the typing of letters, without charge, by professional typists. Those wishing to avail themselves of the scheme are asked to follow these instructions:
1. Write your letter on an ordinary sheet of notepaper.
2. Write, on a separate sheet of paper, FULL particulars of the name and address of the prisoner and of your own name and address.
3. Place both in an envelope, together with a plain sheet of notepaper and an envelope. (This plain paper and envelope will be used for the typing of the letter to the prisoner.) Put nothing else in the envelope.
4. Put the letters “T.S.” in the top left-hand corner of the outside envelope, which must also bear a 2 1/2d. Stamp. Seal it and address it to:
FAR EAST SECTION.
9. PARK PLACE. S.W.1.
Next of kin may, if they prefer, hand their letters to their local Red Cross Office. No acknowledgments will be sent.
No responsibility can be accepted either by the Red Cross and St. John or by the staff of volunteers in any matter relating to this service. Every step has been taken to ensure careful handling and the correct despatch of letters, and all letters will be treated in the strictest confidence.
When typed, letters will not be returned to the writers, but will be despatched to the Far East.
[page break]
14 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
RELIEF TO FAR EAST P.O.W.s
NEGOTIATIONS for exchanges of a limited number of civilians are at present proceeding between the Japanese Government on the one hand, and on the other the Governments of the British Empire and the United States of America.
It is hope that in the near future an exchange of Japanese from the American Continent with a number of civilians returning to that Continent will take place at Marmagoa, in Portuguese India.
If negotiations between the Government of the United Kingdom and the other Dominions on the one hand and Japan on the other can be brought to a successful conclusion, a further exchange may take place at the same port later.
With the approval of the Governments concerned, national Allied Red Cross Societies, as on the occasion of the previous exchange in the autumn of last year, are availing themselves of the opportunity to send relief supplies for all prisoners of war and interned civilians in Japanese hands to whom access is possible by these means.
Supplies on Exchange Ships
The Japanese exchange ships will convey supplies for British and Allied prisoners of war and interned civilians in the Far East, and the Allied exchange ships will convey any supplies for Japanese prisoners of war and interned civilians in Allied hands, thus giving effect to the Red Cross principle of reciprocity.
While the space available for relief supplies on the Japanese exchange ships cannot be definitely stated until their arrival at the exchange port, the War Organisation, in consultation with the Australian, South African, and Indian Red Cross Societies, has arranged for the transport to Marmagoa of supplies of essential medicines and vital foods.
A Regular Service
Exchange ships, of course will never be able to provide adequately even for the minimum needs of the prisoners, though where the need is so great, as in the case of prisoners in the Far East, no means of help is without great value. The ideal at which the War Organisation has been constantly aiming is a regular service such as has been established for prisoners in Europe. While efforts to secure a regular service continue, every alternative means of supply that can be put into practice has been developed.
Local Purchases by Delegates
The International Red Cross Committee, through its authorised delegates in Japan, Shanghai and Hong Kong, has given all assistance in its power by local purchase to meet the essential needs of prisoners of war and civilian internees in these places.
Though the Japanese have refused to recognise the delegates of the International Red Cross Committee elsewhere, a local representative in Singapore has been able to do a good deal by way of local purchase in that neighbourhood, and the International Red Cross Committee is seeking, not without some success, to bring relief by the same means in other areas.
The War Organisation has been asked to co-ordinate this form of relief and in association with the Empire Red Cross Societies, has accepted the liability for considerable sums of money which have been expended locally in this way through the International Red Cross Committee. Liabilities met and already contracted for to the end of 1943 amount to approximately £175,000. If difficulties not yet fully surmounted can be overcome, expenditure on such local purchases will be increased.
Co-operation with Other Red Cross Societies
In all these efforts to establish channels for the shipment of supplies on a continuing basis to prisoners of war in the Far East, the War Organisation keep close touch with the American Red Cross, which correspondingly takes advantage of American and Canadian-Japanese exchanges to send medicines and other relief supplies to American prisoners of war and civilian internees in the Far East.
The co-operation of the Canadian Red Cross, as one of the great Empire Red Cross Societies, with the War Organisation has, of course, been constant throughout.
In forming a correct appreciation of the nature of the whole problem it is important always to bear in mind amongst other thing, two significant facts-
(i) that the majority of our prisoners are in places south-west of the Hong Kong-Manila line;
(ii) that the distance from Japan to this area is 3,000 miles;
While finally all plans for the relief of prisoners are dependent on recognition by the Japanese Government of its responsibility for the delivery of supplies.
ROUTE OF LETTERS
THE following information has been supplied by the Post Office:-
“As the normal postal services to and from Japan and Japanese-occupied territories are, of course, suspended, it was necessary to arrange for a neutral postal administration to reforward correspondence to and from prisoners of war in the Far East.
“The Russian Post Office undertook to do this, and since July last year such correspondence has been despatched from this country in mails are addressed to U.S.S.R.; these mails are at present routed via Persia.
“An assurance has been given by the Soviet Postal Authorities that correspondence received for prisoners of war in Japan and Japanese-occupied territories is reforwarded to Japan without delay. It must , however, be realised that owing to the great distances and transport difficulties involved letters invariably take some months to reach Japan.
“Most of the correspondence so far received in this country from prisoners of war in the Far East has come through Russia to Switzerland and Portugal, and in order to reduce the time of transmission as much as possible the G.P.O. has arranged for it to be bought here by air from Lisbon.”
TRANSFERS OF P.O.W.s
MANY relatives have been perturbed recently regarding reported large scale transference of prisoners from Malaya and Borneo to Japan. They are earnestly asked to disregard such reports unless officially announced.
Next of kin can rest assured that immediately any such transfers occur and the names of the prisoners moved are advised by the Japanese, they will be personally informed of all details.
A MEETING IN LONDON
A MEETING of next of kin resident in London, of prisoners of war and civilian internees in the Far East will be held at the Central Hall, Westminster, S.W.1. on October 9th at 3 p.m. The Countess of Limerick, deputy chairman of the Executive Committee of the Joint War Organisation will be in the chair. All tickets have now been issued and no further applications can be made.
THE NEW MAIL REGULATIONS
THE Postmaster-General learns that the Japanese authorities require that letters and postcards to prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japan and Japanese-occupied territories shall in future be limited to 25 words and shall be either typewritten or written clearly in block-lettering.
Letters and postcards from now on which do not comply may not be delivered by the Japanese authorities, who claim that the restrictions are necessary to simplify the work of their censorship so that the correspondence can be speeded up.
The Postmaster-General stresses the necessity for correctly and fully addressing all correspondence for prisoners of war and civilian internees in the Far East in accordance with the directions given in the Post Office leaflet P.2327 B., which still holds good in all respects except in regard to the new Japanese requirements referred to above.
Copies of this leaflet can be obtained free of charge at all the principal post offices.
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October , 1943 The Prisoner of War 15
LETTERS FROM JAPAN
Names Sent Home
Tokyo Prisoners’ Camp 10.3.43.
I HOPE that you have had news of my being safe before you receive this as we have been told that our names have been sent home. Do not worry over me.
Given Warm Clothes
Shinagawa Camp, Tokyo. 12.3.43.
AM doing well. Winter quite cold, but was given warm clothes. Get daily papers in English. Received Red Cross parcel Christmas Day.
Working for Pay
Camp H/Chosen, Korea. 27.1.43.
IT is a bit cold here after being in the tropics for eight years; still, I suppose I shall get used to it. We are doing a bit of work here and get paid for it, which allows us to buy cigarettes and apples. The Japanese allowed us to hold Christmas and a concert, which was all right.
Never Made to be a Farmer
Shanghai Prisoners Camp. 1.1.43.
AT present we are very busy turning up the ground to make a vegetable garden, but please do not think I shall want to do that kind of work when I get home, because I really have found out that I was never made to be a farmer.
Good Laughs
Jinsen Camp, Chosen. 27.1.43.
WE are being well treated. The weather is very cold, especially after Singapore. We have been issued with warm clothing. We go out to work every day except Sundays, and are paid a small wage. We are issued with cigarettes every month, for which we are very thankful. When we are in at night our conversation is usually about home. We have some good laughs about what we shall do when we get back.
A Severe Winter
Hakodale. 1.3.43.
I’M pleased to say that I’m quite well, having come through a severe winter without being sick. My thoughts are always with you and I pray we will be reunited soon.
In Excellent Sprits
Changi Camp. 21.6.42.
. . . TIME passes quickly. I’m busy learning Chinese and how to play the piano-accordian and sing in Van Hien’s concert choir. . . . We are in excellent spirits, but am not seeking employment as Dhobi, house servant, or button sewer after this.
[photo]
Reproduced by courtesy of “Vogue”
Thick Socks
For his next parcel. They are made in 3-ply.
[knitting instructions]
MAP CORRECTIONS
Please note the following corrections on the map included in last month’s issue.
Campo P.G.103: P.M. number given as 3100 should be P.M. 3200.
Campo P.G.115: P.M. number given as 3200 should be P.M. 3300.
Campo P.G. 120; P.M number given as 3300 should be P.M. 3200.
[page break]
16 The Prisoner of War October, 1943
MORE CHOCOLATE FOR P.O.W.’s.
THE Ministry of Food has sanctioned the increase of 1/2 Ib. in the amount of chocolate which may be purchased from the Red Cross Next of Kin Packing Centres at Finsbury Circus and Glasgow for inclusion in next-of-kin parcels sent to prisoners of war and civilian internees.
The maximum amount which may now be bought from the Red Cross is, therefore, 2 Ib.
It should be noted that this does not affect the arrangement whereby the Red Cross will add 1/2 Ib. of chocolate as a gift to every parcel if weight allows; nor to the amount which the next of kin may, themselves, include.
The price of the chocolate remains the same as before, i.e., 9d. per 1/2 Ib.
Next of kin are reminded that allowance should be made for the full weight of chocolate and soap to be added at the packing centres.
[missing words] to [missing words] to the [missing words] , 14, Fins- [missing words] with a note of ex- [missing words] later they wish to send another parcel a fresh issue will be made to them on receipt of an application in writing.
The reason for this request is that it is difficult to account to the Board of Trade for all the coupons issued each quarter if some of them are retained by next of kin for a longer time.
GREETING CARDS
It has been announced by the Censorship that no Christmas Cards, New Year Cards or calendars may be sent this year to prisoners of war and civilian internees in German and Italian hands.
The reason is that their despatch last year caused great congestion in the camp censorships, with the result that the delivery of ordinary letters to prisoners was very much delayed. This caused disappointment and anxiety, and it was suggested by a number of camp captains that cards and calendars should not be sent this year.
NUMBER, PLEASE!
PLEASE be sure to mention your Red Cross reference number whenever you write to us. Otherwise delay and trouble are caused in finding previous correspondence.
Any Questions?
Mosquito Nets for Far East P.O.W.s
[italics] Do the Japanese provide mosquito nets for our men in the Malayan climate? If not, cannot the Red Cross get the Swiss authorities to do something about it? Having lived out there many years, I tremble to think what will happen to our men if they do not sleep under mosquito nets of in mosquito-proof houses. [/italics]
We are informed that in Formosa the Japanese are providing mosquito nets where necessary; this information being furnished by a delegate of the International Red Cross who has inspected the camp. These delegates have been refused permission to visit the camps in Malaya, but the Japanese authorities have stated that nets are provided where necessary for the welfare of prisoners.
Card Prohibited
[italics] May I send a pack of cards in my clothing parcel? [/italics]
No. Please see the list of prohibited articles issue every quarter with the next-of-kin parcel label.
Football Boots
[italics] May I send football boots in my parcel? [/italics]
Yes. These may be sent in next-of-kin parcels.
No Puzzles for P.O.W.s
[italics] May I send a book of cross-word puzzles to Germany? [/italics]
Cross-word puzzles may not be sent to prisoners of war.
Sleeping Bag Allowed
[italics] May I send a sleeping bag in my parcel to my husband, a P.O.W. in Germany? [/italics]
An ordinary blanket sleeping bag – not the padded variety – may be sent in next-of-kin parcels. This is clearly stated in the instruction leaflet.
For Artist P.O.W.
[italics] My son is an artist; may I send him water-colour paints, brushes and a block of painting paper? [/italics]
Water-colour paints in pans, not in tubes, and brushes may be sent in next-of-kin parcels. Sketching blocks or drawing books may be sent through permit holders. If any difficulty is experienced in having these despatched, you should write to the Indoor Recreations Section of the Prisoners of War Dept. giving full details.
Nut Chocolate
[italics] May I send nut chocolate (very hard)? [/italics]
No form of chocolate other than that made in solid slabs without filling of any kind may be sent in next-of-kin parcels. This is made clear in all the instruction leaflets. Nut chocolate particularly is most unsuitable as the nuts develop maggots very quickly.
He Wants Cooking Recipes
[italics] My husband wants some cooking recipes. May I send them in a letter? May I order a cookery book from the stationers? [/italics]
There should be no objection to the despatch of a cookery book by a permit holder, but the permit holder should be able to give information on this point. We do not think there would be any objection to the copying of a recipe in a letter, but the only way in which to find out would be to try it and see if the letter gets through.
Maps Prohibited
[italics] My husband would like a map of Europe. May I send him the one issued by the “Daily Telegraph” through the stationers? [/italics]
No prisoner of war would be allowed to receive a map of Europe.
Far Eastern Mail
[italics] A postcard received from my husband merely says he is alive, unwounded and well, although there is space for more. Do the Japanese limit the number of words they may write? Also why are the letters undated? [/italics]
Postcards that have been received are, in many cases, printed with various sentence to be utilised by the prisoners. In some camps such printed postcards are not available, and typed copies are made for the use of P.O.W.s. Such cards are in the nature of capture cards. We can assume that, in future, the prisoners will be allowed to write fuller details. Already we have received considerable correspondence from a number of camps in which the prisoners have written up to 150 or 200 words. We do not know why some of the cards are undated; in most cases dates are shown.
FREE TO NEXT OF KIN
THIS journal is sent free of charge to those registered with the Prisoners of War Dept. as next of kin. In view of the paper shortage no copies are for sale, and it is hoped that next of kin will share their copy with relatives and others interested.
Printed in Great Britain for the Publishers, THE RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN WAR ORGANISATION, 14 Grosvenor Crescent, London, S.W.1, by THE CORNWALL PRESS LTD., Paris Garden, Stamford Street, London, S.E.1.
Dublin Core
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The prisoner of war, Vol 2; No. 18; October 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Includes: editorial matters; art in camp; official reports from the camps; group photographs from the camps; the letters they write home; [two pages missing]; how they help the funds (fundraising at home); what Germans put in their parcels; news from the far east; relief to far east POWs; letters from Japan; knitting pattern for thick socks (page torn); more chocolate for POWs; any questions? Includes photographs throughout.
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IBCC Digital Archive
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1943-10
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Fourteen page printed document (two pages missing from original sixteen)
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eng
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Text
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MWhiteheadT1502391-180307-13
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Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation
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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.
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Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
British Army
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1943-10
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Poland
Poland--Żagań
Poland--Łambinowice
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Tricia Marshall
Georgie Donaldson
entertainment
prisoner of war
sport
Stalag 8B
Stalag Luft 3
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1259/17142/MWhiteheadT1502391-180307-15.2.pdf
5310745f2da5091311f936ec6564b4c5
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Title
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Whitehead, Tom
T Whitehead
Description
An account of the resource
31 items and an album sub collection. Collection concerns Warrant Officer Tom Whitehead (b. 1923) who served as a rear gunner with 428 Squadron operating from RAF Dalton in Yorkshire. He was shot down over Duisburg and became a prisoner of war. Collection includes his prisoner of war logbook, official correspondence to his mother, official documentation, letters from the Caterpillar Club, German prisoner of war propaganda, 14 editions of the Red Cross prisoner of war newspaper and photographs of Royal Air Force personnel including himself.
Album in sub collection consists of 47 pages of prisoner of war related photographs.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Pamela Hyslop and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2018-03-07
Rights
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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
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Whitehead, T
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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THE Prisoner of War
[Red Cross and St John Logo’s]
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE PRISONERS OF WAR DEPARTMENT OF THE RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN WAR ORGANISATION, ST. JAMES’S PALACE, LONDON. S.W.I
Vol. 2. No. 16 Free to Next of Kin August, 1943
The Editor Writes –
“WHAT will he be like when he gets back?” The family of every prisoner of war is always, naturally enough, wondering about the answer to that question. Will he still have the same interests? Will the same little things amuse or irritate him? Well, we [italics] shall [/italics] find him changed – that I think is certain; but changed in rather the same way, perhaps, as we at home ought to be, after the bombing and rationing in not taking peace and plenty quite so much for granted as we did before.
What Life Really Is
A prisoner in Stalag XVIIIA gives us a clue when, writing of the time before his Red Cross parcels began to arrive, “In those days,” he says, “ I often used to think of the things I have refused at home. Believe it or not, but this life has really shown me what life really is. Do you remember the old saying, ‘You don’t know you’re born yet’? Well, I didn’t before I was taken prisoner.” It’s an opinion held also by a Sergeant in Campo P.G. 65, who tells his wife that she will “find my sense of value has changed considerably when I come home. In fact, I think I will be much more tolerant and not quite so critical. . . .”
The Journal Overseas
Next of kin are a far-flung family, and [italics] The Prisoner of War [/italics] goes out to them in many parts of the world. Sending it, we are thankful to know how sure nowadays are the chances of its safe receipt. For instance, I have just had a letter from a lady in the British West Indies who has received every issue of the magazine to date (May) with only one exception. “I think it is a wonderful tribute,” she says, “ to the men of the Merchant Navy and their exceedingly efficient guard – our Navy – that they reach me in far-off Dominica.”
The Proof of the Parcel
Talking of long journeys reminds me of the story of a standard food parcel that was returned to this county recently. As one of a consignment of parcels sent out weekly from the North Row Packing Centre on behalf of Allied Red Cross Societies, this had originally been addressed to an Allied prisoner in Germany who could not, however, be traced. After months of travelling it was sent back by the Germans to England, via Geneva. It
[photograph]
Returning to the farm – a member of Stalag XXB.
had been away a little over a year.
Reports on the condition of its contents read very reassuringly.
All Fit to Eat
The British Food Manufacturers’ Research Association, after examining the margarine, cheese, bacon, tins of meat, condensed milk, as well as carrots and oatmeal, pronounced all the products as fit for consumption. The only article affected in any way was the cheese, which with a slightly bitter flavour“ would be objected to by some people and not by others.” The tins of damson jam and marmalade, analysed by a different laboratory, were found also to be in excellent condition.
Delegate’s Travels
Dr. Hans de Salis has been travelling continuously, too, during the last six months, but to much more useful purpose. As the International Red Cross delegate to Italy, he has visited sixty prisoner-of-war and civilian internment camps. In the course of a special 12,600-mile tour by road and rail he held 220 interviews with Italian authorities, wrote them 350 official notes, and sent 700 letters to his own committee in Geneva.
All this, of course, was in addition to his usual large correspondence with British and American camps leaders, prisoners and internees.
Daylight Saving
“Camp time,” writes a P.O.W. (Sub-Lieut., R.N.V.R.) from Stalag Luft III, “is one hour ahead of German time, and since this is purely our own arrangement it means that we are ahead
[page break]
2 The Prisoner of War August, 1943
of everything; it gives us fewer hours of artificial light and also we can have breakfast in bed every morning before the first check parade.” He goes on to describe how the prisoners take it in turn to get up and bring the breakfast to the others lying in bed – “ quite like an hotel.”
From the Argentine
Two brothers from the Argentine joined the R.A.F. Both crashed and were taken prisoner, one in December, 1941, and the other in April, 1942. They met in Stalag Luft III and have shared a room ever since. In a letter thanking me for the Journal, their father tells me of the difficulties of communication between himself in the Argentine and his two boys. All his letters have to go via England, and no personal parcels can be sent from the Argentine. Fortunately, the brothers have relations in England, who look after the parcel problem. On the other hand, the prisoners are able to communicate direct with their parents by air, via Lisbon.
Washing Day Sympathy
There are quite a number of men-prisoners in Germany and Italy-who now understand something of that woman’s bugbear “ Washing Day.” A P.O.W. in Stalag XXB has written home to his wife explaining what an experienced “washerwoman” he has become, but says he never realised before what a “heart-breaking and back-breaking job” the wash could be. He is also fast learning the art of mending.
“Real Life Savers”
News from fresh arrivals cheers prisoners in Italian prison camps. They feel that the end is coming nearer and their letters home bear this out. Writing to his parents, a lance-corporal in Campo P.G.65 says that P.O.W.s are “on top-toes awaiting the knock-out blow.” He speaks in glowing terms of the Red Cross, which is, in his opinion, “entitled to all conceivable praise, real life-savers in the very essence of the word.”
P.O.W.’s Patron Saint
Our notice in the June Journal of the services arranged by the Rev. R. H. S. Gobbett, rector of St. Leonard’s Church, Wallingford, bought him a number letters from next of kin asking that their prisoners should be remembered by name in the intercession at the altar. So great was the response that the rector has sent a printed letter in reply, adding the following dates for prayers for the P.O.W.:
August II: Wednesday, 9.30 a.m.; August 31: Tuesday; 7.15 a.m.; September 11: Saturday, 8 a.m.
In a Factory Canteen
A P.O.W. who is a member of a working party attached to Stalag XVIIIA gives an interesting comment on messing arrangements. These prisoners work in a paper factory and share the canteen with German civilians. It is a few minutes’ walk from the factory and is a modern building. German civilians sit one side of the room and the prisoners the other. Both “dish up” from the same place. The P.O.W. says that the food is cleaner and better than provided in his previous working party.
Marlag und Milag
A hut captain in Marlag und Milag has sent home a revealing account of his daily routine. “Up at half-past six, then muster and count at seven (also at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.), after that a spot of breakfast, clean out the room and shine things up a bit. Potter about the garden.” Next, he undertakes his own special duties, distributing the mail, circulating parcel lists, sending boots for repairs – any number of odd jobs, all important to the life of the camp. Lunch – soup – is at noon, after which P.O.W.s “bung a medicine ball around,” or take a nap, according to their tastes. This hut captain is making a practice cricket pitch which is “a darned sight harder than making a crazy pavement in a backyard.”
Italians Were Pro-British
A P.O.W. who has been repatriated from Italy, where he was in Campo P.G.85, has given some account of conditions in the camp. He says “the Italians were very pro-British and treated us well.” He gives the time that letters take to reach P.O.W.s from England – rather a wide margin – three weeks to two months and personal parcels “even longer.” Red Cross parcels keep prisoners supplied with food, cigarettes and clothing. His letter ends on a very encouraging note: “All the boys know they won’t be P.O.W.s much longer.”
[photograph]
Some of the gardeners at Stalag XXIA.
Responsible Citizens
A P.O.W. in Campo P.G.70 writes home about the lectures he is giving to fellow P.O.W.s and the interesting debates and discussions they arouse. History is this lecturer’s main interest and the influence English history has on our political life. He says that P.O,W.s are “beginning to see meaning in the history of their own neighbourhood as well as having an idea of how and why we are governed.”
One of his students was so thrilled that he expressed a fear that the war would end before the course was finished !
Real Walks
A lieutenant in Campo P.G.49 says that there is an improvement there in the way of exercise. “Walks have started,” he writes, “and promised to be excellent – real walks instead of the gentle ambles we have had in the past. This morning, for instance, we started out at 8.30 and got back about 11.30, using a good swinging stride.” This P.O.W. says that “there is a barber’s shop” and “quite a good but expensive laundry service,” for which local nuns are responsible.
Mrs. Churchill’s Fund
Mrs. Churchill’s Red Cross “Aid to Russia” Flag Day will take place in the London area on Tuesday, August 24th, and in the countries on any day found suitable. The help of next of kin as sellers will greatly appreciated, and those able to spare a few hours should get in touch with their local Red Cross and St. John office, or, if residents in the County of London, should apply to 43. Belgrave Square. S.W.I (Tel.: Sloane 9151).
One Letter a Week
I have been asked by several wives and mothers of prisoners whether there is a regulation restricting prisoners from receiving more than one letter a week from their relatives. The answer is that there is no such regulation, but the authorities are very anxious in the interests of all prisoners that relatives should ration themselves in regard to letters. It is obvious that as every letter has to be read by censors in the prison camps, the more letters that arrive the greater delay there will be in their reaching the prisoners. And if every wife and mother were to write one or more letters every week the congestions would be very serious.
The ideal arrangement, therefore, would be for the wife and mother of a prisoner to agree between themselves to write in different weeks. This is just plain common sense.
[page break]
August, 1943 The Prisoner of War 3
[drawings]
MUSIC round the CAMPS
[italics] How the Red Cross Helps to Supply the Musical Needs of Our Men [/italics]
TO most of us entertainment means music in some form or another, whether we like to dance to it, sing to it, or just sit quietly and listen to it. In prison camps, especially, music is one of the greatest forms of relaxation.
It is the work of the Indoor Recreations Department, which also sends out books and games, to supply the musical needs of our men. The department keeps all the camps regularly supplied with packages of music of all kinds, as well as large numbers of portable musical instruments.
Mixed bags of music in bulk to suit all tastes are sent periodically to all the camp leaders. A typical package contains, for example, albums of tenor and baritone songs, operettas, vocal and piano pieces, an operatic album, popular song and dance numbers, arrangements for small orchestras of musical compositions by well-known composers, a popular classical work for full orchestra, and scores for small orchestras.
Those Mouth Organs
Many individual requests are received, and these are complied with as far as possible. A great number of men are learning to play and instrument and to take an absorbed interest in music for the first time. There are many applications for easily learned instructions, such as the ukulele, and there is an astonishing demand for mouth organs! Unfortunately, the latter were almost exclusively manufactured in Germany, which makes these last requests rather difficult to fulfil. But not long ago a ship captured from the Germans was found to be carrying a cargo of mouth organs, which the Red Cross were able to buy very cheaply and send back to Germany to our men in the camps!
Other very popular instruments are the piano accordion, the saxophone and clarinet, and the guitar. Scottish prisoners frequently ask for bagpipes. Instruments are purchased whenever possible, but saxophones and piano accordions are now very rare and difficult to find, as they, too, were very largely made in Germany. The Red Cross are delighted to receive donations of second-hand instruments to send out to prisoners.
Reconditioning
Thanks to the great help given by the Services Musical Instrument Fund, whose experts examine and recondition all second-hand instruments for prisoners of war, as well as crating and packing them, it has been possible to build up whole orchestras to send out, besides granting many individual requests.
The Red Cross has never sent gramophones to the Prisoner of War Camps in connection with their bulk supplies of musical instrument because of the comparative fragility of these instruments and the difficulty of repairs in the camps, and have concentrated on the more durable musical instruments, but do their best to fulfil any special requests, and forward instruments supplied by next of kin.
Violins are, of course, in great demand and many of the men are learning to play this instrument. When a learner sends a request for any particular instrument a tutor and a book of exercises and beginner’s pieces are sent out at the same time. Strings, reeds, etc., are also sent.
[photograph]
Stalag IVA’s dance band. The piano was bought by the prisoners.
Most of the musical scores and songs sent out are new, because the enemy will not accept second-hand music. However, in Germany second-hand music is accepted if it is entirely unmarked.
The appreciation of the P.O.W. is certain. Good use is made of the material, and enthusiastic letters reach home. A prisoner, writing from Italy and describing a recent concert, says : “It was so good that one forgot it was a P.O.W. camp.” The programme included “Invitation to the Waltz,” Beethoven’s “Pastorale,” and Mozart’s songs and “Tannhauser.” Another prisoner writes with appreciation and artistic understanding of “The Moonlight Sonata.” In one German Stalag three performances of the “Messiah” were given.
One prisoner in an Italian Camp speaks proudly of the camp’s production of “The Sleeping Beauty,” in which there were “some grand tunes composed in the camp and played by the theatre orchestra.”
British Composers
Works by British composers are especially popular. There are frequent requests for Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas and for musical comedies such as “The Dancing Years,” “The Desert Song,” and “Rose Marie.”
But every musical taste is catered for, from jazz to Beethoven, Purcell to Vaughan Williams, and it is interesting to note that the men are becoming increasingly interested in classical music and in serious modern work. One German camp has put in a request for works by Elgar and Sibelius as well as for Holst’s “Planets.”
Experience has proved that the encouragement of the performance of music not only enables the many pre-war professional musicians now prisoners to keep in touch with their profession, but provides a valuable mental stimulus and is the basis of much of the social life in the prisoners’ small world.
[page break]
4 The Prisoner of War August, 1943
OFFICIAL REPORTS FROM THE CAMPS
[inserted][italics] IN every case where the conditions call for remedy, the Protecting Power makes representations to the German or Italian authorities. Where there is any doubt whether the Protecting Power has acted, it is at once requested to do so. When it is reported that food or clothing is required, the necessary action is taken through the International Red Cross Committee. [/italics][inserted]
Germany
DULAG LUFT (OBERURSEL)
Three officers and nineteen other ranks remain as permanent staff of this R.A.F. transit camp, which is pleasantly situated on the border of a forest. Accommodation is still considered excellent. Air-raid trench shelters have been provided. Ten British prisoners of war have formed a voluntary work party and live in a small building outside the camp; they have considerable freedom. (Visited April.)
Reserve Lazaret Hohe Mark was also visited and reported to be quite satisfactory.
STALAG IVA
Reserve Lazaret Elsterhorst. – Elsterhorst has now become the centre for all T.B. cases in Germany. The entire staff and patients at Konigswartha were transferred here during March. There are nine British medical officers, 53 orderlies, and 252 British patients. Each man has three blankets, and heating was described as sufficient. Special diets are cooked on the stoves in the barracks, and a certain amount of milk is available daily.
The Senior British Officers declared this Lazaret to be a great improvement on Konigswartha, and that the air is dry and more suitable for the patients. Clothing is in bad condition generally. A British chaplain lives at the Lazaret and visits the other Lazarets in the area and the British work camps.
[photograph]
Stalag XXID
Members of a working party.
Reserve Lazaret Schmorkau. – This Lazaret is intended for medical and surgical cases; there is a small section for mental patients. It is installed in single-stored stone buildings, in part of a large private estate. The buildings are grouped round a large courtyard.
There are 25 British patients, one British Medical Officer, and one orderly. There were no real complaints, except that the issue of coal had been hardly sufficient during the winter. Sanitary installations were satisfactory. The stove in the Lazaret is to be at the disposal of the British prisoners of war for two hours every day for private cooking.
There are excellent French, Serb, and Russian doctors in the Lazaret. The Church of England Chaplain from Elsterhorst visits the Lazaret monthly. (Visited April.)
STALAG VIIA
Reserve Lazaret Freising. – There are fewer patients in Freising now that patients from Oflag VIIB are sent to a Lazaret at Neuberg. There were no complaints from Freising. It was hoped to arrange periodical visits from the British Medical Officer at Stalag VIIA from time to time. (Visited February.)
MARLAG AND MILAG NORD (WESTERTIMKE)
Marlag is the Royal Naval Camp, and all the Merchant Navy are interned in Milag.
Marlag is divided into an officers’ and other ranks’ camp.
Marlag Officers’ Camp. – There are 139 officers and 15 orderlies in this camp; accommodation is described as good. An extra shower-room is at the disposal of the whole camp, and it is now possible for each man to have one hot bath per week. Ventilation of the Latrine barrack has been improved, and the pits are now emptied regularly.
The officers have a common mess. Food parcels are combined with the German rations, a system which was said to cause general satisfaction. A sufficient number of blankets are now issued to any sick in the infirmary.
The canteen supply is described as fairly good. Recreation is well organised, and a new theatre and stage has been built. Delivery of mail has not been good during the last few months.
Marlag Other Ranks’ Camp. – This camp contains 460 ranks and ratings. A few improvements have been made. A whole barrack is now devoted to work-shops and study rooms. There is no overcrowding, and sanitary installations have been improved in the same way as in the officers’ camp. Recreation is well organised, and the men now have a good playing field. Complaints concerning mail occur from most camps in Germany at the moment.
Twenty-five prisoners of war are detained in the small camp which used to contain the “repatriable prisoners of war.” These prisoners are chained from 8 a.m-9 p.m. They have two rooms and are treated exactly as other prisoners; they receive their parcel regularly and had no complaints.
Milag – Merchant Navy Camp. – Several more barracks have been completed or repaired. A large barrack has been set aside for parcels storage. There are over 3,200 internees here, including 922 officers. Accommodation is good, but bugs appear from time to time in some of the barracks in spite of frequent fumigation. Medical and dental attention is well organised over the whole of this camp. A large new sports ground has been arranged. (All visited May.)
OFLAG IVC COLDITZ
There appears to be very little change in this camp. Lighting is still inadequate and is worse in the orderlies’ quarters than it is in the officers’ quarters. It seems that improvement is improbable, as the power station of the town is not large enough.
The same situation applies to the inadequate water supply, consequently sanitary arrangements are still at fault. There is great difficulty in procuring suppliers of crockery and cutlery. A study room has been put at the disposal of the prisoners of war. Discipline is extremely severe at this camp (Visited April.)
OFLAG VIIB EICHSTATT
The camp is situated at the foot of a hill and overlooks a valley with a chain of wooded mountains on the far side. Accommodation remains very much overcrowded. A new barrack has been completed and is in use for those officers undergoing disciplinary punishment. It was reported that the barracks are being
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August, 1943 The Prisoner of War 5
[photograph]
Red Cross parcels arriving at Stalag XXA.
cleaned one by one – a slow process.
There are 1,696 officers and 258 orderlies in the camp. All available rooms are in use as dormitories, and the only room left available for study is the canteen; this is reserved for officers who hope to sit for examinations. More electricity has been installed, though there are still two barracks lit by carbide lamps.
Eight bed boards are now allowed to each bed. No change has been made in the heating system. Pegs and shelves have been fixed in some barracks, but no extra showers. Officer are allowed three hot showers a month. There have been no changes in the toilet arrangements. There are now nine medical officers in camp; three dental surgeons work in the dental station, for which equipment has now been supplied. A number of eating utensils (plates and mugs) have been distributed. (Visited April.)
STALAG 383 HOHENFELS
There are now over 4,000 prisoners of war at this camp. It is to be enlarged, by the erection of new barracks, on what is now the sports field; this will be moved some distance away. More seating accommodation has been provided, though there is not yet enough.
Electric lighting has been improved, but repairs on huts have not been done, owing to lack of material. A second kitchen is now in use. Rubbish bins are emptied regularly. Medical attention, in the charge of three British Medical Officers, is satisfactory, but the dental surgery is still badly in need of material. A new laundry has been built and is to be out into immediate use. There are now three chaplains in the camp.
[photograph]
Oflag IVC, where a study has been put at the disposal of p.o.w.s
Italy
CAMPO P.G.5 P.M.3100
SERRAVALLE
There are 171 officers and 60 other ranks at this camp. There have been no interior changes. A small sports ground has been found in the neighbourhood of the fortress where games can be played, and groups of officer are taken on escorted walks each day.
The receipt of mail has been rather worse lately. Red Cross parcels are delivered to the kitchen, combined with the rations and served to everybody – this seems to be satisfactory arrangement. The water supply was now decribed [sic] as adequate and hot showers are available weekly.
The impression gained by the visiting delegate was that there was a distinct improvement in the general conditions of this camp. (Visited April.)
CAMPO P.G.65 P.M. 3450 GRAVINA
There were at the time of visit nearly 9,000 prisoners of war in this camp; four sections were occupied, two more were being completed. The camp is built on flat table-land at a fairly high altitude. The buildings are of stone and the whole camp is described as looking rather like a village. It is, however, disappointing on closer inspection. The ground on which the camp is built is stony and uneven, and it has been necessary to build roads through the camp to enable the prisoners of war to walk about – particularly after rain.
Each section is entirely separate and under its own administration; the rooms are described as large and airy. Electric light is hardly sufficient – there was no heating of any kind during the winter either for the prisoners of war or their Italian guards.
The men use two-tier wooden beds and have a palliasse, pillow, two blankets each. The straw is only changed occasionally and then inadequately, certainly not sufficiently, even to assist in eradicating the vermin from which the men are reported to suffer great inconvenience.
A shortage of beds in the already overcrowded dormitories causes the necessity for many men to sleep in their thin palliasses on the floor. Many of the beds which are in use badly in need of repair.
Water supply is sufficient in the sections on low ground and entirely insufficient elsewhere, water being only available for about one hour per day. Two large reservoirs are being built. The lack of water naturally affects the sanitary installations.
Each section has its own fairly well equipped, though small, kitchen, and meals are taken in relays. Wood for kitchen fires is not always available. The four infirmaries are in the charge of six British medical officers and five Italian doctors. There is one British dentist and one Italian dentist, but only equipment for one.
The Infirmaries are not very well equipped – they lack running water and hot water and heating.
There are no recreation room. A football field is being arranged, but the nature of the ground makes this difficult.
The postal section is run by British prisoners of war; mail is very slow. There are four chaplains in the camp, and services are held regularly. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.38 P.M. 3200 POPPI
It is hoped to make this camp into a Senior Officers’ camp. Accommodation consists of a large country villa situated on a hill with beautiful surrounding country.
There were at the time of visit 68 officers and 26 other ranks. The chief complaint at this camp was bad lighting. A new electric pump is to be installed. Clothing conditions are not good. Roman Catholic prisoners of war are allowed to attend Mass at neighbouring village church. (Visited February.)
CAMPO P.G.52 P.M. 3100 CHIAVARI
Chiavari remains one of the best of Italian camps. Three new agricultural
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6 The Prisoner of War August, 1943
work camps have been formed from South Africans at this camp. 170 men are attached to Camp 113, 90 to Camp Broni, which will be administered by Camp No. 5. and 50 to Camp Riverolo.
There have been no interior changes at Chiavari – except the addition of a new barrack. There were no complaints, except that dental treatment is unsatisfactory. There is too much work for the civilian dentist who visits the camp twice each week. It is hoped that the chaplain will be authorised to visit the work camps. (Visited April.)
[photograph]
New barracks are being built to accommodate another 2,000 prisoners of war at Sulmona.
CAMPO P.G.73 P.M. 3200 CARPI
(A few miles North of Rodena)
Of the 5,106 prisoners of war at this camp, 638 are dispersed in various hospitals (P.G.201, Parma, Piacenza and Carpi). It was reported that all except English prisoners of war were to be transferred from this camp. Until this occurs the camp will remain very overcrowded; a second camp of the same size is to be erected near by.
At the time of visit all the rooms were in use as dormitories, and no recreation rooms were available. Roads and open spaces in the camp has been improved, but gravel sinks into the ground, and in winter the roads are very damp. Heating was turned on during the winter. The men have two blankets each.
Workshops are being prepared for repairs to clothing and boots. There are two canteens in the camp.
The hospital at Carpi is in the care of four British doctors and one Italian and is described as excellent. It is well equipped and is heated and has running hot and cold water.
An Italian dentist is available.
Religious services are held in the open air. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.75 P.M. 3450 BARI
Bari is still a transit camp, where prisoners of war normally remain only 15-20 days, although a few have remained for several months. 139 British prisoners of war form the permanent staff.
At the time of the visit, over 2,000 prisoners of war had just left for permanent camps and there were only 184 in camp altogether. Wooden barracks have been replaced by clean stone buildings.
The prisoners of war have two-tiered wooden beds, straw mattresses, and two blankets each. The officers have camp beds. Accommodation appears to be satisfactory and bathing and washing facilities are satisfactory unless the camp is filled to capacity. Three British doctors are in charge of the infirmary.
Clothing conditions were reported to be satisfactory; a consignment had recently been received. Spaces for recreation is described as the largest open-air space seen in any camp. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.82 P.M. 3200 LATERINA ARREZZO
Of the 2,457 prisoners of war at this camp, 313 have been sent out to agricultural work camps. Only one section of Campo 82 is occupied at present. The other section is as yet incomplete. About 50 prisoners of war are assisting with the construction.
The camp is built of new stone huts; washing and bathing and toilet facilities were still unfinished. Three-tier wooden bunks are used, and each man has four blankets. About 260 men are sleeping on the stone floors; wooden boards are to be placed under their mattresses until beds arrive.
[photograph]
Two members of Campo P.G.52, a report of which is given on page 5.
Canals have been dug to draw off the water and to improve the conditions of the open spaces in the camp, but the ground is chalky and still remains very wet after rain. Mail and parcels arrive satisfactorily, although the mail is irregular.
Prisoners are able to cook the food from their Red Cross parcels. The tobacco issue has not always been regular. Clothing has arrived and conditions are satisfactory. Camp authorities have been asked to ensure sufficient water supply for the summer months.
Religious services are held by two chaplains. Four rooms have been made available for prisoners of war in the Italian hospital at Arrezo. At the time of the visit there were 23 British patients, who report that they are satisfied with their treatment. One of the Italian doctors practised for many years in England. (Visited February.)
CAMPO P.G.78 P.M. 3300 SULMONA
Very few improvements have been made at this camp since the last visit. New barracks are being built next to the camp, to accommodate another 2,000 prisoners of war. The roads through the camp have been greatly improved. At the time of visiting there were over 3,000 p.o.w.s in the camp – mostly English.
Sufficient numbers of bunks have now been provided and none of the men is now sleeping on the floor, but the camp is so crowded that there is no room for furniture either in the officers’ quarters or in the men’s quarters. Even a large part of the library and one recreation room are in use as dormitories.
Electric light is extremely bad all over the camp, and turned off at 10 p.m.
Hot showers are taken regularly, but the men consider their washing facilities insufficient.
New cooking utensils have been issued.
The infirmary is described as making a very good impression. Two British doctors assist the Italian doctor and control the medical parcels. Dental attention is still unsatisfactory.
Clothing conditions are described as very satisfactory; the men do their own laundry but are seldom able to procure enough wood to heat water.
Parcels are reported to be arrived very well lately, but mail is very slow.
A Methodist chaplain holds regular religious services and is able to speak with all the prisoners of war.
A Roman Catholic priest who speaks fluent English takes charge of Roman Catholic prisoners of war.
Ten senior officers are interned at the Villa Orsini. There were no serious complaints except the irregularity of their mail. (Visited April.)
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August, 1943 The Prisoner of War 7
The Letters They Write Home
P.O.W.’s Dream of Heaven
Campo P.G.52. 1.6.43.
AS you see by the address, I have been moved to another camp. I think it must be the best one in Italy. The Commandant is a trump, scrupulously fair, and nothing too much trouble for our welfare.
The food is 300 per cent. better; we have a football pitch, baseball, four smashing orchestras, concerts, good canteen, no rackets, regular parcel issue. Swimming is starting shortly; water is on all day and hot baths every week or ten days.
In other words, the camp is a P.O.W.’s dream of heaven. It is situated in a lovely valley, surrounded by well-wooded hills. We had a ten-mile walk to get here and a couple of lorries to carry our kit.
It was thoroughly enjoyable, ambling along a road winding through a valley with the mountains on either side. Little villages perched on the top of them, clinging to their sides like eagles’ eyries. It must be one of the most beautiful parts of Italy.
I should like to tour with you and the Imps and Pickles when this crazy war is over. Your old man is certainly in luck. I shall be as fit as forty fiddles after a few weeks in this camp.
On the Farm
Stalag XXB. Undated.
I AM now a crack horse rider and am working four horses, and riding all day, and can honestly say that I enjoy every minute of it. I can also do nearly all that is necessary on a farm. I can take a foal from its mother and a calf from the cow. I can manage the milking, too, so when I get home I will be able to do almost anything to earn a living.
An Ideal Ascot Day
Campo P.G.70. 5.6.43.
WE have just had our Ascot race meeting; it lasted for two days, and the Ascot Gold Cup was the main race of the first day and the Derby on the second day. It was a real race meeting, including a racy atmosphere. The weather was lovely and sunny and an ideal Ascot day.
We had a tote either for cigs or cash, a big sweepstake was run on the lines of the Irish sweep, winner 500 cigs, runners 100 each.
On the course itself we had lots of bookies with stands, laying the odds for different races. The band was out in the grounds playing selections at various intervals.
On the fair ground adjoining the course were all the usual entertainments.
On top of all this there was a refreshment stall selling biscuits, tea, coffee, lemonade, cocoa, and all kinds of food and drink. All the stall holders and race stewards were dressed up grand.
Plans for Autumn
Stalag XXA. 25.5.43.
MY production of “Anthony and Anna” has been a huge success. Too hot to carry on with any further full-length entertainments, but I shall plan another for the late autumn, unless by that time a miracle has happened to put an end to captivity!
Very little news, everything is normal, and I’m ever cheerful, and even happy in a strange sort of way! Take every care of yourself, you are my anchor as you know between home and captivity, and there are lovely times for both of us ahead, of this I am certain.
Thankful for Languages and Drawing
Oflag IVC. 9.6.43.
TIME seems to be going fast in spite of each day being exactly like last – perhaps because of that. Someone who had been a prisoner in the last war and was taken again this one, said as we got near our first camp, “Well now we get down to the life. Topics of conversation will be the war, parcels and letters and escape!” He wasn’t far wrong, but as two out of three of these topics are barred to you, one is left with rather an aching void!
I’m thankful for languages and drawing, as you do feel you are getting somewhere with them and won’t look back on the time as wasted.
Apart from those with such hobbies there’s no doubt that the happiest are those in the entertainment business, as they have scope for creating something really useful.
[photograph]
A view of Oflag IX A/Z by one of its members.
Your Long-Lost Dad
Marlag und Milag. 4-6-43.
THIS is your long-lost Dad on the air again – fit and well and full of beans. Taking all together, I cannot grumble.
I have had a busy day to-day – a big wash-day, working in my garden, went for a good hot bath and have just come in from a long walk around the wire with a Liverpool chap from our ship, and could just do with your wonderful bed to go to; these boards do get hard. Lots of talk here about repatriation, but nothing doing, unfortunately.
Sun-bathing at Stalag VIIIB
Stalag VIIIB. 16.5.43.
I AM stretched out, sun-bathing, in the compound, which is colourful with flowers and discreetly placed vegetables. The band, three guitars, mandoline [sic] and clarinet, are practising for the next concert, and the cat is expecting kittens. What more could I ask? . . .
Out of Barracks
Oflag IX A/Z. 22.5.43.
PLEASE forgive long silence. Been very busy. On 15th I went on working party to demolish a hut on top of nearby hill. Have been helping to re-erect it and was lucky enough to go on several occasions to local sawmill to cut timber. I cannot adequately describe the psychological effect after three years in barracks. It was like coming out of a dark, damp cavern into sunlight . . . and to find that we could still use our hands . . .
This week, by the kindness of the camp authorities, we commenced parole walks for all to a bathing place in the river, 1 1/2 miles from camp. Eighty go each day. My group went Friday. River is fast-flowing, but deep enough at that spot to dive into, and it shoals down. It’s five years since I swam in a river – the Granta at Cambridge in
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8 The Prisoner of War August 1943
[underlined] These Pages Will Give You a Picture of Life in Camp [/underlined]
[picture]
Dentists’ room and staff at Stalag VIII B.
‘38. Had no swim suit, so used underwear, and this I found round my ankles after diving in. Thought I’d got tied up with weeds! Got ‘em off and flung ‘em to the bank and managed with my birthday suit.
Their Camp Magazine
Campo P.G.70. 7.6.43.
DON’T give up hope because I never came home with those repatriated; they were Navy chaps. I hope to be home this year.
All the printers here have been asked to give their names in, so I did; we are going to start a camp magazine, so perhaps I can help: I think some of the copies will be able to be sent home.
Plenty of Work
Campo P.G.53. 13.6.43.
I AM glad to say I am now feeling very fit; in fact, you couldn’t do anything else in this camp as it is as good as anyone could hope for. I have plenty of work to do here, which keeps me going all day, as I am looking after the general welfare of my sector, which at the moment numbers about 2,000; but, of course, I have the help of four other chaps as well. I hope that mail won’t be too long coming through again.
Yorkshire Lads
Campo P.G.78. 7.6.43.
THE weather here is very warm. To-day had my first game at cricket: I captained a team and we won. Up “the Yorkshire Lads”!
Two Years as a P.O.W.
Stalag XVIIIA. 15.5.43.
YOU have no idea how very glad we are to receive parcels from home. We caper about with boyish joy when know there is a parcel for us.
To an outside it would appear that we were mad, no doubt. It is not so much the contents that give us joy, but that wonderful feeling that a fellow is not forgotten. Of course, contents do count.
We are troubled with rats in our barrack. They come out at night, run over our beds and kick up an awful din running over the floorboards. We have caught several in a home-made trap.
My health generally is very good, especially since I have been working on the land. We are market-gardening.
I have now completed over two years in the hands of the enemy. It’s a long time and seems so, and I sincerely hope that more than half my sentence has been served. I suppose one of these days we shall wake up and discover that this war is over.
Our Favourite Month
Campo P.G.52. 3.6.43.
SO now we come to June, our own favourite month. Do you remember the past glorious times? Yet, strangely enough, this time last year I was going through some hectic days that culminated in my capture on the 21st.
Those black days, both before and after, are now only a memory with me, and I am very little the worse for those ghastly experiences!
To-day I am feeling well and O.K. after this morning at 7 o’clock attending a P.T. class got up by ourselves and at 8 o’clock going out of camp on a walk under guard. .
This is the second I’ve been on, and the countryside is now magnificent, as our own would be at this time; so you can imagine how I enjoyed it, in addition to keeping fit for when I resume my normal life!
[photograph]
Tea-time at Stalag Luft 3.
We Carried a Wreath
Campo P.G.59. 23.5.43.
DURING the week a chap was killed from a nearby working camp while at work on the railway. He was run over by a rail truck, and died soon afterwards.
He came from London and was married, so on Thursday ten of us were picked to go to the funeral at the cemetery, five miles away. We carried a wreath and marched to attention the whole distance, which seemed to cause quite a lot of interest.
The padre came from Stalag and conducted the service, at which 30 of us were present. The volley, fired by twelve guards, was deafening and reminded me of Greece again.
[photograph]
Three members of Stalag VIIA 2780.
Never a Dull Moment
Campo P.G.70 7.6.43.
FIRST of all, I want to point out that I have left the old camp and am now at Campo 70.
I must say that this is a really fine camp; it is about five times as large as the other places, and the billets are new concrete buildings, with beds and mattresses and English blankets.
As for entertainment, there is never a dull moment, a full-size band, a theatrical group and vaudeville group. We have a large concrete hall where shows are put on, also there is a full-size library with thousands of books. As for sport, we have football, cricket and various other games.
[inserted] PICTURES AND LETTERS
POSTAL order for 10s will be awarded each month to the senders of the first three letters printed. We should be very much obliged if readers would send us COPIES of their prisoners’ letters, instead of the original ones, and on a separate sheet of paper.
Photographs, preferably of prisoners at work or recreation, will also be welcomed. Payments of 10s will be made for every photograph reproduced across two columns, and 5s for every photograph across one column. The name of the subject, the position of any known P.O.W. in photograph, and also the name and address of sender must be written in block letters on the back. All letters and photographs will be returned as soon as possible.
Address: RED CROSS EDITOR, PRISONERS OF WAR DEPT., ST JAMES’S PALACE, LONDON, S.W.1.
The cost of these prizes and fees is defrayed by a generous friend of the Red Cross and St. John War Organisation. [/inserted]
French Doctor’s Visit
Stalag XXA. 31.5.43.
DURING the week we had a short visit from one of the right sort of Frenchmen – a doctor on his way back to Oflag from an Arbeits-Kommando. He spoke fluent English, so we were able to converse fully and hear his views on many of the knotty problems between his country and ours.
[photograph]
Scene from a show at Stalag XXID/9.
Should Be a Good Camp
Campo P.G. 112. 2.6.43.
I EXPECT you are wondering what sort of camp we are at and what work we are doing. First, when everything gets settled down this should be a good camp.
There are only seventy-five of us here and our sleeping arrangements are good and washing facilities, etc., are all right. When we get our Red Cross parcels coming through we shall be O.K. Of course, our mail will be somewhat delayed, but that will come along.
Our work is general labour, with pick, spade and wheelbarrow. It does certainly pass the time away, and it cannot be any too soon for the time to come when I shall be with you again.
Well Stocked by Red Cross
Campo P.G.53 3.6.43.
ANOTHER debt to the Red Cross. Just had two weeks in the infirmary Had a bit of a fever. Quite well now, so don’t worry. I found the hospital well stocked by the Red Cross. Food parcels still coming every week. Keeping head above water and chins up. . . .
Gardening Job
Campo P.G..65. 7.6.43.
LAST week I got a gardening job outside the camp and have been out working every day except Sunday. At present I am busy helping to construct a stone wall round the garden, so I am getting into trim for when I come home. At night I read books, study or play games in the recreation room. My pal Jack expects to go farming in a few days with a pal of his from his own town. I am well fixed up for clothes now.
Very Comfortable Indeed
Campo PG.66. 4.6.43.
TO-DAY we moved into the new compound and are now very comfortable indeed. At the moment we are two in a room about 14ft. by 14ft. with tiled floors and plastered walls, six rooms to a hut and three lavatories, three wash basin, etc., at the end. .
Bags of room in the compound to play games and walk about and a nice sizable mess room with a separate ante-room the same size. They are very proud of it here, and justly so.
Oh, Ma, I Miss Your Apple Pie
Stalag VIIIB E.51 5.5.43.
WE did not have a holiday for Easter but had a day off May 1st and had a pretty good time. You should have seen the cake I made; a very fierce oven gave it a lovely colour, but for all that it was eaten and enjoyed by all.
I have been busy since I came home from work sawing up wood. We had some new records not long ago and we have just been listening to them; one seemed to get us all – “Oh, Ma, I Miss Your Apple Pie.”
Too Hot for Warm Clothes
Campo P.G.21. 4.5.43.
MAIL has been very bad for ages, but a few of your letters have turned up. Both your parcels have arrived, and I feel very well clothed now, though it is much too hot for warm clothes! Don’t send any more parcels as I require nothing now.
I am getting on well with German, though I missed a whole “term” by being in hospital for the eye operation. I focus beautifully now with both eyes and am perfectly normal again. It really is wonderful, and I can never thank the Italian surgeon enough.
We have lots of books in the camp now and I find plenty to read. Most of the best books published since the war are here.
I play a great deal of bridge, and we have lots of good players. I run various competitions and play in lots of others.
[photograph]
Parcels arrive at Liebenau.
Time Doesn’t Drag
Campo P.G.54. 2.6.43.
WRITING time once more. A few days ago I had two parcels. First, the music parcel from the Red Cross. Some great stuff, too, which will be very useful. Secondly, first clothing parcel. Everything excellent and just what I required. Will be very glad of my pipe.
Have plenty of useful things to do. My main interest is teaching theory of music, in the course of which, thanks to the library here, I am learning a tremendous amount myself.
I have given up conducting the choir and am now more happy as accompanist, even if it’s only on the accordion. We have just had a hymn book from the Red Cross, so now I play for the Padre’s services. So believe me, time doesn’t drag.
[photograph]
Members of the British Medical Staff at Campo P.G. 201.
P.O.W.’s Day at a Stalag
Stalag XXB/430. 12.6.43.
IT is now Whitsuntide and we have Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday off from work. Here’s how I pass my time. I get up each morning about 6 o’clock; when I am orderly I get up about 4.30 to make breakfast for the other boys.
We start work at seven. My first job is to get a horse from the stable to bring water from the village pump to the kitchen. I do this every day, including Sundays, then I go into the fields working with the other farm-workers. In the summer it is quite warm work with the sun blazing on you and we are all getting quite brown. We work till twelve, then we return for dinner, which is always soup. Dinner-time lasts until 1.30. then we work on until 7.30. We then return, wash and brush up and have tea, which consists of potatoes and milk soup. We have then one hour before we are locked up for the night.
The only things we can do then is to read, play cards, write or study. I spent most of my time learning German and I am getting on quite well with it. Then we have supper, which consists of food from Red Cross parcels. After that bed, and all sleep by 11 p.m.
This is one day in the life of a P.O.W.; not very exciting but not too bad. We can still carry on with a smile till the great day comes when we can return home again.
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12 The Prisoner of War August, 1943
HOW THEY HELP THE FUNDS
FOR the first time in its history the hamlet of Frieston Green, near Grantham, held an open-air whist drive and jumble sale the other day, organised by the mother and sisters of Gnr. Stanley in aid of his fellow prisoners of war. There are only about a hundred inhabitants – “we have no church, chapel, shop or inn,” says Mrs. Stanley, “not even a post office” – so that £10 was considered a reasonable target. But the people evidently weren’t going to be just reasonable ; they intended to make this the occasion to show what they really felt. The result is that Mrs Stanley has been able to send to the Fund a cheque for £163 5s. “from the little village where Gnr. Stanley was born.” A truly wonderful effort.
Mr. Bryn Davies, secretary of the Blaenclydach and District Prisoners of War Fund, has sent a contribution of £41 0s. 7d. The money was collected at a football match on Easter Tuesday, and is a splendid donation.
Mrs. Whitworth, whose husband is a P.O.W. in Germany, sent £5 which she made by selling flowers, vegetables and fruit from her garden. She says her husband spent hours gardening before the war and “planted all the bulbs, flower plants and fruit bushes, etc., which have yielded the donation.”
The staff of Nicholls’ Stores, Kensington, have sent a third donation to the Funds – £2 10s – the proceed of the sale of a pair of gloves made and given by a customer. Mrs. Woodman, of Rushden, Northants, sent £10, raised by selling belts, bookmarks, etc.
“Mess and Thanks Box”
Mrs. A. Chamberlain, of Cheltenham, has a splendid scheme for raising money. She keeps a “Mess and Thanks Box.” Whenever she receives a letter from her son, who is a P.O.W., she puts in 6d., and 3d. for every card received from him. Also, whenever a member of the family, or a visitor, makes a dirty mark on the tablecloth, a fine of 1d. or more is charged – according to the size of the stain. She has sent the Funds £1 – her second contribution.
The little daughter of Mrs. Foster, of Martin Hussingtree, Worcester, was given a new party frock which was too small for her, so Mrs. Foster sold it for £1 15s and sent the proceeds to the Funds. The small girl’s only uncle is a P.O.W. in Poland.
Mrs. A. Willis, of Ickenham, whose husband’s letter won a prize in the Journal, send us back a postal order for 10s., asking us to keep it for the Funds. Mrs. Rose Wilson, of 46, Telford Road, W.10, has sent a contribution of £5 to the Funds. This fine sum was collected by herself and her family during the last six months, in threepenny bits.
Little Roy Swann, of Patchway, Bristol, sends us a postal order for 10s. This was also collected in 3d. bits. Roy’s father has been a prisoner three years and has asked Mrs. Swann to do all she can to help the Funds.
Five Girl Guides
Five Girl Guides, of Bishop Auckland, thirteen-year-old Doris Barron and Marjorie Alton, twelve-year-old Marjorie Caile, and Joyce Pattison and June Bradley, both aged eleven, sent us £8 10s. as a result of a jumble sale and concert. Doris Barron writes : “Our Girl Guides are very much interested in your Prisoners of War Fund.”
Mrs. D. Pryor, or Enfield, raised the sum of £5 by the sale of cucumbers and tomatoes given her by a neighbour. Mrs L. Watts, of Seaford, collected £2 10s by the sale of two Pearly Coster dolls, ‘Arry and ‘Arriet.
Mrs. N. Reed, of Tawnmarsh, Rotherham, sends a donation at the request of her brother, who is a P.O.W. in Germany. Referring to Red Cross parcels, she says that her brother “always emphasises the difference which these extras make to the life of a prisoner of war in brightening up an otherwise dull diet.”
Mrs. Sykes, of Grimsby, is untiring in her efforts to help the Funds. Last March she collected £3 5s. Now she is aiming at a target of £20. Already she has collected nearly half of this sum.
[photograph]
RED CROSS food parcels – A scene in a pantomime at Stalag IXC.
Sold Her Baby Doll
Congratulations to 16-year-old Eileen Duggleby, of Malton, Yorks, who raised £20 5s. by the sale of her baby doll. Eileen who has been an invalid for the past three years, has two brothers who are prisoners of war in Italy.
Mrs. Walsh, of Frinton-on-Sea, has a four-year-old daughter, Jasmine, who has collected 10s. in ship halfpennies and is well on the way to her next 10s.
From Mrs. K.M. Holden, of Wokingham, Berks, comes a contribution of £20 which she raised by holding a dance at Hurst village hall. She writes that “the ‘Prisoner of War’ Journal has brought many happy evenings to me after a day’s work at the factory.”
This is how the rural parish of Great Mollington, Cheshire, helped to increase our Funds by the magnificent sum of £271 2s. On June 26th, they held a fête in Mrs. Nicholson’s garden. Everybody helped; there were no expenses. All the prizes, refreshments, goods for sale, etc., were given “free and gladly.” The fête included a number of side-shows such as clock golf, darts, a treasure hunt, a fortune teller.
Owing to limitation of space, will the following accept this brief acknowledgement?
Mrs. J. Macgregor, of Cupar, Fife, 10s.; V. K. Boulding, of Ipswich, £1; Mrs Margaret Chandler, of Norwich, 10s,; Mrs Cecily Parry Evans, of Birkenhead, 10s.; Mrs. B. Hughes, of Lambeth, S.E.1, 7s. 6d.; Mrs. A. Andrews, of Bolton, 10s.; Mrs. M. Jarmain, of Tarrant Monckton, Dorset. £1; Mrs. E. Kedge, of IIford, Essex, 2s.; Ann P. Meadley, of Hartlepool, £1 2s. 6d.; Mrs. H. E. Mills, of Devizes £5; Mrs Dorothy M. Blakey, of Thursk, Yorks, £1; Miss M. Foster of South Shields, Durham, 10s.; Master George Williams, of Victoria Park, E.9, 13s. 6d.; Mr. Threlfall, of Forndown, Dorset, 10s.; Mr. A. Grey, of Grimsby, £1.
Camp List
THE following additions should be made:-
Italy: P.G.55. P.M. 3200; P.G.53 is at Sforza-Costa, nr. Macerata: P.G.62 is at Grumillino, Bergamo.
Germany: Heilag XXI, a new camp S.E. of Schubin, probably now known as Oflag 64/Z, for prisoners formerly at Stalag XXIA, who are eligible for repatriation); Oflag XXIB and Stalag 319, now closed.
British Officer P.o.W.s in Italy
THE Financial Secretary of the War Office announced in the House of Commons on June 29th that the increased daily charge to officers who are P.O.W.s in Italy of 8.60 lira has now been withdrawn by the Italian Government with effect back to July 1, 1942.
[page break]
August, 1943 The Prisoner of War 13
[photograph]
A happy group at Stalag XXA/3. The costumes of the “girls” were made by a sergeant from Red Cross parcel wrappings.
FUN AND GAMES
‘Appy’ Ampstead in Italy – Football at Oflag IVC – Stalag Luft 3’s Own Theatre
Strenuous Football
MEMBERS of Oflag IVC are now allowed beyond the courtyard once a month for a game of football. A P.O.W. writes that “everyone thoroughly enjoys himself,” but says that the ground was “hard baked. . . worn to bare gravel in front of the goals.” He adds that “only one man got knocked out and that was with a boot.” He himself was “not so cooked as I expected “ after half an hour each way.
Jack Payne’s Offer
A P.O.W. in Marlag und Milage Nord who has earned the reputation of “keeping the camp in songs and plays” has something to look forward to when the war is over. His mother writes that she has had a letter from Jack Payne offering an audition to the P.O.W. when he is home again. A real piece of luck!
Blithe Spirit
Campo P.G.65 recently produced Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.” It was a great success. A P.O.W. writes that the dresses for the “female” parts were made by “master tailors.” This correspondent also says that he thinks his own section have “the best band in the camp.” A new alto-clarinet player has just turned up, he says, who has hitherto been “hiding his light under a bushel.”
‘Appy ’Ampstead
Campo P.G.21 held a “’Appy ’Ampstead” Fair, complete with sideshows, costermongers and pearlies. A P.O.W. writes that “there were such things as marionette show, built completely in the camp, boxing booth, series of horse-races, goal-scoring against a goal-keeper . . . treasure hunts, Aunt Sally, etc.”
Exhibits from Tins
Campo P.G.52 held an Arts and Crafts exhibition in June. Many of the exhibits, so a P.O.W tells us, were made from tins from Red Cross parcels.
Writing Orchestrations
A P.O.W. in Stalag Luft 3 is writing some orchestrations for a small orchestra. He says “It is wizard to hear one’s own work played!” The camp seems to be very busy with lectures and rehearsals.
[photograph]
Fancy dress ball at Vittal.
Theatricals at Stalag XXB
Stalag XXB has been put on a play called “Monkey Business.” A P.O.W. writes that they “had over 200 visitors from various Kommandos. We put it on again to-morrow,” he adds, “and expect another 200.”
Table Tennis
A P.O.W. in Campo P.G.65 writes that P.O.W.s have been doing “quite a bit boxing.” There is also a gym, and, in the Games Room, a tennis table made from the box wood in which New Zealand parcels are encased. It is a very good table, says this P.O.W., but has invariably a very long waiting list.
Gramophone Club
Campo P.G.78 have a gramophone club which gives concerts of classical music. One of the club members has presented a large library of Bing Crosby records, which are much appreciated. These gramophone concerts are often held in the open in the evenings.
A P.O.W. writing home describes what a pleasant relaxation they provide, and also mentions the camp’s two excellent dance bands and their dramatic society’s production of “George and Margaret.”
Building their Theatre
A P.O.W. in Stalag Luft 3. writing home in April, says that prisoners are building their own theatre, and have an ambitious programme in preparation, which includes Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” “The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse,” and a revue. This camp also has gramophone concerts once a week.
Rubber at Stalag 383
Stalag 383 have had some fine international Rugby matches lately.
England v. New Zealand resulted in a win for the latter by 16 points to 3. Wales v. Australia drew 9 points each.”
This camp has also had some “fine boxing matches recently.”
Photo-Frame from Tins
“Chief of my occupations is tin-smithing,” writes a member of Campo P.G.54. “I have made a tin suitcase and a smashing gold and silver frame from tins from Red Cross parcels.”
July Selection of Penguin Books
PENGUIN BOOKS have informed us that the following ten books were chosen as the July selection for prisoners in camps in Germany and Italy:-
Why Shoot a Butler, Georgette Heyer; Scottish Short Stories, Edited by Theodora and H.F. Hendry; A Book of Talbot. Violet Clifton; Persuasion, Jane Austen; The Mutiny of the “Elsinore,” Jack London; Max Carrados, Ernest Bramah; Sporting Adventure. J. Wentworth Day; A Man’s Man, Ian Hay.
PELICANS
Social Life in the Insect World, J.H. Fabre; The Centuries Poetry 4: Hood to Hardy, Complied by Denys Kilham Roberts.
[photograph]
P.O.W.s of B.A.B.20. look at photographs of plays and players.
[page break]
14 The Prisoner of War August, 1943
NEWS FROM THE FAR EAST
Your Letters Typed Free
NEXT of kin of men in the Far East realise the advisability of having their letters typed; but many of them, finding it impossible to have this done, have in the past had to write their letters or to print them in block capitals.
Now, thanks to a splendid offer received from a famous organisation in London, we are able to announce the following scheme. Many hundreds of volunteers – all of them professional typists – have been recruited by that organisation to undertake the task of typing the letters on behalf of the next of kin. They are working anonymously and without recompense, and we feel sure that this kind service will be welcomed. Those wishing to avail themselves of it are asked to follow these instructions: -
1. Write your letter on an ordinary sheet of notepaper. Both sides may be used, but only one sheet is allowed.
2. Write, on a separate slip of paper, FULL particulars of the name and address of the prisoner and of your own name and address.
3. Place both in an envelope, together with a plain sheet of notepaper and an envelope. (This plain paper and envelope will be used for the typing of the letter to the prisoner.)
Nothing else should be put into the envelope, as the letters will be forwarded immediately for typing and posting to the prisoner.
4. Put the letters “T.S.” in the top left-hand corner of the outside envelope, which must also bear a 2 1/2d. stamp. Seal it and address it to :
RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN, FAR EAST SECTION, PRISONERS OF WAR DEPT., 9. PARK PLACE. S.W.1.
Next of kin may, if they prefer, hand in their letters to their local Red Cross Office., which will forward them to the above address. No acknowledgements will be sent.
No responsibility can be accepted, either by the Red Cross and St. John or by the staff of volunteers, in any matter relating to this service, and letters will be accepted only on this understanding. Every step has been taken to ensure careful handling and the correct despatch of letters, and next of kin are also assured that all letters will be treated in the strictest confidence.
When typed, letters will not be returned to the writers.
PLEASE NOTE
Next of kin who have already typing facilities at their disposal are earnestly asked to continue with them. The whole purchase of the present scheme is to help those who are still in the need of it.
Missing in the Far East
IN a reply to a question in the House of Commons, Mr. Arthur Henderson, Financial Secretary to the War Office, stated that allowances and allotments to wives and dependants of those reported missing in the Far East will be continued for the following periods if the officer or man continues to be missing for so long:
Malaya and Burma, if missing before November 1st, 1942 – Up to 95 weeks from the date the relatives were notified or to January 31st. 1944, whichever is the earlier.
Netherlands East Indies, who were posted missing from February 1st, 1943 – Up to 43 weeks from the date the relatives were notified or to January 31st, 1944. whichever is the earlier.
Burma, if missing on or after November 1st, 1942, and before June 1st, 1943 – Up to 52 weeks from the date the relatives were notified.
Mr. Arthur Henderson said that no re-payments in respect of the difference between normal allowances and pensions would be asked from next of kin who are at present receiving allowances in respect of men reported missing should these men be subsequently reported killed.
The cases of men reported missing in the countries quoted and new cases arising will be reviewed before the end of the year.
[image]
What the Japanese characters mean on this card sent from a British P.o.W. in the Far East. Left Panel – Prisoner of War Mail, Tokyo Prisoner of War Camp; Censored-Ichimura (Seal of Censor). Right Panel – Prisoner of War Mail.
Letters
Captured at Java
Hakodate Camp. 29.2.43.
FIT and well although very thin; was captured at Java. Being fed on rice and soup three times a day; long for home cooking.
Sleep on a Verandah
Camp. “S.” Hong Kong. 4.9.42.
CONTINUE very fit. Have all necessities of life here and also quite a few amenities: concerts, a band, games, canteen. No compulsory work except camp routine: but I like to garden every morning. In the afternoon I read, work at science, or play chess to keep the mind exercised. . . . I sleep on a verandah in sight of the stars and sunrise over the hills. Good omens!
A Good Christmas
Zentsuji. 13.1.43.
. . . HERE comes my third letter. They have now been reduced to 150 words, so I must be brief.
Life goes on as usual, and am keeping very well. The weather is cold, and we’ve had snow, but we somehow manage to keep warm. All things considered, we had a good Christmas, very much filled with thoughts of you. . . . I am back to weight.
Conditions Improved Lately
Korea. 21.11.42.
PUT on five pounds in the three months I have been here. Not as cold as Catterick. Climate, Swiss. Conditions improved lately. All officers together and treated as officers. Living in big, well-warmed rooms. Hope to be able to write every two months, but don’t count on regular arrivals. Time passes surprisingly quickly.
New Year Holiday
Shanghai P.O.W. Camp. 1.1.43.
WE have been granted permission to write home. We had lovely Christmas dinner, besides a large amount of tinned goods that were sent in to us.
For New Year we have been granted three days off from work.
Our rooms now have been fitted with stoves, so we are much better off than when we were first captured. The weather seems to be in our favour, and the few hours’ work each day in the open air is keeping us all in fine health.
(Continued at foot of col. 1, page 15.)
[page break]
August, 1943 The Prisoner of War 15
PARCEL POINTS
PLEASE wrap chocolate carefully in plain paper when including in your next of kin parcel. If not wrapped it is liable to cause damage to clothes.
P.o.W.’s Rank
Rank should be included in the address on next of kin parcels, but the censorship do not allow the addition of “Paratroop” or “Commando” if the P.O.W. belongs to either of these Services; neither should these words be included in the marking of clothes.
Brilliantine
Owing to the difficulty of obtaining brilliantine in tins the Red Cross recently allowed the contents of pots to be transferred to tins for despatch in next of kin parcels. This has proved to be impractical because the cream leaks out, even when the tin carefully sealed with adhesive tape, and the other contents of the parcels are liable to be damaged. Therefore, brilliantine and other creams can no longer be accepted if packed in this matter. They can still be accepted if they are in tin containers as packed by manufacturer.
Pipes
Pipes may be sent to prisoners of war through permit holders in the same way as tobacco and cigarettes. They may also be included in N/K parcels.
Football Boots
Football boots may not be sent to prisoners of war in Italy.
MAIL FROM P.O.W.S IN FAR EAST
IN view of the number of enquires on the subject of mail from prisoners and internees in Japanese hands, the Post Office announces that some 7,000 letters and postcards have been received in the last few weeks from camps in Japan, Korea, Formosa, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The Japanese authorities announced recently that mail had been despatched from all camps except three at which the necessary arrangements had not then been completed. It is therefore probable that more letters are on the way, but it cannot be stated when they are likely to arrive.
The location of the three camps from which mail has not yet been despatched is not at present known.
A Further 20,000 Postcards
A further 20,000 postcards and letter from prisoners of war in Japanese hands have recently reached this country and have been delivered.
About nine-tenths of the items bore Japanese character indicating that they came from Malaya; the remainder came from camps in Japan and Thailand.
The correspondence reached this country from Japan via Switzerland and Portugal, and special arrangements were made by the Post Office for it to be brought here from Lisbon by air.
WAISTCOAT
FOR WARMTH
[photograph]
This well-fitting waistcoat requires 7 oz of 3-ply wool.
Reproduced by courtesy of “Vogue”
MATERIALS. – 7 oz. of any standard 3-ply wool, one pair of needles size 8, and five buttons.
MEASUREMENTS. – Chest: 40 inches. Length : 22 inches.
TENSION. – 15 st. and 16 rows to 2 in. measured over st. 1.
STITCHES. – (1) Main part of waistcoat is worked in a spot st. in following way: 1st row (right side of work). – K2. * K. into back of 2nd st. on left-hand needle, pull it over 1st st. and drop it off needle. K. 1st st., K4 in ordinary way. Rep. from * to end. 2nd row. – P. every st. 3rd row. – K.5. * K. into back of 2nd st. on left-hand needle. pull it over 1st and drop it off needle. K. 1st st., K.4. Rep. from * to end. 4th row. – P. every st. These rows are repeated throughout. When shaping, care must be taken that 2 st. which were crossed in an odd numbered row are the 2 middle st. of 4 ordinarily knitted st in following odd-numbered row. (2) Welt and borders are worked in K.1. P.1 rib.
RIGHT FRONT. – Cast on 70 and K. back into back of st. Work in st. 2 for 2 in., then change to st. 1 with exception of 12 st. at beg. of odd-numbered and of even-numbered rows which are still worked in st. 2 for centre-front border which is kept straight up to beg. of neck shaping. Inc. 1 st. at side edge after 1 in. and every in. afterwards until there are 80 st., then work with further shaping until work measures 13 1/2 in. from beg. Shape armhole and neck simultaneously. Cast off at beg. of next and following rows which beg. at side edge. 4 st. once, 3 twice, 2 twice and 1 eleven times and at same time dec. 1 st. inside border at beg. of 1st row after beg. of armhole shaping and every 3rd row afterwards until there are 35 st. left. Work without further shaping until arm-hole measures 8 in. from beg., then cast off at beg. of rows at armhole edge 11 st once and 12 twice.
LEFT FRONT. – Follow instructions for right front. but for “even-numbered” read “odd-numbered” and vice versa so that shaping is reversed. Also, 5 buttonholes must be made in front border, the first when work measures 1 in. from beg., the others with 2 3/4 in. between each. To make a buttonhole, in a row which begins at centre-front, work 4, cast off 4. work to end. In following row, cast on 4 st. above those cast off in preceding row. When top of armhole is reached, do not cast off as in right front but work in following way: cast off at beg. of following rows which beg. at armhole edge, 11 st. once and 12 once, then work on remaining 12 (border) st. for another 6 in. Cast off.
BACK. – Cast on 126 and K. back into back of st. Work in st. 2 for 2 in. then change to st. 1. Inc. 1 st. at each end of row after 1 in. and every in. afterwards until there are 146 st., then work without further shaping until back measure same as front to beg. of armholes. Shape armholes. Cast off at beg. of next and following rows. 4 st. twice. 3 st. four times, 2 four times and 1 continuously until there are 96 st. left, then work without further shaping until back measures 7 in. from beg. of armholes. In following row, work 40, cast off 16, work to end. Finish each side separately. *Cast off at beg. of next and following rows which beg. at neck edge, 8 st. once, 4 once and 3 once, then cast off 11 st at beg. of next row at armhole edge and 2 st. at beg. of following row at neck edge. Cast off. Join wool to neck edge of remaining st. and work from * to end.
ARMHOLE BORDERS. – Before beginning borders, sew side and sleeve seams. Cast on 12 st. and work in st. 2 a strip long enough to border armhole. Cast off.
TO MAKE UP. – Sew extra border at top of left front round back of neck to join border at top of right front and sew borders to armholes. Press and sew on buttons.
[page break]
16 The Prisoner of War August, 1943
SPECIAL NOTE
WE have now heard from the G.P.O. that, contrary to their first information, about 100-150 next of kin parcels may have been damaged on June 17th.
These parcels would all have been on their way to Finsbury Circus; no parcels which had already been through the Packing Centre were involves.
Some which were only partially damaged have been returned to the senders; but others may have been so badly damaged that they could not be identified.
It is suggested therefore, that next of kin who posted a parcel to Finsbury Circus on one of the three or four days prior to June 17th, and who have neither had it returned by the Post Office nor have received from the Packing Centre an acknowledgment postcard, or a new issue of label and coupons (which would equally be evidence that the parcel had been received at Finsbury Circus and despatched), should write to the Manager of the Packing Centre (14, Finsbury Circus, E.C.2) to ask whether the parcel was received there.
Please write “Damaged Parcels Enquiry” in block letters on the top left-hand corner of the envelope.
It is particularly requested that only those next of kin who really have reason to think that their parcels may have been damaged should write to enquire about them.
R.A.F. P.O.W.s IN GERMANY
LETTERS to prisoners of the R.A.F. and Fleet Air Arm in Germany should all be addressed to Stalag Luft III, with the address of the camp where the prisoner is actually interned in brackets after it. The reason for this is that a central censorship has been set up at Stalag Luft III from which all letters are redirected.
The above does not apply to parcels, which should be addressed direct to the camp where the prisoner is known to be.
RED CROSS PARCELS
OWING to misprint in the July issue it was stated that only [italics] one [/italics] million food parcels were sent to the prison camps in Germany and Italy during the year. The number of food parcels sent from all sources during the twelve months ending June 30th were as follows: -
United Kingdom .. 6,033,296
Canada .. .. .. 3,100,704
New Zealand .. 286,880
Argentine & Brazil 549,300
TOTAL .. .. 9,970,180
Any Questions ?
Campo P.G.82
[italics] Can you tell me the location of Campo P.G.82? [/italics]
This camp is at Arezzo – some way S.S.E. of Florence.
No Repatriated P.O.W.s from Germany
[italics] I have been so much interested in news of the repatriated prisoners from Italy. Have any prisoners been repatriated from Germany yet? [/italics]
No prisoners of war from the Services have been repatriated from Germany up to the present.
His School Magazine
[italics] My husband’s old school is publishing in its magazine news of Old Boys who are serving in the Forces and of those who are prisoners. May I send him a copy of this magazine? It is, of course, printed. My husband is a P.O.W. in Italy. [/italics]
Newspapers and periodicals may not be sent to prisoners of war in enemy countries.
All Medicines Prohibited
[italics] Can I include a small bottle of aspirin in my next-of-kin parcel to my son who is a prisoner in Germany? [/italics]
If you will refer to the leaflet sent out with the next of kin parcel label every quarter, you will see that all medicines are prohibited in these parcels.
His Daughter’s Essays
[italics] May I send my ten-year-old daughter’s essay and story to my husband, a P.O.W. in Italy; both are hand-written? [/italics]
If you daughter writes these out in a letter to her father, not using more than two side of an ordinary sheet of notepaper, they may be passed by the censorship, but we cannot answer for this.
Special Camps for Escapees
[italics] Are there special camps in Germany and Italy for prisoners who have tried to escape? [/italics]
Officer prisoners of war who have tried to escape appear to be sent to certain camps which can, no doubt, be more securely guarded, but we do not know of such special camps for other ranks.
Prisoners’ Work
[italics] I understand that prisoners in some German camps who are not physically fit do light work. Would this be a full day’s work or only for certain hours? [/italics]
The number of hours worked by such prisoners would no doubt depend upon their physical condition.
No Stationery Allowed
[italics] Can I send my son, who is a prisoner in Italy, a leather blotter, pen nibs and blank paper? [/italics]
No form of stationery may be sent to prisoners of war.
Care in Hospital
[italics] Do German nurses look after our prisoners who are wounded or sick, or are they always looked after by German or British P.O.W. hospital orderlies? [/italics]
In certain hospitals German nurses care for the British prisoners of war.
Largest P.O.W. Camp
[italics] Which is the largest P.OW. camp in Germany? [/italics]
Stalag VIIIB contains the largest number of British prisoners of war in Germany.
Their Food Parcels
[italics] Do all P.O.W.s receive the same food Parcels? [/italics]
The contents of the parcels packed by the British and Dominions Red Cross Societies vary somewhat, although all conform to the general plan. They are pooled and distributed equally among British and Dominions prisoners of all ranks.
A 10lb. Parcel Every Week
[italics] Prisoners in some camps appear to receive parcels more frequently than those in others. What is the reason? [/italics]
As far as conditions or transport in the enemy countries allow, British and Dominions prisoners of war receive a 10lb. parcel of food or its equivalent in bulk supplies every week.
Campo P.G.53
[italics] Can you give me the location of Campo P.G.53?
P.G.53 is at Sforza-Costa near Macerate, about 20 miles S.W. of Ancona.
[inserted] FREE TO NEXT OF KIN
THIS journal is sent free of charge to those registered with the Prisoners of War Dept. as next of kin. In view of the paper shortage no copies are for sale, and it is hoped that next of kin will share their copy with relatives and others interested.
NUMBER, PLEASE !
PLEASE be sure to mention your Red Cross reference number whenever you write to us.
Printed in Great Britain for the Publishers, THE RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN WAR ORGANISATION, 14 Grosvenor Crescent, London, S.W.1, by THE CORNWALL PRESS LTD., Paris Garden, Stamford Street, London, S.E.1.
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
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The prisoner of war, Vol 2, No. 16, August 1943
Date
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1943-08
Description
An account of the resource
Includes: editorial matters; music round the camps; official reports from the camps; (two pages missing); letters; how they help funds (fund raising at home); fun and games; news from the far east; parcel points; knitting pattern for 'waistcoat for warmth'; notes on parcels; any questions? Includes photographs throughout.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Format
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Fourteen page printed document (two pages missing of original sixteen)
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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MWhiteheadT1502391-180307-15
Creator
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Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation
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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.
Coverage
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Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
British Army
Temporal Coverage
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1943-08
Spatial Coverage
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Poland
Poland--Żagań
Poland--Łambinowice
Germany--Hohenfels (Bavaria)
Italy
Italy--Sulmona
Germany
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
childhood in wartime
entertainment
prisoner of war
sanitation
Stalag 8B
Stalag Luft 3
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1259/17143/MWhiteheadT1502391-180307-16.2.pdf
a72393e452a54a2666f6a9c2c4de7c7a
Dublin Core
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Title
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Whitehead, Tom
T Whitehead
Description
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31 items and an album sub collection. Collection concerns Warrant Officer Tom Whitehead (b. 1923) who served as a rear gunner with 428 Squadron operating from RAF Dalton in Yorkshire. He was shot down over Duisburg and became a prisoner of war. Collection includes his prisoner of war logbook, official correspondence to his mother, official documentation, letters from the Caterpillar Club, German prisoner of war propaganda, 14 editions of the Red Cross prisoner of war newspaper and photographs of Royal Air Force personnel including himself.
Album in sub collection consists of 47 pages of prisoner of war related photographs.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Pamela Hyslop and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2018-03-07
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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
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Whitehead, T
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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THE Prisoner of War
[red cross image] THE OFFICAL JOURNAL OF THE PRISONERS OF WAR DEPARTEMENT OF THE RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN WAR ORGANISATION, ST. JAMES’S PALACE, LONDON, S.W.I [St. John image]
VOL. 2. No. 15 Free to Next of Kin July, 1943
The Editor Writes –
WHEN our prisoners of war get home again they will be eager for information about things which have happened during their absence. Except for scraps of information received in letters, they will have had little news of events in the outside world.
I have often wondered whether any steps could be taken now to help to fill this gap in their lives when they return. And now comes an excellent suggestion from Mrs. V. M. Jones, of Truro, the wife of a prisoner and the mother of two babies.
Her News Scrapbook
She says that every evening she collects all the local papers she can find and cuts out the pictures of the everyday news of the war “so that on my husband return he can look through these and see how it all went”. She adds that it helps her when is missing him most, which I can well believe. Twice a week she writes to him and every day she adds to her scrapbook. I feel sure that her idea will strongly appeal to many wives and mothers of prisoners-of-war, but I would suggest that anybody starting such a scrapbook should not confine her collection to photographs or to news about the fighting fronts. They will be especially interested in what is happening at home.
Has England Changed ?
I have been reading some very interesting letters from a prisoner of war in Stalag IIID, Works Camp 520, for whom parcels are being sent by a lady who lives in Coventry. It turned out that he belonged to the Coventry squadron of his Yeomanry Regiment and knows Coventry very well. “ Poor brave Coventry,” he writes, “how glad I’d be to be there again. It seems a lifetime since I left three years ago, but at the same time a bare five minutes. Did you hear Paul Robeson when he sang at the Hippodrome one Sunday night?” And again: “Receiving mail is the chief excitement of this life. . . . Do not feel too sorry for us, We do not do at all badly. It takes quite a lot to bother us, provided we know that all’s well at home. . . . How much has England changed since ’39, I wonder? It is so easy to imagine things just as they were, that there will probably be a big surprise for all of us in the changes.”
Unimaged Blessings
Corporal W. E. Sprake has spontaneously addressed an eloquent postcard to the British Red Cross Society to express “something of the appreciation which we Gefangeners really feel about the truly wonderful work your Society is doing and done for us and our people at home.” He talks of their existence being converted into “even a pleasurable life”, thanks not only to the food supplies but to the many other articles generously supplied. “Little did we think”, he concludes, “in our early days at Corinth that such blessing as we now have could ever be.”
“I’ll Never Pass a Box By”
A similar tribute comes to hand in a letter to Mrs. Katherine Flack of Aberdare, from her husband in another Stalag: “They are grand people, these Red Cross, and I’ll never pass a box by when I get home – no, sir, God knows how we would have got on without them.” Such letters as these, and we get many, are highly prized by all of us in Red Cross and St. John who are taking part in the work for prisoners-of-war. I quote from one or two of them occasionally, more especially to show those who make our work possible, the public who supply the funds, how greatly their generosity is appreciated.
Easter Day in Stalag 383
From a letter of a sergeant in Stalag 383 (formerly Oflag IIIC) to his wife at Stalbridge (Dorset), I get an account of
[photograph]
Air Force prisoners – an informal group at Stalag Luft 3.
[page break]
2 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
Easter Sunday in the camp. It started with an open air Dawn Service at 5.0 in memory of the Anzacs who fell in the last war. 5.30 Communion. After breakfast, big parade and march past by contingents of Australians, New Zealanders. English, Scottish (with bagpipes), Irish, Welsh, Canadian, Manx and Cypriots. Veterans of the last war took the salute. A very impressive sight. Later, sports and races. Also “a good feed from our Red Cross boxes.” It was his birthday and he winds up: “I’m in my thirties now – or middle age.”
Laughing Doctor
Not every baby is destined to find friends in an enemy hospital. Here is a letter from a proud father now in P.G. 73. “John seems to be growing into a super infant,” he writes. “His picture taken with large size in hats has caused many a laugh. The Italian doctor was definitely tickled.” The writer adds that this doctor was a “most likeable chap, absolutely great at his job,” and had done fine work for the British wounded.
Old Etonians
Though the Old Etonian Association has a list of their members known to be prisoners of war, it is in many cases without the camp addresses of individual prisoners, so that no communication from the O.E.A. has been sent to them. I have been asked to request next of kin of O.E.s, if they have not already done so, to send prison camp addresses to the Hon. Sec., O.E. Association, Eton College.
Send Him Tartan
No Scot is content without his tartan, and though the kilt for service is a thing of the past, the tartan backing of regimental cap badges is held precious. P.o.W.s find, however, that these backings are wearing out, and I have been asked to suggest to next of kin of Scottish prisoners the inclusion in their parcel every six months of a square of the appropriate regimental tartan 3in. by 3in., to be used either as a cap badge or a backing for the badge, if the prisoner still has the proper badge. In the case of the Black Watch a Red Hackle should be sent in leau of the tartan square.
Met on the Rugger Field
When Stalag IIID, Works Camp 528, arranged to play a rugger match against Camp 428. Teddy, a gunner from Gateshead, writing home, said he hoped he would be playing against Douglas, an old school friend. In his next letter he reported that Douglas turned up all right and looked very well indeed. It was the first time they had met in Germany, though they were taken prisoner in Greece about the same time. They have a new gramophone with sentimental records by Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, etc. Teddy’s brother and Douglas’s brother in Gateshead collect together for the Penny-a-Week Fund.
Rugger, Medicine and Music
“Your joy will leap up and join with mine now I’ve received my smashing parcel.” Thus typically writes a 19-year-old lad, a sick-berth attendant in the Navy, to Mrs. Bland, of Chandlers Ford (Hants), his mother. “I am gloriously fit and strong and play a good game of rugger, and am being massaged by Sam Kunstler – a former heavyweight champion of Hungary.” He adds the hope that he will do much medical study, and he is going to be taught the violin by “the finest musician in camp.”
Inseparable Brothers
Mrs. A. E. Hawkes, of Esher, writes to tell us about two sons. J. K., an architect, and J. C., a surveyor,
[drawing]
This programme was drawn for “Derby Day,” recently performed at Sulmona.
both lieutenants, who joined up eighteen months before war broke out, gained commissions at the same time, went out East together, subsequently served in Crete and were there taken prisoner. These two brothers have shared the same hut in three different camps in Germany, and last year both were successful in the Town Planning Institute examination. J. C. has become an expect cook and serves up the contents of ten men’s Red Cross parcels every week. J. K. says that the Christmas dinner he provided was a “cracker-jack.”
On the Banks of Arno
Relatives of inmates of Campo P.G.82 will be interested in these particulars given to a next of kin by a repatriated prisoner. The camp is in a very healthy district called Laterina, and is about 30 miles S.E. of Florence. The River Arno flows past the camp. The camp was new when the prisoners first arrived there, and for some time they lived in tents, but they are now in brick bungalows. Wooden bunks holding nine men (three tiers of three), straw-filled mattresses and blankets were provided by the Italians. He gives the welcome news that Red Cross parcels are arriving regularly and post is also coming in. A number of men in camp have regular evening prayers.
Making Time Fly
An R.A.F. sergeant from Clacton-on-Sea writes from Stalag VIIIB of the excellent study facilities at the camp. In the “Main School” there are classes in agricultural knowledge, advertising, veterinary work and hotel management and catering and many other subjects. The sergeant had just been asked to take over a class of 60 to 80 men in Elementary Automobile Engineering. “Preparing lectures and attending them keeps me busy and seems to make time fly,” he says, and he comments on the excellence of the library, which includes many technical books and works of reference.
“Waiting Day”
At a camp in Italy there is a new day in the prisoners’ calendar. A P.o.W. tells us that the day before the issue of Red Cross parcels to the inmates of Campo P.G.73 is known universally in that small world as “Waiting Day.” Recently they had a pleasant surprise in the shape of a Red Cross sports kit parcel.
From the Far East
Next of kin of prisoners in the Far East have the sympathy of all of us. Theirs has been an anxious time of waiting and news is still scarce and hard to come by. I am glad to think that the broadcast from Java printed in our May issue was able to relieve in some small measure this weight of anxiety. “ I was overjoyed to see the broadcast on ‘Life in a Japanese Prison Camp,’” writes Mrs. Anne Ross, of Giffnock, Glasgow. She has learned that her husband is in the Java camp, so that every word of the article was of vital interest to her. Mrs. J. H. Anderson, of Glasgow, thinks that her news from Prisoner of War Camp “A”, Hong Kong, will interest others. Two letters from her husband, written on June 8th and August 16th last year, reached her on June 5th, 1943. They do not contain very much information but they do tell her that he was fit and well and had not been injured. THE EDITOR.
[page break]
July, 1943 The Prisoner of War 3
Reading in Camp
Consult Your Prisoner’s Taste and Give Him the Best of His Type of Book
“BOOKS are food and drink to me,” so wrote a prisoner three years ago in a letter addressed to the Educational Books Section of the Red Cross.
His cry – voicing the longings of many other man – was heard, and the Indoor Recreations Section came into being.
There followed the steady building-up of camp libraries, the aim being to cover the whole range of literature and to cater for widely varying tastes: biographies, essays, travel books, novels, serious and humorous, volumes on art, architecture and music – all are being collected and sent out to those eagerly scanned shelves.
Banned Books
But the work is not easy. Difficulties in selection are great, for the embargos of censorship, both our own and that of the enemy authorities, have to be taken into consideration.
For instance, books by Jewish authors are banned by the enemy, so are Secret Services stories and Scouting tales, which are reputed to give prisoners ideas as to means of escape. Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells are not looked upon with favour by them, and they also bar J. B. Priestley.
The camp libraries, of course, vary greatly in size. Some may be compared, both in the number of volumes and in the diversity of subject, to public libraries at home. These are looked after by camp librarians of real skill.
Nearly every next of kin has received requests for particular books from prisoners. These latter, sent out direct by permit-holders have helped the original Red Cross effort and served to start many a man on a new subject or the work of a writer hitherto unknown to him.
Hugo – A Favourite
[picture]
Dickens will never be without his enthusiasts.
Tastes differ, but some books will always be in demand. Dicken will never be without his enthusiasts, and Walter Scott, sometimes voted heavy at home, has his admirers in camp. Victor Hugo is a favourite.
“I, have been reading ‘Les Miserables,’” writes a prisoner of war in Germany. “It is a thrilling story.” Another P.O.W., a gunner, tells his brother how much he enjoyed Hugh Walpole’s “Rogue Herries.” A grand story and beautifully written.”
The Romantic Story
There will always be a strong appeal in the story with the romantic background, especially with an historical setting, and the wars of other days have their interest. “Gone with the Wind” is pre-eminent with its story of war and shadowed peace.
In camp, as outside it, there is, of course, the reader who prefers biography to the novel, real-life to fiction. “I have just read ‘The Arches of the Years,’ by H. Sutherland,” writes a prisoner in Stalag XXIA, praising the author’s description of his experiences as a doctor.
When first a man is taken prisoner, unless he has already acquired a taste for reading, he will generally be content with the lighter type of book. But as the months of captivity wear on he demands more serious literature.
Evidence of this comes from nearly every prisoner of war camp and from the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva, where there is a reserve of books to enable supplies to reach the newly established camps with the least possible delay.
[picture]
As the months of captivity wear on he demands more serious literature
A prisoner is Campo P.G. 75 writes home describing his interest in history and biography. He has just finished two books which he had found excellent. These were André Maurois’s biography of Disraeli and “The King’s Grace,” by John Buchan. “ You should try them.” He advises his mother.
Such readers are breaking new ground, thinking more deeply. But it is the book that makes a man think and wonder and think again that the prisoner is beginning to crave; that is why the marvels of science interpreted by Sir James Jeans have caught the imagination and interest of prisoners.
English Life
The author who mirrors the English countryside and English life can take his reader out of his alien surroundings. The writer whose pen is vivid enough to conjure up strange lands or other times – best of all, perhaps, to provide among the characters he creates a new company of friends – will always be welcomed, and this should be borne in mind in making up any book parcel.
Consult your prisoner’s taste, of course, but give him the best of his type of book, for, remember, it will be read by many – read and re-read – which is the ultimate test of the great novel, the classic biography.
[photograph]
The library of Stalag XXA.
[page break]
4 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
OFFICAL REPORTS FROM THE CAMPS
[inserted] IN every case where the conditions call for remedy, the Protecting Power makes representations to the German or Italian authorities. Where there is any doubt whether the Protecting Power has acted, it is at once requested to do so. When it is reported that food or clothing is required, the necessary action is taken through the International Red Cross Committee. [inserted]
Germany
STALAG IVA
Reserve Lazaret Gnaschwitz. – This Lazaret has only been in use temporarily, and patients were to be transferred during May to Reserve Lazaret Konigswartha and Reserve Lazaret Schmorkau. Three barracks are used as wards and the officers are in a stone building. The personnel is entirely French and Belgian, and there were no complaints. A stock of four weeks’ supply of Red Cross parcels was reported. (Visited April.)
STALAG XXA
Military Prison at Graudenz. – Since the middle of December, 1942, almost all prisoners of war who are undergoing penal sentences serve their sentence at this prison at Graudenz. It is composed of large stone buildings and was erected as a prison many years ago.
Most of the prisoners of war (at the time of visiting there were 155 British) are quartered on one floor of the building in cells : usually 6, 8 or even 20 are together. They have two-tier iron beds.
They receive the same rations as the German prisoners at Graudenz, and are allowed one Red Cross parcel per month per British prisoner of war, which is sent from the Stalag. These parcels are sent to the kitchens and used to supplement the rations.
Prisoners are allowed to write one letter every three weeks. Reading and smoking is forbidden, but on account of good behaviour some British prisoners of war are allowed to smoke twice a week. These cigarettes are also sent them from the Stalag. (Visited March.)
STALAG XXID
Reserve Lazaret Schildberg. – The Lazaret consists of four buildings in different parts of the town. The principal part is called the “Seminar,” then there are the “Krankenhaus,” “Richterhaus” and the Isolation Section.
The Seminar is a large four-storey building, situated in the middle of a small garden. It contains all the medical installations (operating theatres and dental surgery, etc.). The isolation section is composed of a two-storey building and also a wooden hut.
In all the sections, lighting, heating and ventilation are described as adequate. Installations of showers and baths in each section assures a hot bath each week for each patient. The number of latrines is said to be insufficient, particularly in the isolation ward, which has no water system.
Each bed has bed-linen (changed monthly), two blankets, and some have extra woollen bed covers. There is no overcrowding. Each section has its own kitchen and a few special diets are available.
Both doctors and medical orderlies wear overalls while working. The dental surgery is said to be well installed, but work is hampered by lack of material. Religious services are held each week and patients are allowed to walk in the small spaces surrounding the buildings. (Visited February.)
STALAG LUFT III (SAGAN)
This R.A.F. camp is now divided into three sections : (1) Oflag or officers’ camp. (2) Malag (N.C.O.s and other ranks), (3) Vorlag, which appears to be a kind of clearing station, where the delousing and special bath huts are found, and where each prisoner of war may have one hot bath a week. There are nearly 3,000 P.O.W.s in this camp.
Sanitary conditions are being improved in all sections of camp. A new washhut is being built in the Oflag and two in the Malag. Additional boilers have been installed in the kitchens, but there is a great lack of all cooking and eating utensils.
Medical attention is under the control of a German doctor, assisted by two British medical officers. There is a shortage of clothing and footwear.
There are now Church of England, Roman Catholic and Nonconformist chaplains in the camp. Services are held every Sunday. (Visited March.)
B.A.B. 20
Bau und Arbeits Bataillon 20 (Heydebreck),. – B.A.B. 20 and 40 have been amalgamated since the beginning of March, and are now known as B.A.B.20.
There are 1,200 men, of whom 129 are Naval prisoners of war. The camp is described as good from every point of view. Some worn blankets have been exchanged for better ones, and working clothes have been provided for those prisoners of war who especially dirty jobs. New eating bowls have been received in the camp.
Two British medical officers and eight medical orderlies are in charge of the medical treatment. Air-raid shelters have been completed for the prisoners of war. (Visited March.)
B.A.B. 21
Bau und Arbeits Bataillon 21 (Heydebreck). – At the time of the visit B.A.B.s 21 and 48 were being amalgamated. There were 1,198 British prisoners or war, including about 300 Naval men. It seemed impossible to give a very clear report on the camp until the amalgamation had been completed. There was said to be a good stock of parcels, and clothing conditions were generally good. Two British medical officers will be in charge of the medical attention. (Visited March.)
STALAG VIIIB
Reserve Lazaret Cosel. – The Lazaret is situated in a beautiful, wooded district. It is composed of three stone buildings, reported to be in a good state of repair – wooden beds, bed-linen, and two German blankets are issued. Lighting, ventilation and heating are described as adequate, and there is no overcrowding. Sanitary installations are, on the contrary, said to be “quite inadequate,” though hot baths are available every day.
One small building is reserved for washplaces, and also contains the shower
[photograph)
Stalag VIIIB
Members of working camp E1. The camp is reported to have made the “best impression.”
[page break]
July, 1943 The Prisoner of War 5
apparatus and bathroom. Only one shower is in working order – latrines, in two wooden huts, are inadequate in number.
There were no complaints about the medical treatment. The British doctors, of whom there are three, control the supply of drugs; dental treatment is given by the dental surgeon of labour detachment 3, who visits the hospital weekly. The chaplain from B.A.B. 20 also visits the hospital from time to time. (Visited March.)
[photograph]
Members of Stalag VIIIB at work in a timber camp.
STALAG VIIIB AND WORK CAMPS
Stalag VIIIB (Lamsdorf). – 20,952 prisoners of war are in the whole camp area. 14,101 are in the 307 British Labour Detachments attached to the camp, and nearly 1,000 Jews are 10 Jewish camps.
In the main camp there are nearly 7,000 British prisoners of war including over 900 R.A.F. The number of prisoners of war who are still handcuffed has been considerably reduced. These men now take part in all the camp activities, and their rooms are no longer overcrowded.
The question of blankets is still acute. The “unfit” prisoners now have three each, others have one each for the summer and are to have two for the winter.
The number of water taps in the barracks has been reduced, with the result that the prisoners find difficulty in getting their clothing washed. It is hoped that two new wash barracks will be erected. The water supply was now said to be adequate and each man has a hot bath every 10 days.
Private cooking is not allowed in the barracks, and the contents of parcels are used in the kitchen for all the prisoners of war. There is still a great lack of eating utensils.
The infirmary and dental station are described as working well, though there is said to be a shortage of drugs and dental material and insufficient cooking facilities for diets.
The general clothing conditions were said to have improved, and about 50 per cent. of the men in work camps are now provided with two suits. The old ones are constantly washed, repaired and re-issued.
There are four chaplains in the camp and services are held regularly.
Walks are to be organised for those “grands blesses” who are able to take them.
Mail is described as coming in regularly. All R.A.F. mail is censored at Stalag Luft III. The visiting delegate reported that in spite of the inadequacies mentioned he received the impression that conditions in the camp had improved since the previous visit.
[photograph]
A tug-of-war at Stalag XXID.
Work Camps E484 and 486. – These two detachments are accommodated in the same camp. Their work is loading and unloading grain and coal. They work 8-9 hours a day and are free on Sundays. They live in a wooden barrack in the courtyard of an old fort. Accommodation is satisfactory. Each man has two uniforms, though they are described as old, and boots are said to be in a bad condition. Medical and dental treatment is given by civilians, but does not appear to be very satisfactory.
Work Camps E72, 411 and 209 are coal mines.
At 72 and 411 conditions are the same. Work is done in 9-hour shifts and one Sunday out of two is free. The men live in three large wooden huts on the mine premises, which are described as well built and in good condition. Accommodation appears to be quite satisfactory.
Hot baths are taken every day at the mine. Each man has only one uniform, but overalls and boots are provided by the firm. There is no recreation room and the men have very few games.
The camp has its own infirmary and a local German army medical officer visits the camp twice a week. There has been some difficulty over facilities for laundry, but it has been decided that the firm will have the laundry washed for the prisoners.
At Camp 209 the men live in two large barracks in a compound about ten minutes’ walk from the mine. The camp was described as good, with no serious complaints, and the prisoners’ morale is excellent.
Seventy British prisoners of war at Camp 114 work in a stone quarry. Accommodation is fairly satisfactory. In one large room the stove was said to be inadequate, many of the blankets are thin. The mid-day meal is taken at the factory. Medical and dental attention are given by a good civilian doctor and a good dentist.
The camp has not yet been visited by a chaplain.
Camps E256 and 446 are small camps where the men have various occupations. Some work as carpenters, some in a saw mill, and some in a jam factory. The prisoners are accommodated on the first floor of an outhouse of the carpenter’s shop (a stone building). Washing facilities are difficult, as there has been a shortage of water, due to lack of rain and snow over quite a long period. A weekly bath is taken at the firm.
Clothing conditions are described as bad, each man having only one uniform. Football is allowed and walks are sometimes organised. The prisoners are allowed to attend sick parades at the local military hospital, where an English speaking medical officer is in attendance.
Work Camp E490 is a small camp where the prisoners of war do railway work. The detachment is described as making a definitely good impression, the only complaint being small inconveniences caused by lack of guards – such as the prisoners of war being locked in their room at night and their outer clothing taken from them till morning.
Camp E62 was last visited in November, when it was not well reported. Since
[page break]
6 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
[photograph]
The dispensary at Stalag XXIA.
then the number of prisoners of war has been reduced from 51 to 23, and the two bad rooms on the first floor have been evacuated – otherwise there seems to be no improvement.
The water supply is still bad and the building is still infested with rats and mice. The prisoners have only had one Sunday free out of five. Representations have been made to have the prisoners removed from the camp.
Work Camps E538, 535, 543 and 75 are all coal mining camps. They total nearly 1,000 prisoners of war.
At 538 the prisoners usually work three Sundays out of four. Accommodation is satisfactory, through electric light bulbs are said to be weak. Stronger ones have been ordered. Facilities for private cooking are not very satisfactory, as only the kitchen stove is available , and only at certain hours. A field outside the compound will be put at the disposal of the men for football. A British medical officer is in charge of the infirmary. The camp has not yet been visited by a chaplain.
Rubber boots have not so far been provided for the men whose work in the mine takes them into water.
Camp 535 is described as a good camp. Accommodation is in an old school. A bath is taken every day at the mine.
Camp 543 is fairly satisfactory. Many of the showers at the pit are reported to be damaged and out of use, and there are no latrines.
Each man has one uniform – working trousers are provided. A small barrack is to be built as a laundry. Orders were given for a sports field to be found where the men can play football. A British medical officer and one medical orderly are in charge of the infirmary.
Camp 75 is situated in a village. The ventilation of the camp is to be improved. A large civilian canteen is to be put at the disposal of the prisoners of war on their free Sunday for use as a recreation room, and two small rooms are to be converted in one of the barracks. This camp is described as a fairly good detachment. Working conditions are much the same at all these camps.
At Camp 1 134 prisoners of war do general labouring work. Some of them work about one Sunday out of three. Others are free at week-ends. Accommodation is good, and the whole camp was described as making the “best impression.”
Camps E80 and 529 were visited, but were to be dissolved at the end of April.
Camps E456, 561 and 479 contain Jewish and Palestinian prisoners of war. There were no complaints about present conditions at 456, where the prisoners of war are working on river banks. Camp 561 is a coal mining camp and is said to be a good camp from the material point of view.
At Camp 479 the men work on the railway and it was again reported to be a fairly good camp. (All visited March.)
Note: R.A.F. officers from Oflag XXIB have been transferred to Stalag Luft III.
Work camps of Stalag XXIA are now under the administration of Stalag XXID, and the “Repatriable” prisoners of war from Stalag XXIA are at a camp known as Heilag XXI.
Italy
CAMP P.G.21 P.M.3300, CHIETI
1,328 prisoners of war are detained in this camp. This can be considered as grossly overcrowded. Since the previous visit, stoves have been installed and are reported to have functioned quite well.
There are now two British doctors in camp, otherwise there has been no change. Living accommodation is certainly not fit for British officers. The only furniture in the whole camp is a few tables. Almost all the officers have to use two-tier wooden beds, and there are no cupboards or lockers in which to keep personal belongings.
The water supply is still absolutely insufficient, water being turned on only for about 30 minutes daily, although there is ample water in the wells at this time of the year.
Messing in the camp is described at the time of this visit as “disgraceful,” cooking utensils being non-existent. Food is bought to the dining-room in big cooking kettles. Light in many of the barracks is so weak that it is impossible to read after dark.
Other ranks have no recreation room whatsoever. It was said that the Camp Commander was aware of these deficiencies and did all that he could to improve matters, but that he was unable to do very much. Medical treatment by the two British doctors and the Italian doctor is said to be satisfactory.
Clothing conditions can now be considered good. A great number of next of kin parcels have recently arrived. In view of the really bad conditions at this camp, the visiting delegate proposed that it should be closed unless improvements could be in a very short while. (Visited April.)
CAMPO P.G.53 P.M.3300, SFORZA COSTA
There are over 7,000 prisoners here, about 6,000 of them are English, and the camp is filled to capacity. All the prisoners of war use three-tier bunks. Ventilation is inadequate and lighting in the dormitories is too weak to enable the men to read.
As in most camps in Italy, there was a complaint that outgoing mail was held up, though incoming mail is fairly regular. The wood ration is smaller than at most camps. The water supply is insufficient, some of the taps are unusable, and the showers do not work.
The infirmary is rather small for the number of patients, a great many of whom are suffering from skin troubles. There is a fairly large sports ground, but no recreation room or place in which lectures could be organised and run successfully.
An English-speaking Italian Roman Catholic priest holds religious services in the camp. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.57 P.M.3200, GRUPPIGNANO
There are nearly 4,500 prisoners of war in this camp. Since the previous visit work parties have been formed and sent to Camps 107, 120 and 148. These men have been replaced in camp by other prisoners or war.
As in almost all camps in Italy, sheets have been withdrawn from other ranks prisoners of war and are only issued to sick prisoners of war or those who are to be repatriated.
Red Cross parcels are issued at the rate of one per week. The canteen has been reorganised in new premises and is run by the prisoners.
Clothing conditions have much improved. Sanitary installations are to be improved. A new drainage system is to be built for the latrines.
A new wing has been added to the camp infirmary and the medical attention has much improved. A dental surgery is installed in the new wing and is run by a British dentist. A Catholic chapel is being built. (Visited March).
CAMPO P.G.59 P.M.3000, SERVIGLIANO
The strength of this camp remains in the neighbourhood of 2,000 prisoners of war. The new hut for non-commissioned officers is not yet in occupation, although it is ready for use. The ground of the
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July, 1943 The Prisoner of War 7
[photograph]
Campo P.G.70
A cheerful group taken at Monturano. This camp has an excellent library and its members are said to be quite satisfied with their treatment.
camp is still muddy, although work is continually in hand to improve it. The mail service at this camp works well. Red Cross and private parcels arrive regularly. Water supply is now sufficient, and the prisoners are able to have showers.
Country walks are organised and on the whole this camp can be said to have improved considerably during the last year. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.70 P.M.3300, MONTURANO
All the huts in the camp are now occupied and there are nearly 7,000 prisoners of war. The central building is used as a chapel, school and recreation room. Accommodation is adequate, though the water supply is described as insufficient. The new tank has not been completed. The shower installation is still under canvas, but is to be transferred to a stone building. A drying place for clothing has not yet been provided, and the repairs in the kitchen are of a temporary nature. Eating utensils are scarce, but new ones are on order.
There is a good library in the camp and study courses are well organised. A neighbouring civil hospital was also visited, where there are some 20 patients from the camp. They are said to be quite satisfied with their treatment. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.102 P.M.3300, AQUILA
Camp 102 is described as being in a magnificent and very healthy district, and consists of a collection of stone-built houses which form a small group. The sleeping quarters are in one wing, two-tier bunks are used, each man has straw-filled palliasse and shelf for his private belonging. The other wing is used as a recreation room.
The men work on building jobs 7 1/2 hours a day; Sundays are free. At the time of the visit there were 311 prisoners of war.
Accommodation is very good, but at present there is absolutely no water supply and all water has to be carried to the camp in buckets from about a mile away, consequently washing and bathing facilities are quite inadequate. The men are able to have one hot shower per month at a camp nearby. There are well-constructed modern toilets, quite unusable for lack of water.
An Italian doctor is in charge of the infirmary. Dental service is given by a civilian, and the prisoners or war are allowed to visit an oculist.
Clothing conditions are not very good, as the men have only their uniforms in which to work. The canteen is quite well stocked, the profits are used to buy wood for private cooking. A Church of England chaplain visits the camp regularly. (Visited April.)
CAMPO P.G.107 P.M.3200
Camp 107 is a work camp containing 1,000 men. Two new huts which have been under construction are now completed, so that the dinning-room will no longer be used as a dormitory; and a third hut has been fitted out for tailors, bootmakers and use as storeroom for parcels. Mails and parcels are received regularly.
Clothing conditions are now satisfactory. The washrooms are still roofless. Shower baths are now complete, but there is not enough wood to heat the water. Three British medical orderlies take care of the sick.
A chapel has been built for the Roman Catholics, and it is hoped that a Church of England chaplain will be allowed to visit the camp from time to time. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.120 P.M.3300
A new work camp containing only New Zealand and South African personnel. (Visited March.)
CAMPO P.G.148 P.M.3200
Another new work camp, containing only New Zealand personnel. (Visited February.)
[photograph]
Prize distribution on Sports Day at Stalag Luft 3. This camp is now divided into three sections.
Owing to a misprint in the June issue the Military Hospital, Bergamo, P.G.201, P.M.3200, was printed as P.G.102.
CAMPO P.G.154
Every Effort Being Made to Obtain News
MANY enquires have reached the Prisoners of War Department regarding men who were reported to be in Campo P.G.154, but we regret that it has so far been impossible to obtain any definite news.
Replying to questions on the subject in the House of Commons, Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., Financial Secretary to the War Office, said that it was an Italian camp for British prisoners of war situated in Benghazi, and that the occupants were removed by the Italian authorities before the arrival of the Eighth Army. With regard to the subsequent movement of some of these prisoners, from whom it was stated that nothing had been heard since last October, Mr. Henderson added : “I am afraid that an explanation may be found in the fact that a ship on which a number of these prisoners of war were being transported was sunk.”
Every possible effort is being made by His Majesty’s Government and the International Red Cross Committee to obtain news of these men, and as soon as any information is received the relatives may rest assured that they will be notified by the War Office.
STALAG IN BIRMINGHAM
FROM July 17th to 31st, Exhibition Centre, New Street, Birmingham, will accommodate a vivid replica of part of a German prison camp. Here the Birmingham Mail will present a Prisoner of War Exhibition, organised by the Exhibitions Section of Red Cross and St. John.
Admission will be 6d. to the general public, but next of kin within reasonable reach of Birmingham will receive a special complimentary invitation from Sir Bertram Ford, Chairman of the Birmingham Joint County Committee of Red Cross and St. John.
The exhibition is in no sense a touring show and has been specially designed for this occasion.
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8 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
The Letters They Write Home
[photograph]
Summer weather – a happy snap at Stalag XXA.
British Cemetery
Stalag XXA (3). 14.4.43.
ANOTHER letter I was mighty pleased to read was from the Red Cross in which relatives of P.o.W.s whished to thank my working party for keeping the graves in the British Cemetery so nice. There are five of us, all N.C.O.s, who take rather a pride in keeping another bit of England beautiful.
Happy Days
Campo P.G.63. 17.4.43.
WHAT a day yesterday! We were issued with Red Cross food parcels early in the morning and Arthur, my pal, and I picked a beauty. Then I came in from cooking porridge and three people in three minutes told me my name had been announced for a clothing parcel. I drew that at 1.30, and Arthur has a cup of tea ready for us.
The clothing is just right for the time of year. I now have two complete sets of everything, and for shirts I have two Italian issue and they are just right for summer. So this morning, up at reveille, with full set of clean clothes and up to magazine at eight to draw my parcel. A glorious sunny day, too!
Sailors’ Camp
Marlag und Milag Nord. 7.5.43.
WE are situated right in the middle of a very pretty farming district, pine woods completely encircle us (in the distance). Half the fields are cultivated, wheat, potatoes, cabbages, etc., the remainder is lovely grazing pasture.
Between our village and the next runs a stream, where paddle the local ducks; we can follow its course from our window by the willow tree.
We rise at 6.30 a.m., wash, parade at 6.45: parade finished, we get breakfast ready in our room about 7.20 a.m. I then proceed to inspect the garden or visit the kitchen.
From 8.30 to 10.30 my assistant and I work extremely assiduously in the parcel officer collecting and sorting the tins we require from our Red Cross parcels. We then knock off for tea and biscuits, 11 to 11.30, conference with the chef ; lunch at 12.10, followed by tea, bread and cheese. Parade again at 12.45.
Most afternoons I join our outside gardening party at 1.15 p.m., returning at 4 p.m., bath, and then at 4.30 we have a two-course tea (or dinner) ; 5.45, final parade. Evenings we always have football matches, shows, pictures and entertainment.
[photograph]
Sports Day at Stalag VIIIB/E. 27, showing trophies presented to winning teams.
An Airing
Campo P.G. 49. 1.5.43.
I WAS given an airing yesterday along with some 120 others; it was our third in the month and we walked about four miles. In one month I shall have been a prisoner a year; it is a strange life; we are well off for food, but badly off for space at moment, but we shall be getting a field, which will give us somewhere to exercise. Showers are available every day. We have a bar where some stuff called Vino (which I won’t describe) is sold and Vermouth for the well-to-do. We have a good library, lots of voluntary classes. There is a lot once can do.
That Premonition
Stalag VIIIB. 25.4.43.
NOW in the eleventh month of captivity – how time flies! One amusing point I haven’t mentioned yet. Within twenty-four hours of leaving the Piccadilly that Thursday morning I was in enemy hands! Some premonition forced me home that night.
Nowadays my pipe and I are inseparable companions. Before I forget, two Penguin collections of short stories have arrived. This afternoon watched England v Scotland international football match between teams from our party and neighbouring camp of 500. Supporters flaunted appropriate colours. Scottish contingent headed by two pipers. Quite good attendance from local population.
Celebrated my birthday by shovelling fifteen tons of coal. Maybe Fate’s idea of a joke, but hardly mine!
[photograph]
A happy trio at Campo P.G. 59.
Like Leave
Stalag III (528). 9.5.43.
I HAVE just been away at the camp down the road for the week-end with the band and a few artistes. It was just like being on leave, the lads supplied everything, and to-day we had a Rugby and handball match, while the week-end ended with a grand concert.
Home for Christmas?
Stalag IVC. 25.4.43.
THE Red Cross is the finest organisation the world has ever known. Our position is such that we can appreciate them to the full. One of my pals has just said that we shall be home for Christmas. I wonder? It’s nearly two years now – two years of ups and downs, but they are mostly ups now.
Blind Actors
Oflag IX A-Z 14.4.43.
LAST week-end was quite entertaining. The Blind School put on a variety show which was unbelievable good. These boys moved about the stage and acted as well as anybody else who has previously appeared on the stage; in fact, the standard was, if anything, higher. I wish you could have seen them; they are a grand crowd of chaps.
Since moving over to this new part of the camp I have not been able to read to them in the evenings and I have missed their company a lot. It ever I am feeling a trifle down the Braille room is the best place in the hospital ; the whole crowd are always bubbling with life and fun.
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July, 1943 The Prisoner of War 9
Lilac Time
Oflag IXA-H. 19.5.43.
I CAN see the sun setting over the pine forest across the fields. The lilac is in full flower and the scent drifts in. The swallows are swooping, the tulips are bursting into flower, and soft music drifts up from the dinning-room below.
High Morale
Stalag XXB (324). 9.5.43.
THE other week I had my third article entitled “Speed Kings All” in our P.o.W. newspaper, The Camp. It was well received. Last Monday we made a route march to the local town, 25 km. there and back, to obtain a more thorough ablution. At 10.30 a.m. on the 21st inst. I will have completed three years as P.o.W. No doubt it is a very long time to be in such confinement, but on the whole time has not dragged unduly and there has been maintained a surprisingly high standard or morale.
Pally with a Yank
Campo P.G.65. 24.4.43.
HOW do folks, excuse the slang but I am pally with a Yankee in camp and he is getting me a bit Americanised. I am A.1. The weather here is lovely and warm now, and I am wearing shorts already. We are getting Red Cross parcels regularly and clothing has arrived. Remember me to all in Blighty.
[photograph]
Oflag IXA/H – A P.o.W. describes the beautiful setting of this camp among the pine trees.
Dinner at the Greyhound
Campo P.G. 65. 3.5.43.
I HAVE arranged for all Croydon boys to meet me at 7 p.m. Sunday evening. I have a proposal to make to them. To have a dinner at the Greyhound Restaurant, Croydon, on our return. With our loved ones at home we should be able to muster a large number. There will be a number of widows and children that with our efforts will not be forgotten; a penny a week or so, half a dozen retired members with time to spare and an organisation for a good Christian act would come out of the evil of this war, and our confinement here will not have been wasted.
Busy Studying
Campo P.G.21, 6.4.43.
“I AM as happy as ever, doing a certain amount of serious history apart from my other lecturers, not to mention the band and orchestra. I am at the moment president of the debating society as well. There are now so many books in the camp that I can’t read them all fast enough.”
Padre’s Grand Day
Stalag III D-528. 26.4.43.
I HAD a grand day out to-day, a ten-mile walk and three camps visited. As Sunday is the only day the men don’t work we use every hour of it for games and entertainment, but we always fit in our services, and as the Red Cross parcels are issued on Saturday evening it is usually a pretty good sort of day. We have a grand lots of lads in this camp. Just had a batch of seeds for the garden.
[photograph]
Carnival Procession: after the races at Stalag XXID.
His Garden
Stalag IIID (520). 27.4.43.
I MUST tell you a little about our gardens: each room has a little plot of land and the Red Cross has supplied seeds for us. We have planted lettuce, radishes, onions, cucumbers and lots of others. They are just coming through so perhaps this summer we shall have a few tit-bits extra.
No Bother
Campo P.G.66. 6.4.43.
“THE weather is hot and we are taking full advantage of it. You may have the idea that prisoners are roughly treated. Well – forget it! The Italians never bother us, and the only ones we see are the guards. Our amusements consist of card playing, draughts and dominoes. Also we get up concerts amongst the boys. This week we ran a boxing contest.”
[photograph]
A prisoner at Stalag VIIIB with two jolly pups.
Quite Fit
Stalag VIIIB. 12.4.43.
SATURDAY night and Sunday morning we has an English medical officer (N.Z.) to examine us, and he said that we are fittest men he had seen anywhere for a long time. Our good living has helped us through this ordeal, and the Red Cross – thank heavens there is such a society.
Space to Move About
Stalag Luft. III. 18.4.43.
THERE are three camps here, old, new and sergeants’. I expect that you want me to tell you all about the camp. The most outstanding feature is the complete lack of any vegetation on our thirty-acre plot. Originally all this was thick pine forest, and now all that remains is bare sand and many cut down stumps. The barracks are well spaced and there’s plenty of room to move about ; the rugger field is on the small side. Our rooms are similar to those we had at VIB. Fortunately, we are eight instead of sixteen per room.
Second Camp Birhtday [sic]
Campo P.G. 35. 24.4.43.
I WILL now give you a brief narrative of my second birthday in a prison camp. 7.15 a.m.. I have a cold shower, then light my home-made stove and brew a cup of tea, shave, then cook my breakfast of fired bread, sausages and bacon (saved up for the occasion).
9.15. roll-call: 10 a.m., rehearse with
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10 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
[photograph]
WRITING HOME – FROM Stalag VIIA.
string orchestra until 12; 12 to 1 o’clock, engaged on my accountant’s job; lunch; job till 3.30 p.m., then cup of tea and job again till 7.30 p.m. dinner; 8 to 9.30, with dance orchestra; then sit out listening to gramophone till midnight.
Easter Eggs
Campo P.G.53. 25.4.43.
EASTER SUNDAY morning and the weather is perfect – fresh and fragrant in the field with the sun beating all records, which has been high of late. Have got my Easter eggs, too, out of Good Friday’s parcel. Small tin of egg flakes – soaked overnight – make paste, pour into hot fat and cook. Just the same as scrambled egg or omelette.
Something to Suit All
Stalag 383. 16.4.43.
LIFE here is not so monotonous as in some camps, as there is something to suit all tastes. The only trouble is that there are so many different things to go to that it is often difficult to make a choice.
His Birthday Presents
Campo P.G. 66. 1.5.43.
I AM actually writing this on my 37th birthday, and it has been lovely as regards weather for the occasion; also I had a present this morning. Two of my pals gave me a packet of their cigarettes, wrapped up in paper and tied up with a piece of coloured cellophane. It was out of their own ration, and I thought it exceptionally decent and thoughtful of them.
Figs from the Canteen
Campo P.G. 49. 3.4.43.
ANOTHER move. It is a new building just finished and it is very nice. We have a nice room on the front of the building. First impressions are that it will be even better than our last place, which we thought excellent. To-day our canteen opened, and I bought some figs – delicious.
Working Party
Stalag XXB 216. 4.4.43.
THIS Sunday morning it is lovely, warm and sunny, but as we are now working from 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., with 1 1/2 hours for dinner, we do not get much time for reading in the week.
The football match I wrote to you about a fortnight ago against English chaps on a farm about three miles away resulted in a win for us by 5 to 1. We
[inserted] PICTURES AND LETTERS
POSTAL orders for 10s, will be awarded each month to the senders of the first three letters printed. We should be very much obliged if readers would send up COPIES of their prisoners’ letters, instead of the original ones, and on a separate sheet of paper.
Photographs, preferably of prisoners at work or recreation, will also be welcomed. Payments of 10s will be made for every photograph reproduced across two columns, and 5s for every photograph across one column. The name of the subject and also the name and address of sender must be written in block letters on the back. All letters and photographs will be returned as soon as possible.
Address: Red Cross Editor, Prisoners of War Dept., St James Palace, London, S.W.1.
The cost of these prizes and fees is defrayed by a generous friend of the Red Cross and St. John War Organisation. [/inserted]
are to play a return match as soon as it can be arranged. We did not go to their farm to play as I said, but met them half-way and played on the village green football ground. Except for the two guards knocking around, there was nothing else to suggest we were prisoners. We are getting the Red Cross food parcels and cigarettes regularly once a week again now, I am glad to say.
Chop-Sticks
Campo P.G. 35. 14.4.43.
I AM an expert cook and most economical. My first two weeks as a prisoner I ate with home-made chop-sticks. I read a good deal and mend and wash my clothes. Altogether, I am most domesticated.
As Excited as Children
Stalag XXB (421). 10.4.43.
WE had a move last week – a long train journey. The first time on a train for nearly three years; everybody as excited as children. This is a better camp than the other, much smaller, only 140 men.
We work in a wood factory and, at the moment anyway, everything is most interesting. There are some wondering machines here; chunks of rough wood go in at one end and come out something useful at the other. We are treated exactly the same as the other factory workers there, the Germans and Poles, even to “clothing on and off.”
Italy is Very Nice
Campo P.G. 53. 20.4.43.
I SHALL be very pleased when I hear from you. It is the only this I look forward to other than coming home once again. I ask God’s care over us till we meet, and what a day that will be! Italy is very nice what I have seen of it, and what is more they do not treat us too badly for P.o.W.s.
News Forecast
Campo P.G. 66. 19.4.43.
WE have a weekly service on a Sunday afternoon by an English padre who is also a P.o.W. He was taken at Tobruk. I have not heard any definite news since I was captured, but I reckon it will be all over in Africa by Easter.
Americans Arrive
Oflag VIIB. 20.4.43.
YESTERDAY we had about twenty new arrivals – Americans. I believe they have only been captured for three weeks, so am expecting to hear some pretty goods stories within the next few days.
Any new boy arriving nowadays could never appreciate the true significance of being a P.o.W. He arrives, spends his first month or so going out for meals and is, in fact, living on the fat of the land (as far as possible in this life), gets issued with clothing, and people load him up with cigarettes and tobacco. He probably thinks he is being hard done by, but I wonder how he would feel if he had to live and sleep in the same clothes for six months and wait the same period to smoke his first cigarette, and if there were no books. “Times have changed.”
Camp Holiday
Stalag IIID 520. 26.4.43.
TO-DAY is Easter Sunday, the weather has been so good I spent Good Friday sunbathing in only a pair of short underpants. The camp holiday from Thursday until Tuesday, and we are having heaps of sport and entertainments. In my letter I ended with German, translated it reads, “I have always told you it won’t be long now.”
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July, 1943 The prisoners of War 11
FUN AND GAMES
A review of Sporting and Musical Events in the Camps
STALAG 383 had an Empire Games Week during May, in which ten different countries were represented, and their Anzac Day March Past on April 25th must have been very impressive. Veterans of the last war took the salute.
A P.O.W. writing on April 18th tells us about the English team’s success on the football field. At Rugger England beat Australia; in the Soccer match, England v. Scotland, again England was victorious.
Great Thriller
Theatrical enterprise is flourishing at Campo P.G.78. “We have a full-length play and musical comedy now on in two halls, ‘Rope’ and ‘Derby Day,’” writes a member of this camp, which possesses an accordion band, a mandolin band, a salon and a dance orchestra.
The Winning “Gent”
Whist and darts are occupying the leisure of P.O.W.s in Stalag VIIIB. A prisoner writes of a whist drive that went with a swing in which as “Winning Gent” he won sixty cigarettes as first prize. He was also an entrant for the darts tournament.
Basket Ball League
The captain of a basket ball team at Campo P.G.65 writes home to report progress. The camp has a “league” and his team is a “crack” one – only a few from the top.
All-in
Campo P.G.59 had the bright idea of a Rugger match between old and new prisoners. A P.O.W. writes that the old ones won after a great tussle. “I nearly died laughing at some of the antics of the boys. It was more like a wrestling bout than Rugger.”
[photograph]
The only time the Italians permitted a photograph to be taken of a concert at Sulmona was for “Derby Day,” A.P. Herbert’s operetta. Above is the cast whose hats were made from Red Cross boxes.
Some Talent
Composers and libretto writers are strong at Stalag XXID. “To-day I have been writing a musical comedy,” writes one prisoner. “ So you can guess I am very busy besides working.”
Art Exhibition No. 2
Stalag 383 are to hold a second Art Exhibition according to news received from a P.O.W. at the beginning of May. The same letter stated that gardens were “springing up all over the place,” and that the German authorities had provided seeds – “lettuce, radish and all sorts of flowers.”
Easter Doings
Stalag XXB (84) had great doings at Easter. On Easter Sunday they had a boxing match with another camp, and in the evening there was a performance of Edgar Wallace’s “The Ringer,” also music. On Easter Monday the camp team won a football match and had a fancy dress dance. Altogether a “full week-end,” to quote a P.O.W.
Amusing Yanks
“The baseball and Yanks are quite amusing,” writes a prisoner in Campo P.G.21, “one of our Other Ranks teams pretty regularly beats a Yank Officer team.” This baseball activity, he writes was bought about by “the influx of Americans.” Baseball and basket ball are the two sports that this camp manages to play fairly steadily.
Fancy Dress
Stalag IIID had four days’ holiday at Easter – Friday to Tuesday – and to quote a P.O.W., “made whoopee.” There was a fancy dress dance on Saturday evening. “One lad,” writes the prisoner, “arrived representing the Red Cross Society. His dress was comprised of labels from the various tins sent in our parcels.” This costume was a prize winner.
[photograph]
John Bull and Mrs. Grundy at Liebenau.
Italian Music
Cricket and baseball are the main sports in Campo P.G.57. P.O.W.s hear some good Italian music as the camp has excellent loud speakers.
Up to Date
Swing music is all the craze in Stalag XXB. “A chap in the camp received six records of band music – Harry Roy . . . and others,” writes a P.O.W. “My! Its great swing music makes you start tapping your toes and swaying. So you see we keep up with times.”
Stage Butler
News comes from Stalag XVIIIA of a successful production of “Lucky Break.” The P.O.W. who played the stage butler says the performance was a “wow.” This same prisoner is a performer on the ukulele, and had just won the real “George Formby” type of instrument in a raffle.
JUNE SELECTION OF PENGUIN BOOKS
PENGUIN BOOKS have informed us that the following ten books were chosen as the June selection for prisoners in camps in Germany and Italy : -
The Unfinished Clue, Georgette Heyer; The Surgeon’s Log, J. Johnstone Abraham; Tarka, the Otter, Henry Williamson; Love In Our Time, Norman Collins; A Book of English Essays, W. E. Williams; The Dying Alderman, Henry Wade; Sea Escapes and Adventures, Taffrail; Rookery-Nook, Ben Travers; Steamboatmen, Cutcliffe Hyne; Here Lies, Dorothy Parker.
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12 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
OUR GENEROUS HELPERS
THE youngsters have recently been particularly active in helping our Funds. In a letter to Major-General Sir Richard Howard-Vyse, K.C.M.G., D.S.O., Chairman of the Prisoners of War Dept., the Hon. Secretary of the Birmingham P.O.W.R.A., tells us that £1 10s of the cheque she encloses was collected by Master Harper, aged six in halfpennies.
The little son of Mrs. Fox, of Knowle, Bristol, has saved up 3s. in farthings. A nine-year-old “Cub” – B. H. Rees, of Cardiff, who tells us he edits a paper for circulation among his friends – sent 5s. The grand sum of £7 10s. was raised by Master Beckett, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, by the sale of some toys.
Their Peepshow
An eight-year-old, Rita Lee, of High Wycombe, with her brother, aged six, raised £2 by means of a peepshow. Little Barbara Trowbridge, of Belvedere, Kent, with two small friends, Barbara Morris and Koreen Carter, has sent us the proceeds of a toy jumble sale; a children’s gala at Chorley, Lancs, raised £1, and some boys and girls in Twickenham, under the leadership of young Geoffrey Gilbert, acted a play and handed a collecting box with 10s. in it, as proceeds, to a grown-up friend, who has written to tell us all about it. Joan Hughes of Talybont, sent 10s. Guernsey schoolchildren, now at school in Wirral, Cheshire, have collected £3.
R.A.F. Help
From an R.A.F. station comes a contribution of £3; from a worker at Biggleswade the sum of 31s., raised by the sale of an ornamental jug. Mrs. Copper, of Walshall Wood raised £7 from the sale of a toy engine made by her cripple boy ; her other son is a P.O.W. in Italy.
Mrs. B. Lamb, whose husband is also in an Italian camp, is an active organiser of whist drives and dances and has made two contributions – £9 5s. 6d, and £5 15s. Mrs. C. Grant. of Newcastle-on-Tyne, raised £3 by making and selling flowers. E. Bullock, of Gt. Walsingham, raised £11 by organising two dances.
Two Kathleens
Two Kathleens – Kathleen Rose and Kathleen MacLeod – of Bishop Auckland, sent the splendid sum of £20, raised by a jumble sale; they are school-girls of thirteen and twelve years old. The Brownie Pack of Cullercoats, Northumberland, were able to contribute £2 7s. 6d. – the result of a collection on Parents’ Open Night.
But older readers are not to be beaten! Next of kin in Aston, Birmingham, raised £12 by a dance; another £12 was sent by Mrs. Mustoe, who organised a whist drive at Northleach, Cheltenham.
Punch and Judy
A generous entertainer of Littlehampton, whose Punch and Judy shows have delighted many children, sent us £5 8s. 4d.
A lemon – a rarity which we have already much cause to thank – was sold by Mrs. A. Tomkins, of Beckenham, for £3 16s., and Miss Cowan, of Windlesham, Surrey, obtained £1 10s by the sale of two double-yolked eggs.
His Birthday
Mrs. Pauline Grant Green, of Cosham, Portsmouth, sent us £5 on the birthday of her prisoner son. She thought a contribution to the Red Cross parcels fund the best birthday present possible. The Journal, too, has had a birthday gift to celebrate the first year of its life – £2 2s. from Mrs. Violet IIiffe, whose son is a prisoner in Germany, and Mrs. G. Hughes, of Bridlington, Miss V. Sharp, of Widnes, Mrs. Jean Allison, of Glasgow, and Mrs Startin, of Brimpton, Reading, have all sent contributions in appreciation of our paper.
[photograph]
Help them to make the best of their lives in captivity. Here is a happy snap of an evening at Stalag VIIA.
P.O.W.’s Request
L/Cpl Mead, a P.O.W. in Italy, wrote to his sister thus: “Will you please ask Mum to take £1 from my saving and send it to the Red Cross? It’s thanks to them that things out here are so much easier and happier than they might be.”
Mrs. E. C. Williams, of Stroud, has done well with her collecting box; up to date she has collected £39 7s 3 1/2d.
The splendid sum of £80 12s. was raised by Mrs. Raymond Gough at a “Bring and Buy” sale at Weatheroak Stanmore Common.
Bun Halfpennies
Mrs. Cartledge, of Fishponds, Bristol, has been collecting “Bun” halfpennies and has raised £1, Mrs, Barbara P. Levick, of Sheffield, and Mrs. M. E. Heather, of Ham Street, near Ashford, are both increasing their subscriptions to the Penny-a-Week Fund to help the Journal. Mr. R. Davies, of Liverpool, tells us he has now collected £229.
It is encouraging to note that at a Shropshire Ordnance Depot weekly contributions to the Penny-a-Week Fund average £15 to £23. From the Buckinghamshire Branch of the British Red Cross Society comes £5 for the funds, and there is five guineas from Mrs, Croft, of Tarleton. A reader in Dilwyn, Hereford, sends £2 at the request of her prisoner son.
Dart Thrower
Mrs. Harrison, of Etafford Park, has a friend who is a dart champion and has raised £4 9s. 9d. by exhibition throwing at the Stafford Arms. Mrs. Nan Galloway, of London, W.9, who contributes 2s 6d, monthly to our funds, sent us some amusing verses by her sailor husband, a P.O.W. in Germany.
Owing to limitation of space, will the following accept this brief acknowledgment? –
Mrs. G. Richards, of Abercarn, Monmouth, 10s.; Mrs Ayriss, of Liverpool, 5s.; Mrs Birkett, of Halifax, 30s.; Mrs. Edmondson, of Newcastle, £4 15s.; F. J. Nicholls, King’s Lynn, 3s.
CAMP JOURNALS
P.O.W. camps are rich in journalistic talent. Most of then have a journal, sometimes printed in camp presses, sometimes handwritten. One of the most ambitions is “Stalag HOT POT,” described on its cover as “Stalag XXID’s Own Magazine.” The printing and general make-up are excellent.
Contents consist of an Editorial general news, “Spotlight on Entertainment”, short articles, verse and a feature called “A Sportsman’s Notebook.”
Stalag IXC’s journal is called “Scoop,” and makes a special feature of football news. Campo P.G.53 has a daily newspaper, written entirely by hand, and consisting of six pages, which are pinned on the camp notice boards.
[page break]
July, 1943 The Prisoner of War 13
Groups from the Camps
[photograph]
STALAGLUFT 3
[photograph]
STALAG IVC
[photograph]
OFLAG IIIC
[photograph]
CAMPO PG78
[photograph]
STALAG XVIIIB
[photograph]
STALAG VIIA
[photograph]
STALAG IXC
[photograph]
STALAG XXIA
[page break]
14 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
NEWS FROM THE FAR EAST
Here is a List of Camps
THE exact location of the camps in the Southern Area is not yet known. The camps are known simply by the name of the country in which they are situated. Camps concerned are:
BORNEO CAMP, MALAYA CAMPS,
JAVA CAMPS, THAI CAMP,
TAIWAN CAMP.
Thai is the name for Siam, and Taiwan is the Japanese name for Formosa. It is important that the two should not be confused.
The official notification of capture sent to some next of kin states that the prisoners are in Malai or Malaia Camps. In addressing letters, next of kin should use the English spelling, namely, Malaya Camps.
CAMPS WHOSE LOCATION IS KNOWN
MUKDEN. – Situated in Manchuria.
KEIJO, CHOSEN. – Keijo is the Japanese name for Seoul, the capital of Korea. Chosen being the Japanese spelling of the name of the country.
JINSEN, CHOSEN. – Jinsen is a few miles from Keijo, and is the port of that town. Both Jinsen and Mukden are divisional camps of Keijo.
HAKODATE. – Situated on the south coast of the island of Hokkaido, Northern Japan.
TOKIO. – There are five camps in this region, namely : Camp Park Central Yokohama. Yokohama – Kanagawa, Shinagawa, Kawasaki, Hiraoka. All belong to what is termed the Tokio groups of camps.
OSAKA.-There are nine camps in this group, but the address for all of them is Prisoner of War camp, Osaka. British prisoners are located in the following : Osaka, Sakurajima (situated in Osaka). Amagasaki (between Osaka and Kobe). Kobe (in the business section of Kobe).
ZENTSUJI. – Situated in the north-east of the island of Shikoku, Japan.
FUKUOKA. – Situated on the north-east coast of the island of Kyushu Japan. Fukuoka is merely the administrative headquarters of the group: it is not a camp, and there do not seem to be any prisoners there.
There are seven divisional camps, all of which house British prisoners. There camps are in the western part of the main island of Japan (Honshu), but letters should in all cases be addressed to the principal camp.
The names of the divisional camps are : Ube (shown as Ubeshinkawa on some maps). Omine, Ohama, Moto-yama. Higashimisome, Mukojima, Innoshima. The last two are islands in the Inland Sea.
SHANGHAI – This camp is situated a few miles outside Shanghai. The address for letters is: Shanghai Prisoners of War Camp, Field Post Office Box 106, Shanghai. Relatives who have been given additional details, e.g., “Barracks 3,” should insert these particulars before “Shanghai Prisoners of War Camp.”
HONG KONG. – The two camps which contain British, Canadian and Hong Kong Volunteer prisoners of war are Argyle Street (mostly officers and their orderlies) and Shamshuipo, a former military barracks containing mostly other ranks with a few officers. Both are on the mainland, on the outskirts of Kowloon.
Sick prisoners of war are sent to Bowen Road Military Hospital on the island. There are two British doctors and some medical orderlies here.
PLEASE NOTE
Relatives of men who are missing in the Far East but who have not yet been notified as prisoners of war should continue to address letters as described in the Post Office leaflet P.2327B.
CIVILIAN INTERNMENT CAMPS
HONG KONG. – Stanley Camp is situated on the south-east of the island of Hong Kong.
SINGAPORE. – Changi Camp is on the east coast of the island of Singapore, about 18 miles from Singapore itself.
MANILA. – Santo Tomas Camp is situated on the outskirts of Manila. The internees are housed in the main building of the Santo Tomas University.
BANGKOK. – The internees live in a wing of the University of Moral and Political Science ; this university is on the left bank of the river just outside Bangkok.
Stanley Civilian Internment Camp, Hong Kong
THE International Red Cross Delegate in Hong Kong visited Stanley Camp on May 13th, 1943. He reports the opening of the bathing beach with large attendances. He further reports that the composition of rations has recently improved. The authorities are giving sympathetic consideration to this problem and there is, therefore, no immediate cause for anxiety.
NO PARCELS
Next of kin are reminded that it is impossible for them to comply with the request of prisoners for parcels, etc., owing to the refusal of the Japanese to grant facilities of this sort.
POSTBAG
ABOUT 1,500 cards sent by prisoners of war in Japanese hands reached this country during May. These have been received from prisoners in the following camps: Mukden (Manchuria), Jinsen (Korea), Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe (Japan) and Taiwan (Formosa).
Prisoners in Mukden and Jinsen have been allowed to give some information regarding conditions in the camps.
From the other camps the information is very brief, consisting of a typewritten card informing the next of kin that the prisoner’s health is excellent, good or poor, that he is either working or not working (as the case may be), and ending with a request to look after the welfare if certain near relatives.
These cards have in most cases taken about six months in transit, and it is anticipated that mail from the camps in Japanese-occupied territories, such as Malaya, Java, etc., will take a considerably longer time to reach this county. Here are a few typical letters for the camps.
Climate Like England
Jinsen Camp, Chosen. 21.11.42.
I AM sure you will be overjoyed by hearing from me after all these months. I am quite safe and well in the circumstances. The climate here is very cold, more like England, but I cannot get used to it. I hope you and the family are keeping safe and well.
Working for Pay
Osaka, Kobe. Undated.
I AM interned in the Osaka P.O.W. camp, Kobe-sub camp. My health is usual. I am working for pay.
Studying Shakespeare
Keijo, Chosen. 27.1.43.
RECEIVED no letters from home yet. Am very well her, though weather cold. Food, cigarettes are adequate. Almost normal weight. Spend my time studying medicine, Shakespeare, drawing portraits, rehearsing for concerts. We had one on Christmas Day. Unnecessary to send comforts. Textbooks would be welcome . . .
Safe and Well
Shinagawa, Tokyo. 22.12.42
I AM well and safe in Japan. My health is excellent.
Five Months P.O.W.
Camp No. 4146, Hong Kong. Undated.
DURING the past five months I have been a P.O.W. The Japanese authorities have treated me very well and I am in the best of health, and there is no cause to worry.
[page break]
July, 1945 The Prisoner of War 15
Here’s the Answer to Your
PARCEL PROBLEM
THE next of kin parcel presents a problem to some readers, but the Red Cross have issued very detailed instructions in their leaflets P1/A and P1/B. Read these and keep them by you. We are picking out for special emphasis some points that next of kin overlook as the questions they ask us reveal.
The following are some of the queries answered by the leaflet.
Can I send my husband, a P.o.W. in a German camp, a fountain pen?
No. Fountains pens are forbidden. Send pencils.
My husband is in an Italian camp, what kind of boots can I send him?
For Italy, only Army type are permitted.
Can I enclose a short note in my husband’s parcel?
No letter to a P.o.W. must be enclosed in a parcel. A postcard is provided for the P.o.W.’s acknowledgement. Fill in the top half of this as directed, and enclose it in your parcel. The P.o.W. will fill in the bottom half and so acknowledge it to the Red Cross.
What kind of dressing-gown is best to send?
No special material is laid down, but patterned fabrics are recommended.
My husband is splendid shoemaker. Can I send him materials for heeling and toe-ing?
You may send leather soles, also nails and metal studs but no rubber soles or heels.
Real [sic] the leaflets very carefully and look out in the Journal for alterations and additions that may be made from time to time.
NEXT OF KIN PARCELS
WE are glad to announce that the recent delay in the despatch of next of kin parcels announced in the May issue of the “Prisoner of War Journal” has now been reduced to approximately 8 days, excluding the time spent in the post before the parcel reaches Finsbury Circus Next of Kin Packing Centre. The average number of parcels now despatched each day is 1,500.
In order to despatch the necessary number of parcels, the work has to be maintained at great pressure. Next of kin can help by taking care to avoid mistakes when sending their parcels and by keeping carefully to the instructions sent to them with the labels so that their parcels can go through without delay.
COSY SLIPPERS
They Will be Welcomed by Every P.O.W.
[picture]
THESE useful slippers can be made from either soft carpet or felt. Linoleum, carpet or leather can be used for the soles.
YOU need two pieces of felt or soft carpet 12 in. x 9 in., two pieces of flannel or other woollen material for lining 12 in. X 9 in., and 5 1/2 yds. cotton braid 3/4 in. wide for binding. Also enough thin linoleum, carpet or leather for two soles, and felt or thick woollen material for interlining. The ready-made wool-lined soles do very well: they are obtainable at most stores.
Make a paper pattern from the diagram (each square represents an inch). Cut out the two soles from linoleum plus material for interlining and lining. Then cut out material and lining for upper part of slipper.
Oversew together the sole’s lining and interlining to the sole. Then bind right round the braid. Cut off a bare 1/4 in. all round lining for upper and then over-sew to felt all round. Now bind right round with braid very securely. To sew upper to sole, stabstitch together through and through the edges of braid bindings together with strong thread, being careful to ease the fullness of upper to the sole around point of toe.
[two sketches]
Make a paper pattern from these diagrams. Each square represents an inch.
[page break]
16 The Prisoner of War July, 1943
P.O.W. EXAMS.
RECENT RESULTS
PRISONERS OF WAR of all ranks who entered for examinations in German camps have scored a number of successes in recent examinations. The Institute of Book-keepers announce four passes in the “Associate” stage five in the Elementary and three in the Preparatory – these candidates being all privates and non-commissioned officers. There were only two failures, and one of these was for the advanced Fellows’ examination.
The Institute of Bankers announce nine passes from one camp, three of these with distinction. All candidates were sergeants. A P.o.W. in another camp, who sat for the same examination, passed in three out of the four subjects taken.
In the Preliminary Examination of the General Nursing Council, eleven out of twelve candidates passed. Six of theses successful candidates were privates, two were sergeants, two corporals and one a lance/corporal.
In an officers’ camp, four candidates passed the Intermediate Examination of the Incorporated Sales Manager Association and four the Final. The examiners wished particularly to congratulate one candidate on the high standards of his answers.
In the same camp an orderly lance/corporal passed the Final (Section I) of the Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants, and two officers passed the Preliminary Examination in Malay in the School of Oriental and African Studies list, while a private passed Pitman’s Institute examination in Elementary Spanish.
In the examinations of the General Council of Solicitors in Scotland, four P.o.W. candidates have passed Part I and two Part II.
COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES
Please note the following changes : -
Buckingham : The Lady Burnham (formerly the Hon. Mrs Lawson), Hall Barn. Beaconsfield, Bucks.
Caernarvon : Miss Eveline Vaughan Davies, “Tan Lan,” Segontium Road South Caernarvon.
Carmarthen : Mrs. Brigstocke, County Organiser, B.R.C.S., Duffryn, Carmarthen.
Essex : Mrs Hanbury, Essex Joint County Committee, P.O.W. Dept., Hylands, Chelmsford.
NUMBER, PLEASE !
PLEASE be sure to mention your Red Cross reference number whenever you write to us.
Any Questions?
Civilian Leggings
May I include a pair of leggings in my next-of-kin parcel to my son, a P.O.W. in a German camp?
Yes, if they are part of his uniform, but not if they are of a civilian type.
Camp Address
Is Stalag XXIA (Gymo) in Poland? I am told it is, but have to address my letters to my prisoner son to Germany.
The address for Stalag XXIA, as for all other camps in Poland, is Germany.
Labour Battalions
Will you kindly tell me where KR-GEF BAU, ARB-BATL 48 Blechhamer 10/S Kanallager, UBER HEYDEBRECK 2 is; and is it necessary to put the full address as I find it difficult to get the whole on the letter card?
The labour battalions, for which the above is the postal address, are mobile, so the address does not necessarily show their exact location, which is in the Wehrkreis VIII The address should be copied exactly as it is given by the prisoner.
Gramophone Records
May gramophone records be sent to a P.O.W. in Italy?
Yes, records may be sent to prisoners in Italy and Germany, through Messrs H.M.V., 363, Oxford Street, London. Records cannot be forwarded through the Red Cross.
Unmounted Photographs
Is there any way in which photographs can be forwarded to an Italian camp?
Unmounted photographs of a personal nature may be enclosed in letters for prisoners of war in Germany and Italy.
Undelivered Parcels
What would happen to a P.O.W.s next-of-kin parcel if he were set free before its arrival. Would it be passed on to another prisoner?
This would probably depend upon the arrangements made in the camp, or by the prisoners themselves before their release. A number of prisoners repatriated from Italy have authorised others remaining behind to claim any parcels which arrived after their departure.
Number of Parcels
How many food parcels does the Red Cross send to Germany and Italy during a year?
Including contributions from the Dominions, India and the British Communities in Argentina and Brazil, about a million at the present time.
His Diary
Will my husband, a P.O.W. in Germany, be allowed to bring home his diary which he is keeping up to date?
We are not in a position to give any information on this point.
His Glasses
Can I send my husband’s glasses in my next-of-kin parcel?
We suggest that you should write to the Invalid Comforts Section of the Prisoners of War Department about sending your husband’s glasses to him.
Camp Teachers
How are the teachers chosen in the camp study classes? My son is a school-master, but does not mention he is teaching.
The appointment of the teachers in a camp probably depends upon the subjects which the prisoners wish to study and the number of qualified teachers available.
Camp Reports
Who inspects the camps and compiles the reports published in the Journal?
The reports published in the Journal are derived from the representatives of the Protecting Power (Switzerland), who visit the camps. Delegates of the International Red Cross Committee also inspect the camps periodically.
Stalag VIIIB
How far is Stalag VIIIB (Lamsdorf) from Berlin? What does “Kommando” work by our prisoners of war mean?
Lamsdorf is about 200 miles from Berlin, Kommando means working party or labour detachment.
Chocolate and Soap
When we send a next of kin parcel and put money in for extra chocolate and soap should the latter be listed on the forms as articles sent by us?
No. Write on a separate piece of paper the amount of chocolate and/ or soap that you want put in at the packing centre.
FREE TO NEXT OF KIN
THIS journal is sent free of charge to those registered with Prisoners of War Dept. as next of kin. In view of the paper shortage no copies are for sale, and it is hoped that next of kin will share their copy with relatives and others interested.
Printed in Great Britain for the Publishers, THE RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN WAR ORGANISATION, 14 Grosvenor Crescent, London, S.W.1, by THE CORNWALL PRESS, LTD. Paris Garden, Stamford Street, London, S.R.
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
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The prisoner of war, Vol 2, No. 15, July 1943
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-07
Description
An account of the resource
Includes: editorial matters; reading in camp; official reports from the camps (two pages missing); the letters they write home; fun and games, our generous helpers (fund raising at home); group photographs from the camps; news from the far east; parcel problems; pattern for cosy slippers; prisoner exam results; any questions? Includes photographs throughout.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Format
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Fourteen page printed document (two pages missing from original sixteen)
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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MWhiteheadT1502391-180307-16
Creator
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Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation
Rights
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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.
Coverage
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Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
British Army
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-07
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Poland
Poland--Żagań
Poland--Łambinowice
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
anti-Semitism
entertainment
faith
prisoner of war
sanitation
sport
Stalag 8B
Stalag Luft 3
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/169/10302/MHowardI19250926-170330-07.2.jpg
3db35addbdbdb21a1f9faa2b230f705d
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
Howard, Irene
I Howard
Description
An account of the resource
31 Items. An oral history interview with Irene Howard née Green (1925 - 2018), Civil Defence Warden Service and war damage compensation documents, identity cards and ration books as well as various Christmas greetings and photographs of family. She worked in a factory in Manchester during the war and as an Air Raid Precaution Warden. Her house was bombed in December 1940.
The collection was donated by Irene Howard and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Identifier
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Howard, I
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2017-01-12
2017-03-30
Rights
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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.
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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[Crest]
LANCASHIRE CONSTABULARY,
(Air Raid Precautions Department),
PRESTON, 8th May, 1945
LANCASHIRE CIVIL DEFENCE WARDENS’ SERVICE
SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY
1. Now that the Stand-down of the Wardens’ Service in Lancashire has taken effect from the 2nd May, 1945, and has been closely followed by the cessation of hostilities in Europe, I should like to place on record my very deep appreciation of the magnificient [sic] work done by all member of the Lancashire Civil Defence Wardens’ Service.
2. We remember with pride the work performed by the Wardens in close liaison with the Police from 1938, to the present time, especially during those anxious days when the County was the target of enemy activity. In most cases your duties were performed after long hours at business or essential industry, in a manner which can only be described as depicting the greatest loyalty. All members of the Service have shown themselves to be willing and cheerful under most trying conditions.
3. In addition, many tasks have been undertaken by you in relation to the general public, and I realise and appreciate you have spent many hours of your time in this phase of public welfare. I can only say that I deeply and sincerely thank you for the wonderful support I have received from all members of the Wardens’ Service.
4. The team spirit has carried you forward on the peak of efficiency, and the traditions of the County of Lancaster have been worthily upheld by you all. I am most grateful to you and I trust that with the passing of the Lancashire Civil Defence Wardens’ Service you will carry the spirit of comradeship into the years of peace for the mutual benefit of the County and Country.
5. I would also like to take this opportunity of wishing you all every success in the peace years which now lie before us.
[Signature]
Chief Constable of Lancashire.
TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE WARDENS’ SERVICE
Dublin Core
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Title
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Lancashire civil defence warden's service
Description
An account of the resource
Letter of appreciation to all members of the Lancashire civil defence warden's service. Includes Special order of the day after the service had stood down from 2 May 1945 and offers appreciation of work done. States that work was in close cooperation with Police since 1938, especially when country was under attack, and acknowledges many hours were also spent in public welfare.
Creator
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Great Britain. The chief constable of Lancashire
Date
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1945-05-08
Format
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One page printed document
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
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MHowardI19250926-170330-07
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lancashire
England--Preston (Lancashire)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-05-02
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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.
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
Air Raid Precautions
civil defence
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1169/18392/ESaundersHWTurnerKW400131.2.jpg
d4245d2c2853049572627cf346317046
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
Turner, John
Albion John Turner
A J Turner
Description
An account of the resource
<a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/228620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>116 items. Concerns Flight Sergeant Albion John Turner (1911 - 1939, 561939 Royal Air Force) who joined the RAF as an apprentice in 1927. After service as a fitter he re-mustered as a pilot in 1935 and after training served on 216 Squadron flying Vickers Victoria and Valentia before moving to 9 Squadron on Handley Page Heyfords in 1936. He converted to Wellingtons February 1939 and was killed when his aircraft was shot down on 4 September 1939 during operations against shipping at Brunsbüttel. Collection consists of an oral history interview with Penny Turner his daughter (b. 1938), correspondence, official documents, his logbook and photographs. <br /><br />Additional information on Albion John Turner <span>is available via the </span><a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/228620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBCC Losses Database</a><br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Penny Turner and catalogued by Nigel Huckins
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-05-29
Rights
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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
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Turner, J
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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Telephone No.: RUISLIP 3381 ;
and direct lines from Air Ministry.
Telegraphic Address :
RECORDS, RUISLIP.
Any communications on the subject of this letter should be addressed to :-
OFFICER i/c RECORDS,
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
RUISLIP, MIDDLESEX,
and the following number
quoted :- C7/561938
RECORD OFFICE,
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
RUISLIP.
MIDDLESEX.
Date 31st January 1940
Dear Madam,
With reference to my letter C7/561938 dated 17th November 1939, according to information received from the Air Ministry, it is reported that your late husband was buried in Section D, Grave No. 268 in the Wilhelmshaven Cemetery on the 13th September 1939.
I am,
Dear Madam,
Your obedient Servant,
[signature]
Flying Officer,
for Air Commodore,
Officer i/c Records,
Royal Air Force.
Mrs. K.W. Turner,
Fotherby Vicarage,
Fotherby, Nr. Louth.
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 to Kaye Turner from Royal Air Force records office
Description
An account of the resource
Letter informing her that her late husband was buried in section D, grave no, 268 in Wilhelmshaven cemetery on 13 September 1939.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
H W Saunders
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1940-01-31
Format
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One page typewritten letter
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
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Text
Text. Correspondence
Text. Service material
Identifier
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ESaundersHWTurnerKW400131
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
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--London
England--Lincolnshire
England--Louth
Germany
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939-09-13
1940-01-31
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
Georgie Donaldson
final resting place
killed in action
RAF Ruislip
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1230/15963/MRedgraveHC743047-151002-060001.1.jpg
bdef9e1045e5c0d012a4764082878a72
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1230/15963/MRedgraveHC743047-151002-060002.1.jpg
f33fbf6e3a1f1af372aac2b177f280c7
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
Redgrave, Henry Cecil
H C Redgrave
Description
An account of the resource
187 items. The collection concerns Henry Cecil Redgrave (743047, Royal Air Force) and contains his decorations, letters and photographs. He flew operations as a bomb aimer with 207 Squadron from RAF Waddington. He was killed 13/14 March 1941. <br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Pam Isaac and catalogued by Barry Hunter.<br /><br /><span>Additional information on Henry Cecil Redgrave is available via the </span><a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/119457/">IBCC Losses Database</a><span>.</span>
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
2015-10-02
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
Redgrave, HC
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Crest]
The CARE and MARKING of WAR GRAVES
Imperial War Graves Commission,
Wooburn House,
Wooburn Green,
High Wycombe, Bucks.
February, 1942.
[page break]
During the war of 1914-18 the marking and care of the graves of those who fell were entrusted by the people and Governments of the Empire to the Imperial War Graves Commission. War Cemeteries were laid out in all parts of the world, and the graves were marked by headstones of a simple pattern – the same headstone for all, of whatever rank, symbolizing equality of sacrifice. These Cemeteries have been universally recognised as places of beauty, and the uniform headstone as mark of honour reserved for those who gave their lives for others. The photograph below shows these headstones and a War Cemetery. It is proposed to follow the same practice in this war.
(1) Abroad, cemeteries will be formed and the same pattern of headstone will be erected, wherever the forces of the British Commonwealth have been engaged.
(2) In the United Kingdom, in addition to Military Cemeteries, there are reserved plots in public cemeteries, and in some cases there are single burials in cemeteries or in churchyards. The Commission are prepared to mark with the same standard headstones all War Graves, not only
[photograph]
[page break]
[photograph]
in these Military Cemeteries and Service Plots, but also in those cases of single and private burial where the relatives wish their dead to the share this distinction with their comrades who rest in foreign lands.
The headstones cannot, however, be erected now, either abroad or in the United Kingdom, owing to shortage of labour, to lack of transport and to the risk of damage by air raids. As a temporary measure the graves are being marked wherever possible by specially designed wooden crosses, by the Shield of David in the case of Jewish graves, or by other appropriate form of memorial. The Commission will, nevertheless, write to you shortly to obtain from you, first, the full particulars to be recorded on the headstone, if the grave is known, so that everything may be ready to make and erect it as soon as the opportunity comes, and, secondly, the details to be recorded in permanent printed Registers. [inserted] LETTER NOW ENCLOSED [/inserted]
The Commission’s funds are provided by the Governments of the Empire, and no charge is made for either the temporary marking or the headstone. In the case of privately owned graves, care is being taken to ensure that the wishes of relatives are ascertained before the temporary marking is erected.
(3) As in the last war, many are missing and have no known grave. Other arrangements will be made for their commemoration ; after the late war, for example, the names of all sailors who had no grave but the sea were inscribed on memorials such as that shown in the above photograph. In these cases also the Commission will invite you to help them by supplying the necessary particulars.
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
The Care and Marking of War Graves
Description
An account of the resource
A document describing the activities of the Imperial War Graves Commission.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Imperial War Graves Commission
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two printed sheets
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MRedgraveHC743047-151002-060001,
MRedgraveHC743047-151002-060002
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.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-02
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
final resting place
memorial
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1009/18730/ESmithJAMadgettLR430905-0001.1.jpg
3b8fe3502b4689a42a417714233e1eaa
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1009/18730/ESmithJAMadgettLR430905-0002.1.jpg
bd15cef408c6a6eb5844d1eea67703a6
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
Madgett, Hedley Robert
H R Madgett
Description
An account of the resource
250 items. The collection concerns Pilot Officer Hedley Madgett DFM (1922 - 1943, 147519, 1330340 Royal Air Force), a pilot with 61 Squadron. He was killed 18 August 1943 on the last operation of his tour from RAF Syerston to Peenemünde. The collection consists of letters, postcards and telegrams to his parents while he was training in the United Kingdom and Canada. In addition the collection contains memorabilia, documents from the Air Training Corps, artwork, a railway map, diaries, medals as well as his logbook, photographs of people, places and aircraft. Also contains letters of condolence to parents and a sub collection containing a photograph album with 44 items of his time training in Canada'.<br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Joan Madgett and Carol Gibson, and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.<br /><br /><span>Additional information on Hedley Madgett is available via the </span><a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/114690/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/madgett-hr/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a><span>.</span>
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
2015-03-17
2019-06-14
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Madgett, H
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Gerrard 9234
Casualty Branch,
77, Oxford Street,
London, W. 1.
P407611/1/43/P4A2B.
5 September, 1943.
Sir,
I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that your son, Pilot Officer Hedley Robert Madgett, Royal Air Force, is missing as the result of air operations on the night of 17/18th August, 1943, when a Lancaster aircraft in which he was flying as captain set out for action and failed to return.
This does not necessarily mean that he is killed or wounded, and if he is prisoner of war he should be able to communicate with you in due course. Meanwhile enquiries are being made through the International Red Cross Committee, and as soon as any definite news is received you will be at once informed.
If any information regarding your son is received by you from any source you are requested to be kind enough to communicate it immediately to the Air Ministry.
L. R. Madgett, Esq.,
127, Longlands Road,
Sidcup,
Kent.
/The
[page break]
The Air Council desire me to convey to you their sympathy in your present anxiety.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
J A Smith
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 to Hedley Madgett's father from casualty branch
Description
An account of the resource
Air Council expresses regret that Pilot Officer Hedley Robert Madgett is missing as a result of air operations on night 17/18 August 1943. Lancaster aircraft failed to return. Does not mean he is killed, wounded and if a prisoner, should be able to communicate in due course. Enquiries being made through Red Cross.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J A Smith
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-09-05
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page typewritten 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
ESmithJAMadgettLR430905
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--London
England--London
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-09-05
1943-08-17
1943-08-18
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
Lancaster
missing in action
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1252/16984/SCheshireGL72021v10066.2.jpg
2b076d9a54720d1f95a711b9aabdfa07
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
Cheshire, Leonard
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard
Baron Cheshire
Description
An account of the resource
374 items concerning Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC. Collection consists of photographs of people, vehicles, places, aircraft, weapons and targets; documents including, private and service letters, signals, telegrams, intelligence reports, crew lists and official documents. Cheshire served on 102 and 35 Squadrons and commanded 76 and 617 Squadrons. The collection includes details of 617 Squadron's precision bombing operations. Also included are two sub-collections: one containing 21 photographs of Tinian and Saipan, the other consisting of 37 audio tapes of speeches given by Cheshire after the war.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by The Leonard Cheshire Archive and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
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 property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Permission granted for commercial projects
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
ALL LETTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY AND NOT TO INDIVIDUALS.
[Crests]
THE DE HAVILLAND
AIRCRAFT CO., LTD.
DIRECTORS:
A. S. BUTLER CHAIRMAN
G. DE HAVILLAND
C. C. WALKER
F. T. HEARLE
T. P MILLS
W. E. NIXON
F. E. N. St BARBE
HATFIELD AERODROME [Logo] HERTS. ENGLAND
TELEPHONE:
HATFIELD 2345 (14 LINES)
TELEGRAMS:
HAVILLAND
HATFIELD
CABLES:
BENTLEY CODE.
ASSOCIATED COMPANIES IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, INDIA, SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND.
PJdeH/RGG 30th March, 1944.
Wing Commander G. L Cheshire, D. S. O., D. F. C.,
R.A.F. Station,
Woodhall,
Lincs.
Dear Wing Commander Cheshire,
I have just heard from Mr. Mason, our Service representative, that your Squadron has just received two Mk. XVI Mosquitoes, and that he has supplied you with some ground equipment, handling notes etc. Should there be any other information you require, I do hope you will come down to Hatfield where you can see Mosquitoes in full scale production.
Yours sincerely,
pp. P. J. de Havilland
[indecipherable word]
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 to Leonard Cheshire from John de Havilland
Description
An account of the resource
On De Havilland headed paper. Notes that Cheshire has received two Mk XVI Mosquito with equipment and notes. Says that they will provide any other information if required.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J de Havilland
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-03-30
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
SCheshireGL72021v10066
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Hertfordshire
England--Hatfield (Hertfordshire)
England--Herefordshire
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-03-30
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Cheshire, Leonard. Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
License
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Royalty-free permission to publish
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One-page typewritten letter
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992)
Mosquito
RAF Hatfield
RAF Woodhall Spa
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1252/16487/EBarnesJHCheshireGL440909-0001.2.jpg
e10ce7e2ac267dbde688cbf002b1c323
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1252/16487/EBarnesJHCheshireGL440909-0002.2.jpg
6b759f0f4a2dddeb414617fc43c0d436
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
Cheshire, Leonard
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard
Baron Cheshire
Description
An account of the resource
374 items concerning Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC. Collection consists of photographs of people, vehicles, places, aircraft, weapons and targets; documents including, private and service letters, signals, telegrams, intelligence reports, crew lists and official documents. Cheshire served on 102 and 35 Squadrons and commanded 76 and 617 Squadrons. The collection includes details of 617 Squadron's precision bombing operations. Also included are two sub-collections: one containing 21 photographs of Tinian and Saipan, the other consisting of 37 audio tapes of speeches given by Cheshire after the war.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by The Leonard Cheshire Archive and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
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 property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Permission granted for commercial projects
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Air Ministry logo]
AIR MINISTRY,
ADASTRAL HOUSE,
KINGSWAY.
W.C.2.
9th September, 1944.
Dear Wing Commander Cheshire,
May I be allowed to add my very warm congratulations to those of countless others who, with more claim, will be writing to you on your supreme and crowning distinction.
You will not remember me, but I remember you very well, and I hope you will forgive a somewhat impertinent reminiscence. I visited Marston Moor about a year ago with an Air Ministry Committee, and you conducted us round your station. Some indication of your operational record was of course patent to the eye, and my curiosity led me to ask the Air Commodore Base Commander how such a young group Captain fared in the less exciting tasks of administration. The eulogy was only tempered by a melancholy observation in regard to your persistent efforts to return to the field of greater hazard, and the loss which this would mean to your station and to his command.
Sacrificing your rank you returned to operations, and your subsequent achievements have added lustre to the Royal Air Force and your generation. As the war in Europe draws to its close the debt which this country and the world owes to you and the like of you is realised even more widely and intensely. As a civilian member of the Air Ministry – quorum pars parva fui – since its early days – may I be permitted to voice something of the pride and gratitude I am sure all my colleagues feel. Sir Arthur Street, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State, wishes in particular to be associated
Wing Commander G.L. Cheshire, V.C., D.S.O., D.F.C.
[page break]
with what I am trying to convey, and I fear I may be doing less than justice to what he would say himself. You may know that one of his sons is one of your gallant comrades of Bomber Command for whom, alas, there will be no return.
May I also send you again on behalf of all my colleagues my very best wishes for continued health, success and high endeavour.
Yours sincerely,
[signature] J.H. Barnes [/signature]
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 to Leonard Cheshire from J H Barnes
Description
An account of the resource
Congratulatory letter on Air Ministry headed paper, which goes on to praise Leonard Cheshire for insisting on continuing hazardous situations and dropping a rank to continue on operations. Suggests that Cheshire is greatly admired in the Air Ministry for his achievements and wishes him the best for the future.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J H Barnes
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-09-09
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page printed 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
EBarnesJHCheshireGL440909
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--London
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-09-09
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
License
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Royalty-free permission to publish
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Eileen Reddish
David Bloomfield
Georgie Donaldson
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Service Order
RAF Marston Moor
Victoria Cross
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1242/16312/ELingHTNDudleyCJ891201.1.pdf
0b301ab9e4c29a2845c00365c33320f6
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
Allen, Jim
J H Allen
Description
An account of the resource
18 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant James Henry Allen DFC (b. 1923, 179996 Royal Air Force). He flew a tour of operations as a pilot with 578 Squadron. The collection consists of a number of memoirs, photographs and a diary. It includes descriptions of military life and operations and his post-war life and work.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Steve Allen and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
2016-05-12
2019-02-05
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Allen, JH
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[underlined]THE MIRACLE OF ASKHAM BRYAN as told by C.J. Dudley (Navigator) [/underlined]
[underlined]Date: [/underlined] The night of 21st January 1944
[underlined]Aircraft: [/underlined] Wellington LN 487
[underlined]Crew: [/underlined] Sgt. J. (Jimmy) Allen (Pilot)
Sgt. C.J. (Joe) Dudley ( Navigator)
Sgt. N.Phillips (Phil) (Bomb-Aimer/2nd Pilot)
W/O Cohen ( Wireless Operator)
Sgt. Ron (Geordie) Stobbs (Engineer)
Sgt. Eric G. Dunton ( Mid-Upper Gunner)?
W/O Louis Wooldridge (Rear-Gunner)?
The flight was a flight was a night exercise towards the end of flying training at 15 O.T.U. Harwell. Flying at 15,000 feet with the countryside below in complete darkness, the normally deafening roar of the two engines suddenly changed to a tremendous rushing sound. The pilot reported that both engines show high revs but that we were losing height rapidly. He asked the Navigator for a position and was told that we were over the centre of York. The pilot then sent out the distress signal ‘May-day, Mayday! and then reported over the intercom that the lights of an aerodrome have been switched on and that he was aiming for it. By then he realised that there was no power in the engines and that the revs were being produced by the windmill effect on the propellers as we fell rapidly through the air. He then ordered everyone to their crash positions. My position, with Sgt. Phillip(?) was against the main spar bulkhead facing rearwards. Here I replugged in my intercom. We then hear the Pilot report that he had lost sight of the airfield light but that he had at last manged to get the aircraft straight and level. I asked him what our height was and he replied that it was 4000 feet and that he was about to switch on the landing lights.
The next second we heard loud exclamations from the gunners and the pilot felt a couple of bumps, a smell of mud flying around, a sense of being spun around, a smell of petrol, and then silence and stillness. Phil and I scrambled out of the astro-drome escape hatch onto the [deleted]port[/deleted] [inserted] starboard [/inserted] wing then onto the ground. There was little left of the wing and its engine has rolled away infront of the aircraft and was burning itself away merrily. The landing light was still shining bright and lighting up the scene. We were in a muddy field with petrol pouring from the wing onto the squelchy grass. Sgt. Allen was standing on the wing and began calling the roll. Everyone answered except W/O Louis Wooldridge. We all ran to the rear of the aircraft where we found Louis spreadeagled on the grass under the rear turret which stood about eight feet above us. At last
[inserted] OTU = Operational Training Unit [/inserted]
[page break]
Jimmy Allen’s calm professional efficiency broke down. “I’ve killed old Wooly!” he cried out in great anguish. Geordie, the Engineer, rose to the occasion and with great presence of mind and not a little courage climbed back into the aircraft in order to retrieve the Very Pistol and fire off a red flare to attract rescuers. His enterprise was a little too enthusiastic however, for instead of coming out of the fuselage with the pistol he inserted it onto its socket and fired it vertically out of the top of the aircraft. We took one horrified look as the brilliant flare soared into the air, paused , and began to fall back towards the fuselage. There was not a breath of wind. Each of us grabbed one of Louis’ limbs and we ran like hell to get as far from the aircraft as possible, until the flare still burning bright landed and fizzled out, in the grass only a foot or two from the canvas covered fuselage. Silence reigned except for the gush of petrol from the wing.
We laid Wooly on the grass about 50 yards from the aircraft as Geordie clambered happily out of the escape hatch. Wooly then sat up, looked around and said, “What’s happened?” to which Eric Dunton, (I think) replied with great exasperation. “You can see what’s bloody well happened!” Wooly looked back at his turret and immediately exclaimed “What about me rations?” (The tin of chocolate and raisins that was issued to every crew-member on long flights). “You go and get – your own bloody rations!” was Eric’s vehement reply.
By then Geordie’s flare had been seen by a local Anti-aircraft crew who soon arrived with torches and led us back to their camp, and then to R.A.F. Rufforth for some much needed sleep. Sgt. Allen was able to telephone the C.O. at Harwell, whose reaction was not to ask if anyone has survived by only to curse the pilot for destroying his best aircraft.
Next day we return to the aircraft to assess the situation, We found that we had flown at ground level through a wood on the outskirts of York. It was the sight of the flight past and taking off our wings as the pilot switched on the landing lights that brought the cries of amazement from the pilot and gunners. We had then slid across a large marshy field of grass until one engine touched the ground and spun us round 180 degrees. Not one of the crew was even slightly injured, not even Louis Wooldridge. How he had arrived unconscious beneath the rear turret we never found out, but wondered if he had jumped or fallen out with his intercom still plugged in, for we were certainly not expecting to land so suddenly. But whatever the
[page break]
reason he was only knocked out for about one minute, or less, i.e. the time it took to call the roll.
Climbing back into the aircraft to rescue my charts, log, [inserted] and also the pilots parachute [inserted/] and sextant I discovered that our leather gauntlets had been stolen. As it was R.A.F. policy never to replace lost or stolen gauntlets (taking it for granted that they must have been sold on the black market), I was obliged to fly the rest of the war with only my silk inner gloves to keep me warm.
Why did Jimmy Allen tell me that we were 4000feet when in fact we could’nt have been more than a couple of feet above the ground? The answer lies in the construction of the altimeter, This was no more than an aneroid barometer, which was very slow to react to changes in atmospheric pressure. We had descended 15,000 feet in 3 or 4 minutes, leaving the altimeter with its built-in time-lag reading nearly a mile above our true height.
We never discovered why both the Wellington’s engines should suddenly fail completely and simultaneously, without warming. No-one would believe that it could happen but it did, and I believe, has happened on several occasion since then. Nor have I ever heard of any other air-craft falling three miles at night with no engine power whatever, and landing safely of its own accord in a dark and muddy field with all the crew walking away completely unharmed.
At the end of the official enquiry, which found no fault in anyone’s actions, nor any reason for the loss of the aircraft, each member of the crew was asked if they wished to change to another crew, and all of us, with the exception of W/O Cohen, who was entering his second tour of operations and was hoping for a crew as experienced as himself, had no hesitation insaying that we wished to continue flying together with Sgt. Allen as our skipper. In the weeks that we had been with him before the crash we had all been deeply impressed by his flying skill and his outstanding ability as captain, in the realisation that he could do everyone’s job in the crew at least as well as we could ourselves, and we all had complete confidence in each other. During the events of 21st Jan, we had all been equally deeply affected by Jimmy Allen’s calm and efficient professionalism in a situation of extreme danger, and by his remarkable skill in handling the stricken aircraft. We knew that he was a captain who would never panic, never act wildly or foolishly, always skilfully in command of every situation no matter how desperate. Not every bomber captain inspired such
[page break]
confidence. Above all perhaps we felt that anyone who was not only as skilful but as [underlined]
lucky [/underlined] as Jimmy Allen, - as the whole crew – had to be where our future lay.
We took on a new W/Op (Sgt. Ron Adams) and within a few days transferred to a Halifax Conversion unit, and then on to 578 Squadron at Burn in Yorkshire. Here we flew 39 operations over Europe specialising in very accurate attacks on small tactical targets. Our crew was particularly successful, our log and bombing photographs always on display, and we completed the tour flying day and night without any of the crew sustaining any injury of any kind, inspite [sic] of much damage to our aircraft, ( which managed to survive and fly many more operations.
By the end of the tour, flying day and night under great stress, our nerves pretty well worn through, we had come almost to hate the sight of each other. Nevertheless we all volunteered to go on another tour of special duties, provided that we could keep together as a crew. But the R.A.F. decided to send us all on our separate ways. While on the Squadron at Burn, three of the crew, - Jimmy Allen, Norma Phillips and myself, were commissioned [sic], and in January 1945 we read that every member of the crew, except for Eric Dunton, who, in spite of being proven many times to be the best gunner on the Squadron, had never had the opportunity to fire his guns at the enemy, had all been awarded the D.F.C. or D.F.M.
[signature]
Colin Joseph Dudley
Flight Lieutenant R.A.F.V.R. (Ret.)
27th September 1987
[page break]
Detail of crew members
Pilot Fg Off J H Allen (179996)
Navigator Plt Off J C Dudley (182392)
Bomb-aimr F Sgt N M Phillips (1389293)
Wireless Op F Sgt R E Adams (1454844)
Flt Engineer Sgt K Stobbs (1592671)
Mid-upper Gunner Sgt E G Dunton (2204493)
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Title
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The Miracle of Askham Bryan
Description
An account of the resource
The story of a complete engine failure in Wellington LN 487 over York at 15,000ft at night. The aircraft was over York and crash-landed safely. The rear-gunner had been knocked unconscious but was unhurt, as were the rest of the crew.
Creator
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Joe Dudley
Date
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1987-09-27
Format
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Five typewritten sheets
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Memoir
Identifier
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ELingHTNDudleyCJ891201
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
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Great Britain
England--York
England--Yorkshire
Temporal Coverage
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1944-01-21
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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.
578 Squadron
aircrew
crash
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Medal
Halifax
navigator
Operational Training Unit
pilot
RAF Harwell
RAF Rufforth
training
Wellington
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/837/34464/BGoldbyJLGoldbyJLv1.1.pdf
a2af61ec805d86ca71c6b1c21464bd57
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Title
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Goldby, John Louis
J L Goldby
Description
An account of the resource
An oral history interview with John Goldby (1922 - 2020, 1387511, 139407 Royal Air Force). He was shot down and became a prisoner of war in December 1944.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by John Goldby and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2017-10-25
Rights
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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
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Goldby, JL
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
JOHN GOLDBY
THE LAST DAYS IN STALAGLUFT 1 30 APRIL – 13 MAY 1945
Monday 30th April 1945
All to-day the Jerries have been demolishing detector installations and equipment in the Flak School. By this evening most of the items have left the Camp and it looks as though we shall be left here in the care of the S.A.O.
Many heavy explosives in the Flak School and on the aerodrome beyond. There was no count on parade tonight – but the Jerry Major appeared to be tight.
At 9pm the W/O told us that from 8am tomorrow we should no longer be P.O.W.s as the Kommandant was officially handing over. We had an extra biscuit, butter and marmalade to celebrate.
Tuesday 1st May 1945
Today the guard posts are occupied by Americans wearing M.P. armbands, instead of the usual old goons. A white flag flies over the camp. The rumours are flying thick and fast, and everyone is wondering when we shall get away. The Russians are supposed to be pretty close, the latest is that they are 2 kms. south of Barth. The Burgomeister of Barth is said to have shot himself. At 1pm. we heard the BBC news and now at 14.20 hours we are listening to Variety Bandbox.
Tonight at 22.15 approximately a Russian lieutenant and either a civilian or Russian soldier arrived in Camp. Cheers echoed throughout the compound. We have been waiting for this for some time! Good old Joe! The main Russian body captured Stralsund today. Hear the 9 pm. BBC news. Public house times to be extended on VE Day – good show, I hope we’re home for it!
At 22.30 it was announced that Hitler is dead – I hope it was one of Berlin’s sewers. Perhaps the B……ds will capitulate now. Light on until midnight by order of Colonel Zenke. Special cup of hot milk at 23.15 to celebrate Joe’s arrival. More Russians expected tomorrow.
Water shortage.
Wednesday 2nd May 1945
The Russians said we were to march out and we packed in preparation to leave at 6 pm.. One Red Cross parcel issued to each man for the journey. We ate several meals in quick succession to get rid of c…… stocks and shared out as much as we had left. Then we were told to be ready to march in the morning, and a little later we heard that the march was not definite. Most of us left camp in the evening to have a look round – some even got into Barth. Rumours of flying out – ‘Hope it’s true!’. British and Russians are supposed to have linked up in the north. Chaos reigned all day. Poor water situation.
[page break]
- Page 2 -
Thursday 3rd May 1945
German armies in Italy and Austria surrendered to Alexander. Monty’s boys in Lubeck. Russians in Rostock. Both captured. Berlin fallen. Hamburg declared an open city. Have been told that the airfield is being cleared of mines so that we may be flown out. Hope it’s true and that the kites arrive pretty quickly. Heard earlier today that we were in contact with London, Washington and Moscow to see what they intended us to do.
Ate colossal (comparatively speaking) amounts all day. On K.P. – a hell of a job today. Water situation better. From midnight to-night we use Russian time! An hour in advance of our present time.
Friday 4th May 1945
Airfield expected to be clear by 2.00. All Germans in North-West Germany, Holland, Denmark, Heligoland and …….. were ordered by Admiral Donitz to surrender unconditionally. This is to take effect from 08.00 hours tomorrow, Saturday May 5th. 1945.
Saturday 5th May 1945
A Russian general inspected our barracks in the morning. In the afternoon Marshal Rokotovsky came to report with Colonel Zenke. Very tough-looking bunch. One of the generals made a speech to some of us – in Russian.
An American colonel arrived by jeep from our lines to make final arrangements for our evacuation. Wish they’d get a move on. Listened to radio recording of the signing of the unconditional surrender by the German staff. The commentary was by Monty.
Sunday 6th May 1945
Still waiting. The Colonel reported his former broadcasts saying that things were being done for our evacuation. Johnnie evacuated himself.
Monday 7th May 1945
A Lt. Colonel of the 6th Airborne Division came from Weismar today to reassure us – and we needed reassuring too – that we could expect to be flown out within the next few days. He could not state which day it would be but it would definitely be only a matter of a few days. Question: How long – or short – it is a few days? Apparently we shall be flown direct to England. Good deal! Other P.O.W.s are still being flown back by Lancs. Have just heard that …. are passed ‘thro Reception Centres on 48 hours. Daks and Commandos are being used – 25 in a Dak and 40 in a Commando. Most P.O.W.s have to be helped into an aircraft – they’ll get a shock here. We shall run like stink when the kites come. Heard that tomorrow is VE Day and the following day a holiday. I am bloody annoyed that we are going to miss he [sic] celebrations and so is everyone else.
[page break]
- Page 3 -
Sunday 6th May 1945 (continued)
Saw a Russian concert this afternoon and it was damn good. No-one – or very few – understood a word, but what the hell !!!
Monday 7th May 1945 (continued)
At the moment 21.50 Russian time a bod (I think it’s Alfredo Campoli) is playing a composition on the violin which I heard at one of the St John’s Socials. It may be called “The Canary” – I’m not sure. The chap who played it at the Social was Mr Butwick I think – will check up in a few days time when I get home.
It has just been announced that the BBC have broadcast a message to the effect that Stalag Luft 1, Barth, Pomerania has been liberated and that next of kin are informed.
Goebbels, his wife and daughters took poison apparently.
War ends after 5 years and 8 months.
Unconditional surrender made at 2.41 am. French time today to FM Montgomery. Location – Rheims.
Tuesday 8th My [sic] 1945
Have just heard the Prime Minister’s speech declaring that the European war is at an end. The cease-fire officially takes place at 00.01 tomorrow Wednesday May 9th, but fighting – except for some resistance in Czechoslovakia – ceased on Thursday morning.
It is VE Day and this morning I spent some time sun-bathing on the peninsula north of the camp. I hope soon to be doing the same thing in England very soon.
Listened to the King’s speech and I guess the family were listening too. Do they know where I am I wonder and did they hear the announcement on the radio at 22.00 last night to the effect that we had been liberated by the Red Army?
Lancs. landed in Germany for the first time and flew back with 4,500 P.O.W.s. Come on boys – let’s get out of here?
Wednesday 9th May 1945
Sun bathing again today.
Allied parade this morning. A Russian officer made a speech to us – same old story. Be patient for a few more days. Plenty of rumours floating around. Was the ……. message re Russian transport to Weismar gen? I doubt it……took out P.O.W.s from the Lubeck area.
At 08:00 hours on BBC radio – ‘All men at Stalag I. Both near Stralsund, Pomerania, Germany are to remain in the camp and not make for the allied lines’.
[page break]
- Page 4 -
Thursday 10th May 1945
On KP again today. 10,000 more P.O.W.s flown out by 500 BC aircraft – and we’re still here. Col. Zenke made an appalling speech again tonight. He is going to get us all souvenirs etc. !! The rumour is that all British personnel are going to be taken by transport ro [sic] Weismar and flown home from there. Also that we should have been there (Weismar) yesterday. C/O Weir is supposed to have gone there today to try and get us out. He may have split with Col. Z. I hope so as Z hasn’t a bloody clue. Listened to ITMA 21.30 – 22.00. Last time I heard it was on Wednesday 6th. December 1944 from 14.30 – 15.00. I was changing in my room for the op. and could hear it on someone else’s radio.
Friday 11th May 1945
Sun bathed again today.
There is a meeting of the wheels to-night. Final arrangements for our evacuation are said to be the subject for discussion. C/O Weir seems to have been arranging with the Russian Commander of this area, Col. Gen. Butow, for aircraft to land here to take us out. Col. Zenke has just announced that aircraft are expected here tomorrow or on Sunday. Russian passports are being signed up in preparation. It really looks as if we are going soon.
S/L Evans had us fill in forms of interrogation which he signed. This gives us a clearance chit to be presented on arrival in England which should hasten our departure from the receiving centre. A Cabinet order says that all P.O.W.s are to be with their families within 24 hours of arriving in England. Length of leave is uncertain.
Some reports say 56 days, some 42 days and others a month.
Nearly 80,000 P.O.W.s have been returned to England so far. There can’t be many more!
Eisenhower has just repeated his ‘Stay put’ message.
Saturday 12th May 1945
G/C Green on parade this morning said that evacuation was due to start this afternoon.
Sick Quarters are first on the list, then come the British Personnel in the following order –
Blocks 8, 9, 10, 11 etc. so we are in a good position. What’s the betting I click for a clearing job which will mean a delayed departure?
At 2 pm. the first U.S. aircraft arrived at Barth aerodrome. Two Daks for hospital cases and the rest Fortresses. Joe here is in charge of mopping-up operations in the block so I shan’t get away until tomorrow. The rest of the boys in the room buzzed at 3 pm.! Six lads and I stayed from 3 pm. until 9 pm. clearing up – what a bloody awful job. Managed to get a shower at the end of it. Packed for the morning, nearly losing my fags as the Yanks still in the compound were on the prowl and almost swiped them.
[page break]
- Page 5 -
Sunday 13th May
Paraded at 6.30 am. And after a roll-call we marched out to the airfield. At 7.30 am. the first Forts arrived. We have spilt into groups of 25 and as each Fort came round the perimeter track we embarked. We were airborne at 8.30 am., and flew fairly low direct to England, having a look at Bremen and Hamburg on route. As we were using Russian time we had to put our watches back 1 hour to correspond with DBST. We landed at Ford in Sussex at 11.30 DBST. This completed the trip I set out on on the Dec. 6th last. It took too bloody long for my liking.
I have recalled the following dream I had some time during my incarceration. Obviously it was prompted by my fear that my family did not know my fate. I returned home to reassure the family that I was safe, in reasonably shape, and in a German P.O.W. camp. Having told the family this I prepared to leave, much to their puzzlement – ‘Why,’ they asked, ‘ since you are now home do you propose to leave?’ ‘Because I am still a P.O.W. and my place is a German P.O.W. camp’ I replied.
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
The Last Days in Stalagluft 1 30 April - 13 May 1945
Description
An account of the resource
The long drawn out wait for John's return to the UK from the camp.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Goldby
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany--Barth
Germany--Stralsund
Germany--Rostock
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Wismar
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Lübeck
Germany
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
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
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Text
Text. Memoir
Format
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Five printed sheets
Identifier
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BGoldbyJLGoldbyJLv1
Rights
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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
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-04
1945-05
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
B-17
C-47
entertainment
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945)
Lancaster
prisoner of war
RAF Ford
Red Cross
Stalag Luft 1
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1407/26679/EAmpthillMSimpsonL441219.2.jpg
4e6f142c1d912daca28e26dee5c7f1de
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
Simpson, Henry
Henry Evan Wade Simpson
H E W Simpson
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2019-03-13
Rights
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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
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Simpson, HEW
Description
An account of the resource
42 items. Collection concerns Henry Evan Wade 'Harry' Simpson DFM (1806333 Royal Air Force) a flight engineer on Lancaster of 166 Squadron whose aircraft failed to return on 7/8 June 1944. Collection contains his flying logbook, correspondence, documents and photographs. <br /><br />Additional information on Harry Simpson is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/121329/">IBCC Losses Database.</a><br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jean Simpson and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[British Red Cross society and St John of Jerusalem crests]
WAR ORGANISATION OF THE
BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY and ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM
President:
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
Grand Prior:
H.R.H. The Duke of Gloucester, K.G.
[underlined] WOUNDED, MISSING AND RELATIVES DEPARTMENT [/underlined]
Chairman : THE DOWAGER LADY AMPTHILL, C.I., G.B.E.
Telephone No. SLOANE 9696
In replying please quote reference:
S/AEW
RAF/C.13050
7 BELGRAVE SQUARE, LONDON, S.W.I
19th December 1944.
Dear Mrs. Simpson.
We deeply regret that you will by now have heard from the Air Ministry that your son, Sergeant H.E.W. Simpson, No.1806333 has been posted “Missing, believed Killed in Action,” and we should like to offer you the deep sympathy of all in this Department.
The report that your son, Sergeant G.L. Nordbye and F/Sergeant L.M.G. Baker lost their lives on 8th June 1944 was sent to the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva in an official German statement.
Further enquiries are being made about Sergeant Simpson’s death and place of burial and you will be notified without delay when any information reaches the Air Ministry or ourselves.
Many answers are being received to enquiries of this nature, but we are afraid that they often take several months to come through.
With again our deepest sympathy.
Yours sincerely,
Margaret Ampthill.
Chairman.
Mrs. L. Simpson,
“Amberley”
[missing letter]ingle Street,
[missing letter]iggin Hill,
[missing letters]t.
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 to Henry Simpson's father from the Red Cross
Description
An account of the resource
Regrets to inform him that his son had been posted as missing believe killed. A report that his son, F/Sergeant G L Nordbye and F/Sergeant L M G Baker has lost their lives had been received through the Red Cross from an official German statement.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
M Ampthill
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-12-19
Format
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One page typewritten letter
Language
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eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EAmpthillMSimpsonL441219
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--London
England--Kent
England--Bromley
England--Essex
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-06-08
1944-12-19
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
Georgie Donaldson
killed in action
Red Cross
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1216/11911/SArrowsmithHL571013v10007.2.jpg
a635ccf88e4f484d87113f2db67341e2
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Title
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Arrowsmith, Les. Flight
Description
An account of the resource
15 pages of newspaper cuttings relating to 1930's aviation. It includes record breaking flights, and aircraft types including the Hurricane, Battle and Ju 52.
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IBCC Digital Archive
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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.
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Arrowsmith, HL
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2016-09-22
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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AIR BOMBERS rule the Waves To-Day
[picture]
The famous Wright aeroplane, with its engine of only 12 horse-power, which heralded the Air Age.
Major
J. G. STRUTHERS, D.S.C.
Who contributes this article, was one of the most successful of British war-time air aces.
Decorated in 1917 after 2,000 hours’ flying, he spent most of his time locating and destroying from the air enemy submarines. He writes with unrivalled knowledge of the vulnerability of surface and under-sea craft in air attack.
THAT one of the most wonderful creations of science, manned by the finest personnel in the world, the battleship, should be doomed is a tragedy.
The fact, however, must be faced and our losses cut at once. She has had her day, and a glorious one it has been, but the decline that began in 1914 has been rapid, and now the battleship is one of our greatest liabilities.
All surface vessels are vulnerable to attack from three dimensions : the air ; below the surface ; and on the surface – the danger being in the order given. The larger the vessel the more vulnerable to attack, and the mere venturing forth in war time of such a vast and costly fortress as a battleship is attended by such varied dangers as to be a nightmare to those responsible for her safety.
[underlined] Escape Impossible [/underlined]
ONCE the battleship was supreme ; now, relays of aircraft carrying tons of bombs and aerial torpedoes, super-speed skiffs capable of 75 knots and carrying torpedoes, and submarines would be on her track, each of them capable of sending the £7,000,000 masterpiece to the bottom. Escape from them all would be impossible.
What are you doing ? We continue to spend many millions on big ships while starving our vital defence, the air arm.
Dublin Core
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Title
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Air Bombers rule the Waves To-day
Description
An account of the resource
An article written by Major J. G Struthers. He argues against the practicality of large battleships which can easily be destroyed by aeroplane, fast torpedo boats and submarines. He suggests that money would be better spent on aircraft and submarines than battleships.
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Major JG Struthers
Format
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One newspaper cutting on a scrapbook page
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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SArrowsmithHL571013v10007
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
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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.
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
aircrew
bombing
submarine
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1169/18236/NTurnerAJ170615-010001.1.jpg
c8c954f308f26c1f82857b4c69d6c597
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1169/18236/NTurnerAJ170615-010002.1.jpg
4a36a63ce37126f135de01df89155174
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Title
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Turner, John
Albion John Turner
A J Turner
Description
An account of the resource
<a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/228620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>116 items. Concerns Flight Sergeant Albion John Turner (1911 - 1939, 561939 Royal Air Force) who joined the RAF as an apprentice in 1927. After service as a fitter he re-mustered as a pilot in 1935 and after training served on 216 Squadron flying Vickers Victoria and Valentia before moving to 9 Squadron on Handley Page Heyfords in 1936. He converted to Wellingtons February 1939 and was killed when his aircraft was shot down on 4 September 1939 during operations against shipping at Brunsbüttel. Collection consists of an oral history interview with Penny Turner his daughter (b. 1938), correspondence, official documents, his logbook and photographs. <br /><br />Additional information on Albion John Turner <span>is available via the </span><a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/228620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBCC Losses Database</a><br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Penny Turner and catalogued by Nigel Huckins
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2017-05-29
Rights
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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.
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Turner, J
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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QUIET CORNER
What Will [underlined] You [/underlined] Give?
“God loveth a cheerful giver.” – II Cor. 9. 7.
Give, and give not grudgingly, but with a ready hand – Urgent is the need of many – and the times demand – a sacrifice; and offering ; a cheery willingness – to help our nation in its hour of danger , strain and stress.
Help to buy a Spitfire or a bandage or a gun – for only by our selfless efforts can the War be won, . . . Night and day the R.A.F. our grateful praises earn. They give their lives to guard us. . . What will you give in return?
By PATIENCE STRONG
[page break]
Lord Nuffield Gives
£250,000 to the R.A.F
Lord Nuffield yesterday [missing words] cheque for £250,000 to Lord [missing letters]field, chairman of the council [missing word] the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund, [missing word] which to found a fund to [missing word] known as the Nuffield Endowm[missing letters]
The money is to be invested [missing word] the interest applied to the relie[missing letters] [missing word] all forms of distress among [missing letters]pendants of R.A.F. person[missing letters] killed or incapacitated by wou[missing letters] or injuries received in action.
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Title
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Spitfire appeal and donation to RAF Benevolent Fund
Description
An account of the resource
Newspaper cuttings. An appeal to help buy a Spitfire or a bandage or a gun by Patience Strong. On the other side news about Lord Nuffield donating £250,000 to the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Creator
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Patience Strong
Format
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Newspaper cutting
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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NTurnerAJ170615-01
Coverage
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Civilian
Royal Air Force
Rights
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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
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IBCC Digital Archive
Spatial Coverage
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Great Britain
Contributor
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Georgie Donaldson
home front
propaganda
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/689/17878/BBarkerRBarkerRv1.1.pdf
bcfb50858f43146a1da0eb77080cdb6e
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Title
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Barker, Reg
R Barker
Description
An account of the resource
Two items. The notes for a talk given by Reg Barker to the Haywards Heath Historical Society on 24 June 2014 and an account of his Lancaster being shot down during an operation to Kiel on 20 August 1944. Reg Barker flew as pilot on Halifax with 76 Squadron and Lancaster with 635 Squadon.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Reg Barker and catalogued by Nigel Huckins
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2015-11-23
Rights
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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.
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Barker, R
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Photographs]
Flt Lt Reg Barker
RAF Bomber Command
A Miraculous Escape From Certain Death in World War II
by Reg Barker
Former Flight Lieutenant 635 Squadron RAF Pathfinder Force
Can I take you back to the summer of 1944 when, after nearly five years, the tide of war was at last turning in our favour? The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6th had been successful; our armies were fighting their way across France, and Paris had just been liberated after more than four years under German occupation.
My part in this offensive was as an RAF pilot ages 22; the captain of a skilled and dedicated crew of seven. We were a tightly knit team. As their skipper, I remember how privileged I felt to enjoy the loyalty and comradeship of such an exceptional crew. We were all proud to flying Lancaster bombers with Bomber Command’s Pathfinder Force, as members of 635 Squadron.
On August 26th 1944, we were briefed to fly that night from our airfield at Downham Market in Norfolk, to attack Germany’s naval and submarine base at Kiel. Heavily defended with searchlights and anti-aircraft guns Kiel was an important target, because enemy submarines were a serious threat to the ships upon which our armies on the continent depended to maintain their essential supplies.
We were directed to fly in the first wave of twelve Pathfinder aircraft, two minutes ahead of the Master Bomber, who would monitor the progress of the attack and direct the main force of bombers by wireless.
We arrived at Kiel exactly on time, thanks to the superb skill and dedication of our Canadian navigator, Hannes. He calculated a fresh ‘fix’ of our position every six minutes throughout our flight, a remarkable feat of concentration. This enabled him to give me an adjusted course or speed whenever necessary, to ensure that we were always right on time and on track.
We had a good run into the target, with our painstaking bomb aimer, Brian, carefully directing me as he peered through his bomb-sight, “Left…left…right…steady,” to
[page break]
ensure that he would drop our bombs exactly where they were intended. After he called, “Bombs gone!” I held a straight course in order to obtain a photograph of our aiming point. Brian reported that he was pleased with the accuracy of our bombing.
Now we were on our way homewards, thankfully leaving behind the searchlights and flak which had seemed to fill the sky over the target. I was flying the aircraft in a ‘banking search’, weaving so as to help the crew to keep an extra sharp lookout for enemy fighters who might be waiting to intercept us.
Suddenly there was an explosion, a vivid flash and the aircraft was thrown on its back. I managed to regain level flight, assured the crew that I had control and checked with each of them that they were alright. However, we could see flames coming from the starboard wing. Hoping that an increased rush of air might extinguish them, I opened up the engines to full power, but as we increased speed I felt the control column go slack in my hands and I realised that the cables to the tail plane must have been severed. I could no longer control the aircraft, so I immediately ordered the crew to bail out.
At almost the same moment, the nose of our Lancaster plunged violently downwards and the aircraft went into a steep, spiralling dive. Our four Rolls Royce Merlin engines were now driving us at terrifying speed, vertically downwards towards the earth.
The cause of our predicament, as I learned later from our rear gunner, was that the aircraft had broken in two. The tail plane, with the rear turret, had split away from the fuselage. As the rest of us flew on, Dizzy was left behind without the engine or pilot! He recalled afterwards that finding himself alone in the sky, with the tail place swishing gently from side to side like a leaf falling, he felt sure that he could descend all the way to earth that way. Fortunately, he decided to climb out of his turret and to use his parachute. He landed safely.
Without a tail plane, it was no wonder the aircraft had nose-dived so suddenly and so violently. From our flying height of 17,000 feet, we had plunged in seconds to 13,000 feet. As I was lifted out of my seat by the powerful force of ‘g’, caused by the spinning of the aircraft, I could see the altimeter needle racing round the dial, as it clocked 1,000 feet a second in our headlong descent to earth.
Trapped in our tightly spinning aircraft, pinned hard up against the Perspex cockpit roof, and unable to move so much as a finger, I knew it would only be seconds before we reached the ground. This would be the end. There was no time for my life to flash before me, but a fleeting glimpse of the fires raging below prompted a split-second prayer to the Almighty!
As I lost consciousness, I was aware only of the most deafening sound. The blasting and buffeting of the wind through the fuselage, the screaming of the propellers and the roaring and vibrating of the four powerful engines combined into an overwhelming, thunderous, unbearable crescendo of noise. Then – total silence, total peace, total bliss! Instead of a fiery hell, I had arrived in that Heavenly abode which I hoped was destiny!
However, gradually, the silence was broken by a persistent swishing sound. Then suddenly my sight returned and I realised that I was in the sky, and nearby I could see my blazing aircraft coming down beside me. The ‘swishing’ must have been the wind whistling through my clothing as I hurtled towards the ground. I had no sense of falling, but instinctively I grabbed and tugged my ripcord.
[page break]
As my parachute opened, I could see trees below me, brightly floodlit from above by my blazing aircraft. Instantly, I dropped in the treetops and my aircraft crashed a short distance away. Anxious to get to the ground as quickly as possible before I was discovered, I released my parachute harness and climbed down through the branches, landing safely on a cushion of leaves. Overhead, I could hear the main force of the bombers, making their way home to England and, wistfully, I thought of the traditional aircrew breakfast of eggs and bacon, to which they were returning.
My immediate concern was to get away from the crashed aircraft, which was blazing furiously close by, with ammunition exploding in the intense heat of the fire. I could see the stars overhead, recognised the North Star, and set off hopefully towards Denmark, a few miles to the north. Denmark had been occupied by Germans, and I hoped I might meet up with some friendly inhabitants there.
I soon came to the edge of the wood in which I had landed, and I crept along a ditch which ran in the direction I wanted to travel. To my dismay, I heard voices coming from ahead. I might have heard them sooner, had I removed my flying helmet, but I had kept it on because my head was pouring blood (from a superficial shrapnel wound, as it turned out). I hid in the hedge, but it was too late, for the approaching villagers must have seen me silhouetted against the fire.
An excited crowd quickly surrounded me, each and every one of them grabbing my tunic or trousers, holding me as tightly as possible. No doubt this was so that each of them could claim to have captured the English ‘terror flieger’. They were all very old or very young. Although a teenage boy held a revolver to my head with his hand shaking furiously, not one of them harmed me in any way.
Perhaps because of my amazement that I was still alive, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm. This contrasted with the understandable agitation of these villagers, who must have been terrified out of their lives as my Lancaster came screaming down out of the sky.
Soon, two uniformed men arrived and I was handed over, to begin a new chapter in my life as a prisoner of war. To my great surprise and joy, in the hours which followed, I met up with our rear gunner Dizzy, (whose brief solo trip flying the tail plane I described earlier), and also with three other members of my crew who had also survived – our navigator Hannes; our wireless operator Dick, and our flight engineer Harry. Each of them described an identical experience to my own: being trapped in the aircraft, blacking out, and then miraculously regaining consciousness in the sky, just in time to release their parachutes and drop into the tree tops.
Unfortunately Hannes had suffered a broken leg and was on his way to a German hospital. He was liberated the following April by General Patton’s army. Harry, Dick, Dizzy and I all ended up in the same POW camp – Stalagluft 1 at Barth on the Baltic coast, and we were liberated by the Russian Army in May 1945.
My greatest sorrow has been the loss of two members of my crew: Brian, our bomb aimer and Taffy, our mid-upper gunner, both of whom are buried in Kiel War Cemetery. Brian had left the aircraft through the forward escape hatch, but just after he jumped, the aircraft made its violet nose-dive. I believe he must have been struck by part of the aircraft and had been knocked unconscious, for he was found in a field with his parachute unopened. Taff died in the aircraft. Once it started its uncontrolled spinning dive, it would have been impossible for him to extricate himself
[page break]
from his cramped turret. Like myself, he would have been trapped by the irresistible force of ‘g’. After blacking out, he could have known nothing more.
Of the 16 Lancasters dispatched by my Squadron on that fateful night, 3 were shot down, together with their 21 highly trained and experienced aircrew. 12 were killed and 9 of us became POWs. The German authorities later acknowledge the attack on Kiel to have been ‘a very serious raid’ with extensive damage.
How did the enemy manage to shoot us down without our having any warning? This was a mystery until years later, when we learned about ‘Schrage Musik’, (Jazz Music) whereby German fighters were able to home in our H2S radar transmitter, which was housed in a blister underneath our fuselage. We also learned that they had been equipped with upward-firing guns. Unknown to us, these advantages enabled them to position themselves directly below us, where they were completely hidden from our view and where their guns could inflict the greatest damage.
The remaining mystery is how the four of us who were trapped under the cockpit roof could have had such a miraculous escape from certain death, only seconds before our blazing Lancaster exploded on the ground. Perhaps the ‘g’ force created by the tightly spinning aircraft acted upon the combined weight of our four unconscious bodies to cause the roof to break apart and to hurl us in the night sky, where we quickly regained consciousness in the cold night air, just in time to be saved by our parachutes.
After the war, the Irwin Parachute Company presented me with the golden caterpillar brooch. This is a constant reminder that I owe my life to the caterpillars which had spun the silk thread that was used to manufacture my parachute. Over 70 years later, I wear my caterpillar with gratitude and humility.
Reg Barker
Former Flight Lieutenant
635 Squadron
RAF Pathfinder Force
[page break]
[Photographs]
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
A miraculous escape from certain death in world war 2
Description
An account of the resource
An account of operation as Pathfinder against German naval and submarine base at Kiel when his aircraft was shot down by 'Schrage Musik' equipped night-fighter which cause the aircraft to break in two. Describes crew actions during bomb run and subsequent explosion in aircraft, fight to maintain control, difficulty in bailing out, parachute decent, capture and fate of crew (two killed). States sent to Stalag Luft 1 with three others from crew. Notes other losses on that operation and analysis of how they were shot down. Award of Irvin caterpillar badge. Includes at top left b/w wartime photograph of Reg Barker wearing tunic with pilots brevet and peaked cap, top right current colour photograph of Reg Barker. Bottom left colour photograph of Reg Barker wearing baseball cap and blazer with medals and bottom right colour photograph of Reg Barker signing a colour print of Lancaster.
Creator
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R Barker
Format
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Five page printed document with one b/w and three colour photographs
Language
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eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Text
Text. Memoir
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BBarkerRBarkerRv1
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
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Great Britain
England--Norfolk
Germany
Germany--Kiel
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Germany--Barth
Temporal Coverage
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1944-08-20
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
635 Squadron
Caterpillar Club
faith
final resting place
grief
H2S
Lancaster
Master Bomber
military ethos
Pathfinders
prisoner of war
RAF Downham Market
shot down
Stalag Luft 1
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1526/29793/BMilesRJMilesRJv1.1.pdf
9c4ecee51db3f431f91201332344b0c2
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Miles, Reg
Reginald J Miles
R J Miles
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-07-26
Rights
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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
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Miles, RJ
Description
An account of the resource
102 items. The collection concerns Reg Miles (1923 - 2022) and contains his audio memoir, log book, photographs and documents. He flew 36 operations with 432 and 420 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by R Miles and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Biography of Reg Miles
Ex Apprentice No 1 S. of T.T., R.A.F., Halton 39th Entry 34 – 67 M.U.s – 27 A/S Bloemspruit South Africa – Lympe Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 242 – 245 – 511
Squadrons Transport Command Lyneham, RAF
Chapter 1
Ex Apprentice No 1 S. of T.T., R.A.F.
The summer job had ended and there was a few months to go before I would leave for Halton, must get a job Mum said, so I got a job as a paper boy with Smith’s Book Shop in Westgate, delivering the morning papers to all the grand houses in the area and woe betide you if you got the houses wrong, no scandal sheets there all Times, Telegraph, Financial Review, and sometimes the Daily Express but certainly no Mirror. A friend worked for the same place and we both rode the Smith’s bikes, very distinctive they were, painted dark red with a large panel under the cross bar with the company logo on it and either side of the back wheel large canvas bags to hold the newspapers. Riding towards home together one day we came across a coal ship hight and dry on the Nayland rocks, which jutted out into the Margate harbour entrance, the skipper had missed the turn and when the tide went out there he was stuck, the crew were busy shovelling the coal over the side onto the rocks so that the ship could get off on the next tide. Too much of a temptation for two young boys, onto the rocks we went with the bikes and filled up the bags at the back with coal and home to the thanks of a family with a little more fuel for the winter. How the mighty are fallen, as we turned up for work the next morning at the crack of dawn, we were greeted by the manager with the words ‘you two are sacked here are your wages now clear’, when we asked why we were shown the front page of just about every newspaper with pictures of us and Smith’s bikes filling the bags with coal, and head office in London were not at all pleased, silly buggers very cheap advertising for them, so ended my last job before entering The Royal Air Force.
On January 24th 1939 I arrived at Wendover Railway Station in Buckingham Shire on a special train from Paddington with about one thousand other new boys, we were all shapes and sizes, colours, and aged between fifteen and eighteen. Halton at that time was the Apprentice Training Establishment for The Royal Air Force in the various aviation trades which included Engine Fitter, Airframe Fitter and other trades that were just starting to be developed. Prior to this most work on aeroplanes was done by the same people., but aircraft were becoming more complicated
[page break]
and needed specialists for just about every part, guns, radio, electric’s and so on. RAF Halton still is a training station for the engine, airframe, and all other bits and pieces of the aircraft. (I was recently told that a cook school was now in operation!!). The bits all have different names now. When I joined in January 1939 there were four wings each one had about 1000 boys in it under training, the course was three years, two entries each year , entry by competitive written examination of many subjects including, Math, English, and a number of science subjects which at my age when I took the exam at 14 made me struggle a bit but I got in! Massive workshops, an airfield and each wing was self-contained with proper three storey brick buildings housing the sleeping accommodation, each wing also had its own parade ground, gymnasium, cookhouse, band and all other facilities, different coloured hat bands were worn by each wing.
Apprentices were known as Brats and when you had passed out from Halton after a three year course you were an Ex Brat and a very close bondship with others who had been through Halton existed. Now March 15 1998!! I seem to have been very busy with all sorts of projects and still have some in the pipe line either incomplete or not even started yet but will endeavour to type a little more to keep this going. The first thing that happened to all us new boys was a medical to see if we were fit enough for service in the R.A.F. The first complete check up for most of us,the M.O. told me I had flat feet, said I did a lot of cross country running perhaps that was the cause!! Strange to say it was recently found that people with high arches were not able to stand the stress of marching and battle fatigue, flat was better. Next was fitting for a uniform, no I did not take size nine boots that Mum had said I would grow into but eight and a half and that still left room for thick socks.
Once all into our uniforms we paraded in sections for the swearing in for which we received an extra shilling (the Kings shilling) Most of us suffered with those boots made from leather so they said, more like sheets of armour plate, toes and ankle bones were rubbed sore after the first few hours, the corporal in charge of our section told us to fill the boots with water, pee was best, and stand them by our beds over night, empty them out and put them on straight away they would never hurt again, he was right but most mothers would have had a fit to see their little darlings squelching about in wet feet all day. I was allocated to four wing and told I would be trained as a Fitter 2E which meant I would become an aero engine fitter, others became Fitters 2A airframe, and others would become instrument, radio, and armament specialists. There were also boys who had joined the Royal Navy and would be trained in the same trades for the Fleet Air Arm, they were known as artificers, tiffys to the rest of us. Our uniform was the same as the regular service with proper trousers instead of a kind of jodhpurs with puttees that were wound around the lower leg, these were still worn by “Boy Entrants”
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who were trained in similar trades elsewhere but would end up as mechanics after a much shorter course, I think they were boys who were keen to get into the R.A.F but had not been able to pass the entry examination for apprentices. To distinguish four wing from the other three we had a bright orange-yellow hat band not too sure what the other were, seem to remember red and also black and red squares, we also had on our arm a brass badge that was a wheel with crossed propeller blades inside, and wore small rank badges the same as the adult services if promoted. All of the boys in the new entry were taken in group to the airfield and given a short flight in De Haviland Tiger Moth, gave us some idea how big Halton was and in most cases the first taste of airsickness, never had any trouble with this problem when I was flying as crew, but even a short flight at times as a passenger made me hang on to my seat and swallow heavily!! I joined the cross country team of four wing, and completed in many events during my period at Halton, won medals for this event and passed them on to Gillian for safe keeping. I was promoted to leading apprentice and made responsible for one of the rooms which held about thirty boys, one of them called Shaw I will never forget, a good looking boy but had a way of life completely strange to me and I suspect to most of the boys of my age.
This first came to light one night when he returned from a weekend pass with a full suit case full of cigarettes, where they came from we didn’t ask but we all got some free samples my share being double. He then told me he had a flat in London and a girl friend he kept there and paid for, how this was possible on three shillings a week I just could not understand, but it all came out later on. Because I was responsible for seeing that everyone in my room was present at “lights out” each night and weekend passes were only allowed very rare, Jonny Shaw asked me to sign him in nearly every weekend so he could go to London, didn’t worry me to do this, hadn’t asked to be a leading apprentice, was just given the job and I was never short of a packet of “fags”. One night late Johny turned up with another suit case, after climbing through a hole in the fence near our room, instead of cigarettes it contained woman’s clothing that he had picked up on the train from London, because it was there! Told him in no uncertain manner that if he didn’t do something about returning it to the owner it was the last time I covered for him. He packed up the case and took it out of the room and I expected he would leave it close to the guard room so that it would be found early in the morning and sent on it’s way to a very worried female. That was not Johny’s way, when I took a detail of boys out at the crack of dawn to make sure there was no rubbish about the place, every post, lamp standard, sign board and railing was draped with all of the contents of the case, we found the case and quickly packed the items back in and I took it to the guard room and stated that it has been found some way away from our room, it was opened by the police and an address found inside and was I presumed sent on to it’s owner, but I was very mad a Johny Shaw and never covered for him again,
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didn’t stop him from going out when he wanted to. Some months later he was found to have been forging instructors signatures on chits to book out micrometer and vernier gauges from the stores and was no doubt selling these in London and perhaps committing other crimes we knew nothing of, he was discharged from the R.A.F and as the second world war started soon after probably had a prosperous war and even ended up rich and famous, may be knighted for his efforts, while the rest of us fought and died! I have recently been contacted as a result of this webpage by Peter Long, another one of our fellows who knew Johny. He did become very rich eventually, Rolls Royce, Two ‘Planes of his own etc.!
R.A.F Halton was at one time a county residence owned by the Rothchild family whether they gave it to the R.A.F I don’t know but the “house” was used for the officer’s mess and the stables were allocated to the apprentices for a “hobby shop”. The stables were a magnificent set of buildings with curved brick walls and big enough to house a dozen families in great comfort. Many of the boys at Halton came from very wealthy families, some sons of aircraft manufacturers because it was recognised that an apprenticeship at Halton was the finest training anywhere in the world in Aircraft engineering. One father had given his son a new Ford car, he was probably in his last year of the three year course, we all helped him to take it completely to pieces and each part was reassembled with great care so that every part was a perfect fit, ran like a sewing machine the quietest Ford I have ever known.
There were even sons of Indian Princes, in fact it seemed as if every nation was represented there, many of the boys when they had finished their apprenticeship were “bought out” by their parents and returned to their own country or in some cases the firm that their parents owned in Britain, can’t remember the cost but did hear at the time it would have bought a row of houses in any town in England! The railway station we all arrived at was Wendover and the nearest large one was Alyesbury, (famous for ducks!) county seat for Buckinghamshire. Halton was set just below a ridge of hills and covered many square miles of country, the workshops were massive, covering all trades that operated in the Royal Air Force, an airfield with a grass runway complete with hangers and numerous aircraft that were used for hands on work and proper lecture halls where we were brought up to date on current affairs, and scientific laboratories with the latest equipment used in the testing of materials. The idea was to give not only complete technical training but a good all round knowledge much like a private college, apart from training in military matters and of course plenty of sporting activities. We were paid 5 shillings a week, four of which was saved for us, to be given when we went on leave, breakages which were deducted for individual items broken or worn out before a replacement was normally issued, boys can be hard on clothes! We were issued with a complete kit of
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clothes which included just about every thing required, but out of our weekly shilling we had to purchase things like metal and boot polish, once a week we had kit and barrack inspections when everything has to be spit and polish and all kit in good order, when the war started in September 1939 things change very rapidly, our three year course was cut down to just over two by stopping all holidays and we worked from dawn to dusk on our training, the subjects did not get shortened just longer days and no holidays or week ends, and we had to do anti invasion patrols and ride around the hills on our bicycles in the evenings to check for land mines that may have been dropped to blow the place up. At this time my father and mother had rented a house at High Wycombe which was not too far away from Halton, Dad was in charge of all military and naval buildings and repairs caused by shelling and bombing in Dover, so Mum lived at High Wycombe and Dad came up when he could, he had an old car and special petrol rations because of his work. I managed to get a weekend pass and went to get my bicycle from where it had been requisitioned for us in land mine patrols, the sergeant in charge said I couldn’t have mine but let me have grotty old service bike, think he was using it himself as it was new and my pride and joy, set out to visit Mum and Dad and coming round a corner met a flock of sheep all over the road, no where to go so crashed into the bank and bent the frame so that I could only steer one way, took me ages to get to High Wycombe and could not get anyone to mend it so Dad put it on the roof of his car and took me back to camp, left Halton soon after and took my bike with me.
The entry ages for Halton were 15 to 18, and we signed on for 12 years of service from the age of 18. As I was almost the minimum age, I was 15 in November 1938 and joined in January 1939, I would have been 18 when I finished the apprenticeship, but due to the war and cutting out holidays etc, I was only 17, I therefore was still classed as a boy when I left Halton and was not informed what rank I had passed my final examinations, so when I arrived at my first operational posting was paid the princely sum of ten shillings a week (about one dollar a week), yet was the only qualified member of the gang and had to tell men much older than myself sometimes the right way to do things.
– Reg Miles
Those items listed below can be found on the web at
http://members.aol.com/famjustin/Milesbio.html
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[underlined] Biography of Phyllis Miles (formerly Phyllis Dike), [/underlined] LACW, WAAF
[underlined] Collected Poetry of Reg Miles, [/underlined] Flight Engineer, No1SoTT Halton/ MUs/ Snowy Owls, 420 Sqdn RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 511 Transport Command, RAF
[underlined] Miss Phyllis Miles nee Dike, [/underlined] Photo, LACW, WAAF
[underlined] Group Photo, [/underlined] 432 Squadron RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Yorkshire
[underlined] 420 Squadron Badge, [/underlined] Photo, 6 Group Bomber Command, Tholthorpe Yorkshire, RCAF
[underlined] Barrington-Kennett Trophy Winners, [/underlined] 1939/40, Photo, Reg Miles, RAF Halton, RAF
[underlined] FIDO, [/underlined] Anecdote, Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, RAF
[underlined] Flight Engineer Reg Miles, [/underlined] Photo of Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, 432 Sqdn RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, RAF
[underlined] Flight Log 1664 HCU page one, page two, 432 Squadron page 1, 2, 3, 4, 420 Squadron page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1332 H.C.U. Page 1, Certificates of Competency, 242 Squadron, Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, 246 Squadron, Page 1, Page 2, 511 Squadron, Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Reg Miles, [/underlined] Flight Engineer, No1SoTT Halton/ MUs/ Snowy Owls, 420 Sqdn RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 511 Transport Command, RAF
[underlined] Halifax, E Easy and Crew, [/underlined] Photo of Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, 420 Sqdn RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, RAF
[underlined] Mail Plane, [/underlined] RAF Joke, Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, RAF
[underlined] Missing in Action Telegram, [/underlined] Reg Miles, 432 Squadron RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Yorkshire
[underlined] PLUTO, [/underlined] Anecdote, Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, RAF
[underlined] Queen Mary, [/underlined] Photo, Reg Miles, 67 M.U.s, RAF
[underlined] Salvaging a Bristol Beaufort, [/underlined] Photo, Reg Miles, 67 M.U.s, RAF
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[underlined] Tholthorpe Control Tower, [/underlined] from Jim Tease, Pilot, Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, 420 Sqdn RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, RAF
[underlined] Wedding Photo, [/underlined] Photo of Reg Miles, Flight Engineer, No1SoTT Halton/ MUs/ Bomber Command/ 511 Transport Command, RAF
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Biography of Reg Miles
Ex Apprentice No 1 S.of T.T., R.A.F., Halton 39th Entry 34 – 67 M.U,s – 27 A/S Bloemspruit South Africa – Lympe Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 242 – 246 – 511 Squadrons Transport Command Lyneham, RAF
Chapter 2
Ex Apprentice, 34 – 67 M.U.s, R.A.F.
I was posted to 34 Maintenance Unit Shrewsbury in Shropshire 5-10-1940, this unit was housed in sheds on the out-skirts of Shrewsbury and was responsible for the repair on site of crashed aircraft and the recovery of crashed aircraft that could not be flown away, this included both British, German, Italian, and later on American. The Flight Sergeant in charge of the crew of about six airmen was about sixty, was an optician in civvy street, had been a driver in the 1914-18 war so had no knowledge of aircraft, the rest of the gang were ex-garage workers only about one had any experience with spanners so it was finding out the hard way how ‘planes came to bites! We also had a driver for our Chevy truck and could call on “Queen Mary” low loaders and Coles cranes to lift things, but many times we were unable to get cranes or trucks to the site and it was sheer legs and muscle that were used.
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[italics] Photo of a crane of the type we used to salvage aircraft during my time with 34 & 67 MUs in 40-41. On show as an Amazon Crane but the same as a Coles one, so have altered it’s title. It is on show at the Yorkshire Air Museum based at Elvington airfield a WW2 bomber station flying the dear old Halifax of 77 Squadron RAF and two Free French squadrons 346 Guyenne and 347 Tunisie [/italics]
The only time I tried to drive a Coles Crane I made a complete mess of it and sheared the drive shaft!! The two Polish operators were not well pleased, but as the could not speak English and I not able to understand a single word of their long and arm waving complaint, it was left to our Flight Sergeant to ball me out, and as he was a geriatric (well must have been all of 50) little notice was taken of it all. The Poles got underneath and removed the bit, replaced it and were operational in a few hours, I was not allowed anywhere near it after!!
The lowloader, Queen Mary, was a specially made semi trailer body, very low platform with wheels exterior, from memory would think the platform about 12 inches from ground, also very long able to take most aircraft fuselages and wings. Extending side rails were fitted that could be locked up so that wings could be stood on their leading edges, one on either side (on sand bags to prevent damage) and strapped to these side rails, the rails were also covered in felt to prevent damage, and strapped to these side rails, the rails were also covered in felt to prevent damage, this left the centre of the trailer free to fit the fuselage on trestles, with propellor removed but engine still in place, some aircraft with long bodies could extend over the tail board if put on trestles to clear, open body to the trailer so that there was no height restriction, only the height of bridges and power cables, standard 1939-40 prime mover, 6 cylinder Perkins or Ford, nothing like the monsters on todays roads. It was called “Queen Mary” because they were so long that the only thing to compare them with was the ship of the same name.
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photo from David Searle-Baker Queen Mary
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Recovering Hawker Tempest Mk. V Wreck
My first job with them was at an aerodrome called Shawbury that was used to train pilots and Navigators, a Spitfire pilot had been shot in a fight with a German fighter and had lost a lot of blood before crash landing beside the main runway and the aircraft had tipped onto it’s back as he had not been able to lower the underbridge. The first job was to make the guns safe and remove any bombs before starting to dismantle the ‘plane, the next job was always to remove instruments that were either secret or likely to be stolen, this in a Spitfire was the gunsight, compass and a clock it fitted, as the new boy I got the job of crawling into the upside down cockpit to remove these items while the rest of the gang removed the wing fairings and bolts to waggle the wings off. I had to get on hands a [sic] knees to get the items off as they were almost on the ground, felt something wet on my head and back as I worked, found when I crawled out that a large pad of congealed blood had come adrift from the floor and I was a right mess, no water anywhere near as we were miles from any building, the crew washed me off with the 100 octane petrol we drained from the ‘plane, but as we sat and ate our lunch of sandwiches couldn’t help keep looking at the blood still under my finger nails. As we sat and ate we saw a training Miles Master coming in to land with the cockpit hood open and the horn blaring loudly to warn the pilot that his under carriage was not down, we all stood up and waved like mad, the pilot, probably doing his first solo landing, waved back with a big smile on his face and crashed, we now had another ‘plane to remove!
I don’t know how the trainee pilot got on, we helped him out and he had no damage but whether he was “scrubbed” or not have no idea (scrubbed thrown off the pilot’s course through some error).
The Spitfire being monococ [sic] construction in aluminium alloys was a very easy aircraft to dismantle and transport, the main wing spar consisted of a series of square tubes fitted inside each other, gradually tapering towards the wing tip, the mating tubes for these being very close to the fuselage, with the propeller removed the body fitted easily into a low loader and the wings were slid in either side being supported on sand bags to prevent damage and strapped to the extendable rails fitted to the sides of the low loader, the guns, ammunition, and propeller being stowed in any suitable position. The Miles Master being of wooden construction was an entirely different proposition, the wing roots were attached about one and a half metres either side of the fuselage making this “centre section” which was not removable about three and a half to four and a half metres wide, when placed on the sides of the low loader these projected out each side a considerable amount and because they were very low often jammed on road side obstructions, this was particularly a problem on the windy narrow country roads with many “hump
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Back” bridges, we were caught only one when the centre section rode up onto the walls of a hump back bridge and very nearly caused the injury to one of the crew riding in the back of the low loader, three or four sleepers lashed to the side rails lifted this aircraft high enough to clear any road side obstacles. We never had enough red flags to fix to the overhangs so it was almost a game to ride in the back of the low loader and lean over as we motored along and steal the flags placed in empty paint cans by the road gangs, as we used the same route frequently from training airfields to our depot I guess the road workers got fed up with us and one day as one of the gang grabbed a flag found himself flying through the air to land in the road, the rotters had concreted all the flags in and they were very heavy, no damage done just a few bruises and wounded pride. Coming back from the same airfield one day we were held up by a new gang with a Miles Master stuck on the hump back bridge walls, to add to their problems their Coles crane was in front of the low loader so couldn’t get to the plane to lift it up, we managed to get our crane in place and help them out, they hadn’t read standing orders! Called to the same airfield with instruction to remove some twenty Avro Ansons from a hanger we through they were being transferred to another airfield, when we got there found the whole lot burnt out in the hanger, looked like an elephant’s grave yard with just the steel tubing frames and melting engines and propellers lined up in two long rows. When we asked what had happened were told that during the night an airman on guard duty saw a low flying airplane crossing the field and identified it as a German one so fired his rifle at it, the plane dropped it’s bomb which landed on the concrete outside the hanger, bounced over the bomb proof doors, bounced on the hanger floor and just missed going clean out the other end but hit a girder and went off. The airman had been put on a charge for firing at an unidentified aircraft!
I was going on my first leave after being posted to an RAF squadron as an aero engine fitter, and at only 17 in 1940 felt a big wheel, My folks lived in Dover and my brother of 9 years would need something from my war, grabbed a handful of .303” ammunition from a crashed training Hurricane, pulled out the bullets and emptied out the charge, would put the cases in a fire when I got home to get rid of the caps and put the bullets back, would impress my small brother. Put the cases in a fire out in the yard and got a most awful telling off from Mum, they were having more than their share of bangs. Next day was about to leave the house to look up at the “dogfights” going on above, Mother said you’ll get killed by falling shrapnel stay indoors, but out I went, and in I went after a few seconds as redhot bits of metal fell around me, I might be in the RAF but my folks and young brother were seeing more of the war than I was, my few bullets were nothing compared to his collection of shrapnel, from both our guns and those firing 12inch shells from France, he has seen more action that I had!!
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We had arrived at a very posh looking house set up on a rise with a well maintained garden with small bushes lining the curving path to the front door and a perfect green lawn. I suppose we did look a sorry bunch with our usual costume of rolled down gum boots, white socks turned over the top and greasy overalls that were well over due for a wash, no hats and most with a few days of beard, long uncombed hair in fact even the ‘chiefy’ could have passed for the robber leader, we had been out on the road for about a week and were tired and hungry when we got yet another job before returning to base for a rest. Chiefy went up to the front door and was answered by a smart looking man who took the Flight Sergeant round the back of the house through a very ornate garden arch way, he soon came back and called us to follow him. The sight that met the eyes was one to make us all laugh, a learner pilot has got into trouble and seeing what looked like a nice open field came into land, too late he found it was a chicken farm with lots of tall wire fences to separate the various chickens, his ‘plane had become wrapped up like a parcel as he ploughed through the lot, but to make matters even worse as his ‘plane neared the back of the house his engine fell off and landed into a rather nice goldfish pond, this cracked the concrete and all the water ran out stranding the fish. The owner was not a very happy man and refused most emphatically to allow us to clear a wide path way back through the mess so we could get a crane in to lift the whole lot out by a back way, no it all had to go round the side of the house and no damage must be done. What a hope he had the radial engine was levered out of the pond and rolled with great difficulty through the side gate, a few bits came off both as we struggled to hold the engine upright but when we got to the front of the house it just seemed to get a life of it’s own and rolled across the lawn leaving giant size foot prints and demolished hedges and flower beds on it’s way. The rest of the aircraft was sawn into bits and man handled the same way, miserable sod never even gave us a cup of tea when we had finished, just growled he would report us for damage we had caused, we all hoped his chickens never laid another egg.
As to the Learner who crashed, he was long gone before we got there. This was not always the case as we did come across the odd bits and bobs and even complete bodies at times, not all RAF either.
For about three months we worked all over the north part of England and Wales, even had to close The Mersey Tunnel one time to tow an American light bomber through from Speke don’t know why or where we took it. We were then transferred to 67M.U. bases in Taunton the county seat of Somerset. The depot was in a large garage on the main road south of the city, has it’s own sports field out the back which we used for general storage during transit, all the low loaders, lorries, and cranes were parked in various streets which had to have guards circulating during the night, our five rounds of ammunition and World War 1 rifle must not be lost or even used,
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it was all we had, another job for the technical people, office and stores people never got this job, perhaps because they made out the lists, one time when we were back at base had to spend the day shovelling coal at the railway station to fuel the fires for the office staff, couldn’t let them get dirty, wonder if Churchill knew that his trained people were waiting on the lazy sods in the office.
This was early in 1941 with the threat of invasion by the German army still a possibility, the sports field was surrounded with a high spiked railing fence. The fence was six feet high made of steel spikes about 3 quarters of an inch in diameter, spaced about six inches apart fitted through holes at top and bottom of steel plates which were made of 2 inch by 1/4 inch steel. I’m sure you must have some around houses or playing fields where you live. The spikes were held in swaged nibs pressed into the spikes when the sections of fence were made this held the spikes in place. We were given the job of filing off the nibs that held alternate spikes in place. We had to file these nibs off alternate spikes so the fence did not collapse, but the “doctored” spikes could be removed. Each one of these then had a number pained on it, all airmen were allocated a spike and on the call to arms would rush to get out their spike, if they could, and fend off the invading hordes of Germans with their Tiger tanks, machines guns and other lethal weapons, no doubt we should have had a major victory as the German troops fell about laughing!!
The C.O. held a dummy run which became a real pantomime as men fought for a spike having forgotten their number and short people couldn’t reach high enough to pull them out of the top rail. Nobody got stabbed but it was a close run thing. We all treated the whole thing as a joke, it is easy when you have your back firmly against the wall to consider defeat impossible, and so many of the daft ideas did work, FIDO, PLUTO, to name just two. This one was one of those that just was stupid!!
The same wally of a C.O. who gave us the spikes decided to make me up to a Corporal, told him he couldn’t because I still didn’t know what rank I had passed out from Halton, and in any case being technical trade had to pass a trade board before I could be promoted. Threatened to put me on a charge if I didn’t put up my stripes straight away to be officially second in charge of the gang, just ignored him and was called up before him a couple of days later to be told he couldn’t promote me for the reasons I had given him, but told me I had passed out from Halton as a Fitter 2 Engine with the rank of Aircraftman First class and my pay would start right away because of the work I was doing, so I did get some thing out of it all. Following on this I was given the job as Station Armourer, responsible for sorting and packing for dispatch all bombs, cannons, machines guns and ammunition brought in from crashes. I was given the relevant Air Ministry orders to tell
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me what to do because lets face it I was not even 18 and trained as an engine fitter, but perhaps the only real airman on the place, I was given the away team half of the sports changing room, the Station Warrant Officer had the other half, a retread from 14-18 war and responsible for station discipline.
One of the jobs I had to do was strip all guns of any bullets “up the spout” as many had major damage and bent barrels, this was never easy, the breach blocks had to be taken out and packed in separate boxes, with a bullet jammed in, the only way to release the blocks was to fire the gun which sent the bullet up the bent barrel and this released the breach blocks, S.W.O. came in one day when I had a pile of Browning Machine guns on the bench all with bent barrels and was firing them one at a time to get the breach blocks out, nearly wet himself, and then a few days later I was burning all the Very pistol cartridges. These were all different colours and were used to signal and identify aircraft. Usually they just burnt with lots of bright colours but this lot started flying all over the place just as he marched out of his office with his cane under his arm, moved pretty quick for an oldy and got back inside his office, seemed to think I did it on purpose!!
Does seem a bit mad perhaps now to do what I did as an “armourer”. But times were a bit desperate you know and everything was in very short supply so if it could be repaired and returned into service we might just survive.
The first 20m/m cannon I dismantled was a problem, had never seen one before had no books on it and had to get the breach block out, barrel was straight and nothing up it, the cannon was about two and a half metres long and the only nut I could see was on the “blunt” end, a large hexagonal nut with a locking tab on it, so behind it must be the return spring and hopefully the breach block, with the “blunt” end sticking out the open door I got to work and the nut kept turning and seemed to have lots of thread, with a bang the last turn flew off and what seemed like yards of spring flew out of the door, and guess who was just leaving the office? The other problems with the 20m/m cannon was the round cartridge drum that fitted on the breach, these always arrived to me battered and bent and the only way to get the shells out was to cut a slot in the case and prise or shake the shells out, I was sitting on the bench with an ammunition box on the floor shaking a drum to get the shells out when the door burst open and a strange sergeant charged in, “Call yourself an armourer” he shouted, “Stop that before you kill us both”. When I told him who and what I was he said that he had never seen a cannon gun in fact he didn’t know much at all as he had spent the last few years at a place called Shaibah in the Gulf and had only worked on Vickers water cooled guns while there, but he did know the coding for the shells I was dropping into a box and some were of a very delicate contact type to explode on contact with the thin aluminium skin of a ‘plane! I filled him in
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with all I knew and what had to be done with each type of weapon and worked with him for a week or so until I managed to get back with my old gang.
Shortly after we were sent on detachment to an airfield in Cornwall called St. Eval, at which were based Bristol Beaufort Torpedo Bombers, they were sent out after German ships and dock installations and had received very heavy casualties.
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Men of 67 MU at Bristol Beaufort Recovery Reg 2nd from left back row
We were housed in one of the Nissen huts and started work right away as there was a Spitfire sitting on top of a dry stone wall at the edge of the airfield, the pilots had overshot, bounced and come to a halt perfectly balanced on the wall, pained on the side was the pilots name and the legend “Sempre in Excreta” (Latin is not my strong point!) Always in the shit! At the end of the runway was a stone quarry and a Beaufort had crashed into it on take off loaded with torpedoes, these had detonated so there was little to move mainly the two large radial engines, one was in the middle of the quarry and our crane soon lifted that into a lorry, the other was partly buried under stone and against the quarry wall so we had to move it out with brute force to get it into a position that the crane could reach, It was hard hot work and we were having trouble keeping our footing because of all the oil that had spilt out when it had hit the wall, except it wasn’t oil but half a man buried under the engine, not a pretty sight but a nurse who just happened to be looking on helped us to put the remains in sacks so that they could be buried properly with the rest of the poor devil. We very rarely had a problem with bodies or parts there of, because the bodies were taken away before we arrived on the scene.
We did have one occasion when we were sent onto the moors to remove a Hawker Hurricane, but it was the wring number and found the pilot still in it, we reported this and found our one a mile or so away. The Hawker Hurricane was a very different type of construction from the Spitfire,
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basically a steel tubular frame around which were fitted wooden formers and these were joined together by wooden strips along the length of the fuselage, the wings were very similar and all surfaces were covered with doped fabric, this was very time consuming to make and repair, much like a model aeroplane in appearance. A fitter from Hawker’s had almost finished this repair to a Hurricane when German bombers gave us a visit to pay back for what the Beauforts were doing in France, a bomb dropped outside the bomb proof door, blew them in and flattened the poor Hurricane! We got bombed out that night so drove a few miles away to a friendly looking field and slept all in a row under a tarp for a few nights until we were given an empty holiday beach house at Trearnon Bay which became our base for a few weeks, when we were not out on a job. Visited St. Eval in the 1980s and they were only just starting to remove the remains of that hanger blown up in early 1941.
During the next few weeks we were constantly on the move all over Cornwall, from Penzance across to Predanack, which is on the other leg at the base of Cornwall. Working on a Whirlwind, twin engined fighter-bomber which had nose dived straight into the ground, on a desolate part of the moors, all that showed was the edges of sheets of aluminium in the ground and lying a few feet away, a hand complete with a ring on, we could not salvage the plane and pilot’s body without large earth moving gear and instructions were received to pull out what we could and fill the hole in, as we worked we heard the sound of aircraft high up and turned to watch a flight of the same ‘planes go by, as we watched one pealed off and dived into the ground a few miles away, heard later that the tail planes of this aircraft were a bit suspect. We always had billets in the nearest place to where we worked, sometimes this was an Army Camp or a pub and in this case we were living in a cafe at Predanack, after a wash we all trooped into the dining room for our first meal and on came a Cornish pastie, about a foot long and looked delicious but didn’t think it was a lot for six or seven hungry blokes to share, but then in came the rest and we had one each!
Once we had to go to a Fleet Air Arm station to dismantle an aircraft, it was in a hanger and we were dressed in our usual scruffy outfits, all these Naval types marching about at the double, and the public address system nearly drove us mad, never seemed to stop with lots of whistles and incomprehensible bellowing, asked one of the sailors what it all meant his answer left us just as ignorant as before. We were in one of the huts and left our truck at the hanger to walk to the mess hall to get some lunch, as we strolled by a hut the window flew open and a loud voice wanted to know what we were doing walking on the Quarter deck and tried to make us run across, not in gum boots we couldn’t and didn’t try. That night being near a town, after 50 years have no idea which one, we all thought a night on the town would be a good change, so managed to tidy ours [sic] selves up and found
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out when the bus left and got to the guard room at the main gate just as a sailor closed and locked it, outside was the queue for the bus which had yet to arrive. “Open” we all said, can’t was the reply because the liberty boat has gone, what a load of rubbish, if you were on a ship you could understand it, if the Navy still do things that way it’s about time they changed from the days of Rum, bum and Nelson!! Soon got away from that stupid place probably didn’t know there was a war on we certainly did and spent all our days clearing away the rubbish caused by it. Often we had to remove crashed German aircraft that had been shot down, most were just a heap of burnt wreckage with often the remains of the crew inside, not recognisable as such just bits of bone that had not been found for burial, at other times we would have a complete ‘plane with little or no damage, there we took to pieces if not able to fly out from where they were, went to a special place to be put together perhaps with parts from other ‘planes to make them airworthy, and test flown to find out more about that type. Once we were called to an aerodrome near the coast where, I think it was a J.U.88 had landed the pilot thinking he was over the channel in France, the duty officer seeing the plane land had driven out in a jeep and crashed into the tail to stop it taking off again, we had to get the bits from a depot that was full of the German ‘planes and replace the damaged parts. Some of the early R.A.F. bombers such as the twin engined Handley Page Hampden were fitted with special balloon cable cutters to the leading edge of the main wings, these in theory would be tripped as the cable slid into it’s jaws and an explosive charge would fire a razor sharp chisel cutting the cable allowing the plane to get free, after a number of M.U. airmen had lost fingers while man handling wings during salvage instructions were issue that these had to be tripped before any work was done on the aircraft, I tripped the only one I worked on and it chopped the end from my screwdriver! An American Flying Fortress had crashed somewhere in Devonshire, can’t remember where, and what it was doing in England I don’t know, though the Yanks came in much later, anyhow we were told to get it and it must be sent up to Liverpool. The biggest thing we had tackled, got the fuselage, wings and engines away alright but the centre section was very wide and when stood on it’s leading edge was exceptionally high.
The local police were always asked for advice on getting past low bridges and electricity wires, spent more than a week travelling a few miles only to find yet another low bridge in our way, chiefy was fed up and so were we camping along the road where ever we go stuck, most aircraft that we worked on had a fire axe stowed on board so we had a good selection of sharp ones we used for all sorts of jobs, we cut foot and hand holes in the centre section and cut off with the axes quite a few feet from the trailing edge which was now the top and were able to get back to the depot next day, thing was only worth scrap anyway. After about 5 months of this work which in most cases was just garbage collection, not what I had been trained
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at great expense to do, I saw a notice on orders calling for volunteers to go over seas. I put in my application and was accepted, given seven days posting leave and reported to the assembly camp called I think Paddington, hundreds or more like thousands of airmen of all trades were gathered there and we were all issued with both tropical and cold weather equipment, had two large kit bags of the stuff to lug about plus personal kit in a small bag. After about ten days of this which included a medical we were all paraded on the very large parade ground to get our instructions to more to lorries and get abroad a ship, suddenly a voice bellowed out “575931 Miles R.J. fall out and report to the parade adjutant” was that me? “yes” said a bloke next to me who had become a friend. So out I marched dragging bags in front of all these assembled airman, saluted after dropping the bags and reported my name and number, still not 18 I was told I was too young to go where these men were going and told to hand in my kit and report back to my unit, this lot went to Russia I found out later and many did not return, some drowned when their ship was sunk and others just died from the cold!
– Reg Miles
The URL of this page is
http://www.geocities.com/milbios/Milesbio2.html
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Biography of Reg Miles
Ex Apprentice No 1 S.of T.T., R.A.F., Halton 39th Entry 34 – 67 M.U.s – 27 A/S Bloemspruit South Africa – Lympe Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 242 – 246 – 511 Squadrons Transport Command Lyneham, RAF
Chapter 3
27 Air School, Bloemspruit South Africa,
B Squadron, Service Unit, R.A.F.
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I didn’t spend long back at Taunton before the call came again to report for over seas posting, I’d had the special leave so on the train to Blackpool this time.
The Leaving of Liverpool “ring any bells” a film about children forcefully taken from England during and shortly after the war, the parents and children never told if the others were alive and the children taken to Church run HOMES in Australia and treated as slave labour, in fact in many cases the children built the homes (as in collective enclaves) As I said a very different life style, we were all led to believe that they (as in any one in authority even self proclaimed) knew best and slavishly carried out their instructions to the letter. Children were abused, physically, mentally and sexually, both boys and girls, how did it happen, only because authority was not questioned until recently and only now is the truth coming out of those children’s tragic lives.
Bearing all that in mind you may not be surprised to read that I like my peers did as I was told without question.
The journey out to South Africa started from the joys of Blackpool, a holiday resort in the north of England, no work, billeted in houses normally
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used to accommodate the vast numbers of “visitors” from the industrial towns of the north during their summer holidays. The local “landladies” welcomed us with open arms, we were a source of income to them, not that they opened too wide the food cupboards, but many daughters opened their hearts and arms to us, we were all young healthy and free. Had my first go on ice skates at the local rink and after a few falls soon mastered it and really enjoyed it. Soon became time to board ship S.S. Mooltan 20,000 tons of sheer misery at Liverpool and head out into the Atlantic that was waiting for us with all the dirty weather it could find. April 1941, could well have been April fools days for all I know.
By buses we arrived at grey Liverpool to stand for hours on a grey dockside in front of a grey wall that stretched to the sky and disappeared into the grey distance, only relieved by a black hole in it’s side through which countless airmen staggered carrying all their worldly goods contained in two kitbags and a small case. One of the kitbags contained our normal selection of issue clothing, the other, two complete outfits one of tropical shorts shirts etc, the other cold weather clothes suitable for Russia!! We had no idea where we were headed and it was hoped neither did the enemy! The kitbag not required was taken off us well into the voyage, the Russian one I am now very happy to say!!
The Mooltan 20,000 tons of aging ship, massive to us but now would only be classed as a small ship 100,000 tons seems to be the average, 250,000 tons on the large size!!
Our turn came at last and through the hole we trooped to find ourselves in a black cavern, directed through doors that were about a foot off the floor so that dragging kitbags jammed and brought forth words of complain not heard very frequently in church. Now completely lost and descending even deeper into the bowels of this black tank we were at last told that is where you stay until told to move and that heap there contain hammocks and those hooks there are where you swing them and those tables and benches are where you eat and some can sleep on them and the heads are there and don’t move!!
So we sat and surrounded with our bags wondered what we had done to deserve this, after all we had volunteered for overseas posting, but this?
A few thought to see what was through the next doorway but only more of the same lots of airmen sat sitting waiting to be told what to do. Ah a sergeant has arrived, ‘you and you come with me’, not me but a couple near who left their kit and followed as detailed, who return some time later with urns of tea, a scramble to find our own kitbag and delve into it’s contents to find our ‘mugs airmen’ hopefully still in one piece.
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These two had been delegated as our mess orderlies and would fetch our food at the times arranged, well at least we should be fed and the tea was hot strong and sweet, by this time it was getting late in the day not that we had any idea whether the sun was shining or it was raining, the urns were returned and the message came back to sling your hammocks and get in.
I was just about 18 from memory and certainly the youngest in our “room”, places on the benches and tables had already been taken by those in the know. The Mooltan was a slow old converted cargo ship. As such the accommodations were happenstance and crowded. The only hammock hook left was over the stairwell and passage way. This is where I had to sling my hammock, which was over the stair case leading to the lower toilets. I slung my hammock and endeavoured to climb in and found myself on the floor the opposite side, I had tied it too tight and had no head room so that as I climbed in I pushed myself out again, instructions from those near who were well bedded down soon got things “ship shape” and I crawled in to assume the shape of a banana, not at all comfortable and desperately aware that a trip to the heads should have been made before becoming cocooned like this.
Sleep came but was soon interrupted by the rustling noise as hammocks swayed and rubbed together, we were on the move but this soon stopped and dawn found us moored in mid river, we had been allowed on deck soon after stowing our hammocks and being fed, strict instructions being issued that not too many on one side as the ship could capsize!! A sea of men everywhere, no small piece of deck was vacant, and only the grey Mersey, grey sky, and crowds of grey clad men were in view.
There we stayed all day and other ships moored near, we were fed during the day and tried to wash with the salt water soap we were issue with, it didn’t foam and currently did not remove dirt, in fact it left a grey sort of coating on the hands which was difficult to remove, seems that life from now on going to contain logs of grey!!
And so to “bed” or do you say and so to hammock? only to be woken up feeling very sick and scrambled out of the hammock to find most others were doing the same and a rush to get on deck for some fresh air which may stop that horrible feeling. It was dawn a very grey dawn, and directly behind us was a very large grey ship, completely without modesty showing us her (it’s?) grey bottom as it lunged up and down, we likewise were playing silly buggers and this motion was no doubt the cause of our distress, in the distance could be seen other ships, some had things like broom sticks pointing about them and we presumed that they were to protect us, I like many other now wished that we could be torpedoed and sunk, they only relief in sight for that awful sinking feeling!
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That night, all the hammocks swung together as the ship rocked in the heavy seas and the rush by some people during the night to get to the “bogs” before they spewed up often ended just below me, perhaps it is no wonder that I spent as much time as I was allowed on deck away from the stench, but always got herded down when it got dark, the Atlantic was not a very pleasant place to be at that time apart from the gale that seemed to rage more each day, we were only too aware that U Boats would enjoy sinking a troop ship and the chances of being saved in that stormy water was about nil! It was cold and smelly in my hammock as we sailed out into the Atlantic Ocean.
The days passed and gradually we were able to take a small sip of tea a tiny crumb of bread without heaving it up straight away, as we and the other ships headed into the grey Atlantic, the clever ones amongst us saying that we were headed for America, others convinced we were going into the Med, and an even more knowledgeable bunch with a compass sure we were going south. The sea was empty but for our escort. Our convoy, being one with important cargo, a troop ship, was doubtless given a course away from the shorter more populated routes. We saw no planes escorting us or other ships other than our own convoy and escort. Some bits and bobs were sighted in the sea, just a few empty crates probably slung over board by any ship friend or foe going that way. Nothing else.
Funny things that stick in the memory after all these years, apart from the agony of sea-sickness which passed after about a week, was and still is the smell and taste of the bread loaves we were all given each day as part of our food ration. I had now recovered from sea sickness and was able to eat my share of the food on offer, what we were serves up I have no recollection apart from the small loaf of bread we were issued with each morning which had to do us for the rest of the day. Eat it when you like but you wont get any more until the next morning. It was the most enjoyable bread I have ever tasted, of course I had teeth then and was very hungry, as all young people are, but after so many years I can almost taste it in my memory!!
The grey has passed and the grey ships with guns, one of which was a battleship, left us as we entered Freetown, not the town you understand but the estuary leading to it. We called into Freetown after three weeks of utter misery. Freetown is on the west African coast, so it did look as if we might end up somewhere hot but where no one knew. Apart from one poor sod, one of our airmen though not from our mess, who had not stopped bringing up just bile for the last three weeks, no one from the troops got on shore. The lad who was taken ashore with seasickness that had lasted since leaving UK, was in a very bad way with dehydration.
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We moored away from the town itself and have no memory of other ships near us but guess they were there. We did not get ashore, not that it looked very inviting, mud huts and mud was all we could see moored out in the channel. After one day on a ship that actually stayed in one place horizontally we set sail again for parts unknown.
I developed a raging tooth ache and reported sick, the ships doctor showed me his equipment for treating tooth aches, it consisted of an armchair and a few rusty looking plier type instruments, said he hadn’t pulled out any teeth and which one hurt, showed him and tapped on the wrong one and told me to come back in the morning if it is still bothered me, funny thing the pain went away and only returned very many years later when all that was left was a hollow shell which crumbled to pieces when the dentist gripped it!!
Sailing away from Freetown the weather became much sunnier and it was now quite evident that south was the way we were going, the sea became less grey, but cannot remember the other ships, perhaps they no longer were showing their bottoms, flying fishes flew from our path dolphins rode our wash, and life became just about perfect, apart from the fact that the 10 shillings (about a dollar) I had boarded with was long gone (no pay until we arrived where ever we were going). I smoked a pipe but would smoke cigarettes as well and the only ones on offer free from my “room” mates were Springbok, a very strong South African fag oval in section and only given to me because those that had bought them felt sick after a few puffs. It is one of the other things that I remember after all these years, the horrible smell of the Springbok cigarettes, which was all I had to smoke the six weeks we were aboard. Perhaps in retrospect a good time to give up smoking you might say, but in those days they were issued free to some units and certainly the Salvo’s and other friends of the forces gave them out to all service men. The opiate of the masses it would appear!!
We got into smoother waters and the sun shone and most of the Navy escort left us, and there really is a sort of magic about the sea when you are far from land, suppose most of us got a good rest and were well fed for six weeks and enjoyed the days relaxing in the sun, watching the flying fish, dolphins and strange patches of seaweed, and of course we all had to be “welcomed” by King Neptune.
One thing about a troop ship there is no such thing as privacy, we slept close to one another, ate our food touching elbows, and washed and showered in sea water which does not get any dirty off only ingrains it further in the skin, even using the special soap that was provided. Toilets had to be increased and the solution on this ship was to construct on the top deck a trough about 30ft or 9 meters long and fix along this some 20 or so squares
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of wood with holes in, water was pumped in from the sea one end and ran over board out of the other, a very friendly loo indeed, the rocking of the ship was a worry some times when your next door neighbour’s evacuation born on a tidal wave came visiting!! To enliven an activity that was already fraught with some peril, people with a distorted sense of humour nailed a stub of candle to a piece of wood, lit the candle and then set it on its journey down stream to warm the posteriors and other appendages of the poor captive sufferers!!
We travelled south but then to confuse all and sundry we started to go north and with our very limited knowledge of where things were on the earth’s surface we were again lost, after six weeks of a war time sea cruise we entered the Port of Durban and once more were on dry land which to our consternation would not keep still and behaved much like the Mooltan had in Liverpool.
Perhaps it is not to be unexpected that most if not all were glad to get off the Mooltan after six weeks when she docked in Durban on the east coast of South Africa. The group I was with were taken from the ship to the rail and we began the last part of our journey to our final destination which was Bloemspruit R.A.F Pilot training station near Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, where we were to keep the 104 Miles Master aircraft flying day and night. A much better job that I had been doing since leaving Halton.
The railway journey from Durban to Bloemfontein lasted one whole day but can’t say I remember anything at all about it, on arrival at 27 Air School about ten miles outside the city which is the capital of the Orange Free State we were shown to our barracks, decent brick buildings, single storey, with stable type spilt doors and the usual basic beds and lockers, but heaven after the ship. Food was so strange at first, lots of fruit most of which we had never seen or heard of and many different dishes made from maize, one like porridge called “mealie meal” served at breakfast I thought wasn’t too bad but soon learnt that the natives ate it so South African whites wouldn’t beneath their dignity. We had a lot to learn about the South African white way of life, to see the native workers on the flight line covered in oil and grease as they did the dirty jobs and then watch them fishing in the bins where we emptied the left overs from our plates, made us recent arrivals very angry, but we were told not to interfere, we were guests in the country and our ways were not the right way to treat these “savages”. If we offered them the “butts” left from our cigarettes they had to hold out both hands in case they had a knife in the other and would stab us, it did seem and still does to me that the white population went in fear of their lives and in many cases rightly so because they did treat the natives in a terrible way and at last the right thing has been done but the Dutch Boer has a lot to answer for. These Boers had an organisation based in the Orange Free State (think they
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now call it The Free State) that went about blowing up power lines and post offices and was very pro German know the name but my spelling of it will be far from correct (Osiver Brantvag) told you it was all wrong!! I made a number of friends while stationed at Bloemfontein, the Florie family for one, they picked me up at the bus stop when I had missed it one night and gave me a lift back to camp, he was an accountant and she was after a bit of ‘rough’ not 18 and dim as a Toch H lamp didn’t recognise the invitations handed out every time I stayed over night, frilly things always had been left on my bed by mistake, “I’ll just put them away, do you like them?” was only one of the things and her husband I’m sure thought I was giving her one, would have done if I hadn’t been so thick!! One night at their house they were having the usual meeting of the tennis club, very few blokes but lots of pretty young girls, suggested that they might like me to do some toast on the open fire for all of them, funny thing it wasn’t some thing they had ever done, so there I sat toasting slice after slice and spreading each with lots of butter, calls for more coming all the time, the family cat came to see what I was doing and I just spoke to it calling it “Pussy”, a deathly hush descended over the room and then a few stifled giggles and one of the chaps wanted to tell me some thing outside, pussy was the local name for that part of a girls body that men seem to want to get into so no more calling cats pussy.
Another person I got to know was Nabiha Masoud (think that’s how to spell it) she and her large family were all from Lebanon and would you believe classed as coloured, which is only one degree above black and not to be mixed with, the Florie family would have nothing to do with her even though she had her own ladies hairdressing business and good at it, tried to get me not to see her or her family, but apart from “Dad” the rest of her folks were very nice to me and always had a place at their table for me, Dad thought things were serious so didn’t want her getting involved with a Pom, we were in fact just good friends and perhaps I saw her just to say “up you” to the white population. There is a town called Margate down the coast from Durban and I did write to the Mayor who invited me to visit the town and be their guest, but never took up the offer. Dac Dacre was an ex Halton “Brat” like I was and we got on very well together, we arranged to take a leave together and as we could get a free railway pass decided to go to a place called Muizenburg this is a seaside holiday town on the shores of False Bay, we had booked into a YMCA hostel and spent our leave there but the train journey lasted all of two days and did get a bit boring after a while, miles and miles of very little followed but some more, had a look at Cape Town and little did we realise that not too many months would pass before we again found ourselves in the area, in fact in a transit camp between Muizenburg and Cape Town waiting to board ship back to England and flying over Germany as crews of bombers. My mother’s father had a brother who had moved to South Africa many years before and I managed to find them in a small town called Krugersdorp near Johannesburg, they invited
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me to stay with them on one of my leaves so I took the offer up and spent two weeks with them. Very interesting for me as my uncle had a building firm and I went about to see how things were done, one of the sons was an inspector of mines and arranged for me to go down a gold mine and also see all the processes of getting gold from the ore.
There are two reefs bearing gold in that area, called north and south, can’t remember which is which but one is very wide and is made up of very white quartz pebbles around which can be seen the glitter of gold flecks, the other reef is quite narrow and in places only inches wide but is very dark even black in colour and the gold can be seen quite easily as small nuggets. Both of these reefs go down into the ground at an angle so that new shafts are sunk to reach the reefs as they get deeper in the earth and further away from the original shaft, each new shaft being much deeper before it reaches the gold bearing ore. The very large heaps of brilliant white dust from the treatment plants can be seen for miles around Joh/burg and when the wind blows cause painful eyes and noses.
The mine I went down was very deep indeed and the lift travelled at such speed that one felt slightly air-borne as it descended the earth. The area at the bottom was huge and the passage ways leading off very large and well lit, as we moved away towards the mine face things got steadily hotter until we reached a place where a native was working a jack-hammer in a steeply sloping crack removing the small but very rich ore piece by piece, all jack-hammers also have a water pipe connected to prevent that miners curse of silicosis, so we had a very wet large black man working hard in a very narrow and hot space, he still was able to give me a big white toothy grin, but what he said I do not know, the noise of the hammer was terrible! After an hour or so of this we returned to the surface, glad of the fresh air and my shirt at least a chance to dry off from the high humidity underground. The first part we visited was the Stamp house, the noise here was unbelievable, row upon row of steel hammers pounding the ore as it slid beneath them washed down by streams of water, sheets of corduroy were used to catch any free gold after the stamps, these sheets were taken out periodically and burn to get the gold, the slurry then passed over copper sheets with mercury on them which also collected gold, not sure how or in which order this happened, it is a long time ago!! The slurry then entered very large tanks open at the top in which cyanide was dissolved in water (cyanide is a very deadly poison) the gold was dissolved by this mixture, this fluid was then pumped to a centrifuge where any remaining rock particles were extracted, the fluid which now looked like clean drinking water, but was far from it, was pumped again and ended up in mile long sheds which were full of troughs that contained hundreds of separate boxes filled with zinc shavings, as the liquid passed through the zinc the gold stuck to the zinc, and the next process melted the zinc shavings in a furnace which was then poured into an
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inverted cone shaped mold [sic], on cooling the cone was turned upside down, banged and out fell a very large cone of zinc with a small gold top, these gold knobs were cut off by hacksaw and tossed in one corner, when enough had been made, were themselves melted and poured into newspaper lined ingot moulds, lots of these bars of gold were stacked against the wall and I was invited to help myself if I could carry one away, tried but it flattened me to the floor and had to be lifted off me by the ever grinning black workers. The zinc was re-rolled into sheets and in one corner was being turned again into shavings on a very old lathe by the still grinning workers.
So far it would seem that all I did was visit and enjoy but this was a pilot training ‘drome, flying went on 24 hours a day and our days were spent servicing the 104 Miles Master ‘planes on the daily inspections. The Masters was made of wood and plywood, much like the Mosquito of later and much greater frame. The Miles Master was an advanced training aircraft that trained pilots in fast single engine ‘plane management before they became operational on Hurricanes or Spitfires. Mark 1 Masters were fitted with Rolls Royce Kestrel engines (fore runner of the Merlin) some of these were even equipped as fighters with four Browning guns during the panic of 1940, Mark 2 Masters had Pratt and Whitney Junior Twin Wasps.
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Servicing Miles Master Trainers at 27 Air School
With the many hours they were flown each day, some very hard landings and the general wear and tear of pupil pilot use they were becoming very hard to keep airworthy, even had one do a forced landing at a place called
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Dewetsdorp which ended up on it’s back. As I had spent some time in England salvaging Miles Masters I was in the gang that went to collect it, still have some photos of the job.
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Miles Master Recovery
The salvage crew was led by Sergeant “Jock” Brown and was made up of members of the flight servicing crews at 27 A/S. A Queen Mary low loader was not available nor was a crane which made the task more difficult, sheer legs being used to lift, turn and load the ‘plane. As far as I know the pilot did not die but would have needed to “duck” a lot from the amount of cockpit damage. As bad as the airplane was, great care was taken to salvage the ‘plane without further doing further damage. This took a great deal of work, including some careful maneuvering [sic] over a narrow bridge on the way back.
104 American Harvards were flown in and my mate Dac and myself were given the job of checking these and making them airworthy for use, they had been shipped to Durban as deck cargo, and although sealed before loading, some had had their canopies opened by the ship’s crew, salt water had entered and causes much damage, not only to things that could be seen but many radios had been ruined and props had been turned so that ports had opened, we found many that had damaged pistons on the con rods due to salt water no wonder the delivery pilots had complained that some were gutless and rattled a lot. I joined the Camp Concert Party and band, played the fool on the camp and Bloemfontein stage and played the trumpet very badly at camp dances, practised like mad but still caused the lead trumpeter to shake his head in disgust.
Notices were on the boards for aircrew volunteers, Dac and I were a bit fed up with our treatment regarding promotion, we did the work and other got the credit, funny it’s still the same fifty years later!! We put our names in and after various interviews were sent to Cape Town to await shipment back to England.
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– Reg Miles
The URL Of This Webpage is
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/7797/Milesbio3.html
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Biography of Reg Miles
Ex Apprentice No 1 S. of T. T., R.A.F., Halton 39th Entry 34 – 67 M.U.s – 27 A/S Bloemspruit South Africa – Lympe Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 242 – 246 – 511
Squadrons Transport Command Lyneham, RAF
Chapter 4
Lympe, Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire
Unescorted fast ship Mauritania II brought us home in just two weeks. This was more like a holiday cruise, she was a large new fast ship, not over crowded, weather sunny, no real worries about the enemy, just too ignorant to have a care. And good food, all very pleasant!!
We came into port during the night, I suggest for security reasons. We would be confined below decks after dark so that no lights would be shone and any portholes on our decks would be welded shut. As we had no idea where we were it was only at dawn that we found ourselves suddenly in harbour.
We returned to a cold and rationed England, which was a bit of a shock after the land of plenty that was South Africa. I got to spend some time at home. Home was River outside Dover where Dad was responsible for building work for all the various Navy, Army and Airforce units stationed in and around the port of Dover.
After a couple of weeks I was posted to Lympne RAF Base near Folkstone in Kent, not too far away from home. I could cycle home on the odd day off. I was at a servicing echelon on Typhoons there from August 1943, making myself useful until the Flight Engineer course came through.
I arrived at this very basic airfield, grass runway, no hanger that I can recall, road to the village went through the place and we were living in requisioned [sic] houses on the floor, the Guardhouse miles away so we never booked out or in, just went! There I was fit, brown, and fairly knowledgeable, and there they were the service crews, lilly white, half starved, most hadn’t a clue about the RAF. The CO wanted me to stay, rather than take the flight engineer course. He did everything to make me, even tried to bribe me with promotion and an instructors course, turned him down flat, not the best way to make friends!!
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A few days later I watched as the flight sergeant in charge of the service crew was trying to unlock a propellor, up on the steps with a very, very large lead hammer and a long spanner thumping away to release the lock, told him it was the wrong rotation, what would I know?, the engine shaft sheered [sic] off and prop and F/S landed on the ground, another job now to remove the whole Napier Sabre and fit a new one, suppose the F/S got promoted and probably blamed me!!
The Typhoons were very heavy fast fighters. They were fitted with Napier Sabre H section sleeve valved 24 cylinder engines, had 20m/m cannon and rocket rails, and were hell to fly and worse to service. The engines were proto-types and only could do 20 hours or so between engine changes, never saw even one do that much while I was there, the single prop was the biggest in service and only cleared the ground when in flying position by 4 inches, many were bent on take off, and many came back from ops with bullet holes in as the ‘plane went faster than the bullets in a dive and caught up with it’s own fire!!
When I was working on Typhoons heard many yarns, but all “driversairframe” are a bit like fisher men I think. While the story teller was giving the the [sic] usual flyers tale, with lots of arm waving indicating who did what, even the other pilots had a “I don’t believe him” smiles on their faces.
The Typh’s were used as tank and train busters and also for downing V-1 Bombs and did a mighty job. Despite their success, some of the Typhoon pilots were very keen to improve the speed of the Typhoon so they could catch the enemy, be it pilotless V-1 Bombs, or piloted fighters. They were always wanting a few more miles an hour of them and “if only the bloody thing went faster I would have shot down” probably the whole German Airforce!! Adjustments to the engines were very difficult because they were so complicated and really just prototypes still. So they spent many hours with car polish rubbing and polishing every bit to reduce drag. They got us to help also, big things Typh’s and we got very tired of it. Guess they were like me, young and keen and a bit stupid as well, you’d have to be to risk life and limb for peanuts!!
Of course battle was not the only thing the pilots were keen on. The Typhoons were flown from a small grass runway. A sergeant’s mess party was being held one evening when I was on duty crew, we had to see the “dusk” patrol in and prepare them the “dawn” patrol, check everything and rearm and refuel and make sure every thing was as it should be. The small ‘drome was crowded visitors ‘planes from surrounding units and many were parked at the ends of the runway, fog was closing in and the last few of the dusk patrol had been told to divert to Manston, which was a very large aerodrome fitted with FIDO, by air it was seconds away by road it was
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too far to get a lift and still get to the party. All their mates would be there plus many of the local girls and if you didn’t turn up some one else would try their luck with your girl!! All managed to get back in, just one left to land, and here he comes he’s too low can’t see the row of ‘planes at the end of the runaway.
Yes he has but too late the massive undergear crashes through about six aircraft of all types and sizes and comes to earth with one wing low, the prop touches, that one won’t be on dawn patrol, as it taxi to our flight position where we are standing with torches to direct the pilot and hook the ‘plane to our tractor and tow it into position for the morning, the pilot climbs out, says “shit” and heads off for a shower and no doubt a bullet from the CO and even grounding if senior officers have had their ‘plane destroyed. We check the undergear to make sure it wont collapse as we tow it and generally check the damage, this takes a while and as we are doing this we hear the bell of the “blood wagon” in the distance, but too late for any injuries we say so I lay on the ground with one leg in the air and groan as the medical orderly rushes over, but it’s not the usual medical orderly it’s the senior medical officer, who wants to make a name for himself as all the top brass are on the base for the party. Well we didn’t part as friends I must say, but he really enjoyed chewing me out so perhaps that made his day!!
Arriving back at camp after a day with my parents, we slept in empty houses really outside the camp boundaries so no booking in or out, supposed to but why go a long way to the guard room if nobody cared, any how it was early in the morning, near midnight, not late at night as it should have been as I cycled to my billet, as I got off my bike the sergeant of my ground crew called for me to get moving and handed me a bucket of white paint. Our flight line was very close to our billet, and I was told to start painting wide white stripes under the wings of the Typhoons, other bods had black paint. So I crawled under them with buckets of white paint late at night in my best uniform. No idea where the Typhoons were off to, but we were told it was for identification purposes for an operation, but which one? It might have been coastal or near to it, and in support of either Commando’s or Navy, both tended to fire at all aircraft without any idea who flew what!! But why do it in the middle of the night with far from clever painters with large distemper brushes and I’m sure it was water based paint? On 15 November 1943, 2nd Tactical Air Force is formed, perhaps the Squadron I was on was made part of this force and some “stay in bed get the boys out” prat thought it would be nice if the new force were correctly dressed for Dawn Patrol. Whatever the reason for the early morning paint job, my best uniform was never quite the same, every one else had on their overalls!
As it turns out this was the first time that this type of identification was used on allied aircraft, and I Did It!!! These black and white stripes were
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called invasion stripes by others much later. They were widely in use for the Normandy invasion. They were painted to clearly show our ground forces that they were friendly aircraft so we would not lose aircraft to our own flak. Only the Tactiful [sic] Air Force had the invasion stripes. Well before the invasion some aircraft were painted with the stripes to be used as Targets for spotters and Anti aircraft units and also for ground troops to get familiar with our own planes, as marked. Apparently this Typhoon squadron was one of those painted early to get our troops used to the stripes.
I was stationed at Lympne until the end of 1943 when my posting came through to report at St Athan in South Wales to start my Flight Engineers training. Because of my training at Halton and my service work on aircraft my training would be specific to the type of bomber I would be doing my operations on, that was the plan anyhow.
It might be best to spend a moment reviewing the various RAF bombers. First there were the Medium Bombers. The Hampden, outdated before the war started so not used much – bit of a death trap so not to be included.
Bristol Blenheim private design as all decent ones are, Beaufort a torpedo version did lots of damage and raids on shipping in French ports, made the Germans angry. Beaufighter very fast version called “Whispering Death” also used as a night fighter with radar, all types with twin radial aircooled engines also by Bristol.
De Haviland Mosquito, best all round fighter, bomber etc of the war, just look up it’s stats and learn! 4000 lb bomb load, faster than any thing until the jets arrived, 42600 ft ceiling, used by the Master Bombers, fitted with 4 cannon and even with a single 57 m/m cannon. Don’t know what a Master bomber is? They first used Lancasters, would circle the target at a low height during all of the raid, and direct the “Pathfinders” where to drop more target markers, all this done at night of course and we would be called up as “main force” and directed which colour markers to use as an aiming point, and woe betide you if you came in from the wrong direction or dropped anywhere but the correct place. we were usually at 18000 to 20000 ft and could see the Master Bomber back lit by the bursting bombs almost as ground level, a number of back ups would be at our height and when, not if the master bomber was either hit by flak, or by a fighter or as was most likely had a load of bombs dropped on him, saw a Lancaster one time when we had to land away from base that had had a load of incendiaries land on it, not a pretty sight!! Master bomber two would have his own call sign and often with an accent to prevent the Gardens from giving us the wrong information, cunning devils!!
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Heavy bomber Wellington made by Vickers designed by Barnes Wallis (swing wing F1111, Dam busters bomb, and even the Avro York made from parts of the Lancaster) Twin engine geodetical construction, (all little bits joined together to make a net like effect, very strong) covered with fabric, front and rear turrets, two .303 Brownings in each 4,500 lb bomb load 300mph main stay of bombing until the large 4 engined bombers came along, still going strong at the end of the war, called The Wimpey by every one. very many versions from sea search with a lifeboat slung under, to mobile radar and radio station and I remember seeing one flying very low along the coast line with a large ring the size of it’s wing span detecting and blowing up magnetic sea mines.
Short Stirling the first 4 engine one, slow. low and designed by the Air Ministry with short wings so that it would go into the standard hanger, typical stupid desk riders. My log book contains some hours spent as F/E on one, a pretty useless bomber and not to be in the same class as the Halifax and Lancaster.
The Manchester was first operational about the same time as the Halifax but as we all know was plague by engine problems and was a “dead duck” until fitted with four Merlins, the Halifax was also supposed to get RR Vultures but because a shortage was expected was designed for four RR.
Handley Page Halifax 4 engined similar to the Lancaster never gets a mention much like the Hurricane is over shadowed by the Spitfire, but many thousands of them were flying and bombing Germany, while the Manchester was falling out of the sky with failing engines. Rolls Royce produced a 24 cylinder engine really based on two Merlins joined at the sump one upside down, it was only when the Manchester was modified to take four standard Merlins that it became the great aircraft it eventually did become. Both The Halifax and Lancaster had versions with Merlins and Hercules engines, the Halifax with Hercules was much better than the version with Merlins and the Lancaster was the reverse better with Merlins, More versions of the Lancaster were developed during the war and it’s construction was easier than the Halifax, but the Halifax was much tougher and took more punishment before crashing, I trained on and flew them all as an F/E, just wanted to get down in one piece so all were good for me!! 6,176 Halifax were built, their first operational flight took place March 1941.
Both Lancaster and Halifax had 4 .303 Brownings in the rear power turret, mid upper had 2 but had a full 360 rotation and up and down. Some later versions of the Lancaster had twin .5 Brownings in the rear turret, both Halifax and Lancaster had versions with mid under turrets with twin Brownings.
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The Lancaster did eventually drop 22,000 lb grand Slam bombs, called by some earthquake bombs as they were made of high quality steel typical bomb shape and were used to bomb things like bridges which are very hard to destroy, need a direct hit, theses bombs penetrated deep into the earth and shattered the foundations so that the bridge or viaduct collapsed. 7,377 Lancasters were built, their first operational flight took place on 3/4 March 1942.
So I started my training on four engined Lancaster Mark 2 bombers which were in every respect the same as all Lancasters except for the engines which were Bristol Hercules 14 cylinder air cooled radial, all other Lancasters had four Rolls Royce 12 cylinder water cooled twin 6 cyl. vee Merlin engines. Lancasters were the outcome of a design called the Manchester which originally had twin Rolls Royce X engines 24 cylinder X, really two Merlins coupled at the sumps making a cross of four banks of six, these engines were a completed failure and before I went to South Africa in 1941 had worked on one of the Manchesters that had crash landed in a field due to engine failure. A.V Roe (Avro) knew they had a good aircraft and as The Royal Airforce refused to allow them any engines, so scrounged 4 Merlins from Rolls Royce on the “old pals network” and re worked the ‘plane from two engines to four and demonstrated to the top brass what a good all round bomber they had, and so it proved to be in service, carrying heavier bombs farther and higher than any other ‘plane at that time.
I studied the Lancaster and it’s systems including the Hercules engines until I knew every part, hydraulic, air, auto pilot, bomb release gear, undercarriage, you name it I knew and passed with ease my examinations, so much of what I had been studying was what I had been working on for a couple of years, different ‘planes but basically the same in principle. St Athan is a very old and well known R.A.F. Station the R 101 and R100 airships were built there and a “ring” of one of them is fitted to the wall of the huge hanger they were built in, which still stood when I was there, anyone interested in these airships should get “Slide Rule” written by Neville Shute and learn some very interesting facts about these two airships, Neville Shute was an aircraft engineer and any of his fiction books are a good read, perhaps his most well known book was the basis for the film “A Town Like Alice”.
After passing out from the F/E course I was given a short leave and in March 1944 told to report to 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit at Dishforth in Yorkshire and it was there that I joined up with the rest of the crew who had until that time been flying twin engined aircraft. What aircraft did I see on the runway when I got there? Halifax Mark 2s and 5s different ‘planes and different engines so I had to start all over again on systems and bits!!!
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11.3.44, I had to do some initial training to see if I could handle things actually in the air, so it was circuits and landings with a senior Flight Engineer to see how I went. Well we took off OK and did a circuit and came straight in land again, with me operating the various undercarriage and flaps etc as the pilot asked and all was going well round and round until the bumpy air and round and round got to me and I felt sick as a dog after about an hour and asked the F/E if we could pack it up. He looked at me and said if you give in now you are off the course and can go back to your unit, well funny thing I suddenly felt better and got on with the rest of the job for another hour, after that I was always too busy to feel sick.
I have a log book of my time flying, and I include here the information in it from the flights I made as crew member, rather than as a passenger. This began here, with the 1664 HCU, 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit, which means it was heavy conversion unit from 2 to 4 engine aircraft.
Some of the terms on the Log Book shall require explaining. The Lat and Long at the top I have added recently when I bought MS World Atlas and was able to pin point the airfield locations. You will note the first column is the date to help you follow the sequence. This log book records all my flying both training, operational and at Transport Command. C&Ls circuits and landings very boring and mainly for the pilot and engineer to frighten them as much as possible, D.C.O. duty carried out D.N.C.O Duty Not carried out. P.O Lauzon was my first operational pilot, others mentioned on this first page and perhaps elsewhere were senior pilots who had done at least one tour of operations and were being rested before doing another tour of at least 30, all were very much more frightened of the ‘sprog’ pilot than of anything the Boche could throw at them!! PO is Pilot Officer and is really a rank to ensure that the person will not put up any ‘blacks’ and behave like an officer and a gentlemen, probationary period usually 6 moths. FO is not Flight Officer which is a female rank in the WAAF but Flying Officer. 25th Feb 1:32 E Easy was the aircraft that we normally flew when I was with 420 Sqdn, V Victor was our designated ‘plane when with 432 Sqdn, but as we were very new got what was available due to serviceability problems. Will get to each one as I go through my log book, which will be about 30 pages.
Pilot Officer Lauzon asked if I would like to join his crew. The rest were already joined as a crew. I was the last one to join being an RAF Flight Engineer, they needed me to shovel in the coal and to keep the boiler streaming!! As I knew nobody on the course happily agreed, soon realised that all crews belonged to The Royal Canadian Airforce so I had joined a bunch of people who I had no idea of their country or life style, some thing else to study, I was going to be a busy boy! The rest had trained on twin engine aircraft of some sort in Canada and were now ready for the big time.
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We were all very young with different back grounds and likes and dislikes, remember I was with the Canadians who were used to a much higher living standard, more independent than us down trodden POMS (from the Australian prisoners of His Majesty, convicts) So where they had quite a lot of money we did not, all the same Yanky pay, and the food parcels poured in from their families in Canada, when we had leave they went to certain places arranged for them or hit the “big smoke” and found some one to enjoy their pay with, I went home to a shell and bombed Dover, first thing Mum wanted was my ration book so should could feed me, one of my father’s sub contractors always called at our house soon after I got home and from the inside of his very dirty overalls gave me a Black Market parcel of butter, cheese and bacon. My crew always made sure I had some of their surplus food to take home, sugar and jam etc. I could not invite them to stay at my house, one reason was there was no room and another was that I had to have a special pass to even leave the railway station near home even though the local cop on duty knew me. The whole south coast was a restricted area all roads in were manned and high fences were all around so no use trying the fields, took one of my girl friends once, was only allowed to stay 12 hours and had to either send her back to London or both go somewhere else, went somewhere else!! My parents not too pleased but I was on a promise and determined to find out if it was as good as everyone was telling me, yes it was!
After being introduced to the rest of the gang, I got down to serious study learning about fuel systems, tank positions and the fuel transfer arrangements that allowed one tank to supply all engines and many compilations of this, very necessary if flack makes a hole in a fuel tank, need to use that one up first and tanks have to be balanced for the same reason during operations, loose a full tank and you wont have enough fuel to get back home again!! Engine controls are important too, boost and rpm govern the fuel consumption, and which supercharger gear ratio being used is also very critical.
A very brief explanation of boost, revs and supercharger gearing. Boost is the measure of pressure, plus or minus of the air in the induction system of an engine. When a piston sucks in air it increase it’s speed and therefore lowers it’s pressure below atmospheric pressure at ground level (14Ibs per square inch roughly) The more weight of air that can be crammed into a cylinder before it is fired the move power is produced. Hence turbo chargers and super chargers, turbo’s are driven by the exhaust gases, superchargers by gearing direct from the engine, as the aircraft flies higher the air gets less dense, and the power from the engine becomes less, turbo’s and supers pump more air in so that power is maintained, use of ground level increases the power from a given capacity of engine cylinders, an engine without a charger would always show a minus reading on the boost pressure guage [sic].
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The setting of the throttle (accelerator) governs the boost pressure coupled with the turbo or super charger speed setting, the two work together and then setting is done by the pilot or engineer for the conditions at the time (climbing, cruising, etc) components that are a part of the system automatically retain this boost pressure until either a height is reached where the air is so thin that it cannot do so, or changes are made to flight conditions. Revs are the speed at which the propellors go round and relate somewhat to the gearbox of a car, selection of speed is made and automatically kept at that speed by a unit on the engine and one in the propellor itself, bit like an automatic gear box on a car, changing conditions of flight such as taking off and landing require different propellor speeds and reacation [sic] of the flight conditions, feathering which rotates the blades so that they do not “windmill” in the event of an engine failure are also incorporated. Guess it’s not so simple after all and I used to teach this but had the advantage of being able to flap my arms about!!
My first flight with P/O Lauzon was on March 16, 1944 and was Exercise 7&8 in my log book. Exercise 7&8 I have no idea but only took about one and a half hours so not very important I should say.
Our next exercise was the next day, the 17th, and was Local Bombing. This was a training exercise for the crew but mainly for the bomb aimer and pilot to get their co-ordination working together so that the target is hit. Small practice bombs used but sometimes larger ones full of concrete may be dropped.
The next night I was up with another pilot, Fry, for Circuits and Landing exercises again. More night training.
The next morning I was called to fly with yet another pilot, Vinish, for a Sea Search. VINISH is correct, think I wrote “finish” and got a sharp reminder! Sea Search was a very serious matter that was to see us spend all those hours searching a particular part of the ocean with other crews looking for a downed ‘plane, a hell of a strain on the eyes, the sun shining on the moving waves makes it very hard to see anything properly so things are reported that are not there and other things missed, and no we did not see anything.
You will note that I took off at 10:15 am flew for nearly six hours and then took off again the same day with a different pilot at 20:20 being tested on night C&Ls for about 4.30 hrs and that is only the time in the air, lots goes on before and after!!
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Then it was back to P/O Lauzon for two flights in one day, the 20th. Two and a half hours of Local Bombing in the morning then a six and a half hour Night Cross Country exercise.
Apart from actually flying and being checked by a senior Flight Engineer to find out if I could do my job properly, our navigator had to give me instruction on star charts, which star was where and how to use the sextant to take star shots while flying to help in navigation, the F/E position was beneath the astro-drome and it was another of his jobs to do star shots if and when the navigator needed them, the correct star had to be found and a timed shot taken to give an average reading, the wrong star could make life difficult and I can tell you the ‘plane bumping about, nasty people trying to shoot you down didn’t make finding the right star in amongst the millions out there easy.
During this course we also had to take instruction in escape technic’s [sic] both from the aircraft and the enemy, we went to a swimming pool and in full flying gear jumped in the water and tried to turn over an up turned dingy we managed, but could not see it being possible at night in a rough cold North Sea, we all treated it as a bit of a laugh, young and foolish in hind sight.
Our next flight, on the 24th March 1944 at 18:45, our crew did it’s first night operation over France as a diversionary raid to fool the Germans into sending fighters up to intercept what appeared a bomber force approaching targets in their country. This Bullseye Mission was a number of training aircraft that were sent in a direction different than the proper bombers, hoping this would direct enemy fighters away from the real bombers. This diversionary raid turned back before any target was reached and hopefully before any of the inexperienced crews were shot down!! The 1/3 shown on the log was a third of a point awarded towards the total of thirty points needed for a complete tour of operations. “Bullseyes” only counted as one third of an operation. The missions was six long hours wandering about over enemy territory before landing back at base with eyes very sore with looking for enemy fighters that never appeared.
Another course we had to attend was escape after being shot down, this was carried out by senior NCO’s of the Army at a special camp on the Yorkshire Moors, a cold and bleak place, with our instructors determined to show those “Brylcreem boys” what tough meant, we were marched and run about all day, all ranks, some quite senior officers going back on operations for their third tour, were made to wear overalls at all times with no badges of rank and shouted at as if we were new recruits in the Army. Escape training was carried out at night without any warning, doors were slammed no lights put on and we had to get into our overalls and get outside, loaded
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into trucks half asleep, and driven out on to the moors, dropped off in twos with a map, not told where we were and left to find our own way back to camp, the local police, army and the courses just finishing came out looking for us and if found we were arrested and help in jail until sent back to camp. The Canadians were very much anti authority, (much like the Australians I now live with) so nothing was sacred, buses were found in back yards and driven near to camp with lots of aircrew hidden under seats, some stayed out for days being fed and “watered” by lonely wives whose husbands were in the Forces, and said they have got lost and were tired and hungry, some did look as if they had been working very hard and needed a rest. This was our last training in the Heavy Conversion Course.
The fact that this was our last flight was a coincidence. Bulls Eye was not a graduation ceremony. If one was wanted by the higher ups and you had reached a level of training able to do it you went, the needs of the service were what governed what and where you went.
I had completed training and was graded on my performance in the course. Exam result is 73.5% That was based on my flying with instructors and theory of the aircraft systems at HCU 1664, not wonderful but remember I did do a theory and practicle [sic] course just prior to arriving at HCU on the Lancaster Mark II, different ‘plane with entirely different engines, so apart from crewing up with a bunch of wild Canadians, I had less than two weeks to learn all about a new ‘plane and it’s engines, not bad for yours truly. The results of my examination were signed officially by the Flight Engineer Flight Leader, a flight of men can be any number that can be controlled or over seen, a flight of aircraft also can be any number that is suitable for the type, 3 bombers being usual, more for fighters, a number of flight make a squadron, a number squadrons make a wing, a number of wings make a Group and a number of groups make a command as in Bomber Command. Got all that? So the Flight Leader responsible for a number of Flight Engineers under training, signed to say that I had reached a standard whereby I could be expected to do do [sic] my job properly. All trades of air crew had Flight Leaders, Navigator, Gunners, Wireless operator, Bomb aimer, and lets not forget the driver Leader for the Drivers airplane!!
This all ended in due course and our crew were given a posting to 432 Sqdn RCAF at Eastmoor who were equipped with Halifax Mark 3, same engines as Lancaster 2s and much better version of the Halifax’s at Dishforth, so all that study had paid off in the end!! My flying time with Squadron 432 are covered in those pages of my Log.
The RCAF was called 6 Group part of Bomber Command, most airfields had two Squadrons based on it, each was controlled by its own staff and did not always fly to the same targets nor even on the same days of nights.
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Usually the same nation were located at each base, so you had two Canadian Squadrons where I was, 420 and 425 at Tholthorpe as an example with my next unit. I just can’t remember which squadron was at Eastmoor with 432, the Lancaster book I mentioned before gives all the squadrons and I will just look to see which Squadron was at Eastmoor with 432 when they were with Lancasters. Doesn’t help, my book shows an HCU at the same base but that was to covert 432 from Wellingtons I think on to Lancaster II, they then changed to Halifax III just before I joined, need the same sort of book for the Halifax which I don’t have and maybe no one has! To continue both these squadrons, and 432 as well, were part of 6 Group. Each squadron was divided into flights the number I cannot remember nor can I recall how many ‘planes in each flight. I would recommend to you that you beg borrow, steal or even in extreme circumstances purchase a book called The Lancaster Story by Peter Jacobs it is distributed in the USA by Sterling Publishing CO Inc 387 Park Avenue South, New York it’s ISBN is 1 85409 288 8 it is a very fine book and gives much detail of the history and operational types of Lancasters I was given the book by one of Phyllis’s brothers and treasure it greatly.
We flew out of Eastmoor airfield. The airfields were just that, fields, hangers and other buildings had been erected, but I visited some many many years later and just the concrete runway was still there most had been removed for scrap and given back to the farmers, local drag car clubs still use some of them and guess those farmer with ‘planes of their own could land and take off on them. Although I do not recall the details of Eastmoor, I have read that the Standard Airfield design for heavy bombers was to have a main runway 2000 yds, and two secondary runways at about 60 degrees to one another of 1400 yds.
A fence had been errected [sic] around the perimeter and RAF Police patrolled this to keep strangers out, but guess if you really wanted in it would have been easy, gun positions were manned by RAF Regiment people with mainly light guns and fixed posts with bofors. The local towns were in the main villages, been there for centuries still using the roads that the Romans built, a village hall, for all the functions so a trip to one on a dance night would see all the lonely ladies out in force and us being the local best thing since sliced bread were over whelmed with attention, take your pick and hope her husband is not near!!!
Two crew slept in each nissen hut so no need to shout for quiet more like a moan about someones socks which were “humming”, don’t ever remember noise being a problem, none of us played craps or other gambling games like the Americans, guess compared to them our lives were a bit like “The vicar’s tea party”! There were no other ‘normal working hours’ type people in our huts so no problem.
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Life on the Bases 432 and 420 was the usual things. We played horse shoes, pool. I even had to have lessons from the wireless operator on the morse code and key. Buses were laid on to the local villages for the dances which were not all that popular, not too many lovely ladies there!! The odd trip into York but much the same old thing into the pub a few beers and away before the usual fights started between the armies of the Allies. Only those that had not fought anywhere had to prove how wonderful they were, just idiots, bit like the rubbish on earth today. nuf said!!
We didn’t have any “hours” as such when bomber crews, we were expected to be available 24 hours a day , but if “stood down” officially for a number of hours usually until next morning could go out of camp and be back in by 23.59, the usual time for late return from a night on the town.
Stations Order were posted on the various notice boards which would give times of lectures , and other places we had to be, one such was the visit to our camp by the Prime Minister of Canada, we had to line up to be inspected, not to bull parade more like a casual couple of lines of airmen of all ranks chatting away until he got near and spoke to some one, unfortunately the first three or four he spoke to and asked “Where are you from in Canada” were all RAF and not RCAF so when he got London, Yorkshire etc was a bit puzzled, one of the officers took him by the elbow and steered him in the right direction. We all wore RCAF brevets for our aircrew trade so not easy for him to know who was who, on my squadron only the Flight Engineers were RAF the rest all Canadians. The Canadians had a saying that I have just remembered, “Joe for King, home by Christmas” Joe was Stalin and King was the name of the Canadian Prime Minister.
So to recap, we were pretty free to do as we wished most of the time, and I like most others only read any notice board if we thought we were getting promoted, and left all that stuff to our pilot, who knew before we did when and where we were flying etc. That is why I got in such a muddle over my Officer’s interview, mentioned elsewhere I think you will find, just never bothered to read the notice boards!!!
Our missions were at first all night operations. As such I shall have to educate you about night and day in England, Winters starts about October/November and goes on until February/March, some visitors swear it never stops and is winter all year, but the important thing is that in these northern climes daylight ends very early and starts late so a man working a normal day starting at 8am and finishing 4-5 pm will always travel in pitch darkness to and from work. Taking off in darkness at 18.00 hours is no different from taking off even later. Darkness from say 7pm to 7am is 12 hours and we did not have bombers that could last that long and where would they have
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bombed anyhow? Hope that helps, just to take a random looking in the log book 6-10-44 15.45 take off to Dortmund all listed as night flying. Remember England is not too far from the Arctic Circle where 6 months of days and the 6 months of nights happens all the time!! At times we would land fairly early in the evening, but for another random look 15.9.44 22.00 to Keil 5.35 meant we got back to base about 3.30 am debriefing meal etc bed by about 5am, no early night that one.
If there had been a large night force out on a target say a 1000 bomber raid not every place was at the target at the same time, enough problems spread out, guess it would have been chaos otherwise so a raid would start soon after dark and continue until close on dawn when the day bombers took over.
April fools day found me acting as F/E to our Flight leader, Flight Lt. Cooper, doing circuits and landings at night for more than two hours to again check my skills, followed a few days later on the 4th with the whole crew doing the same thing. We passed this ok so now had to do a daylight cross-county to make sure we could go and come back!! The next day, the 8th, we did another “Bullseye”, this one 3 hours 35 minutes long, but were told they didn’t count towards points for a tour!
On the squadron you only got points for what you did operationally. While I am talking about a TOUR, it was a walk in the sun eyeing up the Canadian WAAFs, all who were very pretty and carried about a ton of makeup on their faces, my Canadian crew thought it wonderful, I thought they looked like a bunch of clowns Hey Ho. A TOUR was a certain number of operations 30 being the average but based on targets and what the service wanted so some did more and some did less I did 36, wanted to do more so that my crew could finish with the same F/E, as I had done some ops before joining them, I didn’t say anything to my Flight Engineer Leader but when he found out I had done more than I should have, he stopped me and sent me to get my new uniform as an officer!!! But that was yet to come of course.
On April 10th we flew our first operation, to Ghent, Belgium. The ops to Ghent was in all probability a German ammunition dump, a guess.
The raid is on so after a quick trip to the mess hall for a preflight meal it’s back to the barracks to put on my flight gear which is really only to dispense with the collar and tie, pull on the very large white woollen rollneck sweater under my normal working uniform top, pull on my flying boots and zip them up (keep hoping that the latest ones will be issued to us, these are impossible to walk in, made of foam and suede with long uppers lined inside with sheep skin, they certainly keep the feet and legs warn [sic] but after a few
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uses tend to lose their shape and “become down at heel” the latest ones are made from black leather as proper shoes and the leg portion can be removed by cutting the top off with the small knife hidden inside, more suitable for aircrew to walk away from the enemy after bailing out.
Down to the parachute section with the rest of the crew and draw my chest type chute and harness. On one operation we were told that ALL squadron parachutes had been repacked, a rumour had been circulating that a chute had had it’s rip cord pulled by mistake and all that fell out was an old blanket!! Parachute silk was much sought after during the war to make the “gift wrapping” that men looked for when their girls took their outer clothes off. We always poked a finger into the corner of the case to feel if there was silk (nylon?) inside.
Time to board the truck to take us out to the aircraft, as we called at each dispersal point calls of “race you back” and some not quite so pleasant were made to those climbing out, at last we were at our ‘plane, tumble out and grab our bits and bobs, I had in addition to my chute and harness a tool bag with a few spanners, pliers, bits of useful wire, string etc, other had large bags with the navigation and wireless bumf, and the tails gunner probably had a brick or lump of old iron.
We all climbed aboard to put our things in a position we could grab them if needed, my chute went on the floor in my position, as did my tool box, then I fitted my chute harness on making sure it was tight and properly fastened. down to the tail to remove the elevator lock and start doing my normal checks before we started the four engines, I had an aircraft log sheet to fill in, with what fuel was in which tank, and as soon as we started engines, all their details must be entered., by this time we had all settled in and a quick call was made to check that all intercom positions answered.
Halifax crew positions were spread throughout the aircraft. The bomb aimer’s position was in the nose where he map read if possible our mark of Halifax had no nose gun, it was found that fighters did not attack head on at night, various design changes took place during the war as needed so some had nose guns and some not. Then there was a blackout curtain, behind which was the navigator, then the wireless operator, all these at a lower level than the pilot, wop more or less under the pilot’s feet, up a bit the Pilot and behind him the Flight Engineer, who darted about as required. Then there was the mid upper turret and then tail turret. The Halifax had bomb bays in the fuselage behind the f/e position but beneath the floor but could be got at through panels if needed in the case of a hang up, also bomb bays were situated in the wings between the inboard engines and fuselage.
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In the cockpit where the pilot was were all the throttles, under carriage and flap controls, and the usual flying instruments. My position was also in the cockpit, where I would access the various contrls [sic] and dials needed to keep the plane flying properly. Only on very rare occasions did I have to help my pilots and that was if we had lost an engine and then only on landing. Once when a tyre burst as we touched down did he want a bit of muscle to keep it straight other than that managed without what seemed any effort. The Halifax position for the flight engineer was right behind the pilot, with my instruments, fuel, oil water pressures and temps etc on a rear partition, levers etc to change fuel tanks was either side behind the main wing spar. I had no resting place, no chair, so what I was only the engineer!! If a crash landing was going to be done all the crew expect the pilot could make themselves a safe spot by clinging together behind the main wing spar, so that was no worry, in a crash I would be as well off as the rest.
I was able to stand upright at my F/E position, and also when I assisted the pilot, think I could stand upright at the mid upper gunner’s position but needed to bend my back as I got near the tail, The inside was not pained as such, but from memory was a dark green in colour, probably the anti corrosion coating applied to Duralumin, Alclad and Aluminium sheets used to fabricate the ‘planes. The step up to my F/E position was about 9 inches, underneath was stored the oxygen supply for the whole aircraft, but I could still stand erect with my whole 68 and bit inches of height (the bit is much more important than the preceding 68 for those of us who are in a neat and compact package) I was able to turn round with relative ease, the space being sufficient for my needs, no windows of any kind apart from the roof astro-drome, the cockpit did have sliding windows both sides as well as a windscreen which was a great help to us, to see our way!!!, Both wireless operator and navigator had windows (non opening) complete with blinds for night work, there was also a large curtain between these positions and the bomb aimer nose, which was completely made of perspex in the Mark III version I flew in on operations, as far as I can remember we could all stand upright in the nose section where the nav and wop had seat with tables for their equipment. far from being cramped we all has as much room as we would require, not enough to hold a dance or even a large party but we could all move about with relative ease and reach anything needed to do our job. The fuselage looking back from my position which was just forward of the main spar, was really empty except for the mild upper gunner’s position, his lower body and feet only projected down about half way, with room to pass either side of him, we didn’t have the open side gun positions used in the forts.
During this time we had gradually crept up to the runway threshold and were now awaiting the green from the Aldis lamp, I had left my position to stand next to my pilot at the top of the steps landing down the wop,
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nav, and bomb positions, ready to hold the throttles open as we charged down the runway and to assist in any way wanted, I had already told the skipper that all engines were running Ok and so we set forth to battle.
The tail came up and we reached our “unstick speed” (whatever that was !!) the whole aircraft was shuddering with the effort of leaving the ground, a few skips off the concrete and we were airborne, time to take a breath, it had stopped completely as the trees bordering the ‘drome had got closer and closer, we once arrived back with bits of branches still caught in the undergear, and a failure of only one engine at that time with a full bomb and fuel load meant the end. Up with the undercarriage reduce the flap angle and set the throttles for climbing, synchronise the propellers, fill in the log book, reduce again the flap angle, check engine temps and pressures, change gills to get the temps right, stepping in and out and up to the pilot to do as he wanted, breathing heavily into the oxygen mask, which always smelt of rubber and rust and wet with condensation. I had to keep mine on to receive instructions from the skipper but most of the other crew could leave theirs unfastened until we climbed higher and went on to oxygen.
Back into my cubby hole, standing looking up out of the astro dome to see if we were in danger of climbing into some one else, all clear, down to the top of the steps to pile up the window and pamphlets that I would start to put down the chute later on, check all the engine details again, at every change of engine revs and at a regular period (think it was 15 minutes but not sure the log had to be filled in, a cardboard rotary calculator was used to work out what fuel had been used at certain revs and boost to check what fuel was left in each tank, the gauges were only a very rough guide!!
Not exactly a “Jack in the box” but I always took my job seriously and did all I could to ensure my side of things ran like clockwork, no guesses keep checking and worrying until home again safe and sound.
We had arrived at the altitude we were to fly at and engine revs and boost were reset, oxygen had been switched on at about the same time high speed had been selected on the supercharger for each engine, about 11,000 to 12,000 ft.
The navigator would tell the skipper at what time and which compass bearing he should be on to set course not for the target but the first of the course changes, and so with the constant roar of four engines, our little world of icy cold draughts, a lethal cargo, shuddering rocking in the streams of air from those in front, with many staring eyes looking for any others who might be near us in the black sky, seven young men went about their duty as they saw it.
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It was cold, it was apparently dangerous, if you worried about not getting back you probably wouldn’t, those that were frightened all the time were the real heroes, most of us just did it and were glad to be doing something to save our civilisation, not that we ever know just how bad things were or what a terrible bunch the leaders of the enemy were.
Yes I was a bit frightened on our first operation, but the ones that I always felt sorry for were the gunners. The pilot and engineer could see what was happening but were also very busy not only with flying the plane, but I had to record all the engine and fuel tank details plus other odds and sods. The navigator and wireless operator were shut up in their places with little to see from a small window and were themselves busy with their bits and bobs. The bomb aimer was in all probability stretched out full length looking at the sights below waiting to do his bit and telling us what he could see to help us avoid others and ensure we got where we were supposed to go. But the gunners isolated in their turrets had only themselves to talk to and fear can become a self promoting thing. Being busy kept me from being too frightened to do my job properly, and I can honestly say that I never really felt fear just a bit of apprehension on some operations, but more of that later.
There was no way to tell if we hit the target, not unless we were told so later. Most times, as here, we were not the first on target, it was all organised on “waves” so the thing was usually well alight or just a ploughed field by the time we got there. What we added to this was difficult to say or see from our altitude. The bomb aimer would see all the ground targets and perhaps what happened when the bombs landed. I was busy with my jobs and searching the sky above to help the gunners, didn’t really see a great deal. Sorry I am not able to give you a graffic [sic] picture of bombs falling and targets blowing up, Hollywood might but they live in a dream world anyhow!!
When we returned from our first operation, we were told the mission was only worth one third of a point!
We did not fly again for a week and then only flew a cross country exercise. On the 18th we flew an op to Paris. Ah Paris!!! Do you really think it was lit up??? All we saw were the flashes of bombs going off and the crash and flash of anti aircraft shells trying to get us. Every target we went to sent up flak, the Germans seemed to really hate us I wonder why? Until we started daylight operations we only saw what was lit up by our bombs and must say we didn’t hang about looking at the sights.
A five hour mission. How can it take five hours to fly to Paris you ask? The time taken to get to a target does not indicate how far it was, to confuse
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the enemy bomber tracks were deliberately set out as if a certain target were that night’s one when in actual fact we went elsewhere so the navigator did not have a period of nothing to do but was always calculating when and where to turn onto the next part of the course, gaining or losing time if necessary to arrive on target at the correct time, and checking on drift from winds not as per listed, and adding anything in his log that was of use to others, such as new flak sites. We never flew directly to any target nor flew home the same way, always many twists and turns to fool the enemy, those that chose the easy way home often didn’t get there, we followed the plan as set out by our squadron commanders, in our case it worked!!
Again, only one third of a point for some reason. Two nights later, on the 20th, we went to Lens, Belgium on an operation for which we were given one third of a point again!! I can’t seem to remember any reaction to this grudging point system, good boys did as we were told!! Funny thing is that most of us never really worried about reaching the end of a tour, the mateship of the crew was more important, ie just look at my and others search for old mates we flew with, can’t afford in most cases to get really together but nice to hold hands at a distance!!
On 22 April 1944 we went to the Ruhr Valley, known by all bomber crews as Happy Valley, solid flack from end to end.
Flak was present not just over the target of course. There were flak sites all about, and even flak ships. flak ships were in fact ships moored off the Enemy coast and were very bad medicine for anyone foolish enough to fly over them, guess being cooped up in a ship and see sick some of the time made the crew mad as they were very accurate and fast with reloading. Flak ships were well documented and only the crews with poor navigators or ‘planes in trouble ever went near then, we saw but kept well away!!
A slight shuffle off course, there were many flak towers of our own situated in the Thames estuary which were just as lethal as the ships, some years after the war and many years from now took one of my boys out to one in the first runabout I built, pretty massive things and I took a couple of photos to prove we had been there, our boating friends all turned back halfway and chickened out!!
Back to Happy Valley, the flak was heavy. Dusseldorf was a very serious affair, bits of red hot flak flew about inside the ‘plane as the shells burst, our navigator got hit but fortunately right on the torch in his May [sic] West (flotation vest), made him grunt a bit but he was Ok to get us home again. I had to check all manner of bits that got damaged, seem to remember the fuel control levers, about ten of them got damaged and it was a nightmare of a lottery which bit of frayed wire controlled which tank, but guess I must have
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done the right thing because we got home!! Just remember all this is being done in more or less pitch black darkness with the “driver” dodging flak burst and weaving about for the gunners, none of it calculated to appeal to the faint hearted!! But I wanted to get home as well and could have been on a promise from my latest girl friend, what more incentive could a guy have? Over Dusseldorf we were hit by flack. We returned safely. This was a full point towards our 30 needed.
On the 24th Karlsruhe was the target, and Essen on the 26th, back to France on the 27th to Montzen one whole point for this one, but on the 30th again over France to Somain and back to 1/3 point no idea why.
My log book for April lists 40.15 hrs operational, total 56.05. It is signed by Squadron Leader (rank about Flight Lieutenant shown as F/L and S/L) Officer Commanding (OC) “B” Flight This Officer was in overall control of all LEADERS for that flight of a number of aircraft and men to fly them, The ranks when I was in the RAF were Pilot officer, Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, won’t bother with the rest, but the rank did not signal the position held visa vi aircraft operations as these ranks applied also to medical, religious, cook house and all other branches concerned with the RAF so a clerk could be a Squadron Leader if an officer, got it? BUT no non-flying type ever got to be incharge [sic] of operational people, want a riot do you? Unless you had pilot’s wings, very few other crew members ever made it to high rank, had to be a “driver” to get to the top. and so it should be I say!! Driver a term used by non drivers to put them in their place at times of getting about themselves, like chatting up your girl or not standing their round at the bar!!
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Underlined] F/E Reg Miles [/underlined]
May started with an air to air fighter affil. A Fighter Affil was us in a Halifax or Lancaster bombers in daylight practicing avoiding a fighter and a fighter doing the same to us, or should I say trying to us down (in
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theory we hope) camera guns used, good fun if you like sick making dives and climbs, as Flight Engineer the only one of the crew in constant free fall, all others belted in and the pilot having a real fun time as he tries to make the slow bomber do things never designed for it!! Hope that tells you what fighter affil was, never tried it at night guess not too many would land again in one piece, with 19-20 year old boys doing wheelies in the sky with permission of the 24-25 year old bosses!! But this one we didn’t finish due to the weather. Heavy cloud moved in and the exercise was D.N.C.O duty not carried out! My Log book will show by each notation D.C.O. or D.N.C.O. DCO is Duty Carried Out, DNCO has a not in it!!!
In fact May was a bad month only two ops. The first was to France at Le Clipon. I note that on the night of the 19.5.44 ops Le Clipon that there is a small red note 15x500 could be what bombs we took!! The second mission in May was to France as well, to Mont Couple for a grand total for the month of 2/3 of a point. Most of the time was spent night flying about England doing more training.
A recent TV show about drugs, reminds me of something during my service, which many people may not know happened. On at least two occasions we were drugged!! Not too sure which ones it was but, you see we weren’t ever told what was being planned or cancelled, just called up to do a raid. Once we were pulled out of bed to do a raid and given pills to keep us awake, the raid was then cancelled after we had climbed aboard out planes, we were then given more pills to make us sleep. No idea what the pills were or even if they worked!!!
The second of June started much as May with an op to Neufchatel in France for another one third point, and on the 12th six days after D Day, Les Lauzon and I were marshalling V Victor from our dispersal to the main runway, as I unlocked the elevators by pulling out the large pin something slipped and my hand was trapped and very badly cut, I had to be taken to the hospital, sewn up, bandaged and my arm put in a sling. No possibility of my going on the op so a spare F/E was called up in my place.
Later that night after some pain killers and a rest I heard the 432 ‘planes returning and went down to the Ops room where all returning crews had to call in and give our statement of events, what we saw, if we could give any details of aircraft shot down, and all the details that would help to decide if the target had been hit. When the Station Adjutant saw me he had a fit, my mother had just been sent a telegram to say I was missing on operations, my crew had been shot down and would not be returning.
This was a great shock to me. It would also be a shock to my parents. and as it was now just after 8 o/clock in the morning knew that my
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Dad would be at work in his office on the docks at Dover, gave the Adjutant the number and was put through in record time, told Dad I was ok and would explain the details when I saw him.
Each crew shared a nissen hut with another crew, not a happy situation when the other crew went missing, but the padre or one of his staff quickly gathered all the stuff up and it was sorted out by one of the squadron officers to send to the parents, anything not nice was removed. I was lucky my stuff was not sent before I managed to let them know I was still on camp!!
Nothing for me to do on the base so home I went on the next train from York to Dover. Trains, now that is something that you should all enjoy, no Air Raid Wardens, the guard just turned off all lights when an air raid warning was sounded, if a tunnel was near the train would go in there, but we are only talking about trains near the coastal regions, hit and run raids were the ones that tried to get trains, trucks etc but that soon stopped when the RAF squadrons became equipped with plenty of fighters to scare the low fliers away, happened to me a couple of times on my way to Dover on leave but really not a worry, worse things happen at sea we always said. Train travel was dirty, uncomfortable, long delays, overcrowded with troops and all there [sic] gear going about the country, only very rarely would a seat be available and soon given up to the lass with a baby on board or in arms, the corridors solid from end to end, tired people going back from leave and even more tired people going home for a spell away from war, but in some cases going into more war if their home was in the south, not that the north escaped bombing raids but it continued for longer in the south in fact almost to the day war ended, V1s and V2s almost to the end. After I was made an officer I travelled first class, now that was good if I had a travel warrant, not so hot if I had to pay for it, lot of rubbish I thought but must do as I am told like a good boy.
I arrived just after eight the next morning and phoned Dad from the Railway Station, he picked me up and took me home, Mum was at the local corner shop and post office, all the staff knew me and also knew about the telegram.
I did not notice a great deal about the Normandy build up, the landing happening on the 6th. We flew over the south of England on our night operations and sometimes were on our way home at dawn we would see the build up. As I usually spent time with my father in the Dover docks while on leave would have seen what was going on. But remember Dover was always very busy and some parts were off limits to every one, any double decker buses used on that part of the coast had all the top windows locked and pained on the outside black so no view of what was happening about the place.
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D Day itself, however, must have come and gone without me noticing it. A bit like V Day and J Day. I was in all probability flying somewhere, or coming from somewhere by car, train, boat, or foot, just never registered, but see years later the crowds in London celebrating, guess they were lucky to be there at that time.
Being home with a wound, I thought I would have some luck with the local girls if I spun the yarn that I had swum the English Channel with one hand, didn’t work out that way because a couple of days later I had a big lump behind my ear and a raging headache, high temperature and not a well boy at all. Dad took me to the closest Military Hospital which was in fact at Dover Castle (built by William the Conquer 1066), beneath which miles of tunnels had been cut and a large and modern hospital installed, I was told that I had an infected scalp, the poison was draining into a gland behind my ear and would take a while to heal, perhaps brought on by a combination of shock from my injured hand and the loss of my crew, a close bond exists when people depend on each other for their survival and air crew had a very close bond. I was taken by ambulance to an old country mansion up the valley a few miles inland from Dover, this was on or about the 10-12 June 1944, no medicine was available to treat my condition, just aspirin for the pain and high temperature, I lay in bed staring through the large windows hoping for sleep and return to health and wondering what had happened to my crew, night time was the worst, nursing staff all asleep upstairs and every one else snoring their heads off.
Then to make matters worse the Germans started sending over Flying Bombs on the night of the 13-14 June and every night and day after that, these pilot-less aircraft had a rocket type motor which had a pulse mechanism that gave them a strange but most recognisable noise, when the noise stopped they just fell out of the sky and the one ton of explosives made a nasty mess of anything underneath. They were programmed to fly up the valley where I was laying sick in bed and on the opposite hills from my bed were 20 and 40m/m quick firing guns, which of course fired at each and every one they saw or thought they did. I swear they were firing straight at me and thought it very unfair that after putting up with Jerry firing his guns at me now my own side were doing the same!
After the war there was a newspaper article showing the location of all Doodle Bug strikes in Kent. I still have a copy, and it is copied elswhere [sic] on this CD.
I was in that hospital for more than a week until one afternoon the doctor seemed to think I was ripe and cut into this lumps behind my ear and out popped a golf ball sized ball that looked like wound up white wool, all pain went and the wound soon healed up,.
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A few days at home to get my strength up and I was told to report to 420 Sqdn RCAF at Tholthorpe in Yorkshire, where I was crewed up with Jim Tease as pilot and the usual other members of E easy, they had lost their F/E somehow can’t remember now why, but they were a nice bunch and as I had done a few more trips than them, was an old hand!!
One such trip they made without me Jim has only recently told me of. On the 25th of July 44, Jim relates, we started for Stuttgard with over-load petrol tanks in the wing bomb bays, and the fuel lines were plugged so we could not get the fuel from them into the main tanks, so we had an early return. He then says “think you were the F/E but book says Naish”. His Book is correct.
The new crew to which I was assigned was as follows. Jim Tease Pilot, Bridgeman Bombardier, Nicklen Navigator and best man at my wedding!, Baker Wireless Operator, Vaughan Gunner, and Yack Gunner. Our ground crew were LACs Jones, Milne, Parker, Smith and Sgt Berry. All were RCAF.
When I was stationed with 420 Snowy Owl RCAF Squadron our motto was ‘pugnamus finitum’ which translated mean (so I’m told) ‘We fight to the finish’, now my long time RAF mate, (Halton, South Africa etc) arrived on the companion Squadron at Tholthorpe, good looking always got the pretty girl, 425 Alouette RCAF Squadron motto ‘Je te Plumerai’ “I shall pluck you” how appropriate for a French Canadian outfit, the re-write by all and sundry is painfully obvious, even more so for my mate Darce, got through the war OK but lost touch in 1947 and just hope he is still doing what he always did best!!
Our first op together was on the night of 28th July to Hamburg in Germany, the port inner lost all of it’s oil over the target, flack put a hole in a pipe so we returned on three engines and for some reason it wouldn’t feather so that was added drag but we made it back in one piece, and all felt good that one was over.
On the night of the 31st we were over Deuf-en-Ternois and had a slight argument with an ME109 we both tried to get into firing position and the Jerry pilot realised that he might come off worse if he didn’t go away which he suddenly did, we were happy to see him go!! We again had problems which meant we couldn’t return to base but had to land at Skipton an emergency aerodrome equipped with FIDO.
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Landing away from home usually would be on a FIDO drome. Once landed, our ‘plane would be towed clear of the runway and dumped for us to sort out in daylight, we would get our heads down wherever we could and as it was often nearly dawn by the time we had sorted out our problems we would get some more fuel get the fans fixed and fly back to base, where we would then be de-briefed have a meal and either get some kip or get ready for the next one.
August 3rd daylight to Foret-de-Nieppe in France target an ammunition dump. Flying at night we all went our way and took no notice of friend or foe unless forced to, by daylight the powers that be decided we should fly in, and practice formation, all very good for them that always get lost or need to hold hands, not us we know where to go and what time we should be there so get out of the way and follows us if you like!!!
Perhaps I should try to relive the first daylight raid I went on, that would have been 3:8:44 Foret-de-Nieppe. I mentioned before that as far as flak we never had a free ride, well the flak this first daylight one is well remembered.
It seemed all very strange at first to be able to see what we were doing, not having to squint with hardly any illumination to read gauges and find things by touch alone, so a bit like a holiday as we set “sail” to our target. All our friends around us, not I hasten to add in formation, but at time close enough to be able to recognise some and even give them a wave as we passed close. We of course were heading in the correct direction for the target, where some of the others were off to we did not know, kites flying off all over the place, and yet at night we all arrived where we should be, but how we missed one another in the dark is a mystery. Thinking about it, all the navigators were in their little cubicles without reference to what was happening outside and were working out their own headings taking into account the wind directions and the aircraft speed, so were doing their own plans to get to the target on time, bit like modern motorists taking different roads to get to their work places on time. Any how the skipper and I looked at the mess of planes going every which way and remarked that some of them must be mad, not us we knew where we we [sic] going. Gradually things sorted themselves out and a few of us were going in roughly the same direction, not all at the same height I might add but you can’t have everything can you? As the holiday spirit continued we saw some of our ‘planes cross our path and joined us, where they had been no one knew, but we had a gaggle of bombers heading towards the target. Crossed the coast of England and could see the French coast coming up, no need for the bomb aimer to tell the skipper and I but the navigator would welcome the information and the fact that we were not alone anymore!!
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“Ten minutes to target” came through the inter com from the navigator and as was usual a heading for the skipper to take as soon as we had dropped our bombs, often a lot of noise over the target so best to get our escape route sorted before going in.
And there was the target the first wave had been in and were on their way home again, but it was impossible to get to the target, one solid mass of bursting flak, not enough room between the bursts for even a small ‘plane let alone a bomber. The skipper and I stared through the windscreen, we did not say anything but guess he felt as I did that this was going to be one hell of a trip, the holiday was over that was for sure.!! The bomb aimer was crouched over the bomb sight giving directions, only the skipper and I could see what was in front of us but in we went and all was suddenly revealed to us what we could see were the shells that had burst, the ones to worry about were the ones that were on their way up, not quite back to the holiday spirit, but survival was now possible, the great puffs of stinking smoke were swept aside as we juddered from near misses and kept on course to our dropping point, a quick look around the sky showed our friends doing what we were doing and guess we weren’t the only ones to have had a bit of a fright at our first daylight op.
Daylight operations were less stressful then night missions I would say over all, though we didn’t know about stress then. We could see what we were doing as we took off and every one in the crew could do their job without trying to see with a very dim light, the wop and nav could even see outside through their windows, not having previosly [sic] seen the bursting flak, and burning ‘planes, the first time in daylight may have been rather a shock for them!!! For our pilot I’m sure it made life just a little easier, taking off in the dark with a full load, not able to see where you were on the runway or how close to the end and it’s obstructions you were, for me it was a strain but for him trying to physically lift the beast into the air must have been a constant worry, and landing back in the light at base where he could see all the other circling ‘planes, the runway not a shadow but there in all it’s concrete glory was much easier than trying to figure out where everything on the ground was and where he was in relation to other unseen aircraft. I suppose both kind of operations had their good and bad points, at night you crept into the target like a black cat in a black room, unseen you hoped but concerned with contact with both fighters and your own friends, navigation difficult because of lack of ground sighting, landing and taking off harder, even taxing to a dispersal difficult at times. In daylight everything could be seen even you over the target so no hiding in clouds, just fly in and drop the bombs and get out again, not sure which I preferred, if you survived all were good!!
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We had fighters flying with us to keep the enemy ones away, so just a little of the holiday spirit came back, but on future ones we had the sight of bombers falling to the flak, my most vivid one was seeing a Flying Fortress some miles away have a wing shot off and counting the parachutes that came out as the ‘plane tumbled over and over and eventually disappear through the clouds. But for this trip there was none of that, and later it was very nice to see all the other squadrons from the many ‘dromes in our part of the world circling their airfields to go into land, some had a few bits hanging off them, and I suppose some had injured aboard, but home was near at hand a mug of coffee well laced with rum and one more to enter in the log book as DCO.
August 4th daylight again to France a pilot less plane storage dump at Boiss-de-Cassair. These were the V-1 Rockets, or Doodle Bugs as they were called. All we could see of the target was really only a gap in the forest with the ramp for the doodle bug to be fired up for launching, and the rest of the site was hidden in the trees,. I guess the local French Resistance would have sent the information by wireless of the location. Afterwards, not much to see when a number of bombers have dropped a few tons of bombs on a target. We used 500lb and 1000lb bombs on these sort of targets. Not too sure what our maximum bomb load for the Halibag would be but must have been at least 6 ton, but please don’t quote me! The area looked like a very poorly ploughed field after we had gone.
Regarding Bomb Loads this what Jim Tease, our pilot, has in his log book and I feel he is correct in what states. “We made many trips with 16x 500lb bombs, others were 9x 1000lb + 4x500lb. only one trip with a 2000lb + incendiaries, no record of taking a 4000lb believe the bomb doors would not fully close on a Halifax if one was loaded, bombs and petrol load would depend on the target and it’s distance from base”.
August the 5th daylight yet again to France this time ammunition stored in caves at St-D’Esserent. As usual there was no way for us to know if our bombs hit the target, whether we exploded the ammo dumps inside their caves or not. The explosions caused by our bombs 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, bombs going off do tend to make a lot of smoke and fireworks so unless we were on the ground hard to tell our bombs exploding from the enemy ammo or target going up, we did sometimes get a report days later from our briefing officer to say “well done target gone”.
It is a bit hard for me to explain about what was saw on the ground both in England and over the enemy, you see when I was flying passengers in Avro Yorks, from UK to other parts of the world, one of the first things passengers used to say as well climbed up to 8000 ft our cruising height was “Oh look the sun is shining” they didn’t seem to understand that it always is!!
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The highest we ever bombed at was 24,500ft all crew members with paddles going like crazy!! But that is still well over the cloud layer. Because that part of the world is more often than not shrouded in cloud people forget that above the clouds there is always sunshine. So you see most times we were over cloud, never saw a completely cloud free sky.
August 7th night operation to bomb Tanks and artillery in the German line at La-Hougue. You will note that August was a very busy month, nearly every day we were out either day or night, can be a bit confusing to remember what and where we went, guess one target is much like another, lots of flak, bits of hot stuff flying about just ajumble in the memory, one thing that does stay vivid and I really can’t be sure just when it happened or which target it was, only know it was at night and could have been in August. I think it was this mission to La-Hougue.
We took off on a very dark and rainy night and were told that the cloud and rain would clear just as we got to the target, we seem to have started our night flights very late at that time. Well we climbed to our cruising height and were in thick storm clouds, listening hitting us and rain very heavy, the whole aircraft glowed with static electricity and large rain drop slid along the radio wires like illuminated ping pong balls, to burst as they hit the fins and rudders, the ride was very bumpy and the skipper and I tried going up or down to get clear of all this storm without any luck, just before the target was reached we flew into bright moonlight, bombed and returned within minutes into what looked like a solid black wall from ground to the sky and flew in this muck all the way home, I see we landed at Tilstock on Fido one night so perhaps that was the night, have a vague feeling that we were one of the very few who made it to the target that night.
August 8th Daylight to France to bomb oil storage dump at Foret-de-Chantilly. On the way home from this mission, or perhaps one of the other daylight missions, an enemy fighter came toward us. The Germans, however, seemed as cautious as my crew was. There were plenty of targets in the sky for the fighters so why risk getting shot at if you could creep up on a crew too lazy to do their job properly. So when this fighter approached us in daylight our gunners gave him a warning burst at a distance and he just turned away. However we watched as he dived straight on another ‘place about a couple of miles away and shot it down. That crew had not been alert and did not see him coming. We were all on our way home, but the time to relax was on the ground not in the sky.
August 9th night operation to Foret-de-Nieppe to bomb ammunition dumps. What does this mean, you might ask? Was it like they show in films? Like most people I often view WW2 films on the box and have
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always wondered which war the markers were intending to show, certainly not the one played a little part in. You see when a bomber is shown being attacked by fighters or anti aircraft fire there always seems a lot of shouting and the intercom is full of talk, not on any bomber I flew in, or passenger one either.
So let me go through what I and the crew did. On the ground we were the usual young, bugger about, chase the girls, have a drink etc boys, but once in the ‘plane that all changed and the pilot, skipper or skip as he was known was boss, not in any heavy handed way but no task was started without his ok and all functions were reported to him.
So he and I marshalled the aircraft in a position allocated to us for that night’s raid on the perimeter track leading to the runway in use, there we left it while a last meal was had, briefing concluded, and we as a completed crew were then taken by truck to our ‘plane. The Canadian Salvation Army called at each ‘plane as we waited to board, handing out cigarettes and chocolate, and a last fumble in the layers of clothes was made to get rid of any urine likely to cause pain, no toilets on our “kites”.
A green light was shone from the small caravan parked at the end of the runway to tell us it was time to climb abroad, this caravan was painted in large black and white squares, a Perspex roof blister was used to signal to the crews and need less to say it was towed away before we started to land back after our raid, with the way some of us landed it would not have lasted very long in one piece likewise the occupants!!
Each one of the crew settled into their place and checked that all was ok with their bits and bobs, the pilot would then call each position in turn (not by the persons name but what position they occupied, ie rear gunner, navigator, etc) and each crew member would reply along the lines of “OK SKIPPER” I was often left to last and was given the order to start engines when my turn came, after all we running satisfactory, I would log the start time and all pressures and temperatures etc, the navigator would no doubt make a note in his log of this time also, when our aircraft letter was flashed from the control caravan we would taxi onto the runway, I would select what angle of flaps the skipper wanted, set take off boost and hold the throttles behind his hand to ensure we stayed straight along the runway. As we climbed up I would only raise the undercarriage and flaps as he ordered, setting climbing revs and boost as he wanted, and would without any order synchronise the engine revs on each side so that the propeller blades did not rotate in respect to one another. If we were one of the first in our squadron to take off we would gradually climb to the operation height and circle the ‘drome until all our aircraft were present, not that we could see much on a dark night but we had a set time to “set course for the target”.
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During the climb and setting course for the target one very important job was the charging and locking of the Hydraulic accumulator, this was an emergency charge of hydraulic fluid which would be enough to lower the undergear and even the flaps if we were lucky, should damage to the engine which drove the pump or the system itself be damaged. Was just a large cylinder connected to the hydraulic system filled with air (what this was pressured to I have forgotten only 56 or so years ago so sue me for having a bad memory) fluid was let into this cylinder and charged to a certain pressure (sue me) and the cock turned off so the fluid was held under pressure by the air also in the cylinder, in an emergency the undercarriage would be set to ‘lower’ and this cock turned on and hopefully this stored fluid would lower the gear, Got all that? Phyll just read the first part I sent and was rather surprised that I could still know what to do but not sure if the RAF would still require my service!! Back to the plot!!
As we reached about 12000ft I would change the supercharger speed to high, make sure all the crew were on oxygen, and fill in all the details in my log these included petrol consumption and which tanks I was using, I always tried to have an equal amount of fuel in each tank by the time we reached our target so that should a tank be punctured we only lost a small amount of petrol, but each time I changed tanks permission was asked from the skipper and he was informed when I had done it.
There we are drifting along trying to make sure we didn’t bump into any of our own ‘planes in the dark sky, all lights were at dim, mine to fill in my log was at a glimmer when wanted, all the pilot’s instruments lights very low and the blackout curtain between the bomb aimer’s position and the navigator and WOP very tightly fastened, both working with minimum lights. And it got cold, the gunners and bomb aimer had heated suits but even they felt it, as for the navigator his hands were too cold at times to hold a pencil and asked the Skip if I could direct hot air down to his position, The skip and I already partly frozen but to get there and back we needed to know which way so hot air it was and some of our bits that might be wanted in more pleasant times went into cold storage.
There was no chatter between crew members, and if someone left their mic on by mistake he was soon reminded of the fact, young as we all were I am reminded of very professional we were, perhaps that is why we survived to tell our tales!
This professionalism was needed. One night we had a Halifax with a mid under turret, not a standard feature in earlier models, and a gunner was added to our crew to man it. The gunner we were landed with saw more enemy fighters in the 6 or so hours we were airborne than I think were
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available to the Germans at any time during the war. This excitability was not helpful. We go rid of the mid under and that gunner.
Why we survived and others didn’t was because we took notice of the experts (those pilots and crews who had done it lots of time) you don’t fly straight and level thinking of nothing much, but weave and bank slightly so that the gunners get an all round view of things, there is no blind spot under the tail if you stay awake. No need for a lower turret to fill that blind spot then.
I can only speak for myself but guess all the crew were feeling as I was, and that was that our navigator would take us there and back, our gunners would spot the attacking aircraft in time and either shoot it down or scare it off, our pilot was second to none and would steer us through whatever came our way, our radio operator would get a fix, receive a message, and let us know what was happening, our bomb aimer would always hit the target, and I would keep the old girl in the air until we got home safely again. So there was no need for lots of chatter we all did our jobs and depended on the others to do theirs.
The navigator would sometimes ask the skipper if I could do a star shot for him, over my position I had an astro dome, would unload the sextant from it’s case hang it from the hook, wind up the clockwork 2 minute time and after I had found whichever star was wanted tell the skipper and of course the navigator I was ready when they were, the navigator would tell me when to start and I would press the trigger and try to keep the star in the mirror., at the end of the two minutes a reading of the average of all my shots would come up on a panel which I would give to the navigator, on the ground I had been averaging 2 to 3 miles, not as good in flight but handy if other navigating items were not up to scratch.
The bomb aimer was in the nose during the flight and gave what information he could to the skipper but the navigator also heard it and it would be something like this “Coast coming up skip” “crossing the coast now”. Now we were over enemy territory.
Details of flack ships and sites seen in action would be reported much the same, no panic just facts. The gunners would report fighters positions and would not fire unless ordered to. We were told that on some nights our fighters would be in the “stream” so gunners watch out for them, and they would circle the German dromes to shoot down any fighters taking off or landing, the Germans did that to our bombers early in the war but as we got air superiority it was our turn to be the nasty ones. Still, Fighters of any type all were enemy until they proved otherwise. Very few of either nation came
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near us. In most cases the fighters saw we were a threat to them and went elsewhere.
Although there was sufficient ammunition for whatever may occur, our own use was very minimal and mainly used to test fire the guns soon after airborne, our job was to deliver bombs and drop them hopefully at the right place, which we seem to do most of the time.
One night standing in the astro dome doing my bit of searching the sky I looked up and saw a FW 190 almost within touching reach just above me, would not have been 10 feet away. I told the skipper and of course the gunners wanted to have a go, but as the skipper said we are supposed to be bombing and will just slide away but if we see one the way back shoot the bastard down. The FW covered the sky, was flying quite close and not much faster than we were, no doubt we could have given it a very sore bum. But the skipper rightly said no, could have all gone wrong anyway, maybe his mate was close at hand and while we blazed away at one, another could have had us who knows?
Remember that this is flying in darkness. We had radar, but not for seeing other planes. We used radar in a thing called H2S, shows as a small bulge under the fuselage of bombers, used to show a map of the ground and useful for bombing on nights with full cloud cover. Radar, good if you are a fighter but what good would it do us, never switch any radar on even H2S unless needed, gives out a signal for the enemy to follow and get you, switch it off and use the mark 1 eye balls.
There were very many different anti fighter systems used, these names are all either tail warning devices (which caused more trouble that they were worth) special aircraft with German speaking radio operators who would tune into the German fighter directors and give conflicting directions, The Germans would do as we did and use people with distinct dialects to stop this, microphones were installed in the engine bays and this sound would be sent out on the fighter wave lengths to stop the information from being received. Gee was a navigation aid using three or more radio beacons and a special receiver, window you know about but many different versions of Radar were used to block fighters, G-H, Oboe, Serrate, Monica, ABC, Corona, and many names I either never knew or have forgotten were all warning devices fitted near the tail to warn rear gunners of the approach of night fighters, I suppose some lives were saved until the Germans had a crashed ‘plane to work on and then it was just the reverse, switch it on and get caught! All of this electronics, if on board for this mission, would be in use or ready for use while we moved towards our target through the night sky.
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The navigator would also tell the pilot that it was time to start “window” and at what rate, another of my jobs, as was the dispatch of leaflets to inform the enemy that it was time to give in, why didn’t I ever keep some??? So you have a very noisy ‘plane with not much chatter going on all the crew going about their jobs quietly, checking with the skipper if required and all hearing what was being done to keep us safe.
The view from the cockpit at night was minimal, the occasional flare of a bursting shell which changed to continuos [sic] bursts as we got near the target or passed near flak sites, the halfseen shapes of other bombers or fighters with muffled flames from their exhausts, from the astro-drome on a clear night, the dark blue inverted bowl of the sky pierced with a multitude of twinkling lights, but these often shaded by the dark shadows of friend and foe as they passed by.
Dark nights and heavy clouds were the norm, rain and lightening greeted us most times, eyes strained to see what was not there, but ready to give a warning of any contacts either friend or foe.
A master radar controlled searchlight may catch us and very soon we were “coned” no panic, every one closed one eye to retain night vision, and either the bomb aimer or the rear gunner would give the pilot instructions about the best way to get out of it, usually to dive down the master one and do very sudden sharp turns to one side, always got out before any real damage was done, and never ever thought we wouldn’t!!
Now we were nearing the target and the ‘plane jumped about as we flew through the wake of our bombers ahead of us, on a thousand bomber raid at night over the one target things get a bit hairy. Some of the sudden jumps are not ‘plane wakes but the burst of anti aircraft shells trying to send us down, but at night you see the flash, hear the rattle of splinters, check that all is well with the crew and our ‘plane and just carry on. The navigator would tell the skipper than it was say 5 minutes to target, the bomb aimer would have set his bomb sight to drop the bombs in a certain pattern, we had wing and fuselage bomb bays, and with the right pattern the pilots had an easier task to control the ‘plane as it lost it’s load, a 2000Ib ‘cookie’ really gave us a quick lift when let go, I can imagine that some of the Lancasters that carried and dropped 12000Ib and larger “earthquake bombs” really hit the heights when relieved of their parcels!
Now all eyes were searching the sky even harder than they had been, searchlights were weaving their way across the sky, catching a plane which was lit up and looked just like a moth around a lamp, sometime they slid out of the light, some time they suddenly flashed into extinction, and some
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times the flashing of guns was seen as a fighter chanced his luck amongst the bursting anti aircraft and was answered by the bomber gunners.
The flashing of bursting bombs, rattle and crash of anti aircraft shells bursting, searchlights sweeping the sky and settling on some lone ‘plane to be followed by the stream of incendiary bullets, all make the hearts of the night bomber crews halt for just a fraction as they go about the job of beating the foe into submission. Hearts once young and tender soon become hardened to this show of defiance, but not to the sudden eruption of flames at their height as one of their own is hit and spirals to destruction, “bastards” comes through the intercom from all quarters and the empty bottles, bricks and old iron brought for this occasion are pushed out of gun turrets and down flare and ‘window’ chutes, the rage is personal you can’t do this to ours is the feeling.
All in all over the target it was quite a busy place to be and we still had to reach the aiming point drop our bombs and beat a hasty retreat. Each plane that was hit was reported and logged by the navigator, new anti aircraft gun sites logged, ‘window’ and leaflets pouring out the chute, bomb doors opened and from the bomb aimer ‘steady, left steady left steady hold it hold it and the magic BOMBS GONE, bomb door closed, new course from the navigator and turn for home, but still aware that his was perhaps the most dangerous time, many crews relaxed and never got home. So search the sky dodged the ack ack and searchlights, perhaps put on a bit of speed by dropping a few thousand feet, and again that most welcome call from the bomb aimer still in the nose ‘coast coming up, crossing the coast’ and now I could eat my bit of chocolate, and just ease a little.
The wireless operator would be giving weather and other information to both the skipper and the navigator, as the navigator and wop sat next to one another many messages were passed by notes to and fro, but one that sent shivers through us was
“Intruders reported over the ‘drome skip” not often but meant we could not relax even when we arrived back at base, never got caught, guess our night fighters got up and sorted things for us. So on a normal return to base we were greeted by the interlocking rings of lights from all the multitude of bomber bases in Yorkshire, and each one flashed it’s own recognition red light to welcome it’s pigeons home, no radio silence now as there was prior to take off, call in make our letter E EASY and given a height and position in the queue, and as we were called down and moved up in the queue sometimes had to loose our turn to one of ours with dead and wounded on board, or no fuel left or any one of the things that happen to planes that will go out searching for trouble, down we go and I stand by the pilot and do all the actions in reverse, undercarriage, flaps and so on, all the others are
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strapped in but not me I just stand next to our pilot and help him as and when wanted, down we go another perfect landing and taxi to our dispersal, the crew climb out to wet the grass again while the skipper and I switch off everything, lock the brakes and controls, and make our own way to a quick piss, climb in the waiting truck and head for debriefing.
Now we would give our version of events while we are handed a large mug of coffee liberally laced with rum. Here we report the sighting of the sudden eruption of flames at our height, which we knew to be one of our own being hit and destroyed – the sighting that sent us to throwing junk down at the enemy. But at de-briefing, we were told it was on a “Scarecrow” shot up by the enemy to make us afraid. But it didn’t, it made us mad and nothing the briefing officer could say convinced us that it wasn’t one of ours failing to their death. So was the whole thing counter-productive by both sides, we just got mad not scared, so the enemy lost that one and we never really knew if there were such things as “Scarecrows” just kept heaving out the junk.!!
After debriefing, we hand in our parachutes, and head for a meal and bed. Our ground crew would be busy checking E Easy for faults, some I will have reported on landing to them, the camera film will be taken from the bomb sight and on it’s way to processing, and a hush will settle on this and many airfields while the weary rest for the next effort, but usually woken up by the roar of engines being tested for the next one.
The next one was August 12th, a daylight run again to France. The target this time was Foret-de-Mont Richard, more ammunition dumps.
August 18th Night to France to bomb the Railway Marshalling Yards at Connatre. must again had a problem because we landed at Skellingthorpe, returning to base the next day.
August 27th daylight to France to bomb a construction site at Marquise – Minoyecques being built to launch flying bombs on London.
I must add details of my selection interview by a senior RAF officer for a commission, My Flight commander had asked me to put in for a commission and when I failed to do so, gave me a direct order, sat me down and made me fill in all the forms, I just forgot all about it and rather than play the usual games that Canadian Air Crew used to while away the hours between operations of horse shoes, billiards and pool, I managed to convince the Station Engineering Officer to supply me with a hut, tools, bench, and a worn out Hercules engine. This I proceeded to take to pieces and section so that every one who was interested could see the inside of a very complicated sleeve valve engine, and perhaps treat them with just a
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little more respect! I would check with my pilot each day if we were flying and if not cycle out to my hut which was away from the main area and certainly not in range of the public address speakers. So I happily worked on my own getting my clothes well covered in oil and the aluminium dust from the sawing and filing which clung to everything this mean that I had to wear really old uniforms when working and must say that after a few hours in my hut did not look too special! A breathless Flight Sergeant burst in through the door and shouted with the little breath he had left ”Your name Miles?” When I replied yes it was, told me that that public address (Tannoy) had been calling for me for some hours to report to Head Quarter for my interview with Air Commodore. Said I would go back to my barrack room to change “No you won’t, I’ve been looking for you all morning and you go there now” Didn’t want to be an officer anyhow so who cares, arrived at Head Quarters on my cycle to be met by yet another Flight Sergeant, if anything more angry than the first, “Don’t you read Daily order Miles” I walked into the waiting room to find all other applicants polished and shining in their best uniforms, sat in rows like birds on a fence, my own make said “Hard luck Reg” Before I could answer yet another Flight Sergeant with great glee said “Miles you’re next” So In I went to stand in front of the table behind which sat My Squadron Wing Commander, The Base Group Captain, My Flight Leader and the imposing figure of the Air Commodore. Their eyes were all focused on the notes they were making about the previous applicant as I saluted and stated my name rank and service number. Eyes were raised and a look of horror passed over the faces of each one as they looked at this dirty silver speckled scruffy airman. The Air Commodore asked why I had not appeared when called before and how had I got into this condition. It seemed to me that only the truth would do and so I related my story of the engine I was working on and said how sorry I was that I had caused so much trouble. The Air Commodore asked each of the other officers if they were aware of my efforts and no one did, “ring the Engineering Officer and check while we question Miles” he confirmed my story and said I was doing a good job and hoped it would be finished before I left the Squadron. While this was going on The Air Commodore and I were chatting away about my service history and how far I had got with the engine, finally he said “I shall be pleased to welcome you into the Officer’s Mess in a few weeks time, we need more people like you who just get on and do things” So I walked out head high through the waiting room and said to all and sundry “I’ve got mine good luck to you”
Quite a busy month trying to help our ground troops push their way through France. I have not mentioned the training flights also carried out between operations, so that apart from the odd break we were flying most days and nights. My crew and I must have had some leave during the first week of September because my flight record for that month is a training flight on the 9th and a note that I had had some more practise at flying a Halifax,
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we only had one pilot on board and that was Jim Tease so if he got injured or killed who would fly us home? That left only me who did at least know how things worked but as I had no flying training on small aircraft it was very difficult to manage something so big and slow to react to the controls, alter the angle of the control column and it seemed ages before anything happened so learners always over correct and you end up with a ride like a fair ground switch back, I practiced whenever I was able always in daylight and most time on the return flight from an operation, tried a few times landing on clouds, more forgiving than the ground, think I could have got back to England ok but landing without a crash I’m not so sure!!
Back to France in daylight to bomb a German strong point at Le Havre on September 10th. I seem to remember that we were one of the last on target and all that could be seen were bomb holes on top of bomb holes, The RAF and American Air Force had complete air superiority so we had only flack to contend with and that could be very accurate because the Germans use Radar tracking.
September 11th daylight to Germany, to the dreaded Ruhr Valley, to bomb a synthetic oil plant at Castro-Rauxel. Our height for this drop, based on the aiming point photo, was 16,500’, and our bomb load was 16 500lb bombs. We hit it smack on and our photo showed that, still have my copy given to us, and we were given a guided tour of 6 Group Bomber Command in recognition of our skill.
The tour we had of 6 Group Bomber command was more for the Canadian guys, so they could oggle the Canadian girls, told you before I was not impressed so just saw lots of lush offices and big boards with meaning less maps and figures on them. Waste of time I thought but the rest of the crew liked it so that was OK.
September 13th again to Germany in daylight to bomb the railway marshalling yards in Osnabruck, I have a note that it went well so presume the target was destroyed, daylight targets were a bit scary after night ones but soon got used to it and at least we could see what we were aiming at and whether we had been right on target.
September 15th A night raid on the shipping port of Keil in Germany, this was a 500 bomber operation, we were coned by about six radar controlled searchlights on the approach to Keil, with German night fighter hanging about out of the cones, all had to keep at least one eye closed as the light was very bright and if we managed to get out of them the fighters would pounce as we would all be blind, Jimmy Tease handled the bomber like a fighter diving and side slipping all over the place even at one time diving down one of the lights, and got us out, we were however hit by flack
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over the target and the perspex nose fell right off, Red Bridgeman the bomb aimer had to hold the black out curtains between his position and Nick Nicklen our navigator while I wired them together, Red had to stand with his feet over nothing all the way home to hold the curtain against the howling gale that came in, Nicks charts had all ended up down the fuselage mixed up with the bundles of window that I was pushing down the window chute.
These were sorted out and Nick went on with his job of guiding us home, from my notes looks as though we or some of our Squadron hit the target so a good prang was noted.
I do remember this next mission, a daylight raid on one of those massive guns built into the ground with a barrel hundreds of feet long pointed at London. This was September 17th. The target was in France at Boulogne, our height in my log is noted as 2000ft. 2000ft is very low for bombing could get damaged by the bombs in front of you going off especially in slow old things like Halis – Lancs. This was the only low level bombing I ever went on!!! Although we would bomb from 2,000 feet, we flew down from base in Yorkshire at about 8,000 feet. This was a good cruising height for our aircraft, as we passed over many cities, towns, airfields, hills, barrage balloons, tall chimneys, and other obstructions for low level craft.
When we got to the English coast lowered our undercarriage and flaps pulled back the throttles and dived down to 2,000 ft over the channel. The lowering of flaps, undergear and reducing engine revs helped us to quickly reduce our height, the channel is only a bit over 20 miles wide not a lot of distance to get a great old lumbering kite down low and level out and on course to give the bomb aimer a chance to fund the target.
The dive over the channel was to get us down to 2,000ft quickly, at the low height we were certain to hit the rather small target and not the surrounding empty fields or buildings. We also had to have time to make the approach without crowding other aircraft. We had to watch out for ‘planes all round us because, at this altitude, if we were too close to one in front we could get our ‘plane damaged by a bursting bomb from the plane in front. So not quite the “milk run” it would appear to be.
The flight down to the target on this trip must have been a change, able to see some of the country side. Although the whole operation only lasted 4 hours, and so not a lot of time for sight seeing, no doubt the gunners and bomb aimer had a nice view. The only time I had to look was when I took a moment as we flew over the village where my parents were living, but I did not see any street or bit that I could say, “that’s where I live”. It is surprising how difficult it is to recognise thing from the air that you haven’t seen a few
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times from the air. But the skipper and I as usual were busy making sure we got there OK. Sounds as if he and I were always busy doesn’t it? Well we were, bomber pilots had it tough, long hours at the “office” in all weather conditions, responsible for a number of other people’s lives, not forgetting their own. My job was to help him, so I did, as best as I was able. I also wanted to get home again!!!
Once we were down to 2,000 feet, we pulled all our hanging bits back on board opened the taps, then bombed this target with all we had, again being very careful not to get too close to the bomber in front. All I saw was a few acres of mud which kept leaping into the air and rearranging itself, guess another case of over kill!! After the target, we climbed again after bombing to 8,000ft for the return run over the afore mentioned obstructions to our flight path.
This target was noted in the log book as a “strong point” which we were told it was at the time, no one knew what it was so it was decided to destroy it. A ground investigation later on found the gun, much to every one’s surprise at it’s size and pointing straight at London, various TV programmes over the years have shown it and it’s concrete barrel rising from deep underground. Checking distances with my M.S World Atlas I found much to my surprise that Boulogne is the closest point in France to London, closer that Calais by about 10KM, so an obvious place to put a gun of this range and size.
September 19th we took our old ‘plane to the HCU at Dishforth she had done 56 trips and had been hard used many patches and repairs has been done so with all her proud bombing trips still painted on her nose she went to train more aircrew for the struggle still to come.
September 25th off again to France in daylight to bomb a German strong point at Calais another target gone, our new E easy going good!!
September 26th to France in daylight again to Calais bombed Gun positions and the docks in the harbour, noted as another good hit.
September 27th daylight to Germany Bottrop in the Ruhr, have note that we bombed a factory on visual which means some thing had gone u/s. My pilot, Jim Tease recently gave me some more information on this mission. “I had a friend now deceased who was a navigator on 428 Ghost Squadron. He wrote a book about Ghost Squadron & I compared his report of trips we were both on, and found we had different visions of what happened. On our 31 trip to Bottrop on Sept 27 I indicate there was 10/10 cloud for the whole trip, the Master of Ceremonies (Master Bomber) of the Path Finders lost his way and we bombed where (our navigator) said the target area was
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located. Ron’s book indicates the refinery was hit & smoke rose to 17000ft. So much for records!!”
My Log Book for that raid states “10/10 cloud Bombed Factory Visual M/C U/S” guess that all means we found a gap in the clouds and bombed the target but had solid cloud both there and back M/C U/S Master of Ceremonies out of order, unserviceable.
On one of these daylight raids we saw a V2 launched on one raid, didn’t know what it was just a streak in the sky. Looking out of the windscreen I saw a streak of smoke come through a layer of cloud and shoot up into the sky and disappear into the next lot of cloud, l know the skipper also saw it but who else I am not sure, lasted milli seconds. It was logged by the navigator and an estimation of where it had come from made by us. When and where seen etc was important, once a site was located it could be knocked out by bombing.
September 30th daylight again in Germany Sterkrade in the Ruhr saw one of our Sqdn go down and three of the seven get out on ‘chutes, we landed at a FIDO ‘drome at Cranesby, no brake pressure went off the end of a very long runway into a field of potatoes that had just been ridged up and we went across the ridges, a bit like roller skating on corrugated iron.
On the 4th of October we went to Bergen in Norway flying across the North Sea in daylight to bomb U/Boat pens and a large ammunition ship in the harbour. We flew across the sea both ways at 1000ft to be under German Radar, and climbed rapidly near the target to 12000ft, Mosquitos and Mustangs gave us fighter cover.
I still have an image in my mind of a semi-circular bay with a large ship moored more or less in the middle. As I remember it the country around Bergen is low lying, nothing at our height to give us cause for panic, but if the ship had blown up and we were down low could have cause major damage to one or more of our Halifaxs [sic].
The large ammunition ship blew up. The ship was still all in one piece when I last saw it and if our bombs had done the damage guess we would have been told. I think it was our rear gunner who told us via the intercom that it had blown up, and that is why we were there.
Our attack made the Bergan people even more anti British than they already were, Gillian visited there some years ago as the intended bride to the son of one of Bergen’s top families, the mother was a local member of parliament, they treated her most awfully which did not help when she casually mentioned that her Dad had bombed the place during the war,
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needless to say that romance soon died!!! The Norwegians still didn’t like us Brits, near enough to Germans and lots supported Hitler during the war, bit like the Swiss only interested in making money, the shits.
Of course, most ordinary Norwegian people hadn’t any view pro or anti regarding Germany and Britain, just wanted to get on with their lives as best they could. Those that were anti us had lots riding on our defeat, and were involved in either working for the Germans or making lots of money out of them by trading with them, those that helped us risked torture and death, and were really in more peril than we were, they were the real heroes. After the war and for many years, I never met anyone who speaking with what sounded like a German accent, was other than Swiss, even if they said their home town was in Germany!!!. I still find the Swiss attitude to money and it’s retention disgusting, particularly in the light of revelations of their trading with the Nazis in Gold and goods taken from innocent people. Guess ordinary people all over this world just want to eat and enjoy what little life they have, but greed gets in the way and those few who can claw their way up the ‘food’ chain and get much more than their fair share are the ones who I have no time for, being poor perhaps colours my out look!!!
So we come to the 6th of October and a night operation over Germany to Dortmund in the Ruhr Valley, this was a 500 bomber raid to the centre of the city, we again were hit by flack bits flying about all over the place and very red hot some hit the bomb door hydraulics which fell open and stay open and I’m sure that it was on this operation that a lump hit Nick Nicklen on his side making a very nasty bruise, fortunately it also hit the torch on his MAYWEST [sic] life jacket so didn’t kill him, he was in much pain but got us back to England ok, Nick was awarded the D.F.C. later and I am sure it was for this brave effort. Because of our damage we again had to land apart from our base and this time landed at Woodbridge and after some quick repairs we flew back to base the next day, where I was told that I had finished my tour of operations, had been granted a commission, given dockets and a leave pass to get my officers uniform and told to report back in seven days. A friend and I travelled to just about every city and large town in Yorkshire before we managed to get kitted up in Harrogate.
Before departing on leave and to await our next posting we had to hand in certain flying and escape items. There were mainly items of some value French and German money hidden in our clothes together with fine silk maps of France and Germany. Our flying boots which had a hidden knife in the sheep skin lining so that the long leg warmers could be cut off leaving what looked like ordinary shoes also were handed in, other items like compasses hidden under badges or in pencils, hacksaw blades concealed in the linings of clothes, a bag of oiled silk that could be used to hold water and a few other odds and ends we kept, these like so many things at that time
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had no value to us and no doubt went into the bin without much thought! Jim Tease and the rest of the crew still had a few operations to go but I was not allowed to finish with them told not to be so greedy, others wanted a go and as far as I was concerned they were welcome. So home on leave to await what the RAF had in store for me again. Cycling along the main road in Cliftonville what should I see but a bunch of very good looking WAAF’s (Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force, who did every job except fighting (which they sometimes had to do for their honour) from clerks to Radar operators, cooks to delivering aircraft from the factories, and with them a girl friend if but briefly from my school days, Phyllis Dike!! I made contact and started to see her and eventually proposed marriage to her, she wasn’t very keen but agreed in the end.
I was recalled to service and was posted to Heavy Conversion Unit 1332, Nutts Corner in Norther Ireland where I crewed up with F/lt Poore,a navigator and a wireless operator all of us being officers and had completed at least one tour on bombers, we were being trained to fly Avro Yorks on the main trunk routes from U.K to India and Ceylon now India, Pakistan and Shri Lanka [sic]. We started the flying part of the course on the 8th April 1945 and completed it on 17th of the same month. My flight log of my time in 1332 H.C.U. is presented later.
The Avro York interior lay out was much as the Lancaster. The pilot, F/E, Nav, Wop were together in a small group, the F/E acting as second pilot even if untrained. When spare pilots became available they took over the task of second pilot the f/e found himself a place amongst the mail bags to sleep and do his job as he could.
When a number of crews joined Transport Command after our course at Nutts Corner, we arrived at 242 Squadron in Stoney Cross. My log book details my flights with 242 Squadron.
Within a day or so we were all loaded onto an Avro York, flown I know not where and without any “by your leave” injected with multiple injections in both arms and I seem to remember elsewhere, we were told this was for protection against all the terrible deceases we could encounter in foreign lands, yellow fever was mentioned as one but there was a whole list of them. I know most of us were a bit under the weather for a few days, some even very sick. What sticks in the memory was that we weren’t asked or consulted just injected!!
I had already obtain permission to get married and given leave for that period, but the Wedding was on the 28th and I had to get home and do some organising, so used the “old boys” network and thumbed lifts to England and managed to get a train to get home in time. Don Nicklen my navigator
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from 420 sqdn came down from Yorkshire to be my best man, and I can’t say I saw much of him before it was away on a short honeymoon, and then back to camp for both of us!!
– Reg Miles
The URL of this page is
http://www.geocities.com/milbios/Milesbio4.html
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Biography of Reg Miles
Ex Apprentice No 1 S.of T.T., R.A.F., Halton 39th Entry 34 – 67 M.U.s – 27 A/S Bloemspruit South Africa – Lympe Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 242- 246 – 511 Squadrons Transport Command Lyneham, RAF
Chapter 5
242- 246 – 511 Squadrons, Transport Command, Lyneham, RAF
I started flying at 242 Sqdn on the 16th May again all training in passenger flying technique, rather different from press on bombing! We did a few cross countries and many three engined landing and the use of radio range flying. One exercise in the log book was Over Shoots and Landings. Overshoots and landings are practice in taking off again before you actually get the wheels on the ground, some clever dickies even run the wheels along the runway and open the throttles and take off again, alright for intrepid birdmen like fighter pilots but not recommended for serious passenger flying types. There are the odd occasions when the runway suddenly does not become clear for landing, animals, cars, fire engines, even other aircraft, so practice for these times (which may never happen) is necessary, these days a no risk practice can be made in the Flight Simulator, we had to do it the hard way with an instructor beside us and no knowledge of what we would be asked to do, he could shut down one engine and then another, drop the undercarriage, put on full flap, what ever his distorted mind felt like that day!! The pilots I flew with on Transport Command had all done at least one tour on bombers, some quite a number and were used to the enemy doing much the same to the aircraft, so no panic just the correct procedure and “What would you like next” often asked, with a wry grin. So the other to “overshoot” became automatic, with me acting on my pilot’s instructions about throttle, flaps and under gear, but I was always aware of what he wanted and would be “hands on” waiting, would have been a rather poor F/E if not ready when wanted!!
My crew went on leave after this training, so I was made a temporary Flight Engineer to the Squadron Leader, who took me on a test flight of my abilities to Cairo and back, left Stoney Cross on the 4th flew to Luqa in Malta.
Malta was still on a war footing. Luqa, on Malta, a dry and stony place all the airport buildings pained white but very small and certainly not like any airport you may have seen, a concrete slab to park on for refuelling, all
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of which had to be done through massive filters, with chamois leather inserts to catch any water and of course the ever present dust and sand. All the ground crew well tanned and going about their jobs with efficiency, being bombed continually taught them not to delay getting the fighters airborne, we were lucky that the fighters had gone before we started to use Luqa, the enemy ones!!
Malta is an island with a long history of invaders, us being the last, independence was granted some time after the war and I am sure the locals were glad to see all the foreign military go, wonderful harbour, well used by the Royal Navy during WW2, a street (very narrow and steep) in Valletta was lined with open fronted drinking bars, just really the front room of a house with easy entry for the soldiers and sailors to get drunk, think from memory it was called by the Navy “The Gut”, but could be thinking of somewhere else, for us, just a place to “slip” crews, water always very scarce, milk, butter and cheese from goats, think I have mentioned that before, as I have about collecting all the papers and books from the mess before leaving UK to leave both with the RAF and also some Navy types who crewed a fast MTB (motor torpedo boat) made a change for both crews to chat with some one other than their working mates.
The runway ended at a quarry, no sight for the faint hearted, as it was well stocked with aircraft that had not made it, guess the passengers just thought it was some where the RAF stored unwanted ‘planes. My first trip there was with a senior pilot to check me out so a quick run to Cairo and back, all 7,800 Km of it! My years in South Africa had made me used to hot weather shorts and open neck shirts so it was easy for me to climatise to the changed weather conditions. I now live in Mackay, Queensland and there is thriving community of Maltese people, many sugar cane farmers or the descendants of cane farmers, and NO they are not called Maltesers!!
On the 5th Malta to Cairo. Cairo, a large bustling over crowded city, full to bursting point with every shape, colour and size of humanity, and I am talking about 1945!! We had little to do with Cairo itself, as we either landed at Cairo West or at Almaza in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo, where we were put up in the largest hotel I have ever seen, not that I am into hotels as such, but as a young very green officer the Heliopolis Palace Hotel was mind blowing, acres of everything, not outside but inside, entry large enough to hold a soccer match, dining rooms that vanished into the blue and rooms so large that if they had been properly furnished a guide would have been required to see us to the door. Each crew had a room on arrival with number of beds scattered about and a couple of tables and chairs etc, guess the hotel had not been completed prior to WW2 and had been taken over by the British Forces, lots of “red tab” types swanning about, had a very hard war from the looks of things!! Food was good and served properly the same
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as our mess in UK, so no complaints there. About flying times etc you must remember that as we flew East the time got later and daylight ended sooner, ie Cairo – UK 2 hour difference, same as New Zealand – Australia.
We all took a trip to Giza and along the road to the Sphinx and the Pyramids, don’t know who built that lot but bet he over ran the budget, The one thing that still sticks in my mind is the overpowering smell of diesel oil on that road, not so much burnt oil but the same smell you get on a production oil field, the brown desert stretched to the horizon on either side of the road which was very black and shiny, perhaps that’s where the smell came from not bitumen but oiled sand!!! Now I’ll never know!!! Natural History Museum in Cairo a must if you visit, remember it as a highlight of my various times there and after these many years must be a wonder to visit now, didn’t go to the medical section if just before or after lunch, in fact might be a good idea to give that bit a miss!!
I wanted to buy Phyllis something special and found a market that specialised in perfumes. Channel number 5 or was it 7? was all the go, entered this so dark and gloomy looking shop, about the size of your average toilet, greeted with lots of bowing, and what sounded like praises for my everything, down some steep stairs to end up in yet another room the same size where there was a small table and two or three chairs, ‘would the effendi like some coffee’? (no idea how you spell effendi)’ well really wanted to buy some perfume’ lot more praised heaped on me but coffee came regardless, the cups must have been part of a doll house at some time and the coffee bitter and black, Now I had to sniff every smell known to man, ‘is this for your lovely wife’? what colour are her eyes etc and so on ‘does my lord have a mistress’?
By this time I was all sniffed out, couldn’t tell one heap of horse crap from another of cows, throat dry as dust from the coffee, and still I was given the full treatment until I made a purchase and bolted, can’t remember what scent I did buy but it was a big bottle!!!!
On the 6th Cairo to Malta, and on the 7th, Malta to Base. My flight log records of my time in 242 Squadron are listed later.
Two quick training flights with my real crew and then I was lent to F/o Good to go as F/E on a Short Stirling (never seen one close up before) that was to deliver supplies all over the world, why me I’ll never know, a very quick half hour lesson on where everything was, happily the engines were Hercules with which I had done all my operations, perhaps that’s why I was picked, only one on the squadron with that engine experience.
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The Short Stirling was just a bomber, not converted to anything, the fuselage was used to carry freight and we carted an exhibition of bombs etc all over the place, we also picked up and dropped off odds and sods as required, much like a “tramp steamer” at everyone beck and call!! The Stirling was the first of the four engined bombers for the RAF and suffered because of that, a bad spec. by the chairbound in the Ministry ended up with a well made but poor WW 2 bomber, they did get used for bombing, others as tugs and for training purposes, remember one of Nutts Corner left the end of the runway and landed in the mud, tipped up on it’s nose, the Station doctor rushed to the crews aid (they had all left some time ago) climbed up on the wing slipped and fell off and broke his ankle, mustn’t laugh!!!
The Stirling was slow had no great ceiling, noisy, draughty and I was a long way from home, my crew and a lovely Avro York, what else do you need to think a ‘plane was terrible?
So off we went in a lumbering noisy old Sterling, 15th June England to Castel Benito in North Africa 7 hours 20 of misery, Castel Benito was obviously a place named for the Italian Dictator, My only recollection of this place is sand more sand and then some more sand, the tents we slept in were filled with sand and the food was full of sand and even the ever present flies were full of sand, how the troops managed to service ‘planes and keep them flying is a wonder. I don’t remember if there was a concrete runway but if there was bet it was covered in sand, it blew everywhere, filled every orifice, eyes got sore even just during one night there, no thank you don’t want to remember that place!!
16th June Castel Benito to Lydda the airport for Tel Aviv in (Palestine) Israel 6 hours 45. Lydda, was Palestine. now Israel, was the main airport of Tel Aviv, guess the name has been changed so people like me have no idea where it is now, but was decent airport so probably just extended and has a new name. While at Lydda took the opportunity to visit Jerusalem, The Wailing Wall, Church of the Holy Sacrement [sic], built on the site of the cross and also Bethlehem. I don’t even recognise these places when shown on TV now, Wailing Wall about the same but more open when I was there, Bethlehem completely unspoilt, a crude stable as it always had been, no frills or religious artifice, The Church of the Holy Sacrament surrounded by squalor, beggars, the maimed, and only reached by a walk through narrow alleys, now seeing them on TV, must have had a bit of a clear out, but the Church full of the usual con men selling bees wax candles to see the sights, all they did is coat the hand with evil smelling grease no bee had ever seen, and the opulence inside made a mockery of “love thy neighbour” when related to the poverty outside. HOPE THIS DOES NOT UPSET YOU but just report as I saw many years ago!!! Guess I was full of brotherly love after a tour on bombers!!!
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18th June a night flight to Shaibah in Iraq 3 hours 45. Shaibah, now there is a place to bring back memories not for me but for the thousands of RAF blokes who served there, when I was an RAF Apprentice I heard more dirty poems about Shaibah and its population than anywhere else, some went on for pages and although not a collector of such memorabilia, remember one that had as it’s main item a wheel of very large proportions that continued to revolve against the odds. Another place of sand, from the air very little could be seen as most accommodation was built under ground or should I say the roof of concrete was just about ground level, ventilation was by open slots at ground level, bit like sleeping in a WW2 air raid shelter, situated in Iraq at Lat 30-2349N Long 47-3628 E at 2224ft, has taken me many years to find out just where it was/is, managed it by locating a web site all about the Gulf War, nothing more to say about another sand castle.
19th June Shaibah to Karachi in what is now Pakinstan [sic] 6 hours 15. After taking off from Shaibah we flew directly to the waters of the Gulf and flew all the way to Karachi as near as possible in the centre of the Gulf, many bad friend either side so instructions were to avoid problems, even did a bit of a “dog leg” at the Straits of Hormuz to stay away from any one’s territory. Was quite a peaceful looking scene in those days, lots of small ships ploughing their way along and across, probably smugglers and all manner of evil goings on if we did but know it!!
And so to Karachi itself, part of India then, but now Pakistan, thriving city of many thousands or millions, place that I bought many carpets to bring back to England to help cheer up a rather dark old house Phyll and I were renting.
There were very many carpet makers in the various streets working on looms made from everything imaginable, some used by young children making wonderful patterns with the dyed wool, both hands and feet being used at a rapid pace to insert the wool and move the shuttle. I would shop about for one we wanted to do a room, passage or a hallway, and athough [sic] most colours were somewhat bright and did clash with others we had, we were glad to be able to cover the floors with some thing soft and warm. Many of the carpets had long wool which made them bulky to carry especially some long ones for the stairs, but the carpet makes were only too pleased to wrap them in sacking for me. Most times the Customs at Lyneham let me through without any payment but on occasion I would be charged some small amount to keep them happy!! The chewing of beetle nut and the continual spitting out of it’s bright red juice made the pavement look as if a gang battle had taken place, many were the street side workshops, silver coins hammered thin, cut into strips and soldered into intricate shapes to make the lovely fret work for jewelry [sic], and delightful decorative items. In fact all streets in every Indian city of town I visited had it’s crafts men,
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woman and children, some carved ivory to make the famous balls within balls, time seemed to have no meaning to the carvers who I was told spent years on a single item, how they lived was a mystery. Apart from the clever ones there was also the cunning ones, just a few of the things they made were, cigarettes in a perfect copy of all English packets and tins which when lit popped and crackled as the dead bugs burst, Phyll was pregnant with our first son and suffered as so many woman do with terrible morning sickness, was told that Philips Milk of Magnesia would help, but none obtainable in England that would could find, bought the largest bottle I could find in India at the Officer’s Mess, Dark blue bottle and all the correct labels etc, Phyll took one dose and heaved it straight up, might have been the right bottle but the contents were foul and unknown, apparently it was quite a common practise to bore a hole in the bottom of bottles of all descriptions, whisky, gin, brandy etc the favourites, pour the contents out and fill with anything that looked right and seal the hole in the bottom, I was told that at time pattent [sic] laws in India were unknown. A shoe maker told me he could copy any size, style, colour, so with a pattern of Phyll’s shoe size ordered a pair of suede shoes as a surprise, was a surprise to us both, Minnie Mouse would have been proud to have worn them, not Phyll, yet without soap they could remove grease and stains from the dirtist [sic] of shorts and shirts, return them the next day looking like new, a large country with a great deal of talent in the common man!!!
20th June Karachi to Dum-Dum Calcutta in India 7 hours 05. I have been asked what this was like, flying out of a war zone and to these peaceful areas. But it was not like that at all. Most places we went were on a war footing. Also I don’t think that the local population welcomes us, our money yes, but us no thank you. India was in the throes of becoming independent after many years under the yoke of Britain, Pakistan and Ceylon were also stirring as was Egypt. We landed in Dum Dum (Calcuta) one time to be told that we could not go into town as some workers had had an argument with their foreman and had tossed him into the furnace and shut the door. Another time we received an invite to visit a local Big wig’s Palace, nearby got there when a crowd on a rampage filled the streets and our taxi did a U turn and took us back to camp, war in England was never like that!! Instead of landing back at home, each time we landed in enemy territory, well on most days!!
22nd June Dum Dum to Palam in India 4 hours 25. The old city of Delhi, like some so many cities in India, narrow streets, too many people and cows, but New Delhi a much cleaner place guess the name tells it all, many administrative departments built I would guess to house the government in a cleaner environment, may be just as crowded now as the old one was years ago, we used both names New Delhi and Palam as our stop off point for this place, not a major junction at that time and not on our normal route. Calcutta
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in the East of India was a large city, the RAF base of Dum Dum well known throughout the service, the dum dum bullet came from there, and from the tales I was told much more that was strange and a mystery to western eyes, saw the Indian rope trick once, yes the boy did vanish but always thought there was something a bit iffy about it, if you don’t believe it can’t happen I suppose. Again the streets red with beetle juice and lined with small workshops in some areas, wonderful brass work made by hand, beaten out of sheets of brass, bought a beautiful rose bowl there on one trip, stolen long after by a staff member of the roadhouse we had, really heavy brass with roses carved around the circumference, these were filled with glass and fired so the glass melted into the cuts and then ground until smooth, coated with silver and fitted with a silver mesh to hold the stems, bought a few different types but all long gone now, probably found a new home years ago with the craved wooden tray, crystal glasses, and they even stole the fez I brought back from Egypt!!!
23rd June Palam to Ratamalana in Ceylon, now Shri Lanka [sic], 8 hours. Ceylon, Sri Lanka, was a nice place, called at a number of ‘dromes there, Ratmalana, Negombo, a couple of them, our sleeping quarters were straw huts in amongst the coconut plantations, spoilt for me on one trip when I left my case on the bed and went for a shower, found when I returned that it had been stolen so no change of clothes until I could buy some more, found out when I asked the station police that it was quite normal for things to vanish, very light fingered some of them.
Great surf beaches there which we all found very welcome to cool off in the water, no hope of swimming as one minute the sand is dry and the next 10 feet of water, terrific undertow we were very luck [sic] we did not get swept out to sea, Africa the next stop!!
A rather nice hotel built on a promontory or maybe it was a linked island anyhow went there one night and had a game of snooker with the attendant, played quite well but was given a lesson on how to play the game, found out later that the attendant had been the “marker” for Horace Lyndrum, one time world Champion.
24th June Ratamalana to Karachi 8 hours, 25th June Karachi to Shaibah 6 hours 40, 25th June (YES THE SAME DAY). One of the things I did notice about India as we flew the length of it to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from Karachi. That it was covered in trees and where the vast population lived I often wondered, certainly the street of towns and cities were full , covered in the red strains of beetle juice and cows.
Shaibah to Lydda a night flight of 4 hours 20. 26th June we had trouble with the electric’s of the flaps and undercarriage so missed a day!! 27th June
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Lydda to Castel Benito 6 hours 40. 28th June Castel Benito to Holmsley South 8 hours , and finally on the same day Holmsley South to base at Stoney Cross 15 minutes, all in an aircraft that I had had about ten minutes of this is this and that is that!!
We were now transferred as a crew to Holmsely [sic] South, with 246 Squadron, and I started flying again with a F/O Lunn on the 10th July doing 3 engined landings, another gap which could have been ground instruction or being a “dogs body” to my F/E Leader, or even a spot of leave and started flying with F/Lt Poore again on Yorks on the 22nd and again on the 28th doing various training flight, then it was off again on the 29th of July from Holmsley South to Malta, Cairo West, Shaibah, Mauripur (India) Dum Dum and so on back to UK on the 11th of August having flown on 29th and 30th July 1st 2nd 3rd 7th 8th 9th and twice on the 11th August. The reason was that there were so few trained crews and very few York aircraft, so we all had to do a great deal in fact far too much. The logbook of my time with 246 Squadron is presented later.
A York oversea flight was very different from Bomber operations, on bombers our cargo had no opinions of physical wants, just sad and waited to be jettisoned.
We carried mail as well, but our passengers were important, not in rank but in the interest of the service they were. So a completely different style of flying had to be undertaken, “press on regardless” the bomber style was no good for people. Safe and on time was the motto, no risks with bad weather, fly round it, we could not go over because there was no oxygen installed on the ‘plane.
From my point of view it was all very strange to start with, clothes for a couple of weeks was required but tropical ones were worn most of the time, so we got into a routine of flying out from UK in our normal uniforms, changed at Malta and left our “blues” there to be cleaned etc and changed back into them on our way home, leaving our tropical shorts shirts etc to washed, ironed and ready for us next time out. Food was another problem, Malta for example was still on very tight rations and my first taste of goat milk, butter and cheese still a rank memory!! The warning to be very careful what we ate, the sudden change in temperature and humidity took their toll of us all and from memory we are nothing at all out of our RAF Messes and very frugal in them. We were not able to drink much hard booze, mainly soft drinks and the occasional beer, the fruit was very welcome however and provided it was either skinned or peeled we could eat them, most of us took back to England some fruit each trip for our families, often when we landed back in UK, calls were out for certain fruit mainly bananas for sick children
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in London hospitals, something in banana which helped cure some illnesses, needless to say no one minded giving up whatever we had.
When you and I fly these days we bound the ‘plane and are quite confident we will arrive where we should, flying on operations we went and came back (hopefully) now we went and went and went and then turned round and came back but it was us doing the wenting and to places that we had never been before and had to land discharge our passengers, sort out the plane, refuel etc, find a bed and food and be ready for the next one in the following day, the first few time were difficult, strange places and people and equipment, and even a brand new crew, all who had done at least one tour but some had done a number, our navigator I remember wore “brothel creeper” suede boots in the topics, was to my eyes ancient and seemed to dissapear [sic] between flights into his room, never really got to know him!!!
I had to get out to the aircraft at least an hour before take off to check out things and run up the engines, you will note many 02, 03 04, 2359, times given as take off time so you can see I for one lost of lot of sleep, the rest of the crew were not in bed but sorting out all the charts, weather, flight plans etc, and we often flew twice in a day if needed so apart from the constant changes in climate as we flew hither and thither we were kept busy.
After take off and once we had reached about 8,000ft we could settle down to some hours of straight and level flight, passengers had to be checked, even in those days there were the terrified ones who could not look out of the window,
After a number of trips the whole thing became a boring job with very little excitement, great discomfort because of the climate, lack of food and the desire to get home to my growing family, I really loved the RAF but loved my wife more.
Among the sites seen during this flying over North Africa, ones that are stuck in the memory are the rusting tanks and other vehicles that littered the North African Desert as we flew in and out if Cairo, lots of miles of nothing then a heap of rust etc, all seen as we flew over at 8,000ft.
We as a crew were transferred yet again to the top Transport Command Squadron, 511 at Lyneham who still operate from there to this day. (August 1998). The logbook of my time with 511 Squadron is presented later.
The only highlight during October was the flight the skipper and I did on our own in Lancaster Bomber P 780 (it was used as the squadron spare parts transport) was to fly by my map reading to Prestwick near Liverpool to pick up a parcel and return, clocked up 3 hours 30 in a Lancaster. The York was a
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nice ‘plane to fly couldn’t go above 8000ft because we had no oxygen for the passengers and it was not pressurised, really a Lancaster with a different body to take freight or passengers, we even had a very good galley on board but until we were given an ex airgunner to act as steward was little used, don’t know what training our chap was given but on the first flight was told on the ground what and when we as the crew would like for our meal. He waited until we were well on our way before puncturing the tins and most of the contents ended in his face or on the ceiling, didn’t seem to know about changes of air pressure, but he soon learned!!
There is one trip to Langar mentioned in my log book where we picked up a York for a VIP Flight. We were in York MW100, which had been the first operational York delivered to the RAF. I have read that Langar was an AVRO refurbishment factory, where repairs etc were carried out, so it looks as though MW 100 was “tarted” up there for 24 Squadron VIP flight.
One of the more pleasant jobs we have, even if a bit sad really, was to fly back to England those British troops that had survived the death camps of the Japanese in Burma and else where. We used Freighter Yorks for this with mattresses spread on the floor and female nurses in attendance, the looks of thanks we all got from these sad men was soul touching, all crews involved would have happily got our old bombers out and bombed the bastards to kingdom come, I for one will never forgive them for their cruelty. Returning from one of the later trips we were met by the Squadron C.O. and told to move all our gear into the Waaf’s quarters (they had been moved out) get a decent room and then report to the main gate where transport had been laid on, the useless mob of non flying officers had crawled out from under the stones they had been hiding under, while we all risked life and limb, and were now insisting that we as crews were not allowed in the mess in flying kit, even though we had to breakfast at between 4-5am and then go straight out to fly, when we returned late night no food would be available after 6pm. Our C.O. wouldn’t stand for that, he had done at least 90 ops some with the Dam Busters, so we moved all the Squadron items from the mess to our new accommodation, which meant all the silver, billard [sic] tables most of the decent armchairs (we could never sit in one because these idle sods were always in them), all the liquor from the bar plus all the glasses and bits and bobs. We had all been paying mess bills but very rarely had been in England, so an even bigger shock was in store for them when they found their mess bills had sky rocketed.
The day after day of flying from cold damp England to steaming hot and humid India was very wearying and when at the end of February 1946 I was offered the chance to leave the RAF I took it, our son Tony had been born in April shortly before I left, I could have stayed on in The RAF, but long hours of flying and a new wife and baby were not the way to go if life was
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going to be at all normal, what I should do for a job I didn’t know, but time at home was what I really wanted, it had been a long hard war and I wanted a rest.!! I have been thinking about this part of my time with The Royal Air Force and it seems as if I should explain where possible the duties of the various aircrew members. Starting with the bomber crews, the pilot is the boss whatever his rank, some crews were formed with quite senior ranking officers as non pilot members, this was often caused by the need for senior officers to really find out what happened on operations, often this was of a temporary nature, but it was known for a senior officer to complete a tour with a N.C.O pilot. The pilot made all the decisions in the air and usually on the ground as well, he had to have the respect of his crew and a happy crew always had a father figure for their pilot even though he might not be the oldest member of the crew, fighter pilots could and possibly should be of a less serious nature, most times they only had to look after themselves.
The pilot must have some understanding of all the jobs that the crew carried out, not to any great detail but sufficient to understand when things went wrong, and in an emergency could make the correct decisions if that crew member was unable to do so, his training would take much longer and would start as a pupil pilot on small aircraft, when he got his wings and started his training on twin engine ‘planes he would be joined by his navigator and in some cases by the wireless operator, these two crew members would have been carrying out their training else where, and once passed as proficient would have been posted to the conversion unit to await joining a crew, it is possible at this stage that these three crew members could after completing their conversion course, be posted to a squadron flying twin engine aircraft, DC3’s. or twin engine light bombers or fighters such as Mosquito’s, Beaufighter’s, Blenheim’s there were many different RAF and USAF twin engined aircraft in service all over the world that this crew could have ended up flying, navigation and wireless equipment was all basically the same in the RAF and no doubt the same applied in the USAF. Assuming that this crew now carries on to four engine conversion, all of the previous training could have been carried out in Canada or South Africa some I understand also completed twin engine training in the USA. Crews formed of Canadian, South African and Australian nationals naturally liked to be all from the same country, I am not sure what happened in other countries but I joined a Canadian crew when they arrived in England because they had no Flight Engineers, I do know that other countries also had the same problem but just who and how much of a problem it was I do not know. So now we have the crew at a 4 engine conversion course some where in England, here the pilot must learn the tricks of flying and landing a large and most likely difficult bomber, having done some initial training with instructors he will now get his crew together and they will complete their training together, While he has been receiving instruction and doing take off’s and landings with an all instructor crew,
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usually only a pilot and F/E, if going on a cross country he would have both a navigator and wireless operator also from the instruction staff (all would be air crew who had completed at least one tour and told me that it was more scary instructing than doing ops!) the rest of the crew have been likewise receiving instruction. Navigators, wireless operators and flight engineers would be all flying both day and night being taught and checked for competence in their various jobs, and subject to being passed as suitable would then continue their training as a crew, any member that didn’t do their job properly was soon found out and a replacement soon found, our navigator had been passed as ok but on a cross country during our training got us hoplessly [sic] lost in the Welsh mountains and the pilot and I, map and beacon read our way home, needless to say he went! The pilot now has his crew and after arriving at a bomber squadron he and his crew are checked out again by the various section leaders, he will now go on two “second dickie” bombing trips to see just what it is all about, standing next to the pilot he will watch what happens all the way out and back, and have that little extra bit of knowledge that his crew hasn’t got.
So to complete this long story about the pilot he stands at the front of his crew and leads and guides them in the tasks ahead. He never shows fear nor does his voice ever tremble when in difficult situations, he may be trembling inside but no one would ever guess, a good bomber pilot was a hero unsung, I was lucky I flew with two on operations. The navigator must have an ability with numbers and calculations often carried out under very difficult conditions, many were remustered from pilot training having failed to reach the flying standard required, they made very good navigators because they understood the problems a pilot could have, and could be very quickly given what additional training was required for a navigator. His job simply described would be to get you there and back again, on time and on target, never as simple as that because the bombing routes were always being changed to dodge known hot spots of “flack” and lead the enemy into thinking you were going to one town and then suddenly turn and bomb some where else. His view of the target or for that matter anywhere we went was limited by his position below the pilot facing a blank wall, his instruments consisted of the usual pencils rulers etc. but also fitted were a repeater compass from the gyro-compass until in the tail, a Gee unit which had a screen and fixed radio stations in England broadcast signals that were projected as curved lines which could give him a fixed position, the gee signal did not reach far into the continent so was of limited use but did help the beginner out and home, H2S was also fitted in a belly blister underneath this was a very primitive form of radar and gave a misty picture of the earth below helpfull [sic] if bombing blind and could aid in locating a town and the trusty old sextant, much improved from the sailor’s version with a two minute clockwork motor that averaged out the readings over that period so was a bit more accurate, wouldn’t do on a yacht would rust up solid in no
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time, piles of maps, charts for everything. Not only did he have to keep up a proper running diary of events, such as aircraft seen to crash or explode any unusal [sic] sightings, we saw some of the early German rocket tests on one operation, we didn’t know what it was and said so and we weren’t told either, changes to targets would be passed to him by the w/op, wind drift had to be regularly checked and whether we had a tail or head wind could effect the time we got to the target, and when we got back home he had to hand in his charts for them to be checked just in case we hadn’t been where we were supposed to have been, a very busy member of the crew, perhaps managed to look out the nose on odd occasions but always working and figureing [sic] out the next course change. The wireless operator was probable a very frustrated man, he had all this high powered gear and could only use it to receive, except in an emergency which none of us wanted anyhow. Signals were being passed from group headquarters to the squadron in code and where they effected us were passed to those concerned, almost always to the navigator, these could be very sudden and high changes of wind direction as monitored by aircraft ahead of us, changes of routes to avoid a new “flack” post, recalls due to bad conditions over the target or fog closing in on our own ‘dromes.
Which meant we might not be able to land properly anywhere in England, 500 to 1000 bombers spread out all over England many crashed with crews killed was not a happy thought! So the w/op spent most of his time listening in, when we started using Master Bombers, (they flew round and round the target during the raid giving instructions to various crews where to bomb and telling those off who ignored him) the w/op got some extra work changing channels as briefed so that the German radio could not block transmissions. Our transmitted signals out were always brief until over friendly land and even then too much chatter from one ‘plane could cause trouble for those in real peril, ‘planes with injured on board or ‘planes so badly damaged that the sooner they could land the better got priority and all crews listened to see if one of their mates was in trouble often a few words of comfort from a friend helped no end, once we started doing daylight operations and could see many miles we could also warn others of enemy action such as flack and fighters, and when we given the job as “dive bombers” on a couple of raids warn other of bomb bursts and local guns that could be a danger. The Bomb Aimer’s (or as the USAF called him The Bombardier) job was to drop the bombs we had carted about the sky and drop them where they would do the most damage, his bomb sight of RAF planes was quite good, needed to be set accurately with wind speed and direction, had a set of switches that could be set so that various bomb bays on the ‘plane emptied first once all the settings were put in which also included things like height and temperature, could be others but it is a long time ago, then he directed the pilot to change course a degree or two either way until his sight was on the target and then he pressed the button and a
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sudden jolt told us we were a great deal lighter and could set course for home. The Master Bomber made a difference because he would tell us which coloured markers to bomb on and give us lots of warning as we came in towards the target. Pathfinder Force had arrived at the target with the Master Bomber before we got there, he told them where to drop their markers and which colour to use, they didn’t land on the ground but floated on parachutes so the Germans couldn’t put them out but they did light “spoof” ones which confused us until the Master Bomber started and then most bombs fell on the target. Some RAF and USAF bombers has a light machine gun in the front nose which the bomb aimer could use, don’t think is was much use, we never hand one. the only other job that the bomb aimer could do was help the navigator with map reading in daylight and he always called out when we crossed the coast both in and out of Europe and England, at night this showed up as a slightly different colour of grey. The USAF made a big fuss about how their Norden bomb sight was so good, reports I have read since the war seem to discount it’s accuracy, like most things, a good operator is good whatever rubbish he is given to use!!
Lets face it the Dam Buster’s used a sight made from a few sticks of wood and we know what they did. We now come to the Air Gunners we had two one as “tail end Charlie” in the rear turret, and another as the mid upper gunner, the rear gunner was considered the top man and he really had the worst position both for comfort and danger, both turrets were fitted with four Browning .303” aircooled machine guns, the turrets were power operated, and the rear gunner usually saw the fighters first particularly at night as they climbed up to get into position the Browning was no match for the fighter cannons so they could keep out of range and bang away until both gun positions were destroyed, then we were sitting ducks. We had two good gunners and just a couple of rounds fired at a distant fighter was enough for him to go else where and find a crew half asleep, we saw this a few times when on daylight raids and cursed them for not attending to their job of survival for the whole crew, some squadrons has much larger losses than others, we reckoned it was not luck but bad training and stupid people who once their bombs had gone thought they were home and dry. Another problem the gunners had and this also effected the bomb aimer was cold they all had electrically heated suits but it could get very cold at night and it made it just that much harder for the gunners to stay awake. On one trip they took our H2S blister out and fitted a mid-under turret, not like the USAF ball turret but more like a small bath tub with a gun mounting, didn’t look very comfortable and gave us a gunner we had never met. What a dissaster [sic] he never stopped seeing fighters from the time we left the ground until we got back, poor chap was probably “flack Happy” That bit of useless gear came out and never went back what they did with the poor gunner I don’t know. but he should not have been given a mid-under job a midupper would have kept him in contact with the rest of the crew and perhaps settled
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him down, who know what terrible tales he had to tell, but we didn’t want him!! The Flight Engineer usually came from the ground staff, had worked on engines, prefferably [sic] those fitted in aircraft, many were recruited like I was having been trained by The RAF at Halton Number 1 School of Technical Training, after passing out I had served two or three years on the flight line servicing a large number of different areo-engines so my F/E training could be specific to the engines fitted in the aircraft I should fly in, the course at St Athan in Wales was quite short, and like all the ex-brats found it no problem, my duties were to control the engines all the required speed the pilot decided and adjust boose and RPM so that they were all syncronised [sic] and did not “hunt”, raising and lowering undercarriage, flaps and bomb doors also were my job, on take off I had to help the pilot hold the throttles open and assist in correcting any swing which could happen with a cross wind and a full bomb load. Every other crew member was strapped in but the F/E had to stand beside the pilot to carry out his job, once off the ground U/G up and flaps retracted, climbing boose and revs set, temperatures checked and on radial engines gills opened or closed to keep the engines at the right temperature.
On water cooled the radiator flaps had to be adjusted for the same reason, a log had to be kept from the moment the engines were started so that a running total of fuel used to could be calculated, every change of boost, revs ,height and which gear the super charger was in affected fuel consumption. There reading were very important also which fuel tanks were in use so that all tanks could end up over the target holding the same amount of fuel, a full tank with a hole could mean no return to base. As an F/E I never really had enough time for all the jobs, the navigator called on me at times to do star shots with the sextant which I could hang on a hook in the astro-drome above my bank of engine and fuel instruments, there was always some thing that needed a tweek or a piece of wire to keep it going, and over the target apart from all my usual jobs I had to feed the “window” out of the special chute, some time there were large bundles of leaflets to send down, to let [sic] the Germans they had no chance or the invaded ones that thing would get better. Before and after a trip I had to check things, although the ground staff never missed a thing perhaps we survived because they were as fussy as we were. My log had to be handed in and any odd things explained so that they could be fixed before we went out again. When ever I had time or if fighter activity was great I would stand in the astro-dome and do my own bit of searching, one night to my amazement within almost arms-reach was a F/W 190 night fighter, I pointed this out to all of the crew and the skipper slowly dropped us a few feet until he was out of sight, the gunners wanted to have a go at him, but the skipper said you can’t be sure you will win and we are here to drop bombs!!! The different in the training for the carrying of passengers by those members of the flying crew that transfered [sic] from bombers to transport was not so very different except that the “press on
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Spirit” of bombers was now changed to safety and arrival at the destination on time. Pilots were trained to fly with the comfort of the passengers as of major concern, Navigators now had some visual land marks to help on long flights and with the help of the wireless operator many “fixes” obtained by cross bearings from two or more radio beacons. The war in Europe and with Japan was still on so many of the peace time facilities were still not available but most of southern Europe was conflict free so that flight were in themselves safe from enemy fire. The flight engineer’s duties still contained those element of engine, fuel, and general aircraft overseeing that were needed in bombers, in the early days he was the only member of the crew free to move about during the flight no cabin crew were employed, so the was the only contact that the passengers had with the flight crew, and many times his duties required him to reassure passengers who had not flown before, although he also acted as a second pilot, on long flights, ground prepared sandwiches and thermos filled with hot or cold drinks were given to the passengers by the F/E. On freighter aircraft another new duty the F/E had to perform was the checking of the centre of gravity of the load this had to be within very strict limits, because of safety considerations, each item of the load had to have it’s centre of gravity worked out and then it’s position in the aircraft designated to ensure that the centre of lift and centre of gravity were within limits.
All RAF Yorks of Transport Command were also Royal Mail carriers so that large bags of mail on both freighter and passenger ‘planes were carried, there was also a small compartment that could only be entered from the outside situated on the port side near the tail, this was for high security items and was usually filled and emptied by a person from the Consulate, who would also lock it.
Without checking with Phyll, or for that matter anyone else, I applied for release from the Royal Air Force, because I had been commissioned I was able to leave the RAF even though I had signed on as an apprentice for 18 years after the age of 18. Phyll was shocked when I turned up at the home she had started to make for us and told her what I had done, what was I going to do for a job?, how would I earn a living,? none of these things had really mattered to me, I just wanted to be with her and our new baby Tony. My Commanding Officer wanted me to stay in and said I could return at any time before my demobilisation leave ended, on the 27th of April 1946 (the day before our first wedding anniversary) I was given a demob suit, some food and clothing coupons and cleared from the RAF, my leave would finish on the 9th of July 1946 so I had a couple of months to decide what to do with my life and that of my family. Phyllis and I were married on the 28th April 1945, she was released from the WAAFs in November of 1945 and managed after a lot of form filling and chasing up the local council to get a requisitioned house, which she moved into in the early part of 1946. These
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houses had been empty for many years were of low standard compared to today’s, but ours was a solidly build three bedroom, two rooms and a kitchen down stairs but had only one cold tap in the house, gas lighting and an outside flushing toilet of the design known by young and old as the Thunderbox. I was still frying to India and Ceylon and only managed to get home for the odd night very seldom, so Phyll all on her own with no help from anyone sought out second hand furniture and managed to provide the basic things needed to make a home, Tony arrived on the 13th of April while I was on leave but I had to return to 511 Squadron as soon as all was well with Phyll and Tony, but was home again on the 27th of April for good.
– Reg Miles
The URL of this page is
http://www.geocities.com/jkjustin/Milesbio5.html
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Biography of Reg Miles
Ex Apprentice No 1 S. of T. T., R.A.F., Halton 39th Entry 34 – 67 M.U.s – 27 A/S Bloemspruit South Africa – Lympe Kent, Flight Engineer 432 – 420 Squadrons RCAF, 6 Group Bomber Command, Eastmoor, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire / 242 – 246 – 511 Squadrons Transport Command Lyneham, RAF
Chapter 6
Post RAF
My parents called round to this very old, dirty, requisitioned house and found me in my battle dress trousers and very large white flying rollnecked sweater sitting on the floor smoking a “Churchill” cigar (very large and the last of my Indian purchases) cleaning and stopping up holes in the wall of what would be our dining and living room. To say that they were horrified would be putting it mildly, where was their son of whom they were proud? The Flying Officer in the RAF who had been on bombers and regularly flew to India and other foreign parts, gave all that up to do what? I couldn’t tell them because I didn’t know, just wanted peace and my own family and no more racing about the world. Something would come along I said, my parents were not impressed they had battled for years to get a little bit out of the working class rut, still only out a little way and here was Reg on his way up and just throwing it all away to be at home cleaning up the dirt of years of neglect. After our marriage on each trip to India I bought carpets and other items that would help to furnish a home, after the floors walls and ceilings were washed the carpets gave a nice touch of luxury to the place. In the kitchen was a brick built “copper” this was filled with water, a fire lit under and when hot this water was used for cleaning the house, washing clothes, and once a week for Phyll and I to have a bath, the babies of course got at least one day. Friday evening was usually “bath night”, Phyll had managed to buy an adult size “tin bath” which spent most of it’s time handing on a nail in the back yard, with a fire going well in the back room downstairs, the bath was placed in front and buckets of cold and hot water carried in from the kitchen. Ladies first was always the rule so Phyll could have hers in comfort, when she got out I go in and removed my dirt, now came the reverse trip with the buckets of water, each one tipped outside to run into the drain by the back door, once tried to empty the bath by lifting it up to the window sill and sliding it out, not much luck with that just a lot more water to wipe up. I did eventually install a proper full size bath in the kitchen with the drain passing through the wall and hot water fed from a gas heater and cold from the one cold tap. The whole thing was boxed in with a hinged cover which gave Phyll a decent size work surface when cooking, and fun for the boys to hide in when not in use for either of it’s purposes. I
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thought I might like to work as a mechanic in a garage, just shows you what an innocent I was, spoke to a garage owner who had looked after Dad’s car before the war and asked if I could work there without pay for a couple of weeks to see what it was like. Started a few days later and after a day or so he wanted to pay me, worked there for a few weeks, can’t say I thought much of the job or the owner, gave me some wooden boxes with parts of a lorry engine in it and told me to build it up, no instruction manuals so took me a while to sort out what went where and he was not impressed, went out on welding jobs to hotels whose heating boilers had frozen up and cracked, nothing went right and as I unloaded the gear from the truck he threw a heavy spanner at me which just missed, I threw it back and nearly hit him, so he said I was not suitable for his job, not a very good start to civilian life! Next I called in at the Labour Exchange and it was suggested that I should go on a course to become a commercial artist, couldn’t draw to save my life so that was out, they had a vacancy for a Trainee Manager for a laundry would I like to try that. Why not I thought, so turned up for an interview by the boss lady and started next day, must learn all the processes she said and put me on a Hoffman Press doing fancy pillow slips, kept coming by every so often and throwing all I had done in the “do it again” bin, all females working there and most old enough to be my mother, put me on the calendar, long steam heated rollers that were used to iron sheets and other large items, I was at the back on my own taking things off while two or three woman fed them in, or course I got in a muddle and another job hit the dust!! So it was back home and helping Phyll with house cleaning, my father was not impressed and said I must have a job what ever it was and suggested that he could get me a job with the large building firm of which he was a very senior employee. When it came, it was as a painter’s labourer (the lowest for life in the building industry) but I just took it to save any arguments and did my turn of holding the bottom of ladders while the painter did the clever stuff, while doing this in the middle of the local shopping street two RAF officers much junior to me on my old squadron couldn’t believe their eyes, told them that good jobs like this were going fast so they’d better get in quick. I had bought a new bicycle, the one that I had bought with the money from my photo job before going into the RAF had been completely destroyed when my uncle Jack was killed on it by a German shell outside Dover. I cycled about Margate going from one painting job to another, the one I most remember was the one at the local brewery, being the lowest on the totem pole I had the job of lighting a fire with wood scraps and making the tea at mid morning and afternoon breaks, got things going just waiting to see how many to make and no one turned up, and went out side into the yard and there all the workers were, both brewery and building, lining up for tankards of beer. Told to come and get mine but just did not fancy cold beer for a drink, went in a had my cup of tea, we were there for some time and eventually I was persuaded to give the beer a
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try, never tasted anything like it, smooth and warming and just perfect, asked where I could buy some of it, told not be so silly, this was a special brew made by the brewer for the staff and not on sale anywhere!! I had not taken up the offer by my CO to go back into the RAF, guess time just went by and didn’t given it much thought, from a salary of 20 pounds a week I was now earning about 3 (took me about 14 years to get up to that again and it wasn’t worth as much when I did) we managed, or at least Phyll did, both of us took extra jobs she did cleaning for the local library and tourist department and also worked in the evenings as a cashier at a large seaside restaurant, later on Phyll worked at a couple of hospitals in the Margate area, I carried out maintenance at the same restaurant and also had a teaching job for the local technical college. My father was talking to the company manager who asked how his son the RAF officer was doing, when told that he was working for the firm as painter’s labourer suggested that there was a need for a fitter to take control of the depot used to store all the machinery used in the company and also large stocks of materials surplus from contracts would I like it? Would I just, right up my alley so after a couple of days I started work at this depot which was on ground adjacent to Manston RAF Base, and in fact my yard was next to the station bomb dump that my father had built just before the war. When I eventually found the yard it looked like a rubbish tip, met by an old man who said he was in charge and who was I. Explained what my job was and found out that he had been there for some time just to help unload and load up the odd lorries that came in from building sites, asked why things were scattered all over the place and he said that he just put things where there was a space, and certainly didn’t do any clearing up or sorting out. A number of sheds had been erected and were all full of a jumble of building materials returned from sites, he didn’t know what was in any of them and had no intention of finding out, bricks of every shape and colour were stacked in heaps without any order and large stacks of roofing tiles had collapsed, spreading out like the tide to cover other items, with weeds and flowers poking their heads between. Loaded lorries had driven over what looked to the driver empty areas, but were in fact filled with sheets of glass, tins of paint, sanitary fittings, and various strange items returned from sites as not required or perhaps in many cases wrongly ordered, so that a sticky mess of dried paint, broken glass, and unknown fragments covered some areas resembling the appearance of a hastily cleared bomb site. This would not do for me, dotted about amongst this bleak landscape were concrete mixers of all shapes and sizes, and many other rusting hulks that I had no idea what they were, order what was wanted and somewhere to work and store tools in safety. I found a shed that looked as if it might keep out the rain and with the old man’s help cleared some space for a bench which was among the multitude of items scattered about the site. One water tap was near the front entrance, I say entrance more like the gates of hell or a test of driver’s skill to weave
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through the junk piled just where it fell, and without me asking a cup of tea was soon offered, that at least had received top priority. I spent the following week looking at machines, to in the first case find out what they were and to check if they could be made to work, that would be my first job, to get the plant needed on building sites in a fit condition for work. To make matters worse there was no electricity or ‘phone connected to the site and very little in the way of anything to help me lift and replace things that were broken, I needed to get things sorted with the boss, calling into head office for my pay on Friday I asked to see him and told him what I needed and was given permission to book anything I wanted with their local supplier and arrange for power and telephone to be connected, the old man would return to his normal work of bricklayer’s labourer and I could engage a young man to take his place. So the clean up started, I concentrating on checking and repairing machines and my new helper re-stacking fallen heaps, wheeling away to a corner all the rubbish he found during his efforts, which would eventually be used to fill in some large holes uncovered during this clear up. The first shed I had used was emptied of all the rubbish and made into a small workshop where other benches were installed, the power and telephone were connected, I purchased some items of tools including a complete oxy-acetylene welding and cutting outfit from BOC, which I then had to learn how to use!! A call came for a large number of wheel barrows for a site, most that I had found had splits and cracks in the bodies and all had narrow steel wheels, repairs by welding were hastened and a quantity of wheels with pneumatic tyres were purchased, a coat of paint given from our stocks, all of which turned out to be grey of various shades when mixed together, the site foreman phoned to send transport, who shortly after receipt of the barrows phoned to register his delight in getting what appeared to be a truck load of new equipment. Gradually sheds were emptied, their contents sorted and listed and put away in some sort of order, all stocks of bricks, tiles, screws, nails, plumbing fittings, and all the multitude of items used in the building and construction industry were sorted and listen on stock sheets, these were sent to head office for typing and all site foreman and those people in the drawing, quantity and supply departments given copies, amendments made to these when required. All materials for building work was on licences, which were hard to get and the cause of a great amount of office time and paperwork, my lists helped to overcome some of these delays and gradually most people in the organisation used them to help in planning, they became even more useful when I was able to add separate sheets which gave lists of what machines were held in stock and what their state of readiness was. I was now getting more and more calls from sites asking for my help not only to supply machines and materials but my advice was asked for on the manufacture of items for sites and in many cases I was asked to make thousands of an individual item for the massive tower blocks being built in and around London to house those who had lost their homes
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due to enemy bombing. for most of this twelve years we still lived at Tivoli Road in the requisitioned house, much cleaner and more livable [sic] after Phyll’s ministrations, the wall paper in our bedroom which consisted of large purple parrots on a dark blue background had like the rest of the house been removed and given coats of a more restful colour of paint, there was always plenty of part tins returned from contracts so no problem with supplies! Philip our second son had arrived on the scene about two years after Tony, which gave Phyll. more work with washing and caring for two boys who carried on a constant war with each other and would always try to outdo each other in the speed at which they turned clean clothes into dirty rags. Sheila, Phyll’s sister came to stay and had the usual boy friends, mostly American service personnel from Manston, none of which seemed to understand that rationing of everything was still in place in the UK, invited to an evening meal on one occasion the incumbent boyfriend took out family’s weekly ration of cheese spread it our total stock of biscuits and swallowed the lot! Whether it was the same one who broke our settee into fragments one night in a fit of passion I don’t know, the remains however did come in useful as our ration of coal for heating had largely been burnt and the settee end up as fuel the stuffing and covers used to add humus to the starved patch of soil called garden at the back. To help with the family budget Phyll had obtained part time evening work at a large restaurant on the sea front manning the till, she also cleaned the Margate library, and at times the Margate Information centre, she wasn’t afraid of hard work but it did and still does seem all wrong that people like her who had done their bit during the war got nothing for their efforts while the stay at home fortune markers still got all the benefits, I noticed this particularly when visiting an aircraft factory in the Midlands, whole families worked in the one factory each one taking home much more than the fighting men did and most seemed to have a fiddle of some sort which enabled them to get the best of every thing regarding food and clothes, some got bombed but most got rich! Susan came along after a further eight years, she was born at home as Phyll had not been happy at the treatment she received at the local maternity hospital and determined not to suffer that again, her brother Peter was performing with a band at a local venue and his wife Jean stayed with us until she had her second child, we even at times had other artists to stay all to help with the family budget. I had changed my cycle for a “Corgi” , this was the war surplus parachutist motor bike, dropped with them for quick movements of men, they had a small 125cc two stroke engine, folding seat and handle bars, no instruments of any sort and very basic lights, push start, no gears, and certainly no suspension, the front tyre wore to a point after some miles so that turning on wet or icy roads was fraught with peril, many was the 360s I did on old cobble stones and slick corners. A large metal box was made and fitted and my range of operations grew to sites many miles away from base, it was a cold and slow means of transport, crawling up a
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hill with the box on the back filled with heavy tools after an hour or so on the road to be passed with ease by everything on wheels and some even on hoof did not endear me to other road users, who out of pure spite drove near and informed me if I pedalled harder would get along faster. To spend over an hour on the road to get to a site that had called me that they had problems with machinery, only to find as I often did that failure to check the oil in an engine had caused it seize up, the topping up with fresh oil prior to my arrival supposed to fool me, strong words were said by me while I stripped the engine freed the pistons and rings and got it running again. Some cases were even more bizarre, once called to a site two hours away because the small bulldozer would not “go”, this was in the middle of winter with ice and snow about, found that the machine had been left after it’s day’s work in a large puddle of liquid mud, this had frozen overnight and struggle as it may the poor thing could only slip clutches trying to get out of the clutches of the ice, a stern word to the “ganger” to get off his backside in future meant no more silly alarms from that site. On another occasion nearer home I was asked to call at a site because the 14/10 mixer would not mix (14/10 – 14 cu ft of dry material in and 10 cu ft of wet mixed out) It was still operating when I arrived on site to be shown that as the hopper tilted to pour the dry material in it shot straight out the other side, shut it down and had a look at the blades inside the drum, these often got badly worn after months of use, not in this case the drum was full to the brim with rock hard concrete. Again poor or perhaps in this case non existent maintenance, I had issued guide lines to all foreman as I found that certain work methods damaged or caused performance problems with plant, in this case of concrete mixers at the end of a day’s work a few shovels of sand or gravel should be placed in the drum and allowed to mix for a few minutes this combined with the liquid cement usually still present from the last mix and made it too weak to set hard, the following day it would be broken up during the first mix. There were a number of these information suggestions most of which I have no memory, one that still remains is the one involving flexible drives used on vibrators to consolidate in shuttering, or formwork, it was common practise to hang the vibrating head over the shuttering and leave it operating while the concrete was poured, the sharp kink in the flexible drive caused the high speed inner drive to cut a hole in the outer casing, this would be fairly large on the inside but often a very small slit on the out side, if this slit became immersed in the concrete the rotary action of the inner drive sucked in liquid concrete which soon set when switched off and the next day no vibrator, more obvious to the operator was the damaged caused if the actual vibrating head was to touch the reinforcing steel bars inside the shuttering, I have had the heads returned to me cut in half after being in contact with the steel. During the 12 years I was employed by Rice and Sons many things happened that are worth repeating. I cannot begin to remember them in any proper order will just tell them as they pop up in my memory, a local garage
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owner who’s place of business was just up the road from the yard, I bought my petrol from him and we often helped one another out with bits and pieces, he had been the only one who had an independent supply of electricity provided by a single horizontal cylinder glow bulb diesel engine to start it needed a long heating of the bulb part with an oversize blow lamp, then grasping the spokes of one of the very large fly wheels a heave to start the rotation and followed by more pulling until it fired and continued on it’s own, the trick was to let go before you went with it, rather like prop swinging an aircraft engine, his wife helped him to serve petrol, but needed the engine running to supply electricity for the pumps, the odd times when he was too ill to get out of bed I would start the thing for her and so we became friends and swapped ideas about thing, he had “come upon” some very cheap metal twist drills and wondered if I would like some they certainly looked good quality but would they cut I asked, we’ll give them a go he said and put one in his bench drill stand and tried to drill a hole, no luck must need sharpening, and still no luck, a close examination showed that they were left hand drills were stamped USAAF and no doubt had originated in the USAAF Base at Manston and were made for a DeWalt machine that did a number of operations some of which required left hand drills. The local manager of Rice and Sons had a number of children one of which was a young girl who like so many of her gender rode and had horses, the garden at his house had become too small for her latest horse and as there was quite a bit of open space at the yard now it was tidy he asked if we could manage to find room for it, wasn’t very keen but found a space between piles of bricks and partition blocks that could be fenced and space in a shed near by that would do as a tackle store. The young girl turned up with this, to us great hairy beast, and put him away while dad pulled up in his car and took her home. We used to let it out to feed around the yard during the day and never really had any trouble putting it away at night, not that any of us felt very comfortable with it, but it did cause trouble, one day it got it’s nose and most of itself jammed in the door way of a shed while it warmed itself on a potbelly stove that was burning to drive out the moisture from stored items, one of us climbed through a window and tried to back it out but it wouldn’t budge, only thing to do was push it forward and dodge the backward explosion as it’s nose got burnt, it often scratched it’s back on stacks of bricks or tiles, our only warning the rumble as thousands of carefully piled ones slowly slid down to cover yards of ground, when burning worm infested wood it loved to put its hooves into the hot ashes and the long length of pipe we used to move the wood about poured out smoke from it’s top end, the horse stood with this in it’s mouth and seemed to enjoy the odd smoke. We had a few minor problems with this horse, it got out one day when a stupid lorry driver left the gate open and the young lad I had taken on spent most of the day chasing it over hill and dale until it leapt a fence into a paddock of other horses and charged about until this owner
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caught it and insisted on knowing who the owner was. The end for us came when I arrived at the yard one Monday morning to be greeted by a very irate RAF officer, the horse had apparently got out during the weekend and right opposite was the grass runway of Manston Aerodrome, these acres of lush grass were heaven to the horse so in spite of large numbers of service personnel in jeeps and on motor bikes it just cantered madly about preventing the circling aircraft from landing. The main runway at Manston was some miles long, equipped with FIDO and a major airfield during WW2, at this time it was occupied by the USAAF flying Lockheed “Shrunk Works” F80 Shooting Stars, Spifires [sic] had by legend taken off across the runway it was so wide, the grass runway was used by visiting light aircraft to leave the main runway free for ops. I noted that the officer concerned was a non flier and after he had calmed down suggested that he get a few years in before going off at the mouth to me, but felt sorry for him as no doubt he had been torn off a strip by some other prat in uniform, told him the horse was not mine and mentioned my service number which shut him up, but the horse had to go and so it did. Another morning I arrived to be called over by the next door neighbour, who had a small holding and piggery behind his house, to complain about the noise I had been making late into the previous evening, said he would come over and shut me up if it happened again, told him I wished he had which surprised him. What had happened was I crawled into the drum of a large concrete mixer to check the blades and water feed pipes, it was going out on to a site the next day and the phone call only came in as I locked up the workshop, my men had already gone, knew that most of the mixer was in good condition but wondered if the blades and water pipes had been checked, blades were OK but still a small amount of concrete on the inside of the water pipe, got a hammer and cold chisel from the toolbox and chipped out the bits and pieces, a small pebble just didn’t want to move so pushed my finger in to flick it out, the pebble dropped down jamming my finger in and the harder I pulled the more it jammed. The only way I could get out was to hold up the pebble with a piece of wire while I eased my finger out, the tools I had with me were too large, that is why I was banging on the drum hoping someone would come and help me, but no luck and I was going deaf from my hammering. Perhaps the last shovel of sand put in to weaken the cement remaining in the drum had a piece of tie wire in, what a hope but after scrabbling about with my free hand for some time I found a piece, held the pebble up and quickly grabbed my tools and crawled out, the neighbour laughed and would come quick if heard banging late again. Another Monday I arrived at the yard to find the entrance blocked by a very large and dirty Steamroller, no sign of a driver, enquires with neighbours did not help, no note or message on the machine, just parked most tidily across the entrance, walking space only. None of my people knew anything about it and none of us knew how to drive, we checked the tank which had some water in it but no coal or wood,
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lit a fire made sure the sight glass was full and when steam started to come out of various holes, pushed and pulled every lever in sight until it moved into the yard, rolled up and down the yard a few times to make our road smooth and put the brake on, the fire was only wood so it soon burnt down and went out. It stay there for a couple of days and then one morning when I got to work it was gone, never did solve the mystery of the vanishing steamroller. While I was having fun and games at work Phyll was doing her best to balance what budget we had, many times when the gas meter was emptied we didn’t get any “rebate” only the return of the many foreign coins left over from my trips abroad that we had used to get gas because we were flat broke. Tony and Philip were a great trail being about 5 and 3 years old, she once got them all dressed up in their best white outfits, told them to be good boys and play together while she got dressed in her only decent frock, we were going to my Granny and Grand Dad Miles 50th wedding anniversary party, all the family would be there and poor as we were had to make out we were not. I was on my way home from some job or other and arrived in time to see the two boys playing together in the garden as requested, only they were playing in the heap of soot that the chimney sweep had left the previous day after sweeping our coal fire chimney’s!! Poor Phyll all the hard work, no [sic] only did she make their outfits, get them clean and looking smart, rushed to get dressed herself, and now had to start all over again, and I turned up dirty as well. We got to the party and everyone said how smart the boys looked, just one more of the miracles she worked. Kids can drive you mad and at other times make you laugh, arriving home from work one day Phyll told me that Tony had put his head into the bath of bleach water while she had been hanging out the clothes, ‘What a silly thing to do’ I said to him, ‘it could burn you and make your hair fall out’ With eyes as large as saucers he looked at me and said, ‘Is that what you did Daddy’ I couldn’t keep a straight face nor could Phyll. Returning from a trip to my brother’s small pig farm Tony suddenly said ‘I know eggs come from chickens Dad, do pigs lay sausages?’ always expect the unexpected where children are concerned. Apart from all the house work, looking after our growing family, Phyll always managed to find yet another job to help the budget, with Susan in her pram she pushed her quite a way to clean and tidy the house of the local vet, his wife looking after Susan while she did this, funny thing neither of us complained, just glad that we could feed and clothe us all from week to week. Among the jobs I did as part time extra work, was painting a house that a nurse lived in near the Manston yard, and doing all repairs and maintenance at the same restaurant that Phyll did evening work. This later one was a real learning experience, all equipment and machines had to be checked before the place opened for the summer season and most were completely strange to me. All the kitchen machines had to be cleaned and tested, and what most of them did was a mystery to me but head down and asked a few questions and off I went, the
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chipper didn’t work I was told, pulled a cover or two off and found that the last one to use it had put in a rock instead of a potato (dissatisfied employee?) cleared that, straightened the blades and OK again, the spud peeler was very slow, found that the abrasive lining was no longer abrasive! new lining ordered and fitted, and so I worked my way through all the catering gear. The manager asked me to look at the revolving entrance doors, had been very stiff at the end of the last season, what did I know about revolving doors, nothing but there must be a reason, climbed on top and found that the lock nuts that held the door up were loose and had allowed the door to drop so that it dragged on the floor, soon adjusted that and smiles from the manager, he began to think I was a miracle worker, but most of it was just the very uncommon common sense. This restaurant was situated on the land side of the road that ran along the beach, a section that was below high tide mark had a dance floor and entertainments as well as food and drinks served. The floor and walls up to high tide level had been “tanked” with a bitumen coating to prevent sea water damaging the decorations and timber block dance floor, some clever “dicky” had removed some of this timber block dance floor and “tanking” to increase the area used to cater for food and drink patrons, vinyl floor tiles had been stuck over the bare concrete floor that was exposed, at the same level and matching those already installed, but these new ones had no “tanking” underneath. The manager explained that as the tide came in and out the salt water dissolved the adhesive which expanded into a large ulcerous looking lump in the middle of the tiles, ladies with stiletto high heels punctured them when they stood on them and the resulting black goo shot up their legs damaging stockings and dresses. I had a look at the problem and sure enough a number were well and truly ready to “blow their top”, dug out those that needed replacing and realised that to put new ones in with adhesive was not the answer, nails would be good but the heads would probably trip people but headless one might be the answer but into concrete could be a problem, had an old gramophone at home that used the old steel needles, gave that a try and magic no problem the hardened needles went into the concrete easily and held the tiles OK, quick trip to the local gramophone shop got all their old used needles and a few boxes of new ones and just kept an eye on the tiles and as they started to bulge out they came and new ones in, during that summer think I changed the whole lot. I was on call during the evenings and week ends not too many problems, most had been already fixed mainly things broken by staff or customers, the ‘chefs’ were a funny lot always on their “high horses” about how clever they were and just threw things about if upset, more work for me, the amplifier and microphones at the dances often played up due mainly I think by drunks grabbing the mic. to bellow their inane rubbish. During the summer ‘season’ Phyll did other work, one of her aunties had a “Boarding house”, perhaps the more modern ‘bed and breakfast’ might convey to readers what it was,
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whole families came to Margate and other seaside resorts to spend their summer holidays, the cheapest accommodation for a family being the Boarding House, must be out of the house by about nine thirty and not let back in to the afternoon, these regulations varied, some miserable people stuck to them, but people never went back to them. Phyll’s job was to clean and tidy all the bedrooms, change over days, usually Saturday was very hard, most of the houses were big old places with perhaps only one lavatory and bathroom on each floor, some not even that, so chamber pots or ‘gusunders’ were provided under all beds, hence the commonly used expression used in those days for all things running late “here it is (time) and not a po emptied”. How Phyll managed to keep house, look after me and the kids and still go out to work I don’t know, no such thing as child minding in those days, we couldn’t have afforded it if there had been, must ask her some time how she managed it all!!! The house in Tivoli Road had no electricity, lighting by gas may be romantic but fraught with problems, too much gas pressure or touched when being lit and mantles break, a small hole will send a jet of flame against the glass cover and in winter when the whole house is cold, the glass shatters and people get cut, candles were used to move from room to room, and checking a sleeping baby without dripping candle grease on everything was an art soon learnt. We decorated this old house from top to bottom, never thought to ask for money to pay for things just got on and did it, remember Phyll standing on a chair wallpapering our bedroom just hours before she asked me to go out and phone the midwife as Susan was on the way, we had made up a bed for her in the dining room so no stairs to climb, I was pushed out and told to boil lots of water and get piles of newspaper, think the water boiling job was to shut me up, brave things woman, glad it was Phyll and not me going through child birth, I need medical attention if I break a finger nail, guess all men are cowards. Because the house was one of a long row of terrace houses, now known as town houses, houses all joined together, being old and some had been empty all during the war, mice had invaded one or two, we had used traps and got rid of ours but roofs and coal cellars joined, so that migration to the best food source was common. All food was kept in mice proof containers, the only source of food not covered being the layers of fat on the inside of the ancient gas cooker, efforts to get it clean only disturbed the recent deposits. Leaving Phyll sitting beside the fire in the room we used most of the time I went out to the cold kitchen to make our nightly drink of cocoa, as I lit the gas light I could hear a scrabbling coming from the oven, a mouse was having supper also, blocking the rear vent up with some clothes waiting to be washed I turned on the oven gas, waited for the scrabbling to end and picked up a dead mouse and in triumph took it in to show Phyll threw it on the fire and returned to make our cocoa. The next night a repeat performance was in sight as the next mouse awaited it’s fate, on went the gas, open came the door and Reg ended on his back against the wall as the
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cooker exploded, with the eye brows, eye lashes and moustache singed I staggered into Phyll, no longer the hero just a poor wounded soldier. The previous night the gas for our cocoa had not been lit, tonight it had, when I opened the oven door the gas escaped and was lit by the gas alight on top. Phyll covered my sores with Vaseline and I hurried out to get the mouse only to see it disappear behind the vegetable boxes in the larder, using all my force I crushed the box against the wall and another dead one, but of course the milk boiled over so I guess you could say, Reg one, the mice one, a draw. A friend of both Phyll and I when were at school was Laurie Foat he worked with his father who had a Greengrocer’s shop in Eaton Rd, I had been interested in bees when at school and found that Laurie also had an interest and had in fact a number of bee hives. We got together and started to expend the number of hives by breeding and bought quality Queen bees which we introduced after removing the old queens, we had bees in all sorts of places, orchardists welcomed us as pollination of their fruit trees was ensured, growers of many crops wanted our bees on site, this sometimes was a very painful as during transit the hives often moved and many times we travelled with swarms of bees round our heads, hoping that we would arrive on site still with enough to carry out the job in hand.
We experimented with new ideas, the only hive that had been used in England apart from the straw skip was the WBC, this had inner boxes in which the frames fitted, usually two types, honey and brood, and outer sloping ones that gave insulation in the cold months when the bees were in hibernation, we tried out the new style National hives, these were single wall and larger than the WBC (how I remember all this after 50 years, I do not know) The National hive was a copy of hives used in warmer countries such as Australia and South Africa, where the honey flow continued most of the year and hibernation was not needed, our extractor could not handle the bigger National frames and filling by the bees took much longer and in fact frames were often found to be only half full even if the honey flow had been good, they were easier to handle but really not for the small bee keeper who enjoyed the hobby more that the honey.
We also tried out a new floor board which had a fine mesh panel in it, a cover over it was controlled by a thermostat which opened and closed it depending on the temperature, this in theory helped the bees to drive off the moisture from the honey before it was capped. An old wives tale says that your bees know you and you must tell them all about you family particularly births and deaths, whether this is true I don’t know but sitting by the entrance to a hive as the sun goes down with crowds of bees at the entrance to the hive all facing inwards fanning their wings madly to drive off the moisture from that day’s honey crop is a rather magic experience, the bees ignore you and with your face close to them the sweet smell of clover,
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apple or other flowers they have been visiting beats any of man’s bottled perfumes.
As winter approached one year, it was obvious that two of our hives were not big enough to survive over the long months ahead, one had been used as a breeding hive for new queens, the other the remnants of one that had swarmed in an orchard miles away and the orchardist had not told us until it was too late to get most of them back. We would need to combine them and as bees are very territorial they couldn’t just be put together (one of the two queens must be removed), most of both hives would be killed, there were two normal ways to do this, cover each lot of bees with flour then combine them and by the time they had cleaned all the flour off themselves they would all smell the same, another ways was to block up the entrances put many layers of newspapers between the two and wait until the two lots of bees had chewed their way through and hope they would be friends.
Laurie lived over his father’s shop which had a flat roof which could be reached from one of Laurie’s windows, the combining needed to be watched to see if it was going according to plan, and the bulk of our hives were on land some miles away, the flat roof above the shop was an ideal place, we thought, the hives were set up near one another and a search through Laurie’s wife’s food cupboard failed to find any flour but a number of half packets of different coloured blanc-mange powder seemed just as good, the lid was removed from one hive and well dusted with powder, the floor taken off the other placed on top and it’s roof removed and the remainder of the powder sprinkled in.
Some of the bees took offence at this and gave us both our usual injection of anti-rheumatic treatment (after the number of stings I took should never get any joint problems, perhaps another old wives tale!) we retreated behind the closed windows of Laurie’s flat to watch events, all seemed to be going well until Laurie’s father suddenly appeared in the room, not a very happy Daddy, bees, all colours of the rainbow were driving his customers away, no one had been stung, but they were landing on everyone and everything and bright orange red, blue, and even multi coloured bees were not the normal thing seen in shops. After about an hour the panic was over and all the bees had settled down to do what bees do best, hum, and make honey.
Bees like the rest of living things get sick and we sent any suspect ones to Rothamstead Research Institute for analysis. I had been working the bees one weekend and on the Monday morning woke up feeling not too good, turning to Phyll in bed asked if my face was swollen, the look on her face and a sudden withdrawal of breath told me the tale, got out of bed and looked in the mirror, two slits that must have been eyes once, two nose holes
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that belonged more to a member of the pig family, the whole lot buried in a red blotched landscape of no sharp edges just fat curves, felt even sicker after seeing that sight. Phyll rang the doctor, (doctors actually came to see the sick in those days) who knew of our family history and at once remarked that it looked like a bee sting, told him we had a hive that we suspected had paralysis and were awaiting the results of tests, sat on my bed for about half an hour finding out all the symptoms of various bee diseases, gave me pills to take, come and see me in ten days, these blue pills got rid of the swelling but seemed to deposit glass chips in my joints, Phyll had to help me move and the pain was worse than the sting, managed to walk with great pain to his surgery after ten days, when I told him of my joints problem, said he should have given me these other pills to dissolve the crystals that would form in my joints.
Went to him once with a very swollen elbow, tennis elbow he said, don’t play it I said, showed me his elbow which was just as swollen as mine, got mine playing golf he said, what shall I do I said, don’t play golf or tennis for a bit was the answer!! Good doctor always came when asked and never gave you any bull, just one of the old school, straight answers to straight questions and don’t go to him if you just wanted a note to stay away from work, I never did, in fact had to argue with him at times when he wanted me to rest, but mutual respect was our way.
At work load was getting greater most self inflicted see a job do it is still my way, and the firm found that if they wanted some thing done and it was possible for me to do it, it got done. The “Corgi” motor bike was just too small for all the tasks expected of me, tried to get a van from the firm, but even old ones were very hard to get after the War, saw an advertisement for a 1928 Austin 7 only 20 quid, borrowed the money from my Dad and went to pick it up, one of the firm’s lorries dropped me off at this farm many miles away from home, it was in the back of a barn and sounded a bit rough when started up, farmer said it had been used to carry a full milk churn down to the front gate each day, drove it out to the yard at Manston, the engine rattle getting worse as time went on. Left it there to begin work on it the next day, stripped it right down, found the front seat was a bale of straw, no back seat, when pulled to pieces the small parts just filled a cardboard box, the chassis was two slender bits of channel joined at one end and that had a number of cracks in it, engine and body was all aluminium so very light, Phyll not very impressed when she first saw it, a box of greasy bits and some other bits of tin hanging on the workshop wall. I rebuilt the thing from scratch, crankshaft reground, cylinders rebored, valves and seats refaced, king pins and bushes renewed, any cracks in the chassis or body welded up, new seats, and tyres and tubes, it was a “tourer” open body and need less to say the canopy was missing, I had a new one made by a coach builder, when finished I spray painted it dark blue, and we now had our own motor car to
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go about and I had arranged payment by the firm for so much a mile when I used it on the firms business, which in fact covered all our costs of the car and a bit over, the overhaul had been done in the firms time and at their cost, not that they were made aware of it, and wouldn’t have minded if they had, for me to be mobile anywhere anytime was what they wanted and now had it.
I could take a decent size tool kit out on repair jobs and even the odd spare part, if they wanted me to do oxy cutting or welding a van or truck had to be available to carry the cylinders and other gear, and the oxy cutting began to become a major part of my work, I had taken on a fitter who stayed at the yard and together with the young bloke I had engaged kept on top of the repairs to machinery while I was out on jobs. A list of all of the metal work jobs I did on site would take pages and strain the old memory but some can never be forgotten for various reasons.
There are three which stick in the memory, Dreamland a very well known and large entertainment park, side shows, scenic railway, ghost house, roller coaster, you name it, Klingers a stocking and tights factory built by Rice and Sons, and The new Margate and district Telephone Exchange also built by Rice’s.
I’ll start with the last, the telephone exchange, this was a multi storey building with imposing stairs and entrance halls, Italian workers had been brought from Italy to do all the Terraza work to floors and stairs, my first contact with the site was when one of their machines would not start and the local garages couldn’t or wouldn’t repair it for them, not a very big job to fix it as I remember, but with typical Italian gusto I was treated as if I had saved them from a fate worse than death itself, showed me all their secrets for treating Terraza floors before people were allowed to walk on it, dozens of bottles of milk poured on after it was ground and washed, the fat from the milk sealed the pores in the cement and polish was applied over this.
The interior hand rail supports up the stairs had been concreted in before the Italians started their work, before they applied the final grinding and polishing they wanted the steel core rail for the wooden hand rail fitted, from their previous experience metal filings often landed on their Terraza and caused stains which were hard to remove, all the interior and exterior steel fences and railings had been contracted from by a London based company some 75 miles away by road. Their workmen arrived on site to fit the core rail and spent a couple of weeks drilling and fitting this top rail and returned to London, the manufacturers of the wooden rail itself came to the site to check that this work had been carried out properly, most people don’t look at wooden hand rails in multi storey buildings, next time you are in one have a look at the complicated solid wood shapes made to change direction
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round corners or up to the next flight, all made from plans and joins that are hard to see. The steel core rail was a mess and phone calls to the London manufactures went un-answered, there was also the question of some hundreds of yards of exterior fancy railings which had to be fitted into holes cut in the Portland Stone capping that was the topping for a wall that curved round and sloped and ended at various entrances on three sides of the building.
The call came in one morning to visit this site and see the site manager, who just happened to be my Father! He showed me the stair problem, the core rail in some cases had been cut short and in others it was too long making the legs fixed into the concrete look like a row of trees, some of the end rolls were all twisted, in fact it was a mess, went back to the yard got oxy gear and other tools told my staff expect me when see me and ring if you can’t cope, the only way was to remove completely the core rail, straighten and check for plumb the supports, and start one end and rectify as I went, finished that part in a week or so, it was OK’d by the handrail people and the Italians who still made a fuss of me and I started to pack up my gear to return to base, that was not on my father’s plans, the steel railing manufacturers had been ‘sacked’, would get no further payments, I would complete the work! ‘Thanks Dad I had other jobs to do,’ ‘but you don’t leave here until the railings are complete’, see what happens when you do a good job? you get more!!
I found that not only had I to get the railings to fit, but had to concrete the legs into the wall leaving the cement a good half inch below the top of the Portland Stone, I then had to come back when the concrete was set and pour melted lead into this space leaving it slightly proud, which I then had to hammer flat using a caulking chisel so that the lead prevented any water from getting at the steel in the wall and causing it to rust. All this was said as if I had been doing this all my life and my own father standing there and saying it, there’s family for you.
I started on a long straight section and when concreted in it was straight as a gun barrel, a good start, now for this curved and sloping section, each day was yet another battle with wedging posts upright, cutting and welding, all joins in the rails had to be half lapped, welded and smooth, at last this very long section was finished, ready for the lead. Back to the yard for a coke fired furnace, pouring pots, melting pots, scrap lead, coke and other tools, I needed help with this lead pouring so told my fitter to report to the site the next day and we would make a start, did the straight run first, each hold had to be done in one pour, lead soon gets a skin on it and if stopped half way would not seal properly, things went well until we did a hole that was damp and all hell broke loose, the hot lead turned the dampness to steam the lead sealed the hole, but the steam won and lead shot out covering
[page break]
both of us with lead spots on face and clothes, none in our eyes thank god, a lesson learnt, back to the yard to make to face masks with thick glass and a frame much like an arc welding mask.
Each hole after that had to be heated with the oxy torch to ensure no moisture was present, winter in England there is always moisture present, and so we poured and heated and caulked our way round to the last post outside the main entrance, heated, checked for moisture, poured, and bang the whole of the dark brick work at the main entrance covered in very pretty sparkling lead spots, who should walk out before we could hide, yes dad, “now you’ve got a long job picking every bit of lead out”, some we removed but like I said earlier it soon gets a skin and goes dark and it was winter with no light so we only spent one day doing the easy seen ones and then back to the yard for a rest!!
Dreamland was a very different job, it was the height of the holiday season and the crowds filled every place of entertainment, Margate was a sea side place and families came from all over southern England for their week or two of fun in the sun. Those businesses that depended on the holiday makers for their lively hood had just three months to make enough to last all year, rain didn’t really matter the people came anyhow just spent their money in different places and Dreamland was humming. A very large building had been erected just inside one of the entrances it was about 40 feet high and about a hundred yards square, really only consisted of a corrugated cement and asbestos sheeting clad roof on massive steel supports, the interior filled with side shows and games of chance (very little chance in most cases) and it was always very well patronised, if the sun was out it was a place to get cool and if raining a good shelter, most of the people who ran the side shows paid rent for the site and many managed to find a space in their stall to get their head down when Dreamland was closed for the night. I received a call at home before I even left for the yard to get my Oxy gear and come down to Dreamland to do some cutting, I always had plenty of gas bottles on hand and had purchased very long hoses because of the difficult jobs I was always getting. Arriving at Dreamland I could see this skeleton of a building still smoking from the fire, the foreman met me to say that the owners wanted it cleared away as soon as possible so that trading could start again, but if I made a start a professional in building removal was on his way and he would take over from me. Looking at the structure it was basically a cross with massive compound girder columns at each corner, with again compound steel trusses spanning from column to column, the roofing material had collapsed into the rubbish beneath, but the heavy purlins were all twisted about and had been put under great stress by the heat of the fire. The safest way was to get on top of the building and using boards climb up to the ridges from both sides cutting and dropping the purlins as you went, this would leave the massive truss supported only at
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each end, cut through this at one end with great care, and hang on when it dropped, climb up the other side and drop the remaining end of the truss, this could then be cut up into manageable size lumps and carted away, the two columns could then be cut close to ground level and chopped up and after the whole building had been removed a final cutting of the column stumps would make the site use able again. Explained my thoughts to the site foreman and the boss from Dreamland who both agreed that it seemed OK, barriers were put in place and men stationed to prevent anyone entering the area where I was working, ladders erected for me to get up top, but my hoses though long would not reach far enough, so with a bit of a strain got the two heavy cylinders up to the top of the columns and lashed them there, I would leave them in that position until the time came to fell the columns. Up I went, ladders removed and I started cutting away the purlins, each one acted in a different way depending on what the stress was, just had to be careful and not get too close at the final cut, but things went OK and soon the clatter of falling steel and the showers of sparks from the Oxy torch had a crowd of sight see’ers, got the first truss free of purlins and ready to drop one end, when an almighty bang nearly tossed me off the roof, looked round to where the noise had come from and there was the “professional”, with his long ladder leaning on the truss, he had cut through one end of the truss and had not cut any of the purlins, dangling by a rope tied to the ladder his torch burning the ladder and the truss hanging by the already under stress purlins. The site foreman rushed to help him down and put out the ladder fire.
I cut my truss end and went round to start on the other end when another loud crash rang through the site, the idiot had cut the same end of another truss and now two were hanging and swinging, told the foreman I was off, let the idiot kill himself but not me, don’t worry he said he has scared himself half to death and is going home the job is all yours, I often wonder if I should have thanked the foreman. For a number of days I started at sun up and worked long into the night, balancing on boards and cutting steel, usually woke up in the middle of the night shaking at all the near misses I’d had during the day but just went back to the job in the morning, Phyll was going to the cinema one night with her friend up the road and took a short cut through Dreamland to get to the cinema, saw me up on the roof sparks flying everywhere and just couldn’t go any further, got the job finished in the end but nobody ever thanked me and not even a whisper of some extra money, should have asked for some before I started I suppose, just too thick for my own good. Reading this could make people think that I am boasting about how clever I was, I’m afraid the reverse is the case, all of my children have more sense than I, if extra work is undertaken, extra pay is demanded, and received, promotion is given with extra perks for an employee of value, I just did everything asked and in most cases took on extra responsibilities without being asked and it seems never thanked, managers used my work to enhance their own images and gained increases
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of salary and position by getting work done under cost and dead lines because they could depend on me, and I the mug just kept on delivering. I obviously didn’t realise any of this at the time, probably would have carried on just the same if I had, but I had something that none of them had, satisfaction of doing a good job and over coming difficulties that would have had many asking for help, none of my jobs could ever cause me any embarrassment about my skill as a fitter, my training in the RAF taught me that near enough is not good enough, only one way, the right way, think before you start, it might be too late if you start to think after you have started!! The next job I will describe was again something quite different, a site had been cleared on the industrial are between Margate and Ramsgate for a factory being built to manufacture stockings and tights and owned by Klingers. This factory was a very special construction in reinforced concrete, a triple barrel vault roof with north facing double sealed windows, parking and storage beneath, no columns or supports of any kind on the factory floor. The drawings of the reinforcing steel bars to go into the roof were a maze of interlocking rods, the roof changing in thickness from massive beams running the full length, to just three inches in thickness in the centre of the curves and again getting thicker to support the large double glazed window units. I was given various lists of machinery required and the dates when they should be on site, apart from the usual concrete mixers and scaffolding, steel bar bending tools were wanted to make all the complicated shapes of reinforcing needed, the men on site would start working to the drawings provided many weeks before the actual construction work started. Benches, various benders and cutting gear was delivered to the site but the foreman had trouble actually bending some of the shapes with the machines provided, investigations of machines on the market indicated that there was none that could do the tight and difficult shapes wanted. The architect would not change his design, so the foreman, workers and I put our heads together and worked out a simple device to bend the difficult pieces, made one of the machines and once we were all happy with it made a couple more. Further tales of working life can be found in the FAMILY CD. Reg
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[Missing photograph]
[underlined] Wedding photo April 28 1945 [/underlined]
– Reg Miles
http://www.geocities.com/jkjustin/Milesbio6.html
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Title
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Biography of Reg Miles
Description
An account of the resource
A detailed Biography of Reg' service and post service life.
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Navy
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Air Force. Transport Command
Royal Air Force. Fighter Command
Free French Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Margate
England--Wendover
England--Aylesbury
England--High Wycombe
England--Dover
England--Shrewsbury
England--Liverpool
England--Penzance
England--Devon
South Africa--Bloemfontein
England--Taunton
England--Blackpool
Sierra Leone--Freetown
South Africa--Durban
South Africa--Muizenberg
South Africa--Cape Town
South Africa--Krugersdorp
Germany--Dortmund
Belgium--Ghent
England--Folkestone
France--Paris
France--Lens
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Essen
Belgium--Liège
France--Somain
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Hamburg
France--Creil Region
France--Saint-Vaast-La Hougue
France--Montrichard
France--Mimoyecques
France--Le Havre
Germany--Castrop-Rauxel
Germany--Osnabrück
Germany--Kiel
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Calais
Germany--Bottrop
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Norway--Bergen
England--Harrogate
Malta
Egypt--Cairo
Australia
Queensland--Mackay
Libya--Tripoli
Israel--Tel Aviv
Middle East--Jerusalem
West Bank--Bethlehem
Iraq--Baṣrah
Pakistan--Karachi
India--Kolkata
Sri Lanka--Ratmalana
Sri Lanka--Negombo
Israel--Lod
India--New Delhi
England--Cornwall (County)
France
Queensland
Libya
Egypt
Germany
Belgium
India
Iraq
Israel
Norway
South Africa
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Sierra Leone
West Bank
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Kent
England--Shropshire
England--Somerset
England--Lancashire
Egypt--Jīzah
France--Chantilly Forest
Creator
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Reg Miles
Format
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109 printed sheets
Language
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eng
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Text. Memoir
Identifier
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BMilesRJMilesRJv1
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IBCC Digital Archive
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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.
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Georgie Donaldson
346 Squadron
347 Squadron
420 Squadron
425 Squadron
428 Squadron
432 Squadron
6 Group
77 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
Anson
anti-aircraft fire
B-17
Beaufighter
Blenheim
bomb aimer
C-47
Churchill, Winston (1874-1965)
control caravan
crash
crewing up
debriefing
demobilisation
dispersal
Distinguished Flying Cross
entertainment
FIDO
fitter engine
flight engineer
Fw 190
Gee
Grand Slam
ground crew
ground personnel
H2S
Halifax
Halifax Mk 2
Halifax Mk 5
Hampden
hangar
Harvard
Heavy Conversion Unit
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945)
home front
Hurricane
Ju 88
Lancaster
Lancaster Mk 2
love and romance
Manchester
Master Bomber
Me 109
mess
military ethos
military living conditions
military service conditions
Mosquito
navigator
Nissen hut
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Oboe
P-51
Pathfinders
perimeter track
pilot
promotion
RAF Carnaby
RAF Dishforth
RAF East Moor
RAF Elvington
RAF Halton
RAF Langar
RAF Lyneham
RAF Manston
RAF Nutts Corner
RAF Prestwick
RAF Shawbury
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Skipton on Swale
RAF St Athan
RAF St Eval
RAF Tholthorpe
RAF Tilstock
RAF Woodbridge
recruitment
runway
Scarecrow
searchlight
Second Tactical Air Force
service vehicle
Spitfire
sport
Stirling
target indicator
Tiger Moth
training
Typhoon
V-1
V-2
V-weapon
Wallis, Barnes Neville (1887-1979)
Wellington
Window
wireless operator
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
York
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/997/10468/SMaddockLyonR2205669v10014.2.jpg
bb3d3741c59ff98367455614395b67d3
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
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Maddock-Lyon, Roy. Scrap book
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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
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Maddock-Lyon, R
Date
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2016-03-21
Description
An account of the resource
20 pages. The scrap book contains items about Roy Maddock-Lyon's aircraft being shot down over Holbæk in Denmark 14 February 1945 and his subsequent evasion. It contains correspondence, photographs of the wreckage of his aircraft ZA-X, and what happened to his crew.<br />
<p>This collection also contains items concerning John Grayshan and Albert Berry. Additional information on <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/211033/">John Grayshan</a> and <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/202051/">Albert Berry</a> is available via the IBCC Losses Database.</p>
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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From: Sgt. F. Maddock-Lyon (2205669), No 10 Squadron, R.A.F..
To: [indecipherable word] Air Attache, Stockholm.
Date: 22nd February, 1945.
[Underline] Report on crash of 10 Squadron in Denmark on the night of the 14th/15th February, 1945, and subsequent escape of certain members of the crew to Sweden.[/underlined]
Sir,
I have the honour to submit the following report.
2. On the night of the 14th/15th February we were detailed for a special operation which entailed crossing Denmark. The crew consisted of:-
P/O. J. GRAYSHAN (Pilot)
F/S. A.J. BERRY (navigator)
P/O. S. [indecipherable] (Bomb aimer)
F/S. P.F. ANDREWS (W/T. operator)
F/S. N.L. MILLS (Mid upper gunner)
Sgt. R. MADDOCK-LYON (Engineer)
F/S. J. PAYNE (Rear gunner)
3. We set course from base (10 Squadron) at 1010 hrs. for Flamborough Head at 1000 ft.. This height we maintained until 0060N was reached and we then climbed to 15,000 ft. to the Danish Coast, when we again climbed to 16,000 ft., which we maintained over Denmark to Point ‘A’. At the time I was making my log out when suddenly there was blinding flash, followed by a terrible bang. I immediately looked through the astrodome to see what damage had been done and I saw a fire begin on the port wing in the centre and rear behind the inboard engine. Before [deleted][indecipherable word][/deleted] I could feather the inboard engine the flames had enveloped the whole wing, so the pilot gave the order to “Prepare to bale out”. I put the pilot his parachute on and put my own on. Then he gave the order “Bale out”. During this time he had put the plane into an almost vertical descent. I
Roy’s initial interrogation report (a,b,c.) from Malmo.
[page break]
went down to the front escape hatch (under the navigator’s table) and found that the door was jammed or frozen. Then there was a tearing of metal and the next I remember is floating down to earth with my parachute open, [underline] minus [/underlined] flying boots, gloves and helmet. On landing in about 6” of mud I collected my parachute and Mae West and harness and covered them with mud as best I could as I was very dazed and headed for the road which was about 160 yards away. I went to Point ‘B’, where they washed and fed me and put me to bed.
4. Next morning I awoke and outside the house were about 12 German soldiers studying parts of the plane, especially [underline] Article ‘N’ [/underlined]. At 1600 hrs. person ‘Z’ arrived and told me he would come for me at 2000 hrs. to take me to point ‘C’. I told him about article ‘N’ and next morning he told me it had been taken care of. (During this or future time I did not see any of the crew except one body which was carried on a stretcher covered up, so I could not see his face.) ‘Z’ then told me we were going to point ‘D’ and I was to go in civilian clothes, which I did. At ‘D’ I was shown by [sic] room (16th February) and taken care of by person ‘Y’.
5. Next day, 17th February, person ‘X’ came for me and I was taken to contact ‘N’ at point ‘E’, where I got article ‘N’. Person ‘Y’ came for me and took me to ‘F’, where I remained until 1715 hrs. on 19th February. During this time ‘V’ took me round and showed me various places taken over by the Gestapo and military authorities and told me of sabotage done by the Resistance Movement. Details of these places will be given when required.
6. At 1715 on the 19th February I left ‘F’ and returned to point ‘E’ where at 1815 I was taken to point ‘G’. ‘U’ then took me to point ‘N’, where I remained until 2115, when I was taken for some food by ‘T’ as ‘U’ had left. The boat was going from ‘E’ to point ‘J’ but I left at point ‘K’, which is in Sweden,
7. I promise the statement here is the truth of my activities in Demark from 2030 on the night of the 14th February to the morning of the 20th February 1945.
(Sd.).. Maddock-Lyon (R.A.F.)
[signature]
Sergeant.
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
Report on crash of aircraft of 10 Squadron in Denmark on the night of 14th/15th February 1945, and subsequent escape of certain members of the crew to Sweden
Description
An account of the resource
A detailed report on the flight over Denmark, the explosion on the aircraft and evacuating the damaged aeroplane. The subsequent evasion to Sweden is also described.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Roy Maddock-Lyon
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1945-02-22
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two typewritten sheets on an album page
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Diary
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SMaddockLyonR2205669v10014
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.
Denmark
Sweden
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-02-14
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Georgie Donaldson
Steve Baldwin
10 Squadron
aircrew
crash
evading
flight engineer
Resistance
shot down