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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
Akrill, William
Billy Akrill
W Akrill
Description
An account of the resource
132 items. The collection concerns Sergeant William Akrill (1922 - 1943, 1436220 Royal Air Force). He was a navigator with 115 Squadron. His Wellington was shot down by a night-fighter on an operation to Essen and crashed into the Ijsselmeer 12/13 March 1943. The collection contains his photographs, letters, and cartoons as well as an oral history interview with Michael and Ann Akrill about their uncle. There is also a subcollection of letters written as a teenage boy to his father in hospital. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Michael and Ann Akrill and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Additional information on William Akrill is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/200183/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/akrill-we/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a>
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
2017-12-04
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.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Akrill, M-A
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
No 1436220 LAC Akrill.
No 26 E.F.T.S.
Theale,
Wed. 14.1.42 Reading.
Dear Mum,
Pleased to get your letter today. Sorry about colds & humbugs. Hope all over now. Thought I’d better get this off now though I’ve no gen about leave or posting or Exams. I expect that by next week at this time we’ll not be here (I certainly hope so) but where we’ll be I’ve not the vaguest idea.
I expect that that those who get through O.K. will gather up all their kit & get some leave before being sent for to Manchester to be embarked. That’s the usual procedure I believe. Of course it’s by no means sure whether I’ll get through or not. This is certainly the most difficult rung of the ladder so far & once over the top is [deleted] almost [/deleted] is quite hopeful (with plenty of hard work) the course
[page break]
[circled 2]
Is certainly a far stiffer one than we had been led to imagine. We thought were in fir just a few joy rides but now find that we have to take a flying test with the Chief Flying Instr. & also do the usual Ground Exams. The lectures are hopeless & we’re always missing them to go on the link &c. We’ve 3 subjects we know nothing about - Engines, theory of Flight & Airmanship. We get off after tea about 7.0. at night & are much too tired to do much swotting so I don’t know what kind of a mess we’ll make.
Of course flying matters most. After about 10. hrs we should be able to take the C.F.I. up on “Circuits & Bumps” - that is start up the plane, taxy [sic] out, take off, do a good circuit of the drome & land again, repeat process once or twice & taxy [sic] back. The weather’s been very bad & though I’ve got 7. hrs down I’ve not done much “circuits & bumps” yet. Some chaps have 11 hrs & are quite ready for tests or solo. I’m afraid it takes a bit to
[page break]
[circled 3]
sink into my thick scull [sic] but both the Link Instr & my Flying Instr. tell me I’m improving at last. My Flying Instr. told me it would be hard work for me as I’ve not got “air-sence” [sic] & it doesn’t come natural. Still I [deleted] tho [/deleted] can do the take-off & circuit O.K. provided I don’t get lost & I can get the plane down somehow, though once today I thought I was going to take the top of a tree with me! Tigers stand plenty of rough handling but people say they’re the hardest possible to fly. I’ve been doing several spins!! When my Instr. first showed me one I thought I was being flung out of the cockpit & the earth was revolving up to meet me. “Right” he said “now you do one to the right” so I swallowed hard, set my teeth & sat squarely on my seat & away we went spinning down to mother earth & I felt no queer sensation at all & came out of it right way up
[page break]
[circled 4]
I’ve done several since then and really enjoy them. The ground’s been covered in snow for the last 2 days & we got no flying in yesterday & had to pack up early this afternoon because of bad visibility. Don’t expect there’ll be any in the morning.
We had another group photograph taken today by the main entrance of our stately residence. It will be really funny complete with Turks & their high officers our Ground Instrs., snow and plenty of wide grins. You’ll soon have quite a gallery.
Pity I didn’t know Joan Reeson’s address. Yes Barney & I have found a little Congregational Chapel in Theale but on working Sundays its a rush to get there & we miss our 3rd meal anyway.
Had a real fan . mail today - Ron Melton, Dave Nip & your’s. Ron tried once again to get in for training as Pilot but didn’t succeed. Don’t think he’s enjoying life too much. Sad about his sister. Dave tells me of
[page break]
[circled 5]
More troubles in the office. Jelly has gone into hospital with Sugar diabetis [sic] & Mr. Sunman has a bust ulcer in his stomach causing internal bleeding. Poor old CTS. He never was very strong - especially in that quarter. I’m afraid it’ll shake him up for a long long time & goodness knows what the office will do. [undecipherable word] & Gorgeous will carry on I suppose! Titch used to live at Theale when a nipper.
Well must retire as it’s striking 9.0. and I like to be in bed by then.
Will let you know immediately I get to know anything — until then take it I’ll be gone from here in a week and —WISH ME LUCK!!!! (I’ll need it) [underlined] Bill [/underlined]
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 from Bill Akrill to his mother
Description
An account of the resource
Describes how flying training, although fun, is becoming harder. He seems to be struggling with navigation and landings. He remains happy but accepts he may not have the aptitude to pass this phase of pilot training. Will have to do a test with chief flying instructor. Bill is concerned that some of the lectures are poor and they miss some due to other training. Unsure when he will be moved on and where to. Concludes catching up with family and friends.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-01-14
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Robin Christain
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Five page handwritten 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
EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420114
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
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Berkshire
England--Theale (West Berkshire)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-01
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
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
William Akrill
aircrew
military service conditions
pilot
Tiger Moth
training
-
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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
Akrill, William
Billy Akrill
W Akrill
Description
An account of the resource
132 items. The collection concerns Sergeant William Akrill (1922 - 1943, 1436220 Royal Air Force). He was a navigator with 115 Squadron. His Wellington was shot down by a night-fighter on an operation to Essen and crashed into the Ijsselmeer 12/13 March 1943. The collection contains his photographs, letters, and cartoons as well as an oral history interview with Michael and Ann Akrill about their uncle. There is also a subcollection of letters written as a teenage boy to his father in hospital. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Michael and Ann Akrill and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Additional information on William Akrill is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/200183/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/akrill-we/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a>
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
2017-12-04
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.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Akrill, M-A
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
No 1436220 [inserted] LAC [/inserted] Akrill.
No 26 E.F.T.S.,
Theale,
Fri. 2nd January 1942 Nr. Reading.
Berks
Dear Mum,
Afraid I’ve run out of notepaper & have to fall back on the good old notebook, but I guessed you’d want to hear a bit more than my scribbled note on Wednesday when I was far too tired & sleepy to know what I was writing.
We’re still feeling rather strange here (I am anyway) as its such a change from I.T.W. Yesterday we started off good & proper. We parade outside on the gravel in two groups – flying & lectures. There are, not including the Turks, 2 courses here ourselves, the junior, and about 20 more in the Senior Course who have passed out & are waiting to go to [deleted] 59 [/deleted] S.F.T.S. Then there’s a complicated arrangement about groups & flights. Joe & I are in different flights but in the same groups. Thus we fly [deleted] & do lec [/deleted] at the same time but from different parts of the field, & do lectures together but do not get the same day off which is a pity. Well, as I was saying we paraded
[page break]
[deleted] and [/deleted] with the Turk officers & answered our names. Imagine the excitement when, with a group of officers present, the Sgt. Read out their first name & their [sic] came a [deleted] so [/deleted] high pitched voice out of the darkness, “I am here!” They’re hopeless at marching & drill & it was painful marching behind them to the flying field. Well it was a bad morning so we had to sit around in the Crew Room till the weather cleared after our various instructors had been along & given us the low-down on the plane & instruments &c. Finally the weather cleared somewhat & I grabbed parachute & helmet & booked out at the Timekeeper’s Office & stumped across the field, strapped on my ‘chute, struggled into rear cockpit & strapped myself in. My instructor told me it was to be a purely passenger flight as the C.O. insisted that first flight should be.
We taxied across the field turned gathered speed & up & away leaving the drome buildings below our left wing tip. We flew to Reading & circled by the Thames. My instructor was doing his best to give me some idea of direction & whereabouts but I was quite lost. Then I got demonstrations in pitching, rolling & yawing. Gosh did my heart & stomach come in my mouth the first time he shoved the
[page break]
stick forward. Well after 20 minutes we came down & my Inst. asked me how I liked it. My beaming face must have answered him. It was [underlined] great [/underlined]! I was deaf for about an hour after but today I felt no effect. My Inst (I’ll call him [underlined] Mr. H [/underlined] for short) also had a Turk so I got no more that morning. In the afternoon we had lectures, very dull as we’ve done it all at I.T.W. We also got P.T. We do 1/2 hr. every day with the Turks. They’re a funny crowd! [deleted] In the [/deleted] After tea [deleted] we [/deleted] Joe & I went into Reading as we get a chance to go on the service bus once a week. Nothing else to do but pictures though.
Today we should have done lectures in the morning & flying in the afternoon but as the Senior Course are night flying there was no flying this afternoon so we had to get in what we could just before dinner. I got in 45 minutes but as I was at the controls most of the time it didn’t seem anything like long enough. I could have gone on soaring around there high above the lovely Berkshire countryside all day – not that I saw much of it, it was foggy & I was far too busy turning, and keeping the kite level to admire it. I flew for miles along a small river & then had to make turns for lakes, smoke &c. Finally I was shown how
[page break]
to decend [sic] with a glide, he’d demonstrated some glides before. Suddenly I realised that we were on the edge of the flying field & I felt Mr. H take the stick but I still had the rudder bar & was giving it plenty of right as instructed & so we made a landing. I’ll never be afraid of attempting a landing alone now I’m sure. Oh folks its glorious!!! I feel like doing a dance every time I think about it. I’ve simply [underlined] got [/underlined] to get through – but I don’t see why I shouldn’t. Of course Tigers nearly fly themselves. They’re the most glorious kites on earth I think. I don’t want to get on any heavy two-engined jobs now. It was grand when three Spitfires zoomed in front & just below my nose & at the same time I saw a Wellington far below.
So much for that. Now about life here. It’s very different being stuck here in Sulhampton [sic] House, from the old days in Aber. when one could always be popping into town, getting to know plenty of people. We get one day off weekly. This week ours is Saturday. What to do I don’t know but it will be a rest anyway. I shall go into Reading as there are a few things I want. Sunday is work as usual. We’re pretty well treated here. Food is cooked & served up by women from the village & we’re waited on by A.C.S. Flying Schools are primarily civilian concerns
[page break]
5
which have been taken over by the RAF. Theale is only a new station & been going since August but it’s still Civvy with RAF. butting in & you never know where you are. We get Civvy rations (to prevent jealousy from the Civvy Staff we’re told) but they’re not too bad for quantity & very well dished up. Flying certainly gives you an appetite.
Sulhampstead House is a glorious place to live in but when it’s not home I don’t care for living so far away from anywhere. It’s a very lovely district as I can see from the air. It’s a pity I don’t know any one in London or round about as a lot of the boys have gone up tonight to spend their day off there. I [underlined] thought [/underlined] of hitch hiking home but not very seriously. Max & some of the old flight go to Brough near Hull today. I’m sure I could have got home from there. Well I’ll perhaps be home soon & have plenty to tell you.
Glad to get your letter. Poor old pear tree. It won’t be at all like home but it was certainly not much use however ornamental it may have been though I’m sure there be no fruit on any new trees that are planted.
Best love to everybody [underlined] Bill [/underlined] PTO.
[page break]
Now getting 7/6 a day but have to pay 5/- a week insurance. I believe I’m now liable for income tax but I don’t suppose it will be deducted.
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 from Bill Akrill to his mother
Description
An account of the resource
Bill describes the set up at the Elementary Flying Training School, Theale where there were two flying courses and some Turkish students. He describes his first flight as a passenger which he found 'great'. Goes on to describe flying the next day.
Finds it a bit different being at Sulhamstead House and only having one day off a week, after Aberystwyth, when they could easily go into town. Mentions that the food is good, served up by local women and although they have 'civvy' rations, and quantity is fine.
Postscript detailing amount of pay.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-01-02
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Robin Christain
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Six page handwritten 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
EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420102
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
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Berkshire
England--Theale (West Berkshire)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-01
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
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
William Akrill
aircrew
military living conditions
pilot
Tiger Moth
training
-
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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
Akrill, William
Billy Akrill
W Akrill
Description
An account of the resource
132 items. The collection concerns Sergeant William Akrill (1922 - 1943, 1436220 Royal Air Force). He was a navigator with 115 Squadron. His Wellington was shot down by a night-fighter on an operation to Essen and crashed into the Ijsselmeer 12/13 March 1943. The collection contains his photographs, letters, and cartoons as well as an oral history interview with Michael and Ann Akrill about their uncle. There is also a subcollection of letters written as a teenage boy to his father in hospital. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Michael and Ann Akrill and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Additional information on William Akrill is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/200183/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/akrill-we/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a>
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
2017-12-04
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.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Akrill, M-A
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Cadet. NO 1436220 A.C.2. Akrill,
9/12. No 4 Squadron,
Friday night 26 Sept. 1941. Bentinck Close,
Prince Albert Road,
LONDON. N.W.8.
Dear Mum,
Glad to have a letter from you this morning. Also had one from Rosie, much to my surprise. I had written to the boys but they havn’t replied. I thought I’d better get most of this letter written tonight as we’re moving tomorrow & will perhaps not have much time. I don’t know yet where [deleted] we [/deleted] I am going but I am not moving from London just yet. Only 3 of our flight have been posted. They went off to I.T.W today. Our flight will be split up & go either to Avenue Close to await posting or to Viceroy Court (next door) for a Maths Course. I’m really not bothered what happens. At Viceroy we get a very good course of lectures in Maths. Aircraft Recognition & Morse, at Avenue we just wait about feeling “browned off’. Well I’ll enclose my new address, but it won’t be permanent.
I’ve completely recovered innoculations [sic]. I felt practically no effect & went out to the chapel in the evening & had a sing song with five other Cadets & I
[page break]
[missing page]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
about every meal too to improve our night vision. I’ve never drunk so much tea before or eaten so much chocolate which is very plentiful. We buy pounds of apples & I’m devouring one now. I always seem to be hungry though I ‘m eating nearly as much as usual. Fancy talking about tomatoes. I must buy some. All the window boxes are full here. But how I could do with a few glasses of [underlined] new milk [/underlined]. That’s one thing I don’t think we can get here & I’m dying for one (well not quite). We hardly dare drink the tea as its liable to be strongly doped. Kept everybody awake one night on the rum! It was like dynamite!!!
Ro I’ve not seen Mr. Woods. I don’t suppose I’d know him but he’s not in our flight. There are hundreds coming in every Monday.
Glad you’ve got Phyllis there. Hope [deleted] she gets [/deleted] it does her good. Hope Peter likes being at school.
Hope you’ll soon be able to get the barley. What a job. You should be having our scorching weather! What a sensation about Bill. B! Where did they get it? Who were they? I could just
[page break]
4
do with one of your Bramble Pies! Glad to hear Joyce is back. Give her my best regards. And [underlined] please [/underlined] I wan’t to hear from everybody. I’m sure daddy could manage a few minutes & I should appreciate it. I hope Mary will write. Tell Nip I’ve just been singing “Good Bye Dolly” in the bath & that like her everybody admires my brown back! Our bathrooms are gorgeous especially when we’ve polished them up for C.O’s inspection. Which reminds me. I scrubbed the floor of our room the other day. Got up at 5.30. to do it & hadn’t time for breakfast. But the old Boy told us it was [underlined] very [/underlined] clean. Gosh! Its surprising what fellows will do in the hope of becoming pilots! Nobody grumbles about scrubbing & polishing & we do make a good job of it. Well (to continue) I was going to say that I’d be glad to hear from Nip too. Heard from H & R. Letters always acceptable. Must go to sleep as boys are waiting to & I’m tired after a strenuous day’s [underlined] drill [/underlined].
[underlined] Saturday [/underlined] Waiting now for the Squadron Parade in full Kit. We’ve just got it all packed up.
[page break]
[underlined] 5 [/underlined]
I feel like a pack mule & I can sympathise with those fellows who did pack drill at Collingham. We have three rucksacks full, steel helmet, gas cape, water bottle, respirator all strapped on & in addition to this our kit bags & cases. Fortunately we’ve not far to go. Don’t know where yet.
We sent off our civvies yesterday. They will be at the Station sometime next week I expect. We’ve quite left “Civvie [sic] Street” behind now. We gave up our Identity Cards on Wednesday & got blue pass books, so I can’t ever pretend to be a Civilian again. We had pay parade on Thursday. 30/- for a fortnight. They pay to the nearest 10/- & the rest goes over to the next fortnight.
This morning my vaccination is beginning to burst & make a nasty mess.
Give my love to everyone, will enclose my new address with this letter when I know it. Cheerio. [underlined] Bill [/underlined]
[page break]
P.S. Have you sent off those books &c yet? And have they replied?
Here is my new address (for I hope not more than a week).
Cadet [underlined] No [/underlined] 1436220 A.C.2. Akrill W. E.
5 flight
P squadron.
Posting wing.
You will see that I Avenue Close.
have passed my Exams Avenue Road.
and am still with Joe, Ken London NW.8.
& Phil, billeted in a [underlined] kitchen [/underlined] of another luxury flat [deleted] in a [/deleted] some distance from Bentinck. A number of old chums are not with us. We expect to go to I.T.W a week today. Very very [deleted] stickt [/deleted] keen on discipline here. Yes I can do with a clean pair of pyjamas but wait till I get to I.T.W. [deleted] Write /deleted] If you write write as soon as you can, at least before Wed. or Thurs. so that I’m sure of getting it. [underlined] Bill [/underlined]
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 from Bill Akrill to his mother
Description
An account of the resource
Bill writes that he is about to be posted within London for a short period. [page missing] Have been given food to improve night vision but he really misses getting fresh milk. Are about to move and really feel they have left 'civvie street' now.
Catches up with family and farm news as well as his daily activities.
Gives new address at the end (but only for a week). Has passed his exams and will be posted to Initial Training Wing soon.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941-09-26
1941-09-27
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Robin Christain
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Five page handwritten 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
EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]410926
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
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--London
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-09
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
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
William Akrill
Initial Training Wing
military living conditions
military service conditions
training
-
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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
Akrill, William
Billy Akrill
W Akrill
Description
An account of the resource
132 items. The collection concerns Sergeant William Akrill (1922 - 1943, 1436220 Royal Air Force). He was a navigator with 115 Squadron. His Wellington was shot down by a night-fighter on an operation to Essen and crashed into the Ijsselmeer 12/13 March 1943. The collection contains his photographs, letters, and cartoons as well as an oral history interview with Michael and Ann Akrill about their uncle. There is also a subcollection of letters written as a teenage boy to his father in hospital. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Michael and Ann Akrill and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Additional information on William Akrill is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/200183/" title="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/akrill-we/ ">IBCC Losses Database</a>
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
2017-12-04
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.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Akrill, M-A
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
No 1436220 L.A.C. AKRILL
Hut 20. A.T.W.,
R.A.F. Station,
[deleted] Tue [/deleted] West Freugh,
AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY STRANRAER
MONDAY 1942 Scotland.
Dear Mum,
No end pleased to get your letter on Sat. Thought you seemed so worried over my bit of a sting I’d better let you know that it’s quite O.K. Forgot to mention it when I wrote last. All that’s left is a scar where the blister formed. I thought the other hand was going to follow suit when a thundering great bot-fly bit it & it swelled for a day. I think my blood must be turning sour to let such little things affect me!
Hope your [sic] not having too terrible a time with Mrs. H. going frantic & with the Terrible Infant. I suppose you wouldn’t mind having him alone.
Expect Mary will be camping this week. Is Nip with her as well? Hope the weather’s more settled though
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
I have my doubts. Hope you can get the 16 acre alright anyway.
Some very good news about [underlined] food [underlined]. As from yesterday morning the cadets get a mess of their own - a part of the Corporal’s Mess in fact. Afraid it may do something towards creating ill-feeling among the Ground Staff, but Air Crew does [sic] need a special diet. Yesterday for the first time here I had 3 [underlined] good [/underlined] meals. Breakfast - cornflakes, scrambled eggs (real) & beautifully cooked bacon, bread & butter, plenty of marmalade & buiscuits. [sic]. [deleted] The [/deleted] Dinner - Roast beef. New potatoes done beautifully in mint & some delicious green peas. Sultana roll & sauce. Those potatoes & peas were a treat. Tea - salad, - with tomatoe [sic] radishes & onions, cake b & b & jam. Well I ask for nothing better than that. Today breakfast was more on the old standards but dinner & tea were fine. Whats more the place is
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
kept quite clean, with white oilcloth table cloths, sweet bread, & little pots of jam. The Waafs are clean too. I still can’t believe it’s true & [underlined] can’t [/underlined] believe it will last. I’ve even sat down to eat with an appetite & got up feeling full & satisfied. Up to yesterday I’d eaten about enough to keep a mouse alive since getting back.
We had an interesting trip the other day up to a lovely wee town among the pine forests of the Highlands not far from Aberdeen. We passed close by Glasgow, Edinboro’ & Dundee & had a magnificent view of the Tay & Forth Bridges. We are night flying tonight - worse luck.
Must tell you this. Listen in a fortnight next Sunday night 24 [underlined] th [/underlined] August. Our weekly service in the Scotch Hut is being broadcast. I don’t know quite what time it will
[page break]
[underlined] 4 [/underlined]
be. We normally hold it at 8 o’clock but I suppose it will have to fall in with B.B.C. programmes. I think the Padre will be very good. The [inserted] Camp [/inserted] Male Voice Choir & some Waafs will sit in the front to do the singing but I hope to be there as usual unless flying or lectures keep me back. So look out for announcement for a “Service from an Air Force Camp somewhere in Scotland” Possibly it’s the usual “ Sunday Half Hour” on the force’s at 7.30. every Sunday when they have community Hymn Singing. I was late for the Service last night & didn’t quite get all the gen.
Well there’s not much to tell you. Be seeing you 6 weeks on Saturday. Not long really for there’s tons of work to be done & it will soon pass - for me anyway. Think David was home last week end. Hope Ros’s teeth are not bothering her. Love [underlined] Bill [/underlined]
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 from Bill Akrill to his mother
Description
An account of the resource
Writes of insect bite and catches up with family news.
Excited that cadets now have own mess and, although not popular with the ground crew, aircrew need a special diet. Food is now much better and describes meals. Writes of flight up to near Aberdeen and about their weekly service in the 'Scotch Hut' which was to be broadcast on the BBC.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-08-03
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Robin Christain
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Four page handwritten 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
EAkrillWEAkrill{Mo}4208XX
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
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-08
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
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
William Akrill
faith
ground personnel
mess
military living conditions
military service conditions
RAF West Freugh
training
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force