Browse Items (956 total)
- Contributor is exactly "Sue Smith"
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Interview with Alfred James Walker
Alfred lived near RAF Upwood when he was a young child. Alfred’s father was in the army and worked on the Burmese railway. Alfred remembered aircraft going over his grandmother’s house and landing on the runway nearby. One morning an aircraft…
Interview with Stephen Walker
Stephen’s father, Ronald Cecil Walker, was born in Southampton in 1923. On leaving school he worked as a junior clerk with an accountancy firm. In 1941 he joined the Air Training Corps, 424 Squadron, in Southampton and in December the Royal Air…
Interview with Tom Walker
Tom was born in Stainforth, near Doncaster. His father and two brothers were miners. One of his sisters was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and the other was a qualified nurse; she became a sister in Barnsley Hospital until she joined the Army.…
Interview with William Albert Warwick
William was five years old when war was declared. He lived on a farm in north Lincolnshire not far from RAF Kirton in Lindsey, RAF Scampton, RAF Hibaldstow, RAF Blyton, RAF Sandtoft and RAF Sturgate. An anti-aircraft unit was also nearby. William…
Interview with Archie Weir
Archie was born in Ayreshire. He was about 17 when he joined, then went to South Africa to train as a bomb aimer. In February 1943 Archie worked on Halifax Mk 2 before being transferred to Lancaster finishing school at RAF Syerston. In November…
Interview with Norman Edward Wilkins
Norman Wilkins was born in West Norwood. At the age of fourteen he joined the Air Training Corps and became a member of Brighton and Hove Air Cadets 176 Squadron. He then joined the University Air Squadron at Oxford, with fees being paid by the…
Interview with Robin Wright
Robin was born in Norwich on 16th June 1937. His father was in the Royal Air Force in Manchester, and then in Thetford Forest where the Merlin engines were stored. He finished his service at RAF Marham. Robin spoke about his school days. He…
Interview with Elizabeth Zettl
Elizabeth Zettl was born in Croydon. Her father was a stockbroker and she had a sister who was ten years younger. At ten Liz went to school in Hillcotte in Eastbourne until she was 18. She went to college for six months to train as a secretary and…
Part of letter to David Donaldson from his mother
![EDonaldsonFIDonaldsonDW[Date]-050001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1213/11998/EDonaldsonFIDonaldsonDW[Date]-050001.jpg "EDonaldsonFIDonaldsonDW[Date]-050001.jpg")
Writes of visiting future parents-in-law and about and about author's new location. Catches up with news of acquaintances.
Interview with Ernie Patterson. Two
Before joining the Royal Air Force on 4 February 1942, Ernie worked as an apprentice joiner. On being called up he went to Blackpool for training, which included Morse code. Following training at different places he then attended the advanced flying…
To Ted Neale from Flight Sergeant H (Bert) Cannon
Bert refers to receiving an earlier letter from Ted. He discusses his social life - beer, food and cigarettes and recalls various colleagues and what they are doing.
Interview with Bill Leckie. One
Bill would spend his school holidays with his grandmother in Scotland. He went to St Edward Island in Canada to do a reconnaissance course, after which he went to Harrogate to await posting. He did another course on Chipmunks before being posted to…
Interview with Iris Dare
Iris was born in a village outside Newcastle. At the beginning of 1940 she went to Gosforth to join up for the Royal Air Force. Iris liked the idea of uniformed service more than the option of becoming a nurse. She was then sent to Swansea for about…
Postgram from 5 Group Headquarters to Officer Commanding 617 Squadron
Message is a copy of Headquarters Bomber Command signal congratulating crews that their attacks on Le Havre and Boulogne succeeded in virtually destroying German naval assets in those harbours.
Crew list for operation against submarine pens in Le Havre
Specifies date - 14/15 June 1944, target and zero hour 2235 hours. Lists crews with Wing Commander Cheshire leading along with two other markers flying Mosquito and 22 crews flying Lancaster all armed with one Tallboy bomb.
E-boats and E-boat shelters, Le Havre, narrative
Account of operation against sheltered E-boats in Le Havre harbour. Tasks to assist Navy in their fight against E-boats who were operating against allied invasion forces. States pens would be invulnerable even to 12,000 lb bombs therefore, bombs…
Interpretation Report, Le Havre, provisional statement of damage
Describes damage to E-boat pens mentioning some direct hits and definite damage to north-west corner. Mentions other hits and heavy damage to small craft, a floating dock, jetties and basins. Limited damage outside dock area.
Interview with Oscar Goodall
Oscar was born in Australia. His father was a machine gunner - he was wounded seven times and died from his wounds two months before Oscar was born. His example influenced him to join the Royal Air Force. As an Air Cadet Corps member, he went to the…
Interview with Andrew Barron. One
Andrew was born in Chichester in 1923. The family moved to Wolverhampton when he was about two years old and then to Dulwich just before the war. When he was 13 or 14 his mother enrolled him at the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, where he spent…
Interview with Andrew Barron. Two
Andrew hitchhiked from Edmonton to Calgary and then on to Mountain View by train. Gunnery training was in a Bolingbroke which had a mid-upper turret; bombing training was done in an Anson. Andrew was then posted to navigation school in Quebec for…
Interview with Andrew Barron. Three
Andrew said that during leisure time the crew drank, sang silly songs but didn’t really socialise much. He recalled an occasion when the Germans sent in about 200 night fighters infiltrating the main force on its ways home. They shot down a B-17…
Interview with Don Sutherland. One
Don’s father was a Scot and his mother came from the west coast of England. They moved to Coventry, where Don was born. When he was eight, they moved to Newcastle-on-Tyne where his father worked in armaments. Don left school at 15 and half and…
Interview with Donald Raymond Harris
Donald was born in Acton, London. He stayed at school until he was fourteen and then worked as a tea boy/general help for O. C. Summers, a firm that laid gas mains in Slough. When that job ended, he worked for another ganger in Shepherds Bush. …
Arthur Pearce Air Force Diary 1945
Some personal data and a list of operations with heights. Entries for flying days, Operations January to April 1945, Mentions leave, birthdays, train times, days out, events, news of friends and acquaintances, meetings and parties, hospital…
Letter from Bill Akrill to family
![EAkrillWEAkrill[Fam]XXXX20-0001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/666/17987/EAkrillWEAkrill[Fam]XXXX20-0001.jpg "EAkrillWEAkrill[Fam]XXXX20-0001.jpg")
Bill writes about his forthcoming leave (shorter than he hoped) and how he will have to return to Scotland before being posted to the Operational Training Unit. Was hoping to arrive home with his Sergeant's stripes and brevets on his greatcoat and…