Browse Items (170 total)

  • Coverage is exactly "Royal Air Force. Coastal Command"

PLunnR1601.jpg
Reg Lunn was living in Fulham and working as an apprentice printer when he volunteered for the RAF. He had wanted to be aircrew but he was colour blind and so failed the medical. He joined as an engine fitter and was posted to 48 Squadron at RAF…

AMinnittPB170314.mp3
Bruce Minnitt served in the Second World War flying Wellingtons on maritime reconnaissance in the Mediterranean and B-24s in India. When war started Bruce joined the Home Guard, and in 1941 when reaching 18 years of age, he enlisted in the Royal Air…

PMorrisPG1701.jpg
Peter Morris lived through the East End blitz. He joined the ATC as soon as it was established and applied to join the RAF as aircrew. He was accepted for training as a navigator. While waiting for a course he was part of a group that was sent to…

PNeechPRR1601.jpg
Peter was born on the 7th of January 1925, in West Hampstead, London. He worked in a jewellers in Hammersmith and left his job to join the air cadets at RAF Hendon from 1941 to 1943. On his eighteenth birthday, he joined the RAF to begin training as…

ARaceR160204.mp3
Raymond Race was born in a family working in the textile industry and joined the RAF in 1943, serving on the metropolitan communications squadron. Tells about his family’s military service: his father joined the Royal Field Artillery; his eldest…

ARossiterHC150913.mp3
Harry Rossiter grew up in East London but his family moved to Essex which gave Harry a “ringside view” of the Battle of Britain. He volunteered as a bicycle messenger and tried to join the Royal Navy as a telegraphist. He was encouraged to join…

AScottSO150904.mp3
Seymour Owen Scott (usually refered to as Owen) served as a Lancaster pilot during the war. Mentions always having a passion for flying since he was little boy. Remembers training in Canada and the United States to become a flying boat pilot in…

AStevensonWR151202.mp3
Walter Raymond Stevenson volunteered for the RAF as soon as he was eighteen and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner, learning Morse code at RAF Yatesbury. He flew with 'sprog' pilots as they trained and was posted to Number 3 Air Gunnery School…

AWyldeHJ161218.mp3
Herbert James Wylde was working in local government in Glasgow before he volunteered for aircrew training with the RAF. He started pilot training and had gone solo when he was sent to Canada to continue training. While there he began training as a…

PLeckieW1901.jpg
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…

SCheshireGL72021v10031-0001.jpg
States that Cheshire's previous wireless operator Flight Lieutenant Hill has suggested he write to Cheshire. Provides his history as air gunner with 102 Squadron in 1942 where he was credited with four aircraft destroyed one probable and two damaged.…

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To senior personnel staff officer at Bomber Command giving history of Sergeant McLean, Distinguished Flying Medal, an air gunner who shot down at least four aircraft while serving on 102 squadron before medical downgrade. Is now fit again but posted…

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Page of newspaper cuttings on final flight.

Top - newspaper cutting the 'Last Take-off - RAF says goodbye to "the Lanc"' with photograph of airborne Lancaster. Describes how last Lancaster made last operational flight - a tour of Coastal Command…

SCavalierRG1264567v10047.jpg
Inside page of a Christmas Card, dated 1944. An officer in the style of Pilot Officer Prune with a moustache and red nose has a glass of champagne on one hand and a bottle in the other. Beside him are four more bottles. It carries the message 'Merry…

PThompsonKG15010097.jpg
Formal course photograph, 47 servicemen posed in front of white Lancaster, captioned 'No 55 Course at School of Maritime Reconnaissance, - Aug/Nov '55, RAF St Mawgan, Newquay, Cornwall'. Annotated 'This Lancaster & the rest on the unit were scrapped…

PThompsonKG15010098.jpg
206 Sqdn badge and small photographs of two Shackletons. Captioned ‘No. 206 Squadron St. Eval Feb’ 56 - Jan’58 St. Mawgan Jan – May ’58 Flying – Shackleton Mk.1 (Maritime Recce)’.
Three b/w photographs captioned 'Idris, Libya, Cooling…

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PThompsonKG15010117.jpg
First is a cutting, of two Shackletons in flight, ship in background, captioned 'Coastal Command Shackletons'.
Two photographs of street scenes captioned 'Townsville East Australia'.
Two photographs captioned 'The village Figi', annotated '…

PThompsonKG15010118.jpg
Three photographs captioned 'Canton going to see the fish in the lagoon'.
Two photographs showing Christmas Island from the air, captioned 'Christmas Island the runways 19 June '56' and '28 Jan '57 After rebuild'.
Small map showing Christmas…

PThompsonKG15010122.jpg
Two photographs captioned 'Hickam Field, Pearl Harbour is next door'. Photograph of island from the air captioned 'Good bye Honolulu 2 July '56'. Page annotated 19 Jan '57, 5 a/c of 206 flew west to the Azores, Bermuda, across the States to San…

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PThompsonKG15010126.jpg
Photograph of city captioned 'San Francisco from the "Top of the Mark"'.
First photograph eight individuals in shorts or swimming trunks in front of lean-to on beach captioned, 'Most of the crew at the SAR beach hut'.
Second is individual in…

PThompsonKG15010139.jpg
Photograph of 13 ladies standing in front of a coach, captioned 'Wives Club outing St Eval'.
Handwritten copy of extract from SROs Christmas Island.
Photograph head and shoulders, from the side, sergeant in flying overalls and flying helmet…

PThompsonKG15010140.jpg
Formal photograph 16 servicemen and one civilian in two rows, front row seated rear standing in front of hangar door, captioned ' Coastal Command Communications Squadron Oct '59-Dec '61'.
Image of aircraft in British Eagle paint scheme, captioned…

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PBradburyDC17010015.pdf
Item 1 - annotated with 'August 1945 change to Coastal Command with new crew Pilot F/L Johnny Allen air-sea rescue'.

Photo 2 - six airmen in tropical kit at the tail of a Lancaster.

Photos 3,4,5,6 are air-to-air shots of a Lancaster dropping…

PBradburyDC17010025.pdf
A newspaper cutting titled 'S.O.S. Interrupts Air-Sea Rescue Exercise'. There is a handwritten annotation 'Feb/March 1946'. The article describes a Sunderland getting into problems near Singapore, separately from the air-sea rescue exercise, then…
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