Browse Items (39 total)
- Creator is exactly "Annie Moody"
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Interview with Ernie Patterson. One
Ernie Patterson DFM was born in Middleton St George in Darlington and left school at the age of 14, to become an apprentice Joiner. He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19 in 1941 but, whilst he was waiting to be called up, he was helping to…
Interview with Jeff Hildreth - One
Jeff Hildreth grew up in a colliery village where his father was a miner. he left school and started working at a tailor’s shop, which he didn’t enjoy. He volunteered for the RAF and was accepted to train as a pilot, navigator or bomb aimer. He…
Interview with Joan Ray
Joan Ray was born in Doncaster on the 11th March 1925. She suffered problems with her eyes in her early life and tells of the impact it had, including problems with reading and writing. She spent time in domestic service working at Hesley Hall in…
Interview with Eric Clarke
Eric was born in Doncaster and had a difficult childhood. He was attracted by nearby RAF Finningley and decided he wanted to join the RAF, when war was imminent. He was registered as an aircraftman second class and trained to be a wireless operator.…
Interview with Bessie Birkby
Bessie Birkby grew up in Sheffield and volunteered for the Women’s Auxilliary Air Force in 1942. She initially worked in Balloon Command in Scotland and then trained to be a driver in North Wales. She was then posted to 625 Squadron at RAF Binbrook…
Interview with Frederick Ball
Frederick Ball grew up in Yorkshire and trained as a motor mechanic, before joining the RAF in 1939. He completed two tours with 44 and 49 Squadrons, as a wireless operator flying from RAF Waddington and RAF Scampton.
Interview with Richard Harrison
Richard Harrison was born in Cologne in 1924 to a German mother and English father. His desire to be aircrew was thwarted initially by a failed medical, something he later surmises could be on account of his mother’s nationality. A member of the…
Interview with Harry Irons. One
Harry Irons left a tailoring apprenticeship to join the Royal Air Force and trained as a wireless operator but became an air-gunner. He describes the uniform he wore and the unreliability of heated suits. He tells of the invention of scarecrows which…
Interview with David Fraser
David Fraser enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1939 and trained as a mechanic. He re-mustered as soon as he was able and flew four operations as an air gunner with 115 Squadron, before his aircraft was shot down over Hamburg, in May 1941. He spent…
Interview with Frank Tolley
Frank Tolley was born in 1921 in Tipton and left school at 14, to work as a grocery errand boy. He joined the Royal Air Force at 19 as a ground gunner, and was in at the inception of the Royal Air Force Regiment. After 18 months he volunteered to…
Interview with Eric Varney
Eric Varney completed 28 operations as a mid upper gunner with 207 Squadron from RAF Spilsby. After the war Eric worked as a bus driver, coal miner, long distance lorry driver and coal merchant.
Interview with Edith Taylor
Edith Taylor (née Tate) grew up in Manchester and experienced the bombing of Manchester. When the war started, Edith, her mother and two siblings, were evacuated to Leek. Edith and her brother were separated from her mother and sister. They had two…
Interview with Susan Jones
Sue Jones was born in Manchester. When the mill where she worked closed at the beginning of the war, she went to work for Avro. She worked on Ansons, Manchesters and then Lancasters. She describes the camaraderie on the factory floor. She also found…
Interview with John Bagg
John Bagg worked as a clerk before joining the Royal Air Force, at the age of 20. He was trained as an Instrument Mechanic before re-mustering and completing a specialist camera course. He went on to serve on several training stations. After the war…