Browse Items (25 total)

  • Creator is exactly "Brian Wright"

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Peter Greenwood was born February 2, 1926, in Halifax, and grew up in the Yorkshire countryside, where his father ran a dairy business. He studied at Sowerby Bridge Grammar School with a particular interest in physics and chemistry. He was later…

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Audrey left school aged 14 and began work as a clerical assistant for a tailoring firm in Leeds, before moving into furniture sales. She was 23 when the war started and was conscripted on 15 December 1942, electing to join the Women's Auxiliary Air…

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Bob Burns trained as a navigator and was posted to 106 Squadron at RAF Metheringham. His aircraft came under attack from a night fighter and the centrifugal force pinned the crew down and making an escape impossible.
Suddenly the aircraft broke in…

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Ken Rudkin relates the story of his friend Alf “Digger” Dawson of 630 Squadron. Alf, from Cumbria, was working as a fireman for the railways when he and his friend answered the call for volunteers for aircrew, and he trained as a wireless…

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James Ferguson Latimer was born in Edinburgh. His family emigrated to Canada when he was young but moved back to Scotland in 1939. He recalls witnessing a German U-boat torpedo a ship as they sailed back home. Latimer joined the air force and…

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Eric William Harrison joined the RAF in 1943 and trained as a flight engineer at RAF Locking, RAF St Athan, and RAF Chedburgh. He flew Stirlings and recollects that they were a terrifying aircraft compared to Lancasters. Harrison formed a crew at the…

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Lillian Grundy was born grew up in Ancoats, Manchester. Upon leaving school, she worked in a local mill, winding bobbins, and the Hall Brothers Toffee Works, wrapping sweets. Lillian met George in 1939 and they were engaged at Easter 1940. George was…

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Born on 27 December 1924 in Aigburth Liverpool, James was 15 when war broke out in Europe. He intended to join as a pilot, navigator, bomber aimer in 1943 but, due to shorter waiting list and training time, he trained to become a wireless operator at…

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John Thorp was born and raised in Manchester where he attended North Manchester Grammar School. Aged 17 he joined the Home Guard and when he was 18 he volunteered for the RAF with thoughts of becoming a pilot. While waiting at RAF Heaton Park to…

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Bob Sharrock was the son of a miner. He worked as a milkman delivering milk via a hand cart until he was given the privilege of a pony and trap. Bob then went to work as a lab technician for a gas company before he volunteered for the RAF. He trained…

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Margaret Cuthill volunteered for the WAAF in Edinburgh. She went for her basic training at RAF Wilmslow before completing her training as a teleprinter operator at RAF Cranwell. She was then posted, initially, to 14 Maintenance Unit. After the war…

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Norman Neilson was an apprentice engineer at St Rollox Locomotive Works when he volunteered. He had originally wanted to join the Navy but joined the RAF because the only way he could be released from his position was to volunteer for aircrew. His…

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James McKenzie Leith was a swimming instructor before he joined the RAF. He trained as a gunner and was posted to 429 Squadron at RAF Leeming. On their first operation their aeroplane was damaged and they attempted an emergency landing but this was…

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Neil Harris wanted to join the RAF because he was looking for an exciting life experience and an opportunity for further education. He started as a flight mechanic before training as a pilot. Neil remembers being trained in different locations across…

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Harry ‘Sam’ Harris grew up in Scotland and volunteered for the Air Force. He trained as a navigator in South Africa. On the penultimate day of his training he flew over a multitude of lifeboats bearing the survivors of a torpedoed ship. The next…

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William Green was born in Kings Lynn in Norfolk and joined the Royal Air Force when he was 17 and a half at the outbreak of war, becoming a rear gunner on Lancasters and, eventually, rising to the rank of squadron leader.He tells about going on to…

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Harry Fearns was born and lived in Barnsley South Yorkshire. He left school at 16 and joined the Prudential Insurance Company as a door-to-door premiums collector. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1944 as a flight engineer. Following initial training…

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Darwin Evans volunteered for aircrew in 1940 and began training as a navigator. Whilst training at RAF Bobbington (later RAF Halfpenny Green) he had an accident which ended his operational flying duties. He retrained as a compass adjuster at RAF…

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Before the war, Joe was a trainee pharmacist with a love of mathematics. He signed up for the RAF and flew briefly in Tiger Moths, becoming a bomb aimer. He went to 20 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lossiemouth, followed by 1652 Heavy Conversion…

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Ronald Marlow went to Middleton Council School, then worked at Forgrove Engineering. He joined the Air Training Corps before volunteering for the Royal Air Force training in London at St Johns Wood. He became an air gunner ad flew Wellingtons,…

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Eric Evans was born in 1923 in Liverpool and was 16 years old when war broke out. He served in the Royal Air Force, serving with 463 RAAF Squadron, starting from the rank of sergeant and rising to a warrant officer on leaving the service, before…

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Jack grew up in Liverpool. His brother was the famous ballet dancer, Frederick Franklin CBE. He describes the Liverpool May Blitz and the paper merchants’ firm, where he worked, being bombed. He returned to his job after the war. After the Local…

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Charles Frederick Green was born in Peckham, London, in 1921. On leaving school, he began an apprenticeship with a printing company, acting part-time as a police courier, before becoming an Air Raid Precaution warden. He then volunteered for the…

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Philip volunteered for the Royal Air Force in May 1940. After a short time in Blackpool, he was posted to RAF Cosford where he volunteered for training as a flight mechanic and then fitter. At 86 Squadron, Coastal Command, flying Beauford torpedo…

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Stephen joined the Royal Air Force in Kingston upon Hull. He wanted to be a pilot but became a mid-air gunner instead. He started at RAF Dalcross where he trained on Boulton Paul Defiant aircraft and went to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby on Lancasters.…

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