David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Katie Gilbert]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Algeria]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Tunisia]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Algeria--Blida]]> Algeria--Râs el Ma]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Erfurt]]> Germany--Würzburg]]> Tunisia--Qayrawān]]> North Africa]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> Although he wanted to be a pilot, Ted’s skills were needed as a flight engineer. He was posted to 35 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse in 1940 where he encountered Flight Lieutenant Leonard Cheshire. Later that year, Ted found a crew and aircraft and started operations over Germany. After only four operations, he went to instruct pilots and flight engineers on Halifaxes at 102 Squadron.
Ted was posted to Pathfinders 35 Squadron and was the first flight engineer to be commissioned. After 47 operations, he volunteered and was sent for training as a mid-upper gunner to a Pathfinder Training Unit and 7 Squadron, who needed experienced people. He had to learn about Lancasters, which he compares in some detail to Halifaxes.
Ted outlines the work of the Pathfinders and how the system became more sophisticated. He encountered Donald Bennett and once flew with him, as well as flying with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris to Brazil.
Ted flew 108 operations (47 on Halifaxes and 61 on Lancasters). He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order.
Ted did an engineering officers’ course at RAF St Athan, followed by 24 Squadron, a VIP transport squadron, flying Lancastrians.
After pilot training in 1947, Ted was flight commander on 217 squadron. He flew Neptunes, which he compares favourably to Shackletons. Ted was then posted to Germany for two years as adjutant with an Air Observation Post squadron and flew Austers. He left the RAF because of impaired hearing.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> Germany]]> 1938]]> 1940]]>
Over six months, Dennis carried out 37 operations, of which seven were as a spare gunner on Halifaxes. The remainder were on Stirlings. They were a special duties squadron carrying out jamming operations. He went several times to the Ruhr, Magdeburg and Cologne. He also recalls a difficult raid to Hamburg. He describes some of the psychological impacts on aircrew.
Dennis then went on a mechanics course in Blackpool and was demobilised shortly after.
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David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Hamburg]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> Egypt]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Plauen]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1940]]> 1944]]> In October 1944 Jack was posted to 189 Squadron at RAF Fulbeck. His first three trips were aborted. He carried out 24 operations and two semi-operational trips (leaflets dropping and a diversion to confuse German radar). Several operations were to railway marshalling yards in Germany. He also describes an operation to Gdynia in Poland and the Dresden operation and its rationale.
Jack discusses the main duties of the wireless operator, his experience of ‘scarecrows’ and the difficulty of flying at night in close proximity to other aircraft.
When the war ended, Jack became warrant officer and was stationed at RAF Woodbridge, working on flying control tower signals. He left the RAF in April 1946 and returned to his job as trainee chartered accountant.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Iraq]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> 1944-10]]> 1945-02]]> 1940-09]]> 1943-12]]> 1946-03]]>
He discusses his time in flight engineer training at RAF St Athan and subsequent duties as a flight engineer on Halifax and Lancaster aircraft with 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Blyton. He recalls the operational duties with 550 Squadron, North Killingholme where he took part in four bombing operations - 2 of them at night raids (close to 9 hour round trips), and operations over Heligoland and Bremen.
He reflects on the differences he encountered as a flight engineer between the Halifax and Lancaster, how the Halifax was spacious and comfortable; the Lancaster cramped and only a small tip-up seat for his flight engineer position.
He talks about the main memory of his time in the RAF, Operational Mana, and his later conversations with a lady from Holland who was 8 years old at the time. He retrained as an MT driver when his Squadron was disbanded and was demobilised in October 1947.
Maurice later reaffirmed his affiliation with the RAF. In later years, he moved to Rutland and retired from his last job as a mechanical foreman at RAF Cottesmore in the 1980s.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Chris Cann]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]>
Operational duties included up to 14 bombing operations over Germany, three trips on Operation Mana and a number of flights bringing prisoners of war back from France and Italy. Reg also describes the typical duties of aircrew wireless operator -staying in contact with base operations and keeping the crew informed of any operational changes. When the war ended Reg re-mustered to work in Motor Transport and was posted to the MOD Maintenance Unit at White City and then on to the Maintenance Unit at Bicester. He finished his National Service at Kirkham near Blackpool. Reg married in 1945. At the time of the interview they were approaching their 70th wedding anniversary.
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David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Chris Cann]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]>
After returning to England, Dick did a flying course at RAF Burnaston. In February 1945 he went to 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Langar with Lancasters. He helped to put out an engine fire on a training trip over Wales. Dick then joined 115 Squadron at RAF Witchford. He recalls a daylight operation to an oil refinery in the Ruhr. A target was also missed in Heligoland. There were two operations to Kiel. He was involved in Operation Manna to The Hague. Dick was sent to RAF Leicester East after the war had ended and flew C-47. He was sent to Cairo. Dick left the RAF in Spring 1947.]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Coventry]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Canada]]> Saskatchewan]]> Saskatchewan--Regina]]> Germany]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> North Africa]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Germany]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Dresden]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Hörstel]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> 1944-11-06]]> 1945-04-10]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Merseburg]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Saint-Cyr-l'École]]> 1944-07-25]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1943-10]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Poland--Łambinowice]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Devon]]> England--London]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943-10]]> 1944-08-12]]> 1945-01]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> Posted to 26 Operational Training Unit at RAF Wing, he was formed into a crew to fly Wellingtons as a rear gunner. On one training flight, an engine failed on take-off and the pilot managed to complete a circuit before carrying out a belly landing. As Bert had learned morse code as an air cadet, he was tasked to take over as the wireless operator if necessary, therefore, moved to the mid-upper turret to be closer.
In 1944 he was posted to RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, initially with 1678 Heavy Conversion Unit to convert to Lancasters, and then to 514 Squadron as operational crew. His first operation was on the 30th of May to Boulogne. He describes a number of operations over France and Germany. On the 12th of June during an operation to Gelsenkirchen, they were hit by anti-aircraft fire putting their instruments out of action. They were diverted to RAF Woodbridge for an emergency landing.
Bert describes the differences in performance between the Mark II and Mark III Lancasters, and what happened during the day of operations. He completed his thirty operations in September 1944 and, after a period of leave, was posted to RAF Manby as an instructor with No. 1 Empire Air Armament School. He explains how he felt about the bombing of Germany, the loss of friends, and how the war was a great leveller of persons. He was demobilised in 1947. ]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Tyne and Wear]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-05-30]]> 1944-06-12]]> 1944-06-21]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-09-06]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1941-12-18]]> 1942]]> 1943-08]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> Germany--Bad Oldesloe]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942-07]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Bradford]]> England--London]]> Wales--Carmarthenshire]]> France]]> Germany]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> 1940]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> In February 1946 three of the crews took Lancasters to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt. After a few weeks they moved to RAF Shallufa, in the Canal Zone, when 104 Squadron was formed. Jack finished up on Ansons doing VIP and mail runs. He flew back in a Lancaster to RAF Kirkham via RAF Silloth, where he was demobbed. Jack flown in Domine, Proctor, Anson, Wellington and a Lancaster.
Jack married in 1951 and had two children, went back to the footplate until 1961. After that he worked as a manager of a fancy goods shop and eventually moved to Bridlington.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Cumbria]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> North Africa]]> 1945-04]]> 1946-02]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sam Harper-Coulson]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Japan]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1947]]>