Browse Items (20 total)
- Creator is exactly "Rod Pickles"
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Interview with John Battison
John Battison was a teenager in Skegness during the war and remembers the town being used to train Royal Air Force personnel. He describes hundreds of bombers gathering overhead before setting off on an operation. After the war he joined the Royal…
Interview with Thea Warwick
Thea Warwick was seven years old and living in Rotterdam during the war. She recalls what is was like during the Hongerwinter, walking for miles to soup kitchens and talks about other ways of how they obtained food. They moved into the smallest…
Interview with William James Stoneman
William James Stoneman was posted to RAF Elsham Wolds before Aircrew Reception Centre at RAF Cardington. He chose to become a rear gunner as he did not have to wait. Air gunnery training followed at RAF Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland on Ansons and…
Interview with Margaret Horry
Margaret Horry was born in Spalding. She remembers aircraft taking off to take part in operations, and retells wartime stories of her relatives. Her husband, Arthur, served in Bomber Command as a bomb aimer and his brother, Frank, was also in Bomber…
Interview with Frank Page
Frank Page grew up near Teddington Locks and was working for an engineering firm when the war started. His house was bombed and he remembers recovering bodies from the ruins and says he joined the RAF to get his revenge on the Germans. His pilot…
Interview with Ron Baker
Ron Baker, originally from Willesden, was in the ATC before joining the RAF and training as a flight mechanic. He was posted to 463 Squadron at RAF Waddington. On one occasion he had to help remove the body of a gunner who had died during the flight.…
Interview with Hilary Crozier
Hilary’s uncle, William Frederick Burkitt (known as John), was born in North London. He joined up in October 1943 and after training as a flight engineer, was sent to RAF Bardney. During their first operation they were badly hit and the rear…
Interview with Bernard Walter Culpin
Bob Culpin worked for the civil service before joining the RAF in 1941. He was posted to Alabama for pilot training but was re-mustered and, instead, completed a navigation course in Miami. When he returned to Great Britain, Culpin formed a…
Interview with Eddie Edmunds
Eddie Edmunds was born in Walthamstow and was educated at a grammar school, then joined an oil company. He eventually moved to the Electric Supply Company and became an accountant. Eddie had always wanted to fly so he, initially, joined the reserve…
Interview with Megan Edwards
Megan Edwards talks about her husband, Arthur Edwards, who served in the RAF with 102 Squadron. She tells of how they met at school and always kept in touch through the war, until they married on October 7 1944. She remembers working at the Bristol…
Interview with Ivor William Ernest Foster
Ivor Foster of Plymouth volunteered for the RAF as soon as he was of age. He was, initially, accepted for training to become a Pilot, navigator or bomb aimer but decided the length of time for the training was too long and chose to train as a gunner.…
Interview with Ted Frost
Edward ‘Ted’ Frost volunteered for the RAF and began training to be a pilot. Initially he was posted to RAF Hendon where he flew agents to the occupied territories, in Lysanders. He was then posted to 61 Squadron at RAF Syerston. He was offered…
Interview with Eric Haynes
Eric Haynes and his friends volunteered for the RAF together, days after the declaration of war. He wanted to enlist as a photographer but was encouraged instead towards the role of RAF police. Later he saw a notice inviting recruits to re-muster to…
Interview with Bob Kemley
Upon joining the RAF in 1940, Bob Kemley trained as a navigator and completed 34 operations on Halifaxes, Wellingtons, and Lancasters. He joined 427 Squadron based at RAF Leeming, before moving to 432 Squadron as a navigation officer. On his final…
Interview with Alfred Meadows
Alfred Meadows was born in London and was keen to join the RAF as aircrew but failed the medical. He was posted, as a driver, to RAF Old Sarum from where he witnessed the bombing of Southampton. He was then posted to South Africa. He describes one…
Interview with Peter Morris
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 and was accepted for training as a navigator. While waiting for a course he was part of a group that was sent to…
Interview with David Wilkie
David Wilkie was born in Edinburgh. He volunteered for the RAF and began training as a flight engineer. While training at St Athan he met his future wife, Kathleen. He was posted to 432 Squadron with a Canadian crew. He witnessed the gathering of the…
Interview with Owen Cox
Owen Cox attended grammar school in York and joined the Home Guard when the war started. He joined the Royal Air Force aged 18, although his parents were not keen. His initial trade was ground wireless operator (Morse), waiting to attend a gunnery…
Interview with Alfred Barnett
When Alfred’s mother’s house was destroyed during a Luftwaffe bombing, he was determined to join the RAF and fight back. He trained as a gunner and completed two tours and a spell as an instructor. After his final tour of operations, he joined…
Interview with Kenneth Walter Prowse Symonds
Ken Symonds was in the Air Training Corps when the unit was visited by a flight engineer. This meeting inspired him, along with his cousin, to join the RAF in a ground trade with the expectation of moving on to become a flight engineer. Ken’s…