Browse Items (186 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "Florida"

PCulpinBW1801.jpg
Bob Culpin worked for the civil service before joining the RAF in 1941. He was posted to Alabama for pilot training but was remustered and instead, completed a navigation course in Miami. When he returned to Great Britain, Culpin formed a…

PLeckieW1901.jpg
Bill Leckie Bill was born in Glasgow but moved to the countryside as his father suffered from bronchitis. Initially working as a cinema projectionist, Bill joined the Royal Air Force at the age of eighteen, enlisting at St John’s Wood in London as…

PMotterheadN1501.jpg
Born on a farm in Shropshire, his best friend from his youth joined the Royal Air Force as aircrew and was killed at RAF Honington when a German aircraft bombed the station. A desire for revenge made him enlist for flying duties in January 1941. He…

PLashamB1501.jpg
Bob Lasham began an electrical engineering apprenticeship with British Thomson-Houston before volunteering for the RAF in 1941, aged 20. He trained at Babbacombe and Wilmslow before continuing to Clewiston, Florida, to complete his training as a…

AMearsCE170921.mp3
Charles left school with no formal qualifications and was undertaking further education when the Second World War commenced. Being too young to enlist, he joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps and - upon reaching 18 - he eventually was able to join. He…

PCoombesHS2043.jpg
Clive Coombes grew up on Royal Air Force stations, eventually joining and serving for 37 years before retiring in 2014. During this time, he served across the globe, including in Australia and Germany, as a ground branch officer. Clive outlines his…

AMarshallKW160208.mp3
Ken Marshall, grew up in Barton on Humber and enrolled with the ATC before joining the University Air Squadron at Durham University. On one occasion he saw an aircraft on fire at RAF Elsham Wolds and although the crew was rescued it was a reminder of…

PRobertsM2001.jpg
Born in Manchester, Maurice was 20 years old when he joined up and volunteered for aircrew in 1940. He trained in South Africa, Canada (Moncton and Trenton), the Unites States (Lakeland), and was torpedoed in the Atlantic on his way back. Maurice…

PHollisAN1801.jpg
Richard’s father, Arthur Hollis, went to Dulwich College as a day boy. He left at sixteen to join the Home Guard , then worked for a firm of accountants for a couple of years before joining the Royal Air Force. He was sent to Manchester University…

APriestR160720.mp3
Ron Priest worked in accountancy before the war and then served as a rear gunner, flying twenty five operations with 149 Squadron from RAF Lakenheath all on Stirlings. Describes his training in England, Canada and the United States, under the…

LWarmingtonI150280v10001.pdf
Pilots flying log book one, for W I Warmington, covering the period from 16 April 1942 to 24 October 1943. Detailing his flying training. He was stationed at RAF Clyffe Pypard, USNAS Grosse Ile, USNAS Saufley Field, USNAS Chevalier Field, USNAS…

PTansleyEH1636.jpg
A man wearing flying jacket and helmet standing in front of a Stearman biplane. Other aircraft in line behind. Captioned 'Dad's first flying instructor at Carlstrom Field taken in February 1942. Mr J E Don. I thought it might fit in with the one of…

PStimpsonMC19010103.jpg
Two men and a woman standing in front of a large building. The image is slightly out of focus.

SGillK1438901v20023-0001.jpg
Gives personal details, dates of service as airman and recommended for commission 26/7/43. Lists postings for training and to 9 Squadron. Mustered as pilot, then observer and navigator.

SGillK1438901v10013.pdf
Starts with account of movements in RAF for 1941. Continues lwith entries for daily activities. Embarks Greenock, Leaves Milford Haven on 8 January for voyage across Atlantic and describes voyage to Canada. Arrives Moncton 20 January describes daily…

PHollisAN17030020.jpg
A large group of trainee airmen wearing battledress and side caps in four rows. All are named at the top of the photograph. Arthur Hollis is second row up, fourth from right. On the reverse 'No 5 Course, RAF Clewiston, Florida, 1941/42'.

PDorricottLW15090046.jpg
Leonard Dorricott and two men wearing swimming trunks are sitting on a chain fence by a swimming pool. Leonard Dorricott is on the right. There are palm trees in the background.

Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by…

Tags:

EDorricottLWVarious41-42.pdf
Note book containing 84 pages of letters covering the period 1 September 1941 to 4 July 1942. It covers his training in the UK, Canada and the USA. He describes, in detail, his social life and eating arrangements but very little about the actual…

SGillK1438901v10018.pdf
Writes of life at Turner Field, Georgia, including food, putting on weight, weather, pay, the hospitality and American people, local churches, American cars and on base activities. Continues with description of visits to local town. Expecting to be…

SGillK1438901v10023.pdf
Writes that his course is getting harder but he was keeping up. Says a little about flying and replies to and actions requests in their letters he recently received. Continues catching up with family gossip and news. Speculates about farming in the…

SGillK1438901v10019.pdf
Catches up with family news, birthdays and other news. Mentions he had now moved to Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida. Describes living conditions and provides sketch map of camp. Comments on food, weather, and that they had not yet flown, Writes…

SGillK1438901v10020.pdf
Writes that he had returned to Moncton after being eliminated from pilot training and that after being boarded at Trenton Ontario, he re-mustered as an observer. Goes back to describe his activities while at Moncton including local sightseeing,…

SGillK1438901v10021.pdf
Writes about recent poor weather, that flying had suffered and no one had gone solo. Hopes better weather coming so he should either go solo or be eliminated from pilot training. Comments on life, facilities, training, discipline and activities.…
Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2