Browse Items (112 total)
- Spatial Coverage is exactly "England--Blackpool"
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Large group of airman in front of a building
Five rows of trainee airmen, three sitting and two standing, all wearing tunics and side caps. In the background a brick building with ornamental windows. On the reverse 'Blackpool 1941'.
Joining documentation
State pay as under training armourer of two shillings a day and detail joining instructions.
John Shipman's 1943 Diary
Intermittent record of John's time at RAF West Kirby then Blackpool for training. He covers the sail from Liverpool to Durban, then India, first Bombay then train to Karachi. Once established at RAF Mauripur he records his daily work and…
John Nettleton VC
A biography of John from his attempts to join the South African navy to his time in the RAF.
John Joseph Parker at Blackpool boarding house
Seven items:
1. A photograph of the boarding house.
2. An advertisement for Southbank, the boarding house.
3. A photograph of 22 airmen, including John Joseph Parker as a corporal, three ladies and one man arranged in four rows in front of a…
1. A photograph of the boarding house.
2. An advertisement for Southbank, the boarding house.
3. A photograph of 22 airmen, including John Joseph Parker as a corporal, three ladies and one man arranged in four rows in front of a…
Jimmy
A poem about a colleague who was missing in action.
JF Neilson's memoir
Growing Up -The Hard Way WAR -1939
He joined the Local Defence Volunteers at first then realised he did not want to become infantry. He did mount road blocks and fire watches. He applied to join the RAF and was accepted. Training was at Blackpool,…
He joined the Local Defence Volunteers at first then realised he did not want to become infantry. He did mount road blocks and fire watches. He applied to join the RAF and was accepted. Training was at Blackpool,…
Interview with Vivian David Williams
Vivian joined the Royal Air Force in July 1938 as a flight mechanic and served for seven and a half years. After square drills at RAF Uxbridge and a course at RAF Manston, he did a basic engineering course at RAF Henlow. After six months at RAF St…
Interview with Syd Cooper. Two
Sidney Cooper was born in Blackpool and speaks about his early life there. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1941. He first served as an engine fitter in Fighter Command before remustering as aircrew. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 427…
Interview with Sidney Borthwick
Sidney enlisted on 4th January 1944 at the Air Crew Reception Centre, Lord’s cricket ground. He was accepted despite a tumour on his left arm. Sidney was a rear gunner on Lancasters. After trained at Blackpool, he served at RAF Bottesford, RAF…
Interview with Ronald Marlow
Ronald Marlow went to Middleton Council School, then worked at Forgrove Engineering. He joined the Air Training Corps, volunteered for the Royal Air Force training in London at St Johns Wood. He became an air gunner ad flew Wellingtons, followed by a…
Interview with Rita Brooks
Rita’s late husband was Flight Lieutenant Edward Brooks DFC, DFM. He was in the Home Guard before he enlisted with the Royal Air Force in February 1941, and sometime later went to RAF Uxbridge. Following his training at Blackpool the recruits…
Interview with Lech Gierak
Lech Gierak was born in Poland and after the death of his father made his way to England and joined the Polish Air Force. He worked as an armourer on a number of stations and after the war moved to Stoke on Trent to become a miner. Lech talks about…
Interview with Jan Black
Jan Stangrycuik (Black) was born and raised in Poland. His family emigrated for a better life in Argentina when he was a teenager, but when the British Embassy called for volunteers to join the war effort, Jan answered the call and sailed with seven…
Interview with James Burdin
James Burdin went at Hutton Grammar School and worked on radio repair and sales. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force but had to wait and joined the Local Defence Volunteers instead. He did some rifle practice, general infantry training and…
Interview with Jack Smith
Jack volunteered for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in September 1940. He went to Padgate and then on to Blackpool where he trained as a wireless operator. Jack proceeded to a radio school at RAF Compton Bassett and then RAF Bramcote. He was posted to…
Interview with Frederick Limer
Freddie Frederick volunteered for the Royal Air Force and did a course in Blackpool. He was posted to No. 12 Initial Training Wing at St Andrew, although was unsuccessful in his flying test. Freddie was then trained at RCAF Moncton in Canada and…
Interview with Frederick Joseph Keith Martin
Keith Martin was working for an agricultural machinery merchants in Shrewsbury when the war started. This was classed as a reserved occupation but when he was nearly 20, he decided to volunteer for the Royal Air Force in April 1942 and was selected…
Interview with Frank Colenso
Frank Colenso grew up in Cornwall and worked for a local newspaper at the outbreak of the war. He recalls the return of injured survivors from Dunkirk into Falmouth Bay. He joined the local defence volunteers following the bombing of Falmouth and…
Hastie DFC: The Life and Times of a Wartime Pilot
An incomplete biography of Roy Hastie. Only pages 1 to 46, 104 to 106, 128 to 133 and 34 additional unnumbered pages are included.
Hastie DFC: The Life and Times of a Wartime Pilot
A biography of Roy Hastie.
Groups of uniformed men
First, three men in uniform and side caps sat on a dead tree trunk in a clearing with a track and woodland beyond. Two of the men have brevets above their left breast pockets and the other has his pilot's wings.
Second, a group of 49 uniformed…
Second, a group of 49 uniformed…
Group Photograph
Mixed group, five female civilians, one male civilian, 12 servicemen. On the reverse 'John Joseph Parker standing left back with pipe, taken in Blackpool'.
Gertrude Annie Bryan
A woman sitting on a model car in front of a painted landscape. On the reverse 'Gertrude Annie BRYAN' and a photographer stamp 'Sunny Snaps Blackpool'.
Frank Nolan history
Dates of main events of life of J F Nolan including birth, education, army service 1939-1941, then Air Ministry AID in various locations including Vickers Armstrong and A V Roe.