At RAF Halton he met fellow Poles from 303 Squadron who were there for three months training. He, however, was there for four years and received training very good on all types of armament and explosives, possibly in the context of weapon research and development.
He was there on VE Day but says the Poles didn't celebrate because of the Yalta agreement. He also recalls how, when some Russians visited, they were locked in a workshop out of the way. He recalls the barrack rooms and how they cheated the midnight bed checks when some were still out dancing in Aylesbury. He also says that the food was cooked by Italian prisoners and was very good.
In 1946 Michael went to RAF Cammeringham pending demobilisation. He was then detached to 48 Maintenance Unit at Wrexham, where he received and checked aircraft guns, before going to RAF Framlingham to await resettlement or repatriation.
Some Polish airmen returned to Poland but Mieczyslaw, by then know as Michael, went to London for resettlement. He claimed that trade unions didn't want the Poles and tried to send them into the mines and foundries but he refused and found a job making spectacles. He met his wife, who is also Polish, in 1960.
In London Michael attended social events and dinners at the Polish Club. He was awarded the Polish Freedom Medal in about 1990 or 1991.
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Geoff Burton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Andy Fitter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Egypt]]> Gaza Strip]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Lincoln]]> England--London]]> England--Wolverhampton]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Wales]]> Wales--Wrexham]]> Ukraine]]> Poland]]> Poland--Kraków]]> 1939]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-05-08]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sam Harper-Coulson ]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Skegness]]> England--London]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> 1941-03]]> 1943]]> Initially posted to 527 Squadron, which was Canadian, at RAF Digby and then to 695 squadron at RAF Bircham Newton working on drogue towing aircraft.
Posted overseas, he arrived at RAF Chakeri near Kampur where he worked on servicing B-24 and C-47 aircraft for South East Asia Command. He recalls that as an airframe mechanic he had to sign the Form 700 certifying that all the other trades had carried out their servicing correctly.
The local town was largely off-limits and only certain parts were allowed to be visited. The weather was very hot and in the summer hill parties were sent to the hills to escape the heat. Peter spent his 21st birthday at Darjeeling. When hostilities ceased the spent its time dismantling and scrapping B-24s aircraft. Whilst India was partitioned, Peter's demobilisation was postponed in case of tensions between India and Pakistan.
After two and a half years he was sent home via Liverpool, where he saw his first jet, and was demobilised in July 1947.
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Mick Jeffery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Terry Holmes]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> India]]> India--Kānpur]]> India--Darjeeling]]> Pakistan]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1947-07]]> 1943-11]]>
Glen Turner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jennie Mitchell]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1943]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--High Wycombe]]> England--London]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1945-05]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Second generation]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Manchester]]> Canada]]> Nova Scotia]]> United States]]> Florida]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Milan]]> Netherlands]]> England--Rutland]]> Germany--Hesse]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Lancashire]]> China--Hong Kong]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> 1942-12]]> 1943-02]]> 1943-03-11]]> 1943-05-12]]> 1944-06-22]]> Glen Turner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> Canada]]> New Zealand]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Rutland]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Manitoba]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-04]]> 1945-05]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form: no better quality copies are available.]]>
R Davies]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Bournemouth]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Hampshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1945]]>
Glen Turner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France]]> France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1991]]> 2012]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Cathie Hewitt]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jackie Simpson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1945-01-04]]> Sydney lived a few miles from London and attended Byron Court School in Webley. She was five when war broke out and eleven when it ended. She remembered the Battle of Britain and hundreds of aircraft taking off for Germany. A lot of Sydney’s school days were spent in the air raid shelters. From an early age she decided she wanted to work for the Air Force. Sydney started her nursing training in 1951 with the National Health Service and in 1956 she joined the Air Force for four years short commission. She recollects her posts at RAF Hospital Nocton Hall, Hook of Holland and then in Germany. When Sydney married she had to leave the Air Force, which she loved. Her husband worked for the Metropolitan Police. She donated her nurse’s uniform to Hendon museum.]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Hoek van Holland]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1951]]> 1956]]> 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]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> Bruce Blanche]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Czech Republic]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> Scotland--South Ayrshire]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1944-03-15]]> ]]> Julian Maslin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carmel Dammes ]]> ]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1942]]> 1945]]> Mieczysław Stachiewicz]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> PStachiewiczM17010061]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--High Wycombe]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1992-03-14]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Cara Walmsley]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Canada]]> Czech Republic]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Poland]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Czech Republic--Chomutov]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Friedrichshafen]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hagen (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Leipzig Region]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Merseburg Region]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--La Spezia]]> Italy--Pomigliano d'Arco]]> Italy--Turin]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Québec--Québec Region]]> Québec]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1943-04-26]]> 1943-04-27]]> 1943-05-12]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-05-14]]> 1943-05-23]]> 1943-05-24]]> 1943-05-25]]> 1943-05-26]]> 1943-05-27]]> 1943-05-28]]> 1943-05-29]]> 1943-05-30]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-06-20]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-24]]> 1943-07-03]]> 1943-07-04]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-10]]> 1943-07-12]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-08-09]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-17]]> 1943-08-18]]> 1943-08-23]]> 1943-08-24]]> 1943-08-27]]> 1943-08-28]]> 1943-08-31]]> 1943-09-01]]> 1943-09-22]]> 1943-09-23]]> 1943-09-27]]> 1943-09-28]]> 1943-09-29]]> 1943-10-01]]> 1943-10-03]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1943-10-08]]> 1943-10-18]]> 1944-01-05]]> 1944-01-06]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1945-01-07]]> 1945-01-08]]> 1945-01-09]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-01-17]]> 1945-01-18]]> 1945-01-19]]> 1945-05-04]]> 1945-05-10]]> 1945-05-11]]> 1945-09-09]]> 1945-09-12]]> 1945-11-10]]> 1945-11-12]]> 1945-11-18]]> 1945-11-26]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> 1940]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Aylesbury]]> England--Kirton in Lindsey]]> England--Minehead]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> Jack Culkin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Durham (County)]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1938]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1942]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Wiltshire]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Abbeville Region]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Cherbourg]]> France--Gironde]]> France--Laon]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Netherlands--West Frisian Islands]]> Wales--Bridgend]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-04]]> 1944-01-05]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-15]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-25]]> 1944-01-26]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-01-31]]> 1944-02-11]]> 1944-02-12]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-22]]> 1944-02-23]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-04]]> 1944-03-05]]> 1944-03-16]]> 1944-03-17]]> 1944-03-18]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-03-20]]> 1944-03-23]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-03-26]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-01]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-09]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-12]]> 1944-04-13]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-24]]> 1944-05-07]]> 1944-05-08]]> 1944-05-09]]> 1945]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Cara Walmsley]]> eng]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Canada]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Poland]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kiel Bay]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> France--Lille]]> France--Royan]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Euskirchen]]> Germany--Giessen (Hesse)]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Merseburg]]> Germany--Mittelland Canal]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Italy--Pomigliano d'Arco]]> Manitoba--Portage la Prairie]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> Scotland--Wigtownshire]]> Germany--Urft Dam]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Manitoba]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>