1
25
10
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/165/2156/NWrightJ150410-01.1.jpg
b5626caf48e722c77338c49251c00627
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Title
A name given to the resource
Wright, Jim
J R Wright
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2015-05-21
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
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Wright, J
Description
An account of the resource
93 items. The collection contains two oral history interviews with Jim Wright, letters, cuttings and photographs. It concerns James Roy Wright’s research into his father, Sergeant Arthur Charles Wright (1911 - 1943, 1149750 Royal Air Force) and an operation to Turin 12/13 July 1943 which caused 100 aircraft to violate Swiss airspace. Two aircraft were shot down or crashed in Switzerland. There are many photographs and details of the activities that night including reports by the Swiss authorities. The crews are identified with photographs and there are several photographs of the funerals at Vevey. Additional material includes aerial photograph of bomb damage in Germany and the logbook and airman's pay book of W G Anderson. <br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jim Wright and catalogued by Nigel Huckins, with descriptions of official Swiss documents provided Gilvray Williams. <br /><br />Additional information on Arthur Charles Wright is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/126015/">IBCC Losses Database</a>. This collection also contains items concerning Hugh Burke Bolger and his crew. Additional information on Hugh Burke Bolger is available via the <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/102186/">IBCC Losses Database</a>.
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Permission granted for commercial projects
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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‘I have no regret dying for my county’
Three months before he was reported missing from an operational flight, Sergeant Air Gunner J. A Clough wrote his parents a letter –“to be opened in the event of my death.”
His parents, Mr and Mrs F.F. Clough who live near Canterbury have now learned that their son is buried in the military cemetery at Kiel.
“I have no regrets dying for my country” this 20 year old airman wrote. “It is a grand country, and any man who can call himself an Englishman should be proud to die in the struggle for freedom.”
“Give this message to my friends and yours and to the people of England if it is possible: Let every Englishman flight to the last drop of blood in his body.”
“Let him keep the golden fields and busy streets clean and fresh, and let him keep the air he breaths free from the stench of Nazism”
8/12/42 149500
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Title
A name given to the resource
I have no regrets dying for my country
Description
An account of the resource
Three months before he went missing Sergeant J A Clough wrote his parents a letter expressing no having regrets dying for his country. Annotated '8/12/42 149sqn'.
Date
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1942-12-08
Format
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One newspaper cutting
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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NWrightJ150410-01
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Great Britain
Germany--Kiel
England--Canterbury
England--Kent
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
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1942
Contributor
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Claire Monk
149 Squadron
final resting place
In the event of my death letter
killed in action
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
England--Canterbury
Title
A name given to the resource
Canterbury [place]
Description
An account of the resource
This page is an entry point for a place. Please use the links below to see all relevant documents available in the Archive.
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1213/15984/EDonaldsonDWBudgeRK450519.1.jpg
97c7cb9ac396ac238866136a27642b21
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Donaldson, David
David Donaldson
D Donaldson
Description
An account of the resource
309 Items and a sub-collection of 51 items. Concerns Royal Air Force career of Wing Commander David Donaldson DSO and bar, DFC. A pilot, he joined the Royal Air Force Reserve in 1934. Mobilized in 1939. he undertook tours on 149, 57 and 156 and 192 Squadrons. He was photographed by Cecil Beaton at RAF Mildenhall in 1941. Collection contains a large number of letters to and from family members, friends as well as Royal Air Force personnel. Also included are personal and service documents, and his logbooks. In addition, there are photographs of family, service personnel and aircraft. After the war he became a solicitor. The collection also contains an oral history interview with Frances Grundy, his daughter.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Anna Frances Grundy and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-06-02
2022-10-17
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
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Donaldson, D
Grundy, AF
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[inserted] 21 [/inserted]
192 Squadron,
R.A.F. Station,
Foulsham,
Nr. Dereham,
Norfolk.
Ref:- 192/C.2151/P2. 19th May, 1945
Dear
As you may have heard the Squadron was recently presented with its official Crest.
In view of your close association with the Squadron, I thought you would like to have a photograph of the Crest and I enclose a copy herewith.
Yours
D.W.D
W/Cdr
Wing Commander R.K. Budge,
R.A.F. Station,
Canterbury,
Kent.
[2 parallel diagonal lines drawn bottom left to top right] [inserted] stet [/inserted]
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from David Donaldson to Wing Commander R K Budge
Description
An account of the resource
As addressee has close association with the squadron, notes enclosure of photograph of squadron crest.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1945-05-19
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
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EDonaldsonDWBudgeRK450519
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
England--Norfolk
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-05-19
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Creator
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David Donaldson
Format
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One-page typewritten letter
Contributor
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Frances Grundy
192 Squadron
RAF Foulsham
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1213/16100/ERoseACWEdwardsMH410403.1.jpg
8697b8111f86e442b5d3989c4862e06a
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Title
A name given to the resource
Donaldson, David
David Donaldson
D Donaldson
Description
An account of the resource
309 Items and a sub-collection of 51 items. Concerns Royal Air Force career of Wing Commander David Donaldson DSO and bar, DFC. A pilot, he joined the Royal Air Force Reserve in 1934. Mobilized in 1939. he undertook tours on 149, 57 and 156 and 192 Squadrons. He was photographed by Cecil Beaton at RAF Mildenhall in 1941. Collection contains a large number of letters to and from family members, friends as well as Royal Air Force personnel. Also included are personal and service documents, and his logbooks. In addition, there are photographs of family, service personnel and aircraft. After the war he became a solicitor. The collection also contains an oral history interview with Frances Grundy, his daughter.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Anna Frances Grundy and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-06-02
2022-10-17
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
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Donaldson, D
Grundy, AF
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
FROM
THE BISHOP OF DOVER
ST MARTINS PRIORY,
CANTERBURY.
3rd April, 1941.
Dear Edwards,
Of course I would be delighted to take the wedding. Tell your daughter so with my love. I know you will give me what notice you can, and I shall look forward to coming.
I have for years made a rule, whenever I marry a couple, that I see them beforehand, take them through the marriage service, and rub in the implications of Christian marriage and the solemnity of the promises. I find it well worth doing because, quite apart from satisfying one's own conscience [inserted] that [/inserted] one is not allowing them to marry with their eyes shut, it also means that they understand the service when they get to it. But in this case I am sure I can leave all that to you. You can probably do it better than I can.
Yours sincerely,
[underlined] Alfred Dover [/underlined]
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Title
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Letter to M H Edwards from A C Rose
Description
An account of the resource
Letter to Joyce Donaldson's father, M H Edwards, on headed paper from the Bishop of Dover agreeing to take his daughter's wedding. Goes on to describe his rules for marrying a couple but agrees that he can leave that to M H Edwards in this case.
Creator
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A C W Rose
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941-04-03
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
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ERoseACWEdwardsMH410403
Coverage
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Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-04-03
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Format
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One-page typewritten letter
Contributor
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Frances Grundy
love and romance
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1339/20831/SValentineJRM1251404v10004.2.jpg
76274c57980ff8f3bd341b9dd400b715
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Title
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Valentine, John. Ursula Valentine's newspaper cutting scrapbook
Description
An account of the resource
131 items contained in a scrapbook. Mainly newspaper cuttings of events from May 1942 to 1945.
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
THE TIMES TUESDAY JUNE 2 1942
COLOGNE A MASS OF FIRES
PILOTS’ IMPRESSIONS OF WAR’S GREATEST RAID
GROUND DEFENCES BAFFLED BY HUGE BOMBING FORCE
Pilots who took part in the raid on Cologne have confirmed by their vivid impressions that the enemy’s defences were baffled by the unprecedented scale of the attack. They are convinced that Cologne has been put out of action for months.
As a “reprisal” the enemy bombed Canterbury on Sunday night, but only a small force reached the city.
Offensive operations on a large scale were resumed by the R.A.F. over occupied France and Belgium yesterday, when docks and a factory were bombed.
One of the stations I visited to-day has good reason to be satisfied with its part in the raid. When the call came through to prepare every available aeroplane they were able to muster 100 per cent. The station sent out squadrons of four-engined Lancasters and twin-engined Manchesters. Not a machine was lost or even hit and not a man was injured.
EMPIRE CREWS
Men from this station took part in the daylight raid on Augsburg and in the night attacks on Rostock, Lübeck, and Warnemünde, but they are all agreed that they have never seen anything to compare with the sight over Cologne. One flying officer who had flown over London at the height of one of the heaviest raids said: “The fires in the City were just nothing compared with Cologne.” He knew Cologne well in peace-time, and had lived there. He believed that most of the northern part of the city must have been destroyed, and the southern side extensively damaged.
The crews who flew from this station included Americans, Rhodesians, Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, South Africans, a Belgian, an Irishman, and men from almost every corner of the British Isles. After the raid the bombers were brought home at regular intervals. The ground organization worked excellently and no major alterations in method would, it was stated, be necessary for future big-scale raids, though the experience they had gained would result in further minor improvements.
ANSWER TO COLOGNE
The German High Command announced yesterday: –
As a reprisal for the terrorist attack carried out by the British Air Force on the inner city of Cologne, strong formations of German bombers attacked the English episcopal city of Canterbury on Sunday night with thousands of high-explosive and incendiary bombs. The German aircraft, flying at a low altitude and in good visibility, observed large fires.
PAGEANT-LIKE SMOOTHNESS
A PERFECT RAID
From Our Aeronautical Correspondent
A BOMBING GROUP H.Q., June 1
Pilots and crews who took part have retained some vivid impressions of the great raid on Cologne. So far as the eye could see over Cologne the air was filled with aircraft “waiting their turn in the queue” to go in and bomb. The few enemy fighters in the vicinity kept their distance and the anti-aircraft defences had broken down – baffled perhaps by the unprecedented scale of the attack.
There were few searchlights and little [italics] flay [/italics]. Whole areas of Cologne appeared to be red hot, with fires spreading every moment, and every few seconds more incendiaries ignited and there were the more brilliant flashes as high-explosive bombs hit their targets. The Rhine glowed red and the bridges stood out clearly, so that the pilots could not fail to identify their target area.
LIKE A BEACON
From the point of view of the attackers it was a perfect raid. Everything went off with the smoothness of a long-rehearsed Hendon Pageant. From the moment they left the English coast they were rarely out of sight of other aircraft converging on the target, and by the time they reached enemy-occupied territory Cologne stood out like a beacon. The opposition for the later arrivals was so slight that the crews could choose their own time when and the height from which to bomb, and they are all convinced that Cologne has been put out of action for months to come.
NIGHT TURNED INTO DAY
HUNDREDS OF FIRES
“Dead easy” was the general consensus of opinion of other crews. The bright moon and the glare from the fires raging in the city below turned night into day for those heavy bombers which arrived after the raid had been in progress for three-quarters of an hour. They were met with little [italics] flak [/italics] and few searchlights, and it was evident that the German defences had either been overwhelmed by the number of raiding aircraft, or had been bombed or machine-gunned out of existence.
Crews who took part in the bombing of Rostock and Lübeck considered that the fires in those towns were small compared with the fierce blaze at Cologne, even with the north-eastern half of the city enveloped in a thick pall of smoke through which the glare of flames could not penetrate.
One pilot, a New Zealander, said: “Looking on Cologne from 15,000ft. was like looking on Lübeck from 3.000ft. The flames were so terrific that we could not believe it was the target when we first picked it up while still over the Low Countries; they seemed so near. The bombs were falling at such a pace that the flashes resembled gunfire as seen in minor raids.”
Another officer said it was impossible to count the fires – there were hundreds of them. A pilot officer said: “We were blinded by the reflection of the flames on the Perspex glass in the nose of our craft.”
The pilot of another bomber said that the raiders were so numerous that aeroplanes were frequently caught in the slipstream of fellow raiders. The navigator of a Lancaster was consulting his maps when there was a big bump and he was thrown off his seat. He thought the aircraft had been hit, but it was only due to slipstream.
[symbol] A description of the Ruhr and Rhineland industrial area is given on page 3.
“UNTIL THE GOAL IS ACHIEVED”
BOMBER COMMAND’S REPLY TO MR. CHURCHILL
Air Marshal Harris has sent the following reply to the Prime Minister’s congratulatory message to Bomber Command on the attack on Cologne: –
All ranks of Bomber Command are deeply appreciative of your message. They will pursue their task with undiminished resolution and with the growing means at their disposal until the goal is achieved.
Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barratt, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Army Cooperation Command, has sent the following message to all who took part in the Cologne raid: –
This Command is fortunate to have taken part in a great historical event, when, for the first time in history, more than 1,000 aircraft have concentrated their attack. Heartiest congratulations to the air crews and maintenance personnel of the squadrons concerned, who by their efforts, in conjunction with other squadrons of other Commands, did their part successfully in assisting towards the success of the operations.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Cologne operation
Description
An account of the resource
Article 1: 'Cologne a mass of fires, pilots' impression of war's greatest raid, ground defences baffled by huge bombing effort'. Mentions reprisal attack on Canterbury. Sections headed: "pageant-like smoothness", 'a perfect raid', 'like a beacon', "<br />'empire crews', 'answer to Cologne'. Article 2: 'night turned into day, hundreds of fires'. Article 3: 'Until the goal is achieved, Bomber Command's reply to Mrs Churchill'.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Times
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-06-02
Format
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Three newspaper cuttings mounted on a scrapbook page
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SValentineJRM1251404v10004
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Germany--Cologne
Great Britain
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-05-30
1942-05-31
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
Steve Baldwin
bombing
bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942)
Churchill, Winston (1874-1965)
Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984)
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1339/20832/SValentineJRM1251404v10005.2.jpg
0318d67617961cb91451d0caa5b3cac7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Valentine, John. Ursula Valentine's newspaper cutting scrapbook
Description
An account of the resource
131 items contained in a scrapbook. Mainly newspaper cuttings of events from May 1942 to 1945.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Reaping the Whirlwind
The power of the Royal Air Force has been manifested over the week-end in the greatest air assault ever launched. Attacks on Friday night upon munition works in the Paris suburbs were on a large scale and enormous damage is admitted by the Vichy reports. They were, however, eclipsed by Saturday night’s battering of the factories in the Ruhr and the Rhineland. Over a thousand bombers were employed and the attack makes even the raids on Rostock and Lübeck seem almost minor affairs. The attack was mainly on Cologne. It lasted only an hour and a half, but during that time British aircraft bombed their objectives at intervals of only six seconds. It gives some idea of the scale of the operation to remember that in the biggest of the raids upon Great Britain in 1940 and 1941 the Germans never used more than six hundred aeroplanes; and these, though they had to fly a much shorter distance, carried a much smaller bomb load than the bigger and more modern machines now used by the R.A.F.
The whole attack was most skilfully planned. While the bombers were on their way to Germany large numbers of other bombers and fighters attacked the aerodromes from which night fighters might have been sent to intercept the raiding force on the way out and back. They brought down several enemy aeroplanes, and it was probably due in great measure to them that, in spite of the moonlit night, the losses were light in comparison with the weight of the attack. Great numbers of British aircraft have been sent, and will continue to be sent, to Russia to reinforce our allies in their great struggle on the Eastern front. The R.A.F. in the Middle East has been and is still being steadily increased. Spitfires which have recently arrived are now taking part in the fighting over the Western desert. In spite of all this dispersal, the force of the blows which can be delivered from home bases has grown in a fashion which must inspire trepidation among those against whom they are directed. And this is only the beginning. With the cooperation of American airmen the attacks upon German factories, ports, and railways during the coming summer and autumn will become devastating. MR. CHURCHILL in his congratulations to Bomber Command described the operations of Saturday night as “the herald of “what Germany will receive, city by city, “from now on.”
A German [italics] communiqué [/italics] describes the attack upon Cologne merely as “a terror “raid,” and belittles its effects in much the same way as it belittled the damage done at Rostock and Lübeck. It is safe to say that when the full reports are received the destruction done in Cologne will be found to have been on an even greater scale. The Germans are now learning in their own homes and their own cities, something of the loss and suffering which they have inflicted upon the civilian populations of other lands. Ever since they loosed war upon the world two and a half years ago they have boasted of the havoc wrought by the Luftwaffe and of the terror it inspired. They have gloated over what they did to Warsaw, Rotterdam, and Belgrade. They even made films of some of their greatest crimes for the delectation of patriotic Germans and as a warning to other nations to be careful not to incur the displeasure of the master race. It was part of German diplomacy abroad to exhibit such films in order to terrorize neutral countries into compliance with every German demand. HITLER himself threatened that the cities of England would be “wiped out” if the British people continued to stand up to him. By a long series of terror raids he did his best to carry out his threat, and there is hardly a city in Great Britain which does not bear the marks of his savagery. Now that the striking power is passing from the Luftwaffe to the R.A.F. Germany will begin to realize the folly she committed in entrusting her destinies to him and his comrades in crime.
“REPRISAL” RAID ON CANTERBURY
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS DESTROYED
The streets of Canterbury were strewn with rubble and filled with fire pumps, many of which were brought from surrounding districts, yesterday after the Germans had made what they described as a “reprisal” raid on Sunday night.
Some 50 enemy aircraft flew overland, about half that number attacking the city. Three were shot down, one over the coast and two over their own aerodromes.
Among the casualties were the town clerk and his wife, who were trapped in their damaged house. Both were extricated, but the town clerk died on the way to hospital, where his wife now lies injured.
The fire services and Civil Defence, helped by neighbouring districts, worked magnificently and the fires were soon under control. Fire caused considerable destruction in a shopping centre and residential property suffered in the indiscriminate bombing. Two churches, a newspaper office, and two schools were among the buildings destroyed.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Temple, who were in Canterbury during the raid, are safe. The Archbishop visited people in the town yesterday and inspected the damage.
The Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security report yesterday morning said:-
Shortly after midnight enemy aircraft made a raid on a town in south-eastern England. Most of the damage caused was in a shopping and residential district, in which some fires were started. A number of casualties have been reported.
Three raiders were destroyed during the night, one off our coast and two over enemy aerodromes in occupied territory.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
'Reaping the whirlwind'
Description
An account of the resource
Article 1: Accounts of operations against munition works in Paris, factories in the Ruhr and operations involving over 1000 bombers on Cologne. Goes on with accounts of RAF operations in the Middle East and German communique about Cologne. Article 2: 'Reprisals raid on Canterbury. Churches and schools destroyed'. Mentions half of 50 aircraft attacked the town and 3 were shot down. Account of casualties and fire services.
Format
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Two newspaper cuttings mounted on a scrapbook page
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Identifier
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SValentineJRM1251404v10005
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
Germany
Germany--Cologne
France
France--Paris
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
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1942-05-30
1942-05-31
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
Steve Baldwin
bombing
bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942)
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1765/30829/MLayneWH963102-170607-01.2.pdf
fc47960ac41bc841a85fddc0d83ccd19
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Layne, Wally
Walter Henry Layne
W H Layne
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-06-07
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Layne, WH
Description
An account of the resource
100 items. The collection concerns Walter 'Wally' Layne (b. 1916, 963012, 40348 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, prisoner of war diary, personal and official correspondence and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 97 Squadron and became a prisoner of war after being shot down.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by D Layne and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
A WARTIME LOG
[page break]
P.409001/5.
AIR MINISTRY [deleted] November [/deleted], [inserted] December [/inserted] 1943
THIS IS TO CERTIFY that 963102 W/O. W.H. Layne, R.A.F. born on 5th December, 1916 at present a prisoner of war in Dulag Luft and whose prisoner of war number is [deleted] unknown [/deleted] [inserted] 605 [/inserted] has been granted a commission in the rank of Pilot Officer with effect from 13th September, 1943 His official number is now 158255
This requisite notification has been published. [signature] Group Captain for Director of Personal Services [deleted] Asst. Secretary [/deleted]
AIR MINISTRY 11 MAY 1944 194
THIS IS TO CERTIFY that 158255 P/O. W.H. Layne (D.F.C.) R.A.F. born on 5th December, 1916 at present a prisoner of war in StalgLuft 6 and whose prisoner of war number is 605 has been promoted to Flying Officer with effect from 13th March, 1944. and the requisite notification has been published. [deleted] P.158255/43. [/deleted] [inserted] P.409001/43 [/inserted] [signature] Group Captain for Director of Personal services.
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
[boxed] A WARTIME LOG FOR BRiTISH PRISONERS Gift from THE WAR PRISONERS’ AID OF THE Y.M.C.A. 37, Quai Wilson GENEVA - SWITZERLAND [/boxed]
[page break]
[greek text] R. Utteridge 4.10.44
[page break]
[boxed] THIS BOOK BELONGS TO P/O. W. H. Layne. D.F.C. Royal Air Force. Stalag Luft III, Germany. [Y.M.C.A. logo] [/boxed]
[page break]
[sketch map showing Stalag Luft locations]
[page break]
[underlined] 1 [/underlined]
[pilot wings drawing] F/Lt. Fletcher D.F.C. D.F.M. [observers brevet drawing] S/Ldr. Foster D.F.C. [bomb aimers brevet drawing] F/Sgt. Beasley. [wireless operators badge drawing] [air gunners brevet drawing] P/O. Layne D.F.C. [air gunners brevet drawing] S/Ldr. McKinna. D.F.C. [engineers brevet drawing] F/Sgt. Nelson [air gunners brevet drawing] F/Sgt. Page.
[page break]
3
The Spirit of Britain
We shall go on to the end - we shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and in the oceans - we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air - we shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches and on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and streets, and in the hills. We shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island, or even a part of it, is subjugated and starving, then our Empire accross [sic] the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, will carry on the struggle, until in Gods good time, the new world, in all its strength and might, sets forth to the rescue and liberation of the old. Britain will fight the menace of tyranny for years, and, if necessary, alone. Winston Churchill 1940
[page break]
5
A man who grumbles, because he doesn’t catch something every day, is a fool not an angler.
Gordon R. W. Albright
“Wiltshire House”
Hungerford
Berkshire
[page break]
[cartoon sketch of collapsing prisoners bunkbed] Good luck. Wally. [underlined] J. Beasley SEP 44 [/underlined]
[page break]
9
Jim. D. Skinner
10 Earl St.
New Brumby
Scunthorpe
Lincs.
[underlined] 26.8.44 [/underlined]
[page break]
12
Starkle starkle little twink
Who the hell you are think
I’m not under the alcofluence of inkohol
Though some think peep I am
I fool so fealish
I don’t know who is me
That the drunker I sit here
The longer I get.
[page break]
13
[cartoon sketch of prisoner life] “Do you think they’ll think we’ve changed?” Lots of Luck Wally -
Johnny Howes.
Peacehaven
- Sussex -
[page break]
14
[underlined] CONTENTS OF RED CROSS PARCELS [/underlined]
[list] [underlined] AMERICAN [/underlined]
8ozs COCOA OR 2 ‘D’ BARS 6 JAM 1oz SALT & PEPPER 12 BISCUITS ‘K2’ 1LB PRUNES 12ozs BULLY BEEF 12ozs MEAT & VEG OR SPAM 6ozs MEAT PÂTE 8ozs CHEESE 1LB POWDERED MILK 8ozs SUGAR 1LB OLEO MARGERINE 4ozs SOLUBLE COFFEE 2 SOAP 80 CIGARETTES 7 VIT C TABLETS
[underlined] CANADIAN [/underlined] 5ozs CHOCOLATE 1lb JAM 1oz SALT & PEPPER 12 BUSCUITS 6 ozs PRUNES 12ozs BULLY BEEF 10ozs KAM 7ozs RAISINS 4ozs CHEESE 1lb POWDERED MILK 8ozs SUGAR 1lb BUTTER 6ozs COFFEE OR 4ozs TEA 8ozs SALMON 1 SARDINE 1 SOAP
[page break]
15
[list] [underlined] ENGLISH [/underlined]
4ozs CHOCOLATE 8ozs JAM 1 TIN EGG POWDER (2ozs APPROX) 8ozs PRUNES OR APRICOTS 12ozs MEAT ROLL 16ozs MEAT & VEG 4ozs OAT MEAL 1 SOAP 3ozs CHEESE 1 TIN CONDENSED MILK 4ozs SUGAR 8ozs MARGERINE 4ozs COCOA 2ozs TEA 8ozs SALMON OR 8ozs BACON 1 PANCAKE POWDER OR 1 CREAMED RICE OR 1 APPLE PUDDING
[underlined] ARGENTINE BULK [/underlined]
3ozs BULLY BEEF 5ozs MEAT & VEG 3ozs RAGOUT 2ozs CORNED MUTTON 4ozs PORK & BEANS 5ozs BUTTER 2ozs LARD 2ozs HONEY 5ozs JAM 2ozs MILK JAM 4ozs CONDENSED MILK 8ozs SUGAR 7ozs CHEESE 8ozs BISCUITS 1oz PEA & LENTIL FLOUR 3ozs CHOCOLATE 2ozs COCOA 1oz TEA 1 SOAP 3ozs DRIED FRUIT
[page break]
17
[sketch of lincolnshire regiment cap badge] Best Wishes Wally
George. W. Hand,
Morcott,
Nr Uppingham
[underlined] Rutland [/underlined]
[page break]
19
[cartoon sketch of prison life] They also serve, who only stand and wait! John Milton
[signature]
CANTERBURY,
KENT.
[page break]
23
Sincerely Yours -
Laurie. W. Collins,
“Sackville House”,
4 Littlefield Lane,
Grimsby,
[underlined] Lincolnshire. [/underlined]
7-8-44
[page break]
24 BLOCK 22 ROOM 3 STALAG-LUFT 3 TARMSDEDT
[prisoner names and addresses]
[page break]
COMBINE 25
[food parcel contents drawings] [prisoner names and addresses]
[page break]
27
R. Coulbeck,
97 Ravendale Street,
Scunthorpe,
[underlined] Lincs. [/underlined]
P. [indecipherable name].
Sturton
Brigg.
[underlined] Lincs [/underlined]
[page break]
28
E hoa ka whawhai tonu ahau ki a koe ake! ake! [Maori for “friend, I shall fight against you, for ever! for ever!”]
[page break]
5/ Sept 44 [underlined] [signature] [/underlined] [various baseball cartoon caricatures] “PUT THE LITTLE APPLE DOWN HERE KID” 2 AND 1
[page break]
31
IF
IF YOU CAN SAVE YOUR BREW WHEN ALL AROUND YOU HAVE FINISHED THEIRS AND BORROWED MORE FROM YOU IF YOU CAN RUN A RACKET WHEN THEY DOUBT YOU BUT MAKE ALLOWANCE FOR THEIR RACKETS TOO IF YOU CAN WAIT AND NOT GET TIRED OF WAITING WHEN SOMEONE MAKES A BOOB WHILE ON PARADE OR STAND OUT IN THE COLD IN YOUR PYJAMAS WHILE HAUPTMANN MÜLLERS WEEKLY SEARCH IS MADE IF YOU CAN HIDE WHEN DUTY STOOGE IS ON YOU IF YOU CAN WASH YOUR SHIRT SAY TWICE A YEAR IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR MIND ON HARMLESS PASTIMES AND NOT DANCING, WOMEN, WINE AND BEER IF YOU CAN LISTEN TO ANOTHER AIRMAN TELLING YOU HIS CROW IS ON THE WAY AND NEVER BREATHE A WORD WHILE HE IS MOANING WHILE YOU HAVE GOT AT LEAST THREE YEARS BACK PAY IF YOU CAN SAY “WIE GEHTS” OR ELSE “KARTOFFEL” OR ASK A GERMAN IF HE HAS A LIGHT YOURS IS THE CAMP AND ALL THATS IN IT HERE’S TO YOUR HAPPY FUTURE CLEAR AND BRIGHT
With apologies to Kipling Fallingbostel. Oct 11/44
[page break]
33
E. J. Hillman (Hilly.)
20, East Court Ave.
Earley.
[underlined] Reading. [/underlined]
J. Kenny
27, Featherstall Rd. N.,
Oldham
[underlined] Lancashire. [/underlined]
[page break]
35
And not by eastern windows only, When daylight comes, comes in the light; In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly! But westward, look, the land is bright.
Arthur Hugh Clough. [underlined] Rog. [/underlined]
[page break]
[facial caricature}
[page break]
39
[sketch of a Hampden bombing] Best wishes Wally, J. A. McDonald, 24 Brooklands Rise, London N.W.11. 26/9/44
[page break]
43
[cartoon caricature] MEDITATION [underlined] WAD [/underlined]
[page break]
46
THE PRISONERS LAMENT
BLOODY TIMES IS BLOODY HARD BLOODY WIRE AND BLOODY GUARD BLOODY DOGS IN BLOODY YARD BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
BLOODY TEA IS BLOODY VILE BLOODY COFFEE MAKES YOU SMILE BLOODY COCOA MADE IN STYLE BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
BLOODY ICE-RINKS BLOODY MUD BLOODY SKATES NO BLOODY GOOD SAT WHERE ONCE I BLOODY STOOD BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
BLOODY SALMONS BLOODY QUEER LOOKS AT YOU WITH BLOODY LEER IS IT GOOD? NO BLOODY FEAR BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
BLOODY BRIDGE ALL BLOODY DAY LEARNING HOW TO BLOODY PLAY BLOODY BLACKWELL’S BLOODY WAY BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
[page break]
47
NOW AND THEN THO’ BLOODY STALE CENSOR HANDS OUT BLOODY MAIL BETTER DRAW THE BLOODY VEIL BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY GIRLFRIEND DROPS ME FLAT LIKE A DOG ON BLOODY MAT GETS A YANK LIKE BLOODY THAT BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
BLOODY SAWDUST IN THE BREAD MUST HAVE COME FROM BLOODY BED BETTER ALL BE BLOODY DEAD BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
DON’T IT GET YOUR BLOODY GOAT WAS IT SHAW WHO BLOODY WROTE WHRE THE HELL’S THAT BLOODY BOAT BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY NOW I’VE REACHED THE BLOODY END NEARLY AROUND THE BLOODY BEND THATS THE GENERAL BLOODY TREND BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY
[page break]
49
[sketch of cottage style pub]
[underlined] THORN CAMP 357 JULY 27/44 [/underlined]
[page break]
51
[cartoon sketch of prisoners reading news bulletin] IT SAYS “THE ONLY RESULT OF THE ALLIED ADVANCE IN THE WEST IS TO MOVE THE FRONT FURTHER EAST.”[underlined] Beasley 44 [/underlined]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[photograph of family]
[page break]
[3 x photographs of family]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family and friends]
[page break]
[photograph of family]
[page break]
[photograph of family]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of family]
[page break]
[drawing of lancaster bomber] [underlined] All the Best Mick [/underlined]
[page break]
[2 x photographs of prisoners]
[page break]
FOLLINGS BOSTAL, [sic] GERMANY. 29/8/44 55
[sketch] O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST, [sketch] OUR HOPES FOR YEARS TO COME, [sketch] THE SHELTER FROM THE STORMY BLAST, [sketch] AND OUR ETERNAL HOME.
REMEMBER ME!! [sketch]
Mr. GEORGE F. CALVERT,
11, MALLET CRESCENT,
BOLTON,
[underlined] LANCS. [/underlined]
[underlined] Drop around any time Wally. [/underlined]
[page break]
56
[sketch of prison guard tower]
Postern box S E [indecipherable word] Heydekrug [underlined] Stalag Luft 6 [/underlined] Oct 11/44
[page break]
58 Best Wishes to my friend THE MAIL HOG from H Ringham.
[3 x comical cartoon sketches depicting mail delivery]
[page break]
59
[underlined] TO: A THREE-TOUR MAN. [/underlined]
[underlined] 1ST. TOUR [/underlined] [coloured sketch of hampden bomber]
[underlined] 2ND. TOUR [/underlined] [coloured sketch of lancaster bomber]
[underlined] 3RD. TOUR [/underlined] [coloured sketch of cattle truck train]
[underlined] Best wishes Wally from Les Calvert. Jan 45 FALLINGBOSTEL [/underlined]
[page break]
62
[2 x german money vouchers]
[page break]
63
[german money certificate]
Prisoner of war camp money VOUCHER FOR 1 REICHMARK
This chit is valid for a means of currency for P.O.W.s and must be used by them for exchange only within the camp or on a working party in the expressly authorised canteens.
This exchange of this chit for actual currency can only take place by the express permission of the accounts officer.
Contravention, forging or any falsification will be punished
The Chief of the Supreme command of the defence forces
[page break]
[cartoon sketch] [underlined] W. PETCH [/underlined] 23, HAMILTON RD, SCUNTHORPE
[page break]
69
[6 x comical cartoon angling sketches] [underlined] WHL [/underlined]
[page break]
71
[sketch of circled red cross] EACH LIFE HAS IT’S CROSSES AND AN AIRMAN GETS HIS SHARE FROM A TRIP ACROSS THE OCEAN TO THE ENVIED “CROIX DE GUERRE
THERE ARE CROSSES BY THE CENSOR FAR TO MANY SO IT SEEMS THERE ARE CROSSES IN HIS LETTERS FROM THE GIRL FRIEND OF HIS DREAMS
THERE’S A CROSS THATS WORN BY HEROES WHO HAVE FACED A HAIL OF LEAD THERE’S A CROSS WHEN HE IS WOUNDED AND ONE WHEN HE IS DEAD
BUT THERE’S A LITTLE CROSS OF MERCY THAT QUITE A FEW MAY OWN TO A PRISONER IT IS SECOND TO THAT OF GOD’S ALONE
IT’S A CROSS THATS WORN BY WOMEN WHEN WE SEE IT WE BELIEVE WE RECOGNISE AN ANGEL BY THE RED CROSS ON HER SLEEVE
[page break]
72 [sketch of a country house]
[page break]
75
[sketch of a spitfire] J M Lockyer 1945
[page break]
76
1939 [raf crest] 194
BOMBER COMMAND
All the Best Bob Beaston 12-10-44
[page break]
78
S. S. KRIEGIE
SHE’S TREMENDOUS, SHE’S GIGANTIC, LOOKING TRIM IN EVERY LINE SHE’S MAGNIFICENT, COLOSSAL, SHE’S YOURS YET ALSO MINE. SHE’S GLORIOUSLY MAJESTIC, MOST REFRESHING TO THE EYE SHE’S EXCITING IN HER NEARNESS, FOR WE KNOW SHE’S STANDING BY. THERE’LL BE SEVERAL RED CROSS NURSES LINING UP BESIDE THE QUAY WITH A CHOICE OF DRINKS TO CHOOSE FROM, NAAFI BEER OR NAAFI TEA ITS GOODBYE TO RED CROSS PARCELS, NO MORE VITAMINISED JAM NO MORE BULLY BEEF OR SALMON, NO MORE APPETISING SPAM NO MORE PERSONALS FOR LISTING CIGARETTES OR CENSORED MAIL WHEN THE SHIP CALLED S.S. KRIEGIE SPEEDS ALONG THE HOMEWARD TRAIL NO MORE ROLL CALLS, NO MORE POSTERNS SEEKING BREW NO MORE BLOWERS OUTSIDE BILLETS, NO MORE AIR RAIDS ALL DAY THROUGH NO MORE BELT UPS NO MORE ARBEIT WHEN YOUR STOMACHS NOT SO GOOD NO MORE CONTINENTAL SAUERKRAUT. NO MORE SCROUNGING BITS OF WOOD NO MORE VISITS DOWN TO SICK BAY. NO MORE RACKETS NO MORE STEW NO MORE READING PROPAGANDA LIKE THE “GERMAN POINT OF VIEW” NO MORE BED BOARDS NO MORE COMBINES NO MORE OVERCROWDED SPACE NO MORE CATTLE TRUCKS TO GREET US AS WE MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE NO MORE BARBED WIRE NO MORE SEARCH LIGHTS NO MORE PINE TREES ALL AROUND NO MORE COMPOUNDS, NO MORE CIRCUITS, WHEN AT LAST WE’RE [underlined] HOMEWARD BOUND [/underlined]
[page break]
79
THERE IS PLENTY OF GOOD IN THE WORST OF US, AND PLENTY OF BAD IN THE BEST OF US, SO IT DOES NOT BEHOVE ANY OF US TO TALK ABOUT THE REST OF US.
William A. Roe, STALAG LUFT III, APRIL, 1945.
[page break]
80
[sketches] [underlined] DIE STEM [/underlined]
UIT DIE BLOU VAN ONSE HEMEL UIT DIE DIEPTE VAN ONS SEE, OOR ONS EWIGE GEBERGTES WAAR DIE KRANSE ANTWOORD ONS, DEUR ONS VER VERLATE VLAKTES MET DIE KREIN VAN OSSEWA RUIS DIE STEM VAN ONS GEUEFDES VAN ONS LAND SUID AFRIKA [Afrikaans for: From the blue of our sky, from the depth of our sea, over eternal mountains where the wreaths answer us, through our desolate plains with the cry of Ossewa Ruis the voice of our friends of our country South Africa]
[underlined] BEST WISHES, WALLY. GORDON. B. JACK TARMSTEDT, 1945.
[page break]
[indecipherable word] R2864 81
H Ringham,
133 Barden Rd,
Tonbridge,
Kent.
Essen 17.7.42. Halifax
J. R. Holsbourn,
Santiago
Chile.
South America.
Donald Walker
106 Sunderland Street
Tickhill
Doncaster
[page break]
[underlined] THE SAGA OF THE OLDEST KRIEGIE [/underlined]
OH WERE YOU OUT IN THE GRIM NORTH EAST WAY UP ON THE BALTIC SHORE WHERE THE WINTER NIGHTS ARE SIX MONTHS LONG AND THE DAYS ARE EVEN MORE. WHERE THE BITTER BLAST, A SNOW TOOTHED FIEND HOWLS DOWN FROM THE RUSSIAN STEPPES WHERE SOX GET FROZEN TO THE FEET AND THE HANDS ARE COVERED IN CHAPPES WHERE THE GREAT WHITE SILENCE COVERS ALL AND THE ONLY SOUND THEY SAY IS THE SONG OF THE DROSKI SINGING HIS LOVE IN THE MOUNTAINS FAR AWAY
THATS WERE THE OLDEST KRIEGIE LIVES A MAN BOTH SEEN AND HOARY LIVING ON NUTTY AND POLAR BEAR SOUP THE HERO OF THIS STORY
TWAS MANY MANY YEARS AGO WAY BACK IN 1940 THAT THE OLDEST KRIEGIE IN HIS PLANE EMBARKED UPON A SORTIE
TWAS THE SORTA A SORTIE A BRAVE MAN SHUNS AND THE COWARD RUNS AWAY FROM THE KIND OUR HERO HOPED TO CHRIST HE’D LIVE TO DRAW HIS PAY FROM
IN THE BRIGHT MOONLIGHT OF A SUMMER NIGHT OUR HERO CROSSED THE SEA HE BOMBED THE TARGET AND TURNED FOR HOME BUT WAS JUMPED BY A LOAN M.E.
[page break]
AND THEN THERE CAME A WEARY TIME A TIME MOST WONDOROUS [sic] [deleted] frying [/deleted] TIRING THEY TOOK HIM TO A KRIEGIE CAMP ALL RINGED ABOUT WITH WIRING THEY COUNTED OH THEY COUNTED HIM BY DAY AS WELL AS NIGHT SIDEWAYS DIAGONALLY BACKWARDS BUT THEY COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT AT LAST THEY HIT UPON A WHEEZE THAT SEEMED BOTH CUTE AND NEAT THEY FELL THE KRIEGIES IN AGAIN AND COUNTED ALL THEIR FEET AND WHEN THE FEET WERE COUNTED THEY DIVIDED THEM BY TWO BUT STILL THE ANSWER WASN’T RIGHT SO THEY THOUGHT OF SOMETHING NEW
THEY WENT AND GOT EXCITED AND SHOUTED WITH MUCH ZEST BUT IT DIDN’T DO THEM ANY GOOD FOR THE KRIEGIES WEREN’T IMPRESSED
THEN THEY LINED UP ALL THE KRIEGIES AT A TIME WHEN MOST FOLKS SLEEP AND MADE THEM FILE BETWEEN TWO POSTS SO THE KRIEGIES BAAED LIKE SHEEP AND WHEN THE COUNT WAS FINISHED AND THEY ADDED UP THE SCORE THEY FOUND THEY’D FAR MORE KRIEGIES THAN THEY’D EVER HAD BEFORE
FOR IN A WELL RUN KRIEGIE CAMP YOU MAY GET LOTS OF FUN BUT NO FUN QUITE AS POPULAR AS MUCKING UP THE HUN
[page break]
[sketch] E.A.L. SHORE MAR. 1945.
[page break]
86 SUSPENSE.
The prison camp so grim and bare within the hated wire In barracks prisoners drawn and grey Crouch huddled round the fire. What will the German verdict be? What will their minds conspire?
Outside the rain in torrents fall Heavens ripped open wide Hell! The suspense is terrible If only one could hide. At last, long blasts, the silence breaks. Thank God! Roll Calls inside.
J. E. Nelson,
15 Parkfield Road,
Bolton,
[underlined] Lancs [/underlined]
C. Hanrahan
5 Norbreck Close
Cinder Hill
Notts
[page break]
87
J. Beesley
76 Woodland Road
Handsworth
[underlined] Birmingham 21 [/underlined]
[underlined] A G Benson [/underlined]
“O.K”
Goondiwindi
Queensland.
J K Denton
4 The Terrace
Chyandour
Penzance
Cwll
Chas Allen (Tim)
70 Warren Rd
Washwood Heath
Birmingham
J. Seedhouse
C/O Morton
Skillington
Nr Grantham
R J Jackson
20 Maytree Crescent
Watford
Herts
(Odhams Press watford)
[page break]
89
O QUID SOLUTIS EST, BEATIUS CURIS, CUM MENS ONUS REPONIT ET PEREGRINO LABORE FESSI VENIMUS LAREM AD NOSTRUM DESIDERATOQUE ACQUIESCIMUS LECTO Louis B. Gunter. [underlined] Easter 1945. [/underlined]
[page break]
90
[circled red cross] From every prisoner’s lonely soul Thanksgiving does ascend; No matter what religious goal His ego may pretend; For this alone relieves the pall And helps monotony rend; The constant aid, the hope, & all Which you unfailing send. [/circled red cross] [underlined] Compost by F. Webster Written by J. Pryd [/underlined]
IT
IS A MELANCHOLY STATE
You are in the power of the enemy You owe your life to his humanity Your daily bread to his compassion You must obey his orders Await his pleasures Possess your soul in his patience The days are very long The hours crawl like paralized [sic] centipedes
Moreover, the whole atmosphere of prisons even the most easy and best regulated prison is odious. Companions quarrel over trifles and get the least possible pleasure from each others society. You feel a constant humiliation in being fenced in by railings and barbed wire, watched by armed men and webbed about By a triangle of regulations & restrictions. [underlined] Winston Churchill 1899. [/underlined]
[page break]
PRISONER OF WAR
IS A MELANCHOLY STATE. YOU ARE IN THE POWER OF THE ENEMY. YOU OWE YOUR LIFE TO HIS HUMANITY, YOUR DAILY BREAD TO HIS COMPASSION.
YOU MUST [deleted] AW [/deleted] OBEY HIS ORDERS, AWAIT HIS PLEASURE; POSSESS YOUR SOUL IN HIS PATIENCE.
THE DAYS ARE LONG, THE HOURS CRAWL LIKE PARALYZED [CENTIPEDES, MOREOVER THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE OF PRISONS IS ODIOUS.
COMPANIONS QUARREL OVER TRIFLES AND GET THE BEST POSSIBLE PLEASURE OUT OF EACH OTHERS COMPANY. YOU FEEL A CONSTANT HUMILIATION IN BEING FENCED IN BY RAILINGS AND WIRE, WATCHED BY ARMED MEN AND WEBBED IN BY A TRIANGLE OF REGULATIONS & RESTRICTIONS. AND SO BE IT WINSTON CHURCHILL P.O.W. BRITISH EAST AFRICA NOVEMBER 1899.
[page break]
94 [underlined] Food for Thought [/underlined]
Twice I found this little book on my desk in Stalag 357 and I have come to the probably erroneous conclusion that you wish me to ‘do’ something in it, Wally. I hope one day to meet you again but, in case I don’t - do you remember -
[list] “ A journey from Heydekrug to Sagan? “ A pitoploly argument when we came back? “ hiding the “brew” from the Abwehr? “ my practice on the guitar? “ the day after the tunnel was discovered? “ the night of the Theatre Fire? “ the Abwehr steam-roller? “ the runaway coach in a German station? “ the second team’s centre-half? “ the pumps and spud peeling at Heydekrug? “ the evacuation of Heydekrug?
We could have gone on for hours, but the above will be enough - All the best - Wal
from R C Hancock
Woodhouse Farm
Leconfield E. Yorks.
[page break]
96 97
[Europe sketch map showing camp locations]
[page break]
98
[underlined] O FEELTHY FLY. [/underlined]
[underlined] 1 [/underlined] The fly flew in to the grocery store, He flew right in - by the front door, he fluttered round the bacon, and he fluttered round the ham, and finally lit on the strawberry jam.
[underlined] Ref. [/underlined] Oh, feelthy fly, Oh, feelthy fly, Oh, filthy fly, Repulsive parasite.
[underlined] 2 [/underlined] the fly looked here, the fly looked there, under the table & under the chairs, and into the office which was nearly dark, and there he spied the lady clerk - Oh feelthy [missing word]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined] That fly lit on the lady’s shoe, Then up her stockings both brand new. And when it reached above her knee, He sat down to see what he could see. Oh [missing word]
[underlined] 4 [/underlined] That lady clerk when she felt that fly, Settled upon her starboard thigh, She closed her knees & held her breath, And squashed that feelthy fly to death - Oh feelthy [missing word]
To be sung in slow, solemn time, with full Bar room accompaniment. All the best of luck Wally [underlined] Phillip Hyden [/underlined]
[page break]
99
[sketch of silhouetted female] [underlined] JACK SMITH [/underlined] 11-9-44.
[page break]
100 DIE MORDBRENNER VON WALLENDORF
[sketch of US soldier firing village] For no apparent reason U.S.A. troops burned down the village of Wallendorf before the eyes of the inhabitants. [underlined] Das Licht der Demokratic leuchtet VOLKISHER BEOBACHTER [/underlined] 17 OCTOBER 1944
102
AS A RESULT OF REPEATED APPLICATIONS FROM BRITISH SUBJECTS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD WISHING TO TAKE PART IN THE COMMON STRUGGLE AGAINST BOLSHEVISM, AUTHORISATION HAS RECENTLY BEEN GIVEN FOR THE CREATION OF A BRITISH VOLUNTEER UNIT. THE BRITISH FREE CORPS PUBLISHES HEREWITH THE FOLLOWING SHORT STATEMENT OF THE AIMS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE UNIT.
[underlined] I. [/underlined] THE BRITISH FREE CORPS IS A THOROUGHLY BRITISH VOLUNTEER UNIT [indecipherable word] AND CREATED BY BRITISH SUBJECTS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE EMPIRE, WHO HAVE TAKEN UP [missing word] AND PLEDGED THEIR LIVES IN THE COMMON EUROPEAN STRUGGLE AGAINST SOVIET RUSSIA.
[underlined] II. [/underlined] THE BRITISH FREE CORPS CONDEMNS THE WAR WITH GERMANY AND THE SACRIFICE OF BRITISH BLOOD IN THE INTEREST OF JEWRY AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCE AND REGARDS THIS CONFLICT AS A FUNDAMENTAL BETRAYAL OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE AND BRITISH IMPERIAL INTERESTS.
[underlined] III. [underlined] THE BRITISH FREE CORP DESIRES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE IN EUROPE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND GERMANY AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TWO GERMANIC PEOPLES.
[underlined] IV. [/underlined] THE BRITISH FREE CORP WILL NEITHER MAKE WAR AGAINST BRITAIN OR THE BRITISH CROWN, NOR SUPPORT ANY ACTION OR POLICY DETRIMENTAL TO THE INTERESTS OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE. PUBLISHED BY THE BRITISH FREE CORP.
[underlined] IN AN ENDEAVOR [SIC] TO FORM A BRITISH UNIT TO FIGHT AGAINST THE RUSSIANS, THE GERMANS CAUSED A PAMPHLET TO BE CIRCULATED IN CERTAIN PRISON CAMPS, A COPY OF THIS IS GIVEN ABOVE. [/underlined]
104 GEGEN ENGELAND
HEUTE WOLLEN WIR EIN LIEDLEIN SINGEN, TRINKEN SOLEN WIR DEN KÜHLEN WEIN, UND DIE GLÄSEN SOLLEN DAZU KLINGEN, DENN ES MUSS ES MUSS GESCHIEDENSEIN
REFRAIN
GIB MIR DIENE HAND DEINE WEISSE HAND, LEB WOHL MEIN SCHATZ, MEIN SCHATZ LEB WOHL, LEB WOHL DENN WIR FAHREN, DEN WIR FAHREN DENN WIR FAHREN GEGEN ENGELAND
UNSER FLAGGE UND DIE WEHT VOM MASTE SIE VERKUNDET UNSERES REICHES MACHT DENN WIR WOLLEN ES NICHT LANGER LEIDEN DASS DER ENGELANDER DARAÜBER LACHT
REFRAIN
GIB MIR DEINE ……………..USW.
KOMMT DIE KUNDE DASS ICH BIN GEFALLEN DASS ICH SCHLAFE IN DER MEERES FLUT WEINE NICHT UM MICHT MEIN SCHATZ UND DENKE FÜR DAS VATERLAND DA FLOSS SEIN BLUT
REFRAIN
GIB MIR DEINE ……………..USW.
[page break]
[sketch of a country cottage] WHL
[page break]
107
[underlined] Mail Extracts [/underlined]
A P.O.W. wrote home to his mother saying “Please send me a pair of slippers, size 9”. Six months later he received a letter saying, “what colour would you like”
Letter from mother to son, “chocolate is now almost unobtainable so I am sending you a postal order so you can buy it in Germany
Letter from wife to husband (POW 3 years) I” have had a baby darling, but don’t worry the American officer is paying all the expenses and is going to send you some cigarettes”
“After you were reported missing I was ill for a long time and unable to leave my bed, but when the news that you were a POW arrived I jumped out and polished the floor and felt better at once.
A sister to her brother. “Can you buy beer or do you only get wine
[page break]
Father to son. “I am glad you were shot down before flying became dangerous.”
Fiancée to P.O.W. “I could not stand the disgrace of your being a prisoner of war, so I broke off our engagement.”
From lady who enclosed his name and address in hand knitted pullover and was sent a letter of thanks. “I was annoyed when I read where it had gone to, I meant it for someone on active service not a scrounging P.O.W.”
“The first batch of repatriated troops arrived yesterday, horribly mutilated. Hope to see you on the next.”
[page break]
PRINTED BY ATAR S.A., GENEVA 1944
[page break]
[german poster]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wally Layne's YMCA prisoner of war log book
Description
An account of the resource
Includes certificates as a prisoner at Dulag Luft and Stalag Luft 6, sketch map showing locations of prisoner of war camps, list of crew with brevets, Churchill's speech, cartoons of prisoner life, contents of Red Cross parcels, notes, signatures, names and addresses, poems and sayings, sketches of Hampden and caricature, photographs of family and friends, sketch of Lancaster and train box cars (third tour), German cash certificates and other writing and sketches.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
W H Layne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-12
1944-05-11
1944-08-26
1944-08-07
1944-09-26
1944-07-27
1945-04
1944-10-17
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Seventy-seven page book
Language
A language of the resource
eng
deu
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MLayneWH963102-170607-01
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Poland
Poland--Żagań
Poland--Toruń
Lithuania
Lithuania--Šilutė
Germany
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Scunthorpe
England--Berkshire
England--Hungerford
England--Sussex
England--Peacehaven (East Sussex)
England--Rutland
England--Uppingham
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
England--Grimsby
England--Brigg
England--Lancashire
England--Oldham
England--London
Germany--Fallingbostel (Landkreis)
England--Yorkshire
England--Bolton (Greater Manchester)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-12
1944-05-11
1940
1944-08-26
1944-08-07
1944-09-26
1944-07-27
1945-04
1944-10-17
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Robin Christian
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
air gunner
aircrew
arts and crafts
bomb aimer
Dulag Luft
flight engineer
Hampden
Lancaster
navigator
pilot
prisoner of war
Red Cross
Spitfire
Stalag Luft 3
Stalag Luft 6
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/619/30852/BPageTJPageTJv1.2.pdf
bd20f3fcb29deb655492d462cf2bfeb1
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Page, Thomas James
T J Page
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Page, TJ
Description
An account of the resource
Fifteen items. An oral history interview with Squadron Leader Thomas Page DFM (1922 - 2017, 922297, 183427 Royal Air Force), his log book, two autobiographies and photographs. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 49 Squadron.
The collection was The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Thomas Page and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-07-02
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
MY LIFE IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE BOMBER COMMAND
By
SQN LDR T J PAGE. DFM. RAF
[page break]
MV LIFE IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE BOMBER COMMAND
As a young man the years were slowly passing and the storm clouds of war were gathering over Europe again. This was something that youth and many others in the countryside were unaware of because news was very limited, wireless was in its infancy and newspapers were few; in fact, many of the older people could not read. The young did not see newspapers because some parents considered them a corrupting influence. On reflection, perhaps this was a good thing. Now seventeen and on the first Sunday in September 1939, I decided to visit my grandmother at Ramsgate and cycled the thirty miles there through the lovely countryside, past myoid schools and my birthplace and on along the road that passed through Manston aerodrome. Already there was greater activity at the air station and once more, my boyhood ambitions came to the fore.
Soon after arriving there the air raid siren sounded, it was eleven o'clock the 3rd. September. The government had declared war with Germany. Being apprehensive, and, like many others, thinking there would be an immediate invasion as the place was near to the South East Coast of England, I decided to return home straight away. History relates that nothing much happened until the following springtime. The winter of the year 1939-40 was very severe with frost and snow. Overhead Aircraft were making long contrails that made patterns in the sky. There were sounds of machine gun fire. At times aeroplanes would streak fast and low across the countryside further kindling my love of flying machines and the air.
In January 1940 I became eighteen years of age I began to feel more independent and
assertive. One day in April I cycled the fifteen miles to Canterbury Recruiting Office at
Canterbury and volunteered for the Royal Air Force and was immediately accepted and
placed on reserve service until called for duty. I had accepted the 'Kings Shilling' signed the Oath of Allegiance and proudly travelled home wearing the badge of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. The first part of my dream had come true. Overhead the air fighting continued with Fairy Battles streaking low over the Kent countryside. They had taken great losses over these early days of the war.
On the 19th July 1940, the time came to leave home. My dream was coming true. This was a day of apprehension; I was now committed to whatever lay ahead. Where would life lead me? RAF service could be worldwide as the Empire still existed and now there was a war on. My dreams of being an Airman did not include war. There was nothing to take with me other than the clothes I wore and a little money. Walking away down the lane there was a last look back at the cluster of cottages nestling at the foot of the wooded downs before they disappeared from view. Looking back there was a mist in my eyes; was this because of the traumas of the past.
On the Monday afternoon the 19th July 1940. I arrived at the sand bagged and barbed wire protected gate of the RAF Depot at Royal Air Force Uxbridge, entered the restricted doorway into the guardroom and reported for duty.
There were many Volunteer Reservists from all parts of the country joining for duty that day. We wondered what was before us. Each barrack room contained about twenty beds and a certain amount of overcrowding was necessary because large numbers of new recruits. The iron beds were rather unusual in that the toot part slid under the head part. The mattress was in three parts named 'biscuits'. When not in use the whole bed was neatly stacked away. This provided extra space in the barrack room for day use and was in accordance with the spick and span neatness of service life with a place for everything and everything in its place. a form of discipline. The staff NCOs explained the routine of the barracks.
[page break]
Next was the first and foremost ofthe induction formalities. This was the 'Swearing In' to become legally bound by the Air Force Act and allegiance to the Crown. This made one legally bound by the Air Force Act and to ones allegiance to the Crown. There was a roll call of Names, Initials and Religion. Each airman received a service number. Mine was 922297.Afterwards we were officially Airmen of the rank of Aircraftsman 2nd Class. Each Airman received an Identity Card RAF Form 1250 and Identity Discs; called 'Dog Tags', both to be carried on the person at all times, uniform, kit and accoutrements. The kit was
such items as shaving brush, button stick, cleaning brushes, knife, fork, spoon, mug, kit bag. and mess tin. The button stick is still in my possession. The accoutrements were, webbing belt and harness to support a haversack, water bottle and bayonet, finally there was a gas mask. In the evening. the new recruits were off duty. I went to the cinema in Uxbridge town.
The new intake of Airman were mustered for training as Airframe Mechanics and on the
Wednesday. we travelled by troop train to the training school at Morecambe in Lancashire, On the way to the railway, station at Uxbridge small local boys offered to carry the heavy kitbags for a few pennies, an offer taken up by many of the new Airmen. It was obvious that the lads were well versed in the routines of the RAF and were showing enterprise. Each group carried food rations for the long slow journey and at various stops on the way urns of tea appeared. Some of the recruits passed the time by playing cards. This was wartime and the trains were steam driven, Rail traffic was heavy with troops and war material on the move.
Towards evening, the train arrived at Morecambe. The Airmen
then were marched round the streets and given accommodation in private houses known as billets. Billets were private houses where the occupants with space to spare were required by law to accommodate Service Personnel. Compulsory billeting is only authorised by Parliament in wartime, Three of us found ourselves in rather a poor billet whereas some other Airmen found relative luxury, a home from home atmosphere, The billeting was rather unexpected as everyone thought we would be in Royal Air Force Station barracks.
The technical training took place in various commandeered large garages and factories,
Tuition was by lectures and practical work amongst a collection of Aircraft and Aircraft parts, workbenches, tables and chairs completed the layout of what was a large classroom. Here I was in my element and enthusiasm made it easy to learn and the practical work was most satisfying. A Fairy Battle was in the classroom. It was the first aircraft that I was able to inspect and sit in.
[page break]
Towards the end of December the course was finished and we became
qualified Flight Mechanics . A' (for Airframe) and were promoted to
Aircraftsman 1 SI Class. Over the Christmas, I went home in uniform for the
first time, I carried posting instructions [or a new unit. On this leave, there
was a shot down German Me 109 fighter Aircraft at Park Farm. Later 1 would
be required to dismantle crashed German Aircraft.
The new unit was No.2S7 Hurricane Fighter Squadron whose Commanding Officer was
Squadron' Leader Stanford-Tuck, one of The Few of the Battle of Britain. Soon my new skills were tested. This was a fighter squadron. The Aircraft took off to repel approaching enemy Aircraft. The term used was "scrambled" When the alarm sounded, the mechanics would rush to their allotted aircraft to assist the pilot into their parachute harness and strap them in the cockpit seat. When the engine was started and the Aircraft ready to go the wheel chocks would be removed before positioning oneself at a wing tip to help turn the aircraft if necessary and then salute to the pilot before he took of It was then a wait, hoping that all aircraft would return. Sometimes they did not return and everyone waited for any news of what had happened.
After three months on No.2S7 Fighter Squadron, it was time for more training at RAF
Innsworth near Gloucester for a three-month course to increase my skills to that of a Fitter. The course finished in July, 1941 and I was re-mustered to a Fitter HA in the rank of
Leading Aircraftsman after being in the Royal Air Force for the happiest year of my life, so
far, despite the fact that there was a war on.
The new posting was to No.71 Maintenance Unit at Slough in Buckinghamshire. Arriving
there, I found that the unit was in a commandeered garage close to the Hawker Aircraft
factory at Langley. The factory was manufacturing Hurricane aircraft.
At Slough, one of my billets was in the suburb of Wrexham with a gentle old couple in a tiny cottage near to the hospital. They were charming and gracious and treated me like a son. At one stage, there was a month's detachment to the RAF Station at Cosford in Shropshire to do a Junior Non Commissioned Officers course to learn the disciplinary aspects of service life and leadership. The course member's accommodation was in Fulton block, a barrack that was a byword in the service for its extremely high standard. Here we were taught the art of commanding Airmen on parade and of Air Force Law. I returned to Slough as a Corporal and given charge of a servicing patty.
Not long afterwards I was sent to RAF Burtonwood in Lancashire to study the American
Boston aircraft. It was not long before my part)' went to service a Boston Aircraft at Royal Air Force Manston in Kent. This was the airfield of my boyhood dreams when living close by with my grandparents. The work was in a hanger that had escaped the German bombing; it still stands today, and is close beside the road that goes through the centre of the aerodrome. 1 have such memories of travelling that road in the years before. .
One morning there was a damaged Short Stirling bomber standing outside the hanger. It
was very impressive, long and tall and the biggest we had seen. This type of Aircraft was
new to the Royal Air Force. The basic wing and engine were of the Short Sunderland
Seaplanes design. The sight of the Stirling was very impressive.
This was the day the 2nd of May 1942 when I flew on my first ever flight. The Station
Commander had come to the hanger to fly a small tandem two-seat aircraft and I ask him if I could fly with him. He replied by saying, "Go and get a parachute", We flew over
Canterbury to see the damaged caused by the German raid during the night. This day would trigger a drastic change in my service career.
After the servicing of the Boston Aircraft at Manston, the party returned to Slough travelling once more by train with heavy toolboxes. A few days later there appeared on the Daily Routine Orders an appeal for Aircraft Fitters to volunteer for Hying duties as Flight Engineers to assist Pilots in flying the new four engine bombers that were rapidly coming into service; the Stirling's, Halifax's and Lancaster's. The experiences at Manston made me volunteer.
My next servicing party duty was at RAF West Mailing to repair a Hurricane where the
Squadron' there were flying Boston's. Here I was able to get a flight in the back cockpit with the Radar Operator. The aircraft was practising radar interception and we were flying along the South Coast. Fortunately, we encountered no German aircraft.
The next serving job was another Boston at Hunsden in Essex where I was informed that I was required to report to the Aircrew Selection Centre in Euston Road. London for a
medical examination to see if I was tit enough for Aircrew duties. I passed the examination and went to RAF St Athan in South Wales for aircrew training as a Flight Engineer. It was October 1942 when training commenced.
Being an Airframe Fitter the first part of the course was 011 the theory of Aircraft engines and their construction, working, servicing requirements and finally on how to operate them for maximum efficiency particularly in relation to range flying.
After engine theory, it was instruction on the airframe side of the Lancaster airframe. The flying controls, the fuel system, and the hydraulics that operated the undercarriage and the flaps and other miscellaneous services. There were vacuum and air pressure systems to drive instruments, automatic pilots, wheel brakes and other emergency apparatus. The aim of the course was to understand the whole Aircraft. Part of the course included a week's visit to the Rolls Royce Engine factory at Derby and a week's visit to the Aircraft factory of A.V. Roe at Chadderton.
Finally, there was a short course at Stormy Down in South Wales on air gunnery and gun
turrets. For the Flight Engineer to know something of gun turrets and gunnery was to not only complete the knowledge of the Aircraft but also so that an Engineer could operate a gun turret especially during low level, mine laying when the Bomb Aimer was busy.
The course was finished at the end of December and the successful course members
promoted to the rank of Sergeant Aircrew and awarded the coveted Flight Engineers flying badge. It was time to leave Wales where it seemed to be always raining.
Lancaster Aircraft - Flying Training
My new unit was No.1661 Heavy Conversion Unit at the Royal Air Force Station at
Winthorpe just outside the town of Newark in Nottinghamshire. Here I joined my aircrew to form a seven man crew to fly Lancaster's.
On the 20th February 1943 the all sergeant aircrew assembled at the Aircraft dispersal point with a Flight Sergeant Staff Pilot Instructor to fly on their first flight together as a crew. This was to familiarise themselves with a new type of Aircraft. Disappointedly we found that the Aircraft was an Avro Manchester and not a Lancaster. The Manchester was a two engine aircraft and was unsuitable for Squadron operational service. The shortage of Lancaster aircraft had made it necessary to use them for the initial training of new crews at the Heavy Conversion Units. This particular Manchester was No.L7398. which had seen operational service on Nos.49, 97 and 106 Squadrons. It was in poor condition and did not inspire confidence.
Now it was my job as the engineer to see that all external protective covers had been
removed from the aircraft and the inspection panels checked for security as they could cause a great hazard if they came oft' in flight. That the flying control locks and undercarriage safety struts on the aircraft were removed. The caps of the petrol tank filler had to be checked for security before priming the engines with petrol ready for the start up. With pre- flight checks done I would secure the entrance door, stow the entrance ladder and go to my position beside the pilot to start the engines and assist with the preparations for take-off.
On this first familiarisation flight, the Instructor F/Sgt Hamilton said to me "Watch what I do". This was to be only my third time in the air. an event in its own right. Now I was to be instructed how to assist the pilot in flying the Aircraft. The Instructor did the take-off.
talking and demonstrating as he did so to both the Pilot and me. Away from the airfield he showed the handling characteristics of the Aircraft, its flying and stalling speed in various configurations. Jock my Pilot would then try the various manoeuvres himself to get the feel of the Aircraft. The duration of this first flight was 1.55hrs. We did a total of six hours with the Instructor mostly on circuits of the airfield with landings and overshoots of the runway.
On the 26th February we did our first flight in the Manchester without an instructor and went on to fly a total of eleven hours mostly on circuits and landings with some bombing and air firing exercises.
On the 6th March 1943. the day came for conversion to the Lancaster and after three hours flying with an Instructor we took off in Lancaster No.W4190 for a further period of
practising circuits and landings. On the 13th March, we flew Lancaster NO.R5541 on a six-
hour cross-country flight followed by periods of flying by night with the emphasis on taking
[page break]
off and landing in the dark. After a total of 53 hours, flying on the 24'h March the crew
became proficient and ready for full operational flying.
On the 26'h March 1943, we went to No.49 Bomber Squadron at RAF Fiskerton, an airfield about five miles east of Lincoln. Lincoln Cathedral was to become very prominent to us in the next few months for on most take offs the runway use was East to West which took the aircraft directly over the cathedral.
On the 31st March, we flew our first flight on an operational squadron with some local flying in Lancaster Mark III No. EO 452, followed during the next two weeks, with practice bombing sorties, air firing and cross-country flying. On the ground, there were practices drills tor emergencies and explanations as to what to do in a crash landing and how to escape from the aircraft by parachute. In addition survival if forced down into the sea.
By the 12'h April Jock the pilot had already flown on two operational bombing flights over Germany as second Pilot with other crews to gain experience of flying amongst enemy defences before taking his own crew as Captain of an Aircraft.
Before we commence serious bombing, operations let us look inside the Lancaster to give you some idea of the duties and conditions under which the crew work. As the Engineer I would be the last crewman to board after I had checked that all flying services were free to operate and that all inspection panels and fuel tank filler caps were closed and secure.
Starting at the entrance door note the red tops of the entrance ladder, immediately inside the fuselage there is a flare chute. This carries a high velocity flare that is dropped at the same time as the bombs to photograph and record the bomb strike. To the left are two stowage's one for the Rear Gunners parachute and one for a portable oxygen bottle. We then see into the rear gun turret.
Above the entrance door is stowage for the entrance ladder. It was my duty as the engineer to see that the ladder was in the stowage and the door locked and to inform the pilot. Close by the door to the front is suspended a remote recording compass positioned here away from all radio and electrical interference: the readings were Shown on instruments in the pilots and navigator’s positions.
Going forward up the fuselage we pass under the Mid Upper Gun Turret. On the port side is a rest bed for use if a crew member is injured. Underneath it are 16 bottles for the supply of oxygen to the crew at altitude. Here I would see that the master cock was on and I would monitor the supply to all the aircrew positions from my controls in the cockpit.
Now we come to the front cockpit with the Pilots control column with his flight instruments on the left. On the right are the Engineers engine controls and instruments. There are further engineer's fuel controls and instruments on the right side of the cockpit. I did have a drop down seat but most of the time I stood up as I was required to move about.
On the 13th, our names appeared on the Battle Order tor operations that night to fly
Lancaster Mark III No. EO 620. The decisive moment had come for us, the apprehension
before each bombing operation was to start. These feelings were relieved to some extent by doing all the preparations necessary before take off.
The first thing to do was to fly the Aircraft on a Night Flying Test (an NFT). This was to
ensure that everything was working satisfactorily before the bombs and the correct fuel load for the flight were loaded on the Aircraft. Afterwards the time was with things personal, this included having a meal, and resting.
Later we would dress in the clothes suitable to withstand the cold of the particular aircrew position in the Aircraft. Air from the two inboard engines warmed the main cockpit.
Soon it was time for the briefing. There
There was a buzz of excitement as we trooped into the briefing room. There was a gasp as the route map on the wall was uncovered and the Target shown as the docks at La Spezia in the north of Italy. This would be a very long flight requiring full petrol tanks and flying for maximum range. Two hundred and eight Lancaster's and three Halifax's were to attack. A good point about this operation was that the route was out and back over the South Coast of England and the South of France where the defences were relatively light.
The next thing was to go to the Locker Room to collected flying kit helmet, parachute and flying boots. I also carried a toolkit. During the flight. I had to complete a log of engine conditions every twenty minutes. The other crew members would also collect their flying kit together with those things necessary to their particular duty: maps and charts, target details, radio frequencies, a sextant for the Navigator a carrier pigeon for the Wireless Operator. Each crew member would also have received in flight rations of sandwiches, a tin of orange juice and a bar of chocolate.
Now came the worst part of the preparations, waiting outside the locker room for the buses to take each crew to their Aircraft. It was at these times that the stomach would churn needed a call to the latrines as one thought of what lay ahead. This could be a nuisance when all dressed up and ready to go. There would be banter for some, quietness for others at this time and during the drive out to the Aircraft dispersed around the airfield.
At the Aircraft, the Pilot and Engineer reported to the dispersal Flight Office to check the
Aircraft loading and talk to the ground staff and the Pilot would sign the Aircraft logbook.
Before flight. as the Engineer, I inspected the aircraft both inside and out. This was to see
that everything was in order and that a battery trolley was plugged in for starting the engine and there was ground crew standing by to prime the engines with fuel before i1 was time for the crew to board. Each crew member would do his check of his particular part or the aircraft.
I would now secure the entrance door and stow the ladder. Moving forward up the fuselage I would see that the oxygen supply under the rest bed was turned on and the electrics were connected to the external battery trolley I would then take my place on the right hand side of the cockpit beside the pilot. Here we would start the engines and do the pre-flight checks.
The flying kit included:
A helmet with a microphone, earphones and an
Oxygen mask
A Mae West Life jacket
An observer type parachute harness
A parachute pack
Flying boots
Gloves, these were both silk and leather.
Woollen underwear.
On seeing a green Verey light from the control tower, it was time to taxiing to the runway for take-off. I was checking engine temperatures and oil pressure, as it was easy for engines to overheat at this stage. The Pilot called up each member at his crew position to see if all was ready for take-off.
Before the turn westwards. This very long first operational bombing flight at maximum
range had been quite a lesson. The Battle of the Ruhr started in March 1943. The aircrew, because of the intensity of the defence's searchlights, fighters and anti- Aircraft fire, knew the Ruhr area as Happy Valley.
On the 261h April, we attacked Duisburg with five hundred and sixty other aircraft. The Ruhr area was visible for miles away, a solid ring of searchlights surrounded it. Inside the ring. it was a fireworks display of rising shells. shell bursts, tracer gunfire and marker flares. Seeing the Ruhr for the first time made me gasp and I said, "How do we get through there" no one answered, each had his own thoughts. the Navigator in his blacked out compartment declined to look.
Soon we passed through the searchlight belt and were amongst the anti-aircraft bursts and tracer fire, the Pilot, the two Gunners and me, keeping a sharp lookout for other Aircraft to avoid collision and for enemy fighters. We saw Aircraft exploding, some catching fire and going down. others in searchlights. I was standing up at this time being required to move about to operate controls and to be able to read and to make a record of the instruments. The run up to the Target flying straight and level seemed to take a very long time although in reality it was only minutes. When the bombs left the aircraft, I would feel the movement of the cockpit t1oor. This was a relief. The Aircraft would rise up from the sudden loss of weight and the aircraft remained on course until the photo flash had gone off and the camera had recorded the bomb strike Only then was the Aircraft turned and dived away to get out of the target area. To look down from 20.000ft and see the great area of fire and the bombs bursting was a sight I would never forget. The explosions of the heavy 4000Ib bombs affected the Aircraft. This t1ight took five hours and was without mishap but 17 other Aircraft were lost that night.
On the 281h April, we tried to drop magnetic mines off the coast of Juist in the Fresian
Islands together with two hundred and six other aircraft. The weather was bad in the area, dark, rain and low cloud. At 500ft in cloud and bad visibility. the target area could not be located. Because the position of mines in the sea had to be known. they were returned to base. One hundred and sixty seven of the Aircraft laid 593 mines in the area of the islands that night. Twenty-two Aircraft failed to return. This was the greatest loss on any mining during the war. It was the only mining sortie undertaken by us.
The bombing operations continued. What was I doing in these frequent infernos? What had made me volunteer for aircrew duties in the year before not expecting this? It was not my knowledge of the German tyranny: so much of that had been, and still was, unknown or knowing that Germany had unlawfully invaded and conquered the countries of Europe, had bombed England and would have subjugated the British Isle as well if they had not been stopped in 1940. Fate had decreed I would be here because of my love for aeroplanes, and, if I was destined to be a combatant. what better way was there than to do this. The results of bombs dropped on German military Targets gave me no qualms of conscience, even if they fell on houses and killed civilians. All Germans had participated in the Nazi fanaticism of world domination and their excesses, these and the Italian had to be stopped.
It is not practicable to describe each raid but some are worthy of note especially the first two raids on Hamburg that started those great fire storms.
13'h May Aircraft Lancaster EO 452 Target Pilsen in Czechoslovakia. There was the instance where the target was the Skoda factory at Pilsen a place deep in the cast of Europe. Out over the North Sea, the starboard inner engine shed its exhaust flame
cover and some of the cylinder exhausts. In the dark a long sheet of flame curled back over the leading edge of the wing, this would have been a fire risk and a beacon to enemy night
[page break]
fighters. The engine was shut down and the airscrew feathered. The Aircraft now lost air
speed and was no longer able to keep up with the rest of the force; it would become a sitting duck to the opposing fighters. It was time to return to base to live to fight another day. It was dangerous to land with a 4000lb bomb on the Aircraft. It was dropped into the North Sea.
Arriving back at base still heavily laden with 6 x 500lb bombs and a large quantity of fuel
on board the Flying Control gave instructions to land on the short South West/North East
runway. This was to avoid any obstruction on the main East/West runway in case of mishap and with the subsequent need to divert the other returning squadron Aircraft to another airfield. The approach to the runway was faster than normal because of the high landing weight and with a gusty side wind blowing the aircraft floated before touchdown. With the heavy load and poor braking the pilot realised he could not stop before the end of the runway and shouted a warning to his crew to brace. ED452 plunged off the end of the runway into a field and the undercarriage collapsed. With fear of immediate fire and explosion. I quickly had the escape hatch in the roof of the cockpit off and dived straight out ignoring the drop from the top of the fuselage to the ground. The rest of the crew quickly followed and all ran as fast as possible across the field to get away. Fortunately, neither tire nor explosion occurred and the crash crews were soon on the scene. Taffy the Rear Gunner suffered a severe shake-up in the crash and was not able to fly again. We went to the sick quarters for a medical check.
At one time, we flew a total of 22.15hrs on 4 nights in 7 days in stressful conditions and
were very tired. In May. the darkness of night was quite short. Take off was always late in the evenings. By the time, aircraft had landed and crews had been collected from dispersal, removed their flying clothing at the locker room and then been de-briefed at the Intelligence Section it would be daylight. Sleep was difficult before returning to the airfield by 11.00hrs to carry out a Night Flying Test (NFT) in readiness for the next flight.
On the 121h July. we flew to Turin in Italy. Two hundred and ninety five Lancaster's took part on this raid in clear weather conditions. The view of the snow-covered Alps was fantastic. To see the twinkling lights of neutral Switzerland and later Sweden when leaving Berlin, was quite something. Once again. it had been a long flight at maximum range. LM 306 was short of fuel when nearing the South Coast of England and the aircraft landed at Exeter. We returned to base later in the day.
On the 121h August, we flew to Italy again to attack Milan. This was another long night.
Over the Alps, there were storms and flying in cloud. St. Elmos Fire danced across the
windscreen and ice formed on the airframe resulting in a lower bombing height of 17.700ft because of the extra weight. It was a successful raid with only three Aircraft lost. The Alfa Romeo motor works, the railway station and the La Scala opera house suffered substantial damage.
LM 306 had now completed three operations in four days with a total of22.30h1's flying. It is not surprising that we had little sleep over those four days. It was a great relief to have leave. After debriefing, a meal and a change of uniform we travelled into Lincoln on the bus to catch a train to our respective homes. Two of us were travelling to London on the first part of our journey and after changing to a very full train at Grantham we both fell asleep exhausted in the corridor all the way to London and other passengers just walked over us.
There was relief, as always, as the enemy coast was crossed but no one could relax because of possible dangers ahead. The North Sea was very wide, wet and cold. Mechanical failures could occur from various causes not least from unsuspected enemy damage. The chances of survival jf forced down into the North Sea were minimal. There was always the chance of bad weather over the base and collisions with other circling aircraft waiting to land. The circuits of other adjacent airfields were very close. It was easy to approach the
[page break]
wrong runway. There was also the possibility of enemy intruder aircraft in the airfield circuit.
One night we were returning below cloud at 3.000ft just off Cromer with other aircraft. Navigation lights were on. Suddenly cannon fire hit the aircraft. It was from the British Navy. Also attacked was Aircraft JB 235 of the squadron. The noise was uncanny as red-hot shrapnel passed through the fuselage close beside us. We waited to see if any faults developed but things. so far, appeared normal. The Pilot called for reports and the Navigator said "Ralph's been hit." Ralph was the Wireless Operator and sat in the centre of the aircraft with his back against the hefty main spar; this no doubt had shielded him from more serious injury. Squeezing past the Navigator I went to Ralphs aid to see that he had received wounds in his legs and shoulder area but the most serious at the time was a hole through one of his hands. Getting the first aid, J applied bandages and put a tourniquet on the wrist before going back to my duties in the front cockpit leaving the Navigator to watch
Ralph. I returned later to release the tourniquet to prevent gangrene setting in.
At Dunholme Lodge, the weather was foul with low cloud and driving rain. The aircraft was required to circle for some time before getting position six for landing. Air Traffic Control had been informed that on board was a wounded aircrew member. Eventually the turn came to land but on the downwind leg of the landing circuit it was found that the undercarriage would not come down; it was obvious that the hydraulic fluid from the system had been lost. There was damage in the bomb bay area where the pipes were located. Fortunately, the emergency air system was working and r was able to lower the undercarriage and flaps. The landing was very heavy.
At dispersal, when the engines were shut down. the levers that operated the fuel cocks tailed to work and hung loosely down. The control cables in the bomb bay had been severed. Fortunately, no petrol lines to the engines had been damage. There were shattered bomb doors. broken pipes and cables, holes in the tail plane and flying control rods shot through, luckily they held to keep control of the rudders and elevator. This new aircraft was taken out of service after one bombing trip. The original crew was now down to five having lost Ralph and Taffy and spare aircrew were to fill the rear gun turret and the wireless position on subsequent operations. Jock, the Pilot, had been a Warrant Officer since the 61h of June and was now commissioned to the rank of Pilot Officer. Jimmy the Navigator, Hugh the
Bomb Aimer and I were Flight Sergeants.
2nd October. Lancaster EO 426. Take off 18.36. Target Munich. 03.15
Two hundred and ninety-three Lancaster has attacked the target. Eight were .lost.
EO 426 bombed at 22.41 from 19,000ft.
On the 20lh October after a raid on Leipzig Jock, the Pilot completed his tour of
30 operations and afterwards we sadly broke up leaving the others to complete
their tours flying as spares with different crews. I still had four more to do. No
longer would we men experience the close friendship and respect that had built up over the last ten months flying, living and working together and going out on the town. This would not be experienced again.
A commission was granted to Jimmy the Navigator. He left the Service in 1946.
Sergeant G Green was demobilised in 1945. Since those days. there has been no
contact with them but I was proud to have served with them.
· "
I stayed on in the squadron as the Flight Engineer Leader. During the next five
months I flew as a spare Engineer. To Berlin with P/O Rowntree on the 21" January 1944.
To Leipzig on the 191h February with Pit off Dickinson. To Stuttgart with the Sqn CO Wing Commander Adams.
My last one was on the 151h March to Stuttgart again with Pilot Officer Lett.
906 Aircrew of No. 49 Squadron failed to return. This was a loss rate of 33 of the Aircrew who flew with the Squadron. Fifty years later, on the 241h April 1994 a Roll of Honour showing their Number. Rank and Name, date of death and place of burial in a foreign field was dedicated in the Fiskerton village Church of St. Clement of Rome.
In May 1995, a memorial was placed in the centre of the old airfield at Fiskerton to all those who were lost and those who served on the Station during the two and a half years from January 1943 to mid-1945.
I flew 211.50hrs by night on 30 sorties over enemy territory plus 2 almost to the enemy
coast. Seventeen of the sorties had been in one Lancaster Aircraft No. LM 306 with the
Squadron letters EA-F (F for Freddie). The Targets were The Ruhr = 11. Berlin = tour. Italy
= three. Hamburg = 2. 11 other German Targets and one Mining operation. I remember the stress, the tiredness. fear, and the pride in belonging to Bomber Command.
My next posting was in April 1944 to RAF Winthorpe near Newark where I had done my
flying training, there to be a Staff Flight Engineer Flying Instructor. This was not much fun, as we had to fly old Stirling aircraft to teach new crews. This was to save new Lancaster's for the operational squadrons.
Soon after my arrival there, I saw a Stirling approaching the airfield at about 1500 feet. The port outer engine caught tire and within minutes, it dived into the airfield and exploded. The new crew of seven, a Staff Pilot and a Staff Engineer died.
On one flight. I had an engine doing 3800 revolutions when the maximum was 2800. There was every risk of the airscrew shearing off and hitting the cockpit. Fortunately. we got it under control.
After a few weeks and 32 hours of flying, 13 of them at night. I was sent out to all the
Stations in Number Five Group Bomber Command to lecture on the new Airborne Lifeboat that was being introduced to the Air Sea Rescue Squadrons. When this was finished. I returned to my base at RAF Scampton and on the \91h July 1944 I was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
Whilst visiting RAF Strubby the Commanding Officer informed me that I had been
decorated. The London Gazette had promulgated the award of the Distinguished Flying
Medal. (L.G Volume 11 1944 Page T. J Entry 3090) The public Record Office reference is
ZJ1 985.' The Pilot "Jock" Morrison was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
On Tuesday the 161h February 1947 I was posted to No.44 (Rhodesia) Squadron' at Royal Air Force Wyton in
Huntingdonshire. On the Wednesday, I was once again in the air
flying as a Flight Engineer in Avro Lincoln aircraft a larger
version of the Lancaster. Now back where [ belonged there
began the happiest two years of my RAF life.
The months of 1947 passed with plenty of flying, it was different and relaxed after the hectic and dangerous wartime operations. On the 121h November, there was a pleasant flight out to Egypt to deliver spare parts to some of the squadron's aircraft. They were on detachment to RAF Shallufa in the Canal Zone. The Pilot was FIt. Lt. Cumber and the aircraft Lancaster No.TW 909. this being my first flight with a landing outside England in a foreign country.
The first part of the flight was to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire for custom clearance. At
23.05hrs, we took off to fly by night to RAF Castel Benito in Tripolitania on the North
Coast of Africa. Prior to World War II Caste I Benito had been an Italian airfield and during the war the German Luftwaffe had used it. Later the airfield was renamed Castel Idris and in years after it became the International Airport for Tripoli.
The next day it was a short flight along the North African coast to Shaliufa in Egypt passing over the great battle areas of Sollum, El Alamein and Knightsbridge. On this flight, I flew the aircraft for two hours. RAF Shallufa was beside the Suez Canal and it was quite a sight to see large ships appearing to be travelling across the sand and to experience an RAF airfield in a hot desert.
After three days. we took off for the return flight to the UK via Castel Benito making a
detour to flyover the Pyramids and the Sphinx. On the 20lh November. we arrived back at Wyton after a total flying time of 25.40hrs.
On the 1st March 1948, the Squadron flew out to RAF Shallufa in Egypt for a month' s stay on exercises. I f1ewas the Flight Engineer to FIt. Lt. Bristow in Lincoln No. RF 426.
On the 241h March with Fit. Lt. West in Lincoln RF 514, we flew to Khartoum in the Sudan for an overnight stay returning to Shallufa the next day. This round trip took 11.20hrs. On the 31" March. the whole Squadron return to Wyton via an overnight stop at Caste! Benito.
In May 1948, the whole Squadron was engaged in preparations for Operation "Chessboard". This was to be a goodwill visit to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) at the invitation or the Government. It was in recognition by the Royal Air Force to the people of Southern Rhodesia for the Rhodesians. who had served, and those who had been lost, with the Royal Air Force during the war.
\ ,..
On the following day. the Squadron flew on to R.A.F Shallufa 'in the Canal Zone of Egypt for a three-day rest and for servicing of the aircraft. This flight took 6 and half hours.
The journey continued from Shallufa on the 14th flying along the Nile Valley to Khartoum in the Sudan for an overnight stop. From Khartoum it was on to Nairobi in Kenya the next day for another overnight stop.
On the 16th it was on to the Belvedere airport at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. The outward flight took 38hrs 2Smins. This was to be the base for the Squadrons stay in the Country. The aircraft arrived over Belvedere in formation and after landing the personnel paraded for a reception by the Prime Minister Sir Godfrey Huggins.
In the evening the Officers and Airmen attended a Government banquet and a highlight for me at this function was to sit next to, and talk with, the Prime Minister, Sir Godfrey,
There was now a two day rest for the Squadron. On the 181h Barney and I with the rest of our crew took off to take mosaic photographs of the area of Salisbury tor the local authority. We think it was tor a proposed building of a Dam on Lake Kariba. It was a flight of over five hours.
On the 19th and 20th the Squadron did formation flying over Rhodesia to be seen. On the
second of the flights we had on board a passenger Mr Catsicas the Mayor of Umtali a Town in the NE of the country.
The Squadron now had a two stand down. The Squadron personnel were split up into groups of six to be the guests of prominent Rhodesians. Barney and .1 with two of our aircrew and or the two of our ground staff were to be the guests of the Mayor of Umtali. This involved a long overnight sleeper journey in a rather antiquated colonial train to Umtali there and back. This was an experience. Barney and I were the guests of the Mayor. The entertainment of Sun downer Parties of good food and drink in comparison to conditions at home was appreciated' There were visits to the Vumba Mountains and an upmarket Hotel the Leopards Rock. We were also taken to Gold Mine and an orange orchard. What lovely orange juice it was.
On the 26'h June the squadron flew from Belvedere to Kamala Airport Bulawayo flying over the Victoria Falls on the way. Here was another Sun downer Party and an overnight stay as guests of the locals. Barney and I stayed with a lady Doctor.
We returned to Salisbury on the 281h. On the 29th we took off to return home via the way we had flown out. We arrived back at RAF Wyton on the 5th July having flown for over 80 hours.
t .~
•
nearly one thousand hours of flying my General Duties flying career was ending. It was two
very happy years on 44 Squadron.
This was not the end of my duties in Bomber Command. In January 1949 I was posted to
Headquarters No. 3 Group Bomber Command for Intelligence duties for while on 44
Squadron I had attended Intelligence and PR Courses. After Three months I was
moved on to Headquarters Bomber Command at High Wycombe for Intelligence duties.
The post was for a junior in the Intelligence Section of four Officers. A few years before my
wartime flying destiny had been under the command of Air Chief Marshal! Sir Arthur Harris
(Bomber Harris), My feelings when working in the underground Operations Room from
where my wartime flying operations had been ordered and controlled cannot be described.
My new Commander in Chief was Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh P Lloyd. One day in the
Officers Mess there was the pleasure of meeting and talking to Marshall of the Royal Air
Force Sir Hugh Trenchard the Father of the RAF.
The posting to High Wycombe was ended in January 1951, when as a Secretarial Officer I
was required to attend an Accountant Officers Course. After the course. 1 was posted to
No.9 School of Recruit Training at RAF Bridgnorth in Shropshire to be an Accountant
Officer. This involved collecting cash from the local Bank, the payment of bills, the
accounting for the cash transactions and the conducting of pay parades for the Airman.
So ended my service in Bomber Command.
Dublin Core
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Title
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My life in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command
Description
An account of the resource
Writes of early life and mentions beginning of the war and volunteering for the air force in January 1940. Continues with account of initial training and mustering as an airframe mechanic and subsequent technical training. Describes first posting to 257 Hurricane Squadron, advance training and subsequent postings as fitter IIA including travelling around the country to fix aircraft. Continues with account of aircrew selection and training as a flight engineer which included visit to A V Roe factory at Chadderton. Followed by account of aircrew training and his roll as a flight engineer on Lancaster and Manchester and crewing up. Includes list and photographs of crew. Posted to 49 Squadron at RAF Fiskerton. He then provides a detailed description of duties of each crew member and the interior of a Lancaster and lists flying kit used. Goes on to describe all activities concerned with preparation for and flying an operation. Continues by describing highlights of a number of operations and mentions battle of the Ruhr, weather, aircraft damage and , being shot at and diverting to RAF Dunholme Lodge with casualties. List the subsequent history of all his crew after completing their tour. Continues with account of staying on the squadron as flight engineer leader and flying on several more operations. Summarises his operational flying and gives account of subsequent postings as a staff flight engineer instructor. Concludes with account of post war postings and activities.
Creator
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T J Page
Format
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Seventeen page printed document with b/w photographs
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Memoir
Identifier
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BPageTJPageTJv1
Coverage
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Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Fighter Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
England--Ramsgate
England--Middlesex
England--Buckinghamshire
England--Slough
England--Shropshire
Wales--Vale of Glamorgan
England--Derbyshire
England--Derby
England--Greater Manchester
England--Oldham
Wales--Bridgend
England--Lincolnshire
Germany
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Friesland
Czech Republic
Czech Republic--Plzeň
Italy
Italy--Turin
Italy--Milan
Germany--Munich
Germany--Leipzig
England--Nottinghamshire
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Lancashire
Germany--Juist Island
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939-09-03
1940-01
1940-07-19
1941-07
1942-05-02
1943-02-26
1943-03-06
1943-03-26
1943-04-26
1943-05-13
1943-07-12
1943-08-12
1943-10-02
1943-10-20
1944-04
1944-07-19
1947-02-16
Contributor
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David Bloomfield
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
1661 HCU
44 Squadron
49 Squadron
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
anti-aircraft fire
Battle
bombing
Boston
briefing
crash
crewing up
Distinguished Flying Medal
fitter airframe
flight engineer
flight mechanic
ground crew
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
Hurricane
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Lincoln
Manchester
Me 109
memorial
mess
military ethos
military living conditions
military service conditions
mine laying
perception of bombing war
promotion
RAF Benson
RAF Bridgnorth
RAF Burtonwood
RAF Cosford
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Fiskerton
RAF High Wycombe
RAF Manston
Raf Mauripur
RAF Padgate
RAF Scampton
RAF Shallufa
RAF St Athan
RAF Stormy Down
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Winthorpe
RAF Wyton
recruitment
searchlight
shot down
Stirling
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/934/36538/MLovattP1821369-190903-74-01.1.pdf
fb8bdc0a3359bad330631a99725ecf91
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/934/36538/MLovattP1821369-190903-74-02.1.2.pdf
518e2b514f18dba39e9302770bce90ba
Dublin Core
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Title
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Lovatt, Peter
Dr Peter Lovatt
P Lovatt
Description
An account of the resource
117 items. An oral history interview with Peter Lovatt (b.1924, 1821369 Royal Air Force), his log book, documents, and photographs. The collection also contains two photograph albums. He flew 42 operations as an air gunner on 223 Squadron flying B-24s. <br /><br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/1338">Album One</a><br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2135">Album Two</a><br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Nina and Peter Lovatt and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2017-09-27
2019-09-03
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
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Lovatt, P
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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The Offensive Phase
Volume Two of Two
Creator
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Peter Lovatt
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Norway--Trondheim
France--Brest
Russia (Federation)
England--Hartland
England--Beer Head
Europe--Elbe River
England--Dover
England--Folkestone
England--London
France--Bruneval
France--Pas-de-Calais
Germany--Lübeck
Germany--Rostock
England--Norwich
England--Cheadle (Staffordshire)
England--Salcombe
England--Sidmouth
France--Cherbourg
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Dunkerque
France--Cassel
England--Salisbury
Russia (Federation)--Kola Peninsula
Russia (Federation)--Arkhangelʹskai︠a︡ oblastʹ
Germany--Berlin
Poland--Szczecin
France--Desvres
France--Arcachon
France--Nantes
France--Chartres
France--Reims
England--Swanage
England--Malvern
England--Plymouth
France--Lorient
England--Lincoln
Scotland--Edinburgh
England--Hull
England--London
England--Bristol
France--Montdidier (Hauts-de-France)
England--Guildford
France--Poix-du-Nord
Germany--Mannheim
Czech Republic--Pilsen Basin
England--Harpenden
France--Morlaix
Spain--Lugo
Spain--Seville
England--Radlett (Hertfordshire)
Germany--Cologne
France--Boulogne-Billancourt
Germany--Rostock
Germany--Essen
Germany--Schleswig-Holstein
Belgium--Liège
Germany--Bremen
England--High Wycombe
Germany--Osnabrück
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
England--Sizewell
Germany--Peenemünde
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Munich
Germany--Kassel
England--Crowborough
England--Huddersfield
Netherlands--Den Helder
England--Mundesley
Germany--Schweinfurt
Europe--Baltic Sea Region
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Wolfenbüttel
Germany--Magdeburg
France--Limoges
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Germany--Leipzig
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Munich
Germany--Schweinfurt
Germany--Augsburg
France--Yvelines
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Kiel
Poland--Poznań
France--Dieppe
Turkey--Gallipoli
Egypt--Alamayn
Egypt--Cairo
Morocco
Algeria
Italy--Sicily
England--Ventnor
England--Beachy Head
France--Abbeville
France--Somme
France--Seine River
England--Southampton
England--Portsmouth
Scotland--Firth of Forth
Iceland
England--Brighton
France--Normandy
France--Cherbourg
England--Littlehampton
England--Portland Harbour
France--Amiens
Netherlands--Arnhem
France--Normandy
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
France--Le Havre
France--Arromanches-les-Bains
France--Bayeux
Belgium--Wenduine
France--Beauvais
England--Ditchling
England--Henfield (West Sussex)
England--Canterbury
England--Crowborough
England--Dover
England--Chiswick
Netherlands--Hague
Sweden
Belgium--Antwerp
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Trier
Germany--Siegfried Line
Netherlands--New Maas River
Netherlands--Waal River
Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)
Germany--Darmstadt
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Braunschweig
Netherlands--Walcheren
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Cologne
Europe--Ardennes
Belgium--Bastogne
Germany--Leuna
Germany--Essen
Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Ulm
Rhine River Valley
Germany--Mittelland Canal
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Castrop-Rauxel
Germany--Hannover
Belgium--Houffalize
Germany--Neuss
Germany--Grevenbroich
Germany--Dülmen
Germany--Dresden
Germany--Leipzig
Germany--Magdeburg
Germany--Bonn
Germany--Kamen
Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal
Germany--Chemnitz
Germany--Dessau (Dessau)
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Kiel
England--Coventry
Italy
Poland
France
Great Britain
Egypt
North Africa
Germany
Belgium
Czech Republic
Netherlands
Norway
Russia (Federation)
Spain
Turkey
Europe--Frisian Islands
England--Milton Keynes
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Devon
England--Dorset
England--Gloucestershire
England--Hampshire
England--Herefordshire
England--Kent
England--Middlesex
England--Norfolk
England--Staffordshire
England--Suffolk
England--Surrey
England--Sussex
England--Wiltshire
England--Worcestershire
England--Yorkshire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Warwickshire
Russia (Federation)--Poli︠a︡rnyĭ (Murmanskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Royal Navy
United States Army Air Force
Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
178 printed pages
Description
An account of the resource
A continuation of Peter's thesis on electronic warfare during the war.
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MLovattP1821369-190903-74-01
1 Group
100 Group
101 Squadron
109 Squadron
141 Squadron
169 Squadron
171 Squadron
192 Squadron
199 Squadron
214 Squadron
218 Squadron
223 Squadron
239 Squadron
3 Group
4 Group
462 Squadron
5 Group
617 Squadron
8 Group
aircrew
B-17
B-24
Beaufighter
Bennett, Donald Clifford Tyndall (1910-1986)
Chamberlain, Neville (1869-1940)
crash
Defiant
Do 217
Fw 190
Gee
Gneisenau
Goering, Hermann (1893-1946)
H2S
Halifax
Halifax Mk 3
Hampden
Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984)
He 111
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945)
Hudson
Ju 88
Lancaster
Me 110
Me 410
mine laying
Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy
Mosquito
navigator
Oboe
Operational Training Unit
P-51
Pathfinders
radar
RAF Defford
RAF Downham Market
RAF Farnborough
RAF Foulsham
RAF Little Snoring
RAF North Creake
RAF Northolt
RAF Oulton
RAF Prestwick
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF St Athan
RAF Swannington
RAF Tempsford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Uxbridge
RAF West Raynham
RAF Wittering
Scharnhorst
Stalin, Joseph (1878-1953)
Stirling
Tirpitz
training
Typhoon
V-1
V-2
V-weapon
Wellington
Window
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2182/38440/PNyeAF22020001.1.jpg
e1fd8437cf3c614124c03de682fa97d9
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2182/38440/PNyeAF22020002.1.jpg
45dd57dc6116462294a96167a51f3945
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Nye, Albert Frederick
Description
An account of the resource
171 items. The collection concerns Albert Frederick Nye (b. 1925, 1877087 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, service documents and photographs. He flew operations as an air gunner with 207 Squadron before being posted overseas. <br /><br />The collection also contains an <a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2237">album of his service life in India.</a><br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Lynn Corrigan and catalogued by Lynn Corrigan.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022-03-03
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Nye, AF
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Group in front of Canterbury cathedral
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PNyeAF22020001, PNyeAF22020002
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Kent
England--Canterbury
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1952
Description
An account of the resource
A group of nine smartly dressed men, women, and children standing in front of Canterbury cathedral. Annotated on the reverse: 'Kathleen + Gus Davis + Jacky Mum Dunce Dad Dunce Marjorie John + Bert 1952'.
Identification kindly provided by Dave Webster and James Gregg of the Unidentified photos of the British Isles Group Facebook group.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1952
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One b/w photograph
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Language
A language of the resource
eng