Bill returned to Scotland and converted to bomb aiming. He crewed up at RAF Castle Donington and went to RAF Sandtoft and RAF Hemswell to the Lancaster Finishing School. Bill was transferred to 166 Squadron at RAF Kirmington, flying Lancasters. They then went to RAF Scampton as 153 Squadron. Bill conducted 29 operations and one which was aborted because of engine problems. Bill then trained as an equipment officer, being sent to RAF Strubby. He then demobilised and returned to his job in local government.
The interview discusses relationships between commissioned and non-commissioned crew, Bill’s thoughts on Dresden, Bomber Command and Arthur Harris, and the awarding of medals. ]]>
Bruce Blanche]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Ontario]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Prince Edward Island]]> Québec]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> England--Manchester]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Redruth]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Scotland--Wigtown]]> Wales--Aberystwyth]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> New Brunswick]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> United States]]> New York (State)]]> New York (State)--New York]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>
Joan got engaged on her 21st birthday in October 1939. Her finance got his call up papers to join the Royal Sussex some days later.
Joan and her mother went to Hastings for Christmas 1944 to stay with her grandparents. They returned home on boxing day to find that their house had been destroyed. The shelter which they would have used was burnt out and the occupants were all killed. She stayed in Hastings to look after her grandmother until she married. Her husband was a stretcher bearer and was taken prisoner in May 1940. The prisoners had to march from France to Poland where he was in Stalag 7B. During that time, he had appendicitis and was operated on by a German doctor. While a prisoner he worked with horses and in the salt mines. The prisoners were marched from Poland to Germany towards the end of the war before being released. When he returned home, they got married and he worked as a prison officer at Wormwood Scrubs. He retired at 55 and died at 57.
Joan had a variety of jobs since the end of the war and retired at the age of 63.
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Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Hastings]]> England--London]]> France]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1939]]> 1939-10]]> 1944-12-25]]> 1940-05]]>
David Boldy]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940-06]]> David Boldy]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> Andy Hamilton]]> eng]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Artwork]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Devon]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940-06]]> David Boldy]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Joy Reynard]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940-06]]> David Boldy]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Joy Reynard]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940-06]]> David Geach]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Joy Reynard]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Carlisle]]> Scotland--Perth]]> England--Manchester]]> Scotland--Dumfries]]> England--Stourbridge]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> England--Reading]]> England--London]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Harrogate]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Canada]]> Scotland--St. Andrews]]> England--St. Leonards (East Sussex)]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Worcestershire]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1942-06]]> 1942-07]]> 1942-08]]> 1942-09]]> 1942-10]]> Dennis Moore]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Weeze]]> England--London]]> England--Wallington Garden]]> Netherlands--Zandvoort]]> England--Croydon]]> England--Hartland]]> England--Lynton]]> England--Salcombe]]> England--Amersham]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Manchester]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> United States]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Canada]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Maine--Portland]]> New Brunswick--Shediac]]> New Brunswick--Fredericton]]> Manitoba]]> Manitoba--Brandon]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Ontario--Hamilton]]> Ontario--London]]> Alberta--Medicine Hat]]> England--Harrogate]]> Scotland--Stranraer]]> France--Angers]]> Germany--Neuss]]> England--Carlisle]]> England--Morecambe]]> Pakistan--Karachi]]> Malta]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Burma--Rangoon]]> India--Mumbai]]> China--Guangzhou]]> China--Hainan Sheng]]> China--Hong Kong]]> India--Darjeeling]]> England--Liverpool]]> England--Hastings]]> Kenya--Nairobi]]> Italy--Verona]]> Morocco--Marrakech]]> Northern Ireland--Belfast]]> Senegal--Dakar]]> Brazil--Natal]]> Argentina--Buenos Aires]]> Turkey--İzmir]]> Israel]]> Newfoundland and Labrador--Gander]]> Greenland]]> Iceland]]> Cyprus--Nicosia]]> Iraq--Baghdad]]> Bahrain]]> England--Blandford Forum]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> England--Skellow]]> England--Worcester]]> England--Scarborough]]> England--Pershore]]> Arizona--Tucson]]> California--Vandenberg Air Force Base]]> England--Diss]]> England--Chelmsford]]> England--Basildon]]> England--St. Albans]]> England--Slough]]> England--Letchworth]]> England--Stevenage]]> France--Calais]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Essen]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Germany--Solingen]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Bocholt]]> Germany--Salzgitter]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Potsdam]]> England--Coventry]]> England--London]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Québec--Montréal]]> India--Kolkata]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Vietnam--Ho Chi Minh City]]> England--Southend-on-Sea]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Italy]]> France]]> Arizona]]> California]]> Maine]]> New York (State)]]> Egypt]]> Ontario]]> Québec]]> New Brunswick]]> Alberta]]> Newfoundland and Labrador]]> Germany]]> Brazil]]> Burma]]> China]]> Cyprus]]> India]]> Iraq]]> Kenya]]> Netherlands]]> Pakistan]]> Turkey]]> Great Britain]]> Vietnam]]> Senegal]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Cumberland]]> England--Devon]]> England--Essex]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Kent]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Worcestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--London]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> Harry Redgrave]]> An envelope and a three-page handwritten letter from H Redgrave to Jessie. Harry writes about having a day out in Hastings followed by an arduous parade and drill. ]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM391120-0002,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM391120-0003,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM391120-0004]]>
Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Bexhill]]> England--Sussex]]> 1939-11]]>
KJ Brind]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France--Alençon]]> Great Britain]]> England--Aldeburgh]]> Germany--Berlin]]> United States]]> Florida--Pensacola]]> France--Reims]]> England--Gravesend (Kent)]]> England--Hastings]]> France--Dieppe]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Reading]]> France--Domléger-Longvillers]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Calais]]> France--Berck-sur-Mer]]> England--London]]> England--Dungeness]]> France--Vierzon]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Orléans]]> France--Dijon]]> England--Bridport]]> England--Weymouth (Dorset)]]> France--Rennes]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Channel Islands]]> Europe--Mont Blanc]]> France--Tours]]> France--Normandy]]> France--Caen]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Belgium--Ostend]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Kiel]]> England--Mablethorpe]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Munich]]> England--Selsey (West Sussex)]]> France--Falaise]]> England--Old Sarum (Extinct city)]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> Denmark--Copenhagen]]> Sweden]]> Sweden--Malmö]]> Sweden--Falun]]> England--Beachy Head]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Belgium--Antwerp]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Emmerich]]> Netherlands--Nijmegen]]> England--Cromer]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> England--Marlborough]]> Florida]]> Poland]]> France]]> Germany]]> Denmark]]> Belgium]]> Netherlands]]> Norway]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Kent]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Wiltshire]]> MOD RAF PMC]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--East Sussex]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Gloucester]]> England--Sussex]]> 1984-01-19]]> 1939-08-22]]> 1939-08-23]]> 1940-09-07]]> 1941-06-01]]> 1942-01-28]]> 1942-01-29]]> 1942-10-01]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-12-10]]> 1944-12-23]]> 1939-09-01]]> 1939-09-29]]> 1940-04-11]]> 1940-06-08]]> 1940-09-07]]> 1940-11-16]]> 1940-11-26]]> 1941-02-13]]> 1942-01-29]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-18]]> 1942-12-28]]> 1943-11-09]]> 1944-01-16]]> 1944-12-23]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-06-30]]> 1944-12-08]]> 1945-03-23]]> Ordnance Survey of England and Wales]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Hastings]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Boldy, David. Folder PBoldyDA1502]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940-08]]> England--Hastings]]> Stephen Dawson is on the left.

Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> 1939-09]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> PRedgraveHC1616]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> PRedgraveHC1622]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Skegness]]> Germany--Bochum]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Hastings]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Italy]]> Italy--Turin]]> England--Suffolk]]> France]]> France--Creil]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Joy Reynard ]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Hastings]]> Germany--Barth]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Belgium--Nivelles]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Cyprus--Limassol]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Scotland--Dundee]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Bernau (Brandenburg)]]> Belgium]]> Cyprus]]> England--Sussex]]> Cyprus--Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--East Sussex]]> England--Hastings]]> England--Sussex]]> 1939-10]]>
Identification kindly provided by Graham Walton of the Unidentified photos of the British Isles Facebook group.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Essex]]> England--Hastings]]>