Bertie Gray]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Hamilton]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> France]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> 1944-08]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1945-02-05]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Physical object]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1944-07-29]]> After attending the Lancaster finishing school at RAF Syerston, Keith and his crew were posted to RAF East Kirby. Their first operation was to Konigsberg, an eleven-hour trip but had to divert to Scotland because of bad weather. Several ‘bullseye’ feint operations were next before a raid on Bremen Docks was a failure due to navigator error.
Another operation was to Dusseldorf, carried out on a perfect moonlit night. An attack by a Me109, left the rear gunner severely wounded and the mid upper turret out of action. After fifteen minutes of corkscrew evasive action, the enemy fighter flew alongside, waggled his wings and flew off. Keith comforted the rear gunner until they made an emergency landing in England. Examination of the damaged aircraft revealed the emergency whistle of the mid upper gunner had deflected a bullet and saved his life. On an operation to Trondheim, the crew were unable to bomb so returned but had a lucky escape when they flew too low and hit the sea, tearing off the tail wheel and causing a crash landing for which the pilot received a red endorsement
Their last operation was to Siegen and in mid flight the navigator wanted to turn back so the pilot ordered Keith to map read the route from the nose of the aircraft and so he finished his first tour on 1st February 1945.
After time as a bombing instructor at RAF Swinderby, Keith was posted to Sudan as an air traffic controller from where he was demobbed.
He worked as a salesman until 1984, during which time he joined 57/630 Squadron association.
Keith feels angry at the treatment of Arthur Harris and considers the aircrew clasp as a pathetic gesture.]]>
Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Terry Holmes]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Norway--Trondheim]]> Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> Canada]]> Saskatchewan]]> Sudan]]> Germany]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-02-01]]>
Harold Gorton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1944-06]]> Harold Gorton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1944-06]]> Harold Gorton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincoln]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1944-09]]> Malcolm Payne]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincoln]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1944-03-21]]> H Madgett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Kent]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Grantham]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Nottingham]]> England--London]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> England--Sleaford (Lincolnshire)]]> 1943-01]]> 1943-02]]> 1943-05]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]> 1942-10]]>
Added caption: 'The family gardening at Potter Hill, L to R, Irene, land girl, Billy's father, Mary, his sister, Harry, his brother, Fred Nicholson, friend, Billy's mother'.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]>

Added caption: 'The family at Potter Hill, L to R, Michael, nephew, Rosamond, sister-in-law, Mother, Harry, brother, Mary, sister, Irene, land girl, Father'.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Akrill, William. Catalogue of Evacs #18142-18145]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1941-03-10]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Akrill, William. Catalogue of Evacs #18142-18145]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1941-03-10]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Akrill, William. Catalogue of Evacs #18142-18145]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1941-03-10]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Akrill, William. Catalogue of Evacs #18142-18145]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1941-03-10]]> Captioned separately 'L to R. Mr Guyatt, Gordon Benoy, Ron Melton, Rosemary Tate, Nat Davy, Charlie Aslin/Geoff Willis, Ben Selby, Cyril Fosbury, Mr Sunman, Joy Suter, Billy Akrill'.

Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1940-02-03]]>

Captioned 'L to R. Ron Melton, Charlie Aslin, Nat Davy, Billy Akrill, Ben Selby'.

Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1940-02-03]]>

Captioned 'L to R. George Chester, Charlie Aslin, Rosemary Tate, Ben Selby, Cyril Fosbery, Geoff Willis'.

Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1940-02-03]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1941-03-04]]>
Captioned 'L to R. Mr Clarke, Rosemary Tate, Ben Selby, Joy Suter, Charlie Aslin, Nat Davy, Billy Akrill'.

Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1940-02]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1935]]> Billy Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Bradley Froggatt]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Artwork]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1935-06]]>