Browse Items (502 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "England--Suffolk"

PMusgroveJ1501.jpg
Born in York in 1922, Joseph left school at 14 and started work in a chocolate factory and attended two nights of further education per week. In 1936, a fighter aircraft had landed nearby which stimulated his interest in flying which he retained all…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SWannopRE176129v10001.jpg
The telegram congratulates Wannop on his award of a Distinguished Flying Cross.

Tags: ; ; ;

MSmithBM582378-170220-01.pdf
Preface covers his training as an apprentice at RAF Halton and subsequent training as an electrical fitter at RAF St Athan. Outlines career with transition to ground engineer and then other postings. Continues with time as an instructor teaching a…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

APorteousB161102.mp3
Flight Sergeant Bob Porteous grew up in Australia and after spending time in the bush he joined the Royal Australian Air Force. After training and spending time in the United States, he travelled to Scotland on the Queen Mary. He flew operations as a…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABatemanJT160802.mp3
Aged 17, James volunteered for aircrew in June 1942 purely for the adventure as he was looking for something exiting. He trained in Canada as a navigator and after a wonderful leave in New York returned to England for advanced flying training. on…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PFrancisR1913.jpg
A colourised head and shoulders image of Bob's wife.
On the reverse 'Nana. German plane shot this photo by Grandad's bunk. Mildenhall.149 Squ 1939. Photo taken at Beales Bournemouth'.
Information supplied with the collection states 'this stood on…

Tags: ; ; ;

BGrayHMGrayHMv1.pdf
Detailed description of impressions, emotions and events leading up to and then during Bertie Gray’s first trip in a Stirling aircraft. Includes descriptions of stalling, corkscrewing and flying on two engines.

Tags: ; ;

SSmithRW425992v20001-0001.jpg
Navigation calculation sheets and chart for an operation to a V-1 site at Beauvoir.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SSmithRW425992v20013.jpg
A log sheet used for calculations for a flight from Honeybourne to Mildenhall.

Tags: ; ; ; ;

PPayneG1702.jpg
Geoff Payne has his first experience of the Royal Air Force with the Air Training Corps, at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, where he had one of his first experiences of military humour. He joined in 1943 at the age of 17 and a half hoping to become a…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AWyldeHJ161218.mp3
Herbert James Wylde was working in local government in Glasgow before he volunteered for aircrew training with the RAF. He started pilot training and had gone solo when he was sent to Canada to continue training. While there he began training as a…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABatesP151009.mp3
Philip volunteered for the Royal Air Force air force in May 1940. After a short time in Blackpool, he was posted to RAF Cosford where he volunteered for training as a flight mechanic, then fitter. At 86 Squadron, Coastal Command, flying Beauford…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PThorpJF1601.jpg
John Thorp was born and raised in Manchester where he attended North Manchester Grammar School. At seventeen he joined the Home Guard. When he was eighteen he volunteered for the RAF with dreams of becoming a pilot. While waiting at Heaton Park to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PHarrisonEW1903.jpg
Eric William Harrison joined the RAF in 1943 and trained as a flight engineer at RAF Locking, RAF St Athan, and RAF Chedburgh, where he flew Stirlings and recollects that they were a terrifying aircraft compared to Lancasters. Harrison formed a crew…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PLambAM1702.jpg
Alexander Lamb grew up in Scotland and worked in the civil service before he joined the Royal Air Force. He flew five operations as an air gunner with 15 Squadron.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

dwd.jpg
A portrait of the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit of their 149 Squadron Wellington bomber, at RAF Mildenhall in 1941. On the left is Acting Flight Lieutenant David William Donaldson. On the right, at the controls, is Pilot Officer Geoffrey O'Neill…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

PBellinghamPF1602.jpg
Peter Bellingham worked as a post office engineer before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He trained in Rhodesia and South Africa and completed a tour of operations as a bomb aimer, dropping supplies with 138 Squadron from RAF Tempsford. He…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ACalvertR151124.mp3
Roger Calvert grew up in Ripon. He joined the Royal Air Force in April 1942 and completed navigation training in Canada. On return to Great Britain, he met up with his pilot, John Thatcher and they completed 31 operations in Mosquitos with 141…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Langford "Joe" Green was born in Wales but moved to Marlow, Buckinghamshire with his family when he was still a child. He worked in a factory from the age of 14 until he joined the Royal Air Force. After training he flew operations as an air gunner…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ACooperFA170810.mp3
Frances Cooper spent her early life in Uganda before settling with her parents in England for her schooling, then joining the WAAF. She speaks about the small village she lived in during the war, the arrival of Americans and prisoners of war, as well…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGouldAG160708.mp3
Allen Gould grew up in Bournemouth and worked for the Danish Bacon company until volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He completed 32 operations as a flight engineer with 620 Squadron from RAF Fairford. Post war, he married his wife, who was…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ACollerAS160803.mp3
Alan Coller joined the Air Training Corp in 1941 and eventually joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 at the age of 18. He was sent to RAF Skegness for his initial training, after that he was transferred to RAF Barnham, near Mildenhall where he was…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

PMooreWT1506.jpg
Bill Moore joined the Royal Air Force after spending time in the Air Defence Cadet Corps, qualifying as an observer. He tells of his family history in wartime and his transatlantic trip, landing in New York before heading to Canada for his training.…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ALambournJP170112.mp3
Flight Engineer John Lambourn joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, after working at Stewart Turners with engines and pumps. He recollects seen London burning.
He was classed as working in a reserved occupation, but joined the Air Training…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PParryHP1609.jpg
Hugh Parry was born in Oswestry and joined the Air Force in April 1943 and volunteered to be an air gunner. Knowing that there was a height restriction on air gunners of six feet he hid his height by wearing baggy trousers. After training, he was…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2