In 1948, Barry was posted to RAF St Athan No. 32 Maintenance Unit. He initially serviced a flight simulator, then moved to the Aircraft Electrical Servicing Squadron. After a year, he was posted to RAF Cranwell, servicing generators and was promoted to corporal. He passed his leading aircraftman examination. He spent two years in Malta before being posted to RAF Honington, where he became a sergeant.

Barry wanted to service flight simulators, did a course and was posted for two years to Fighter Command at Bentley Priory. He had a broad role in aircraft engineering at Command Headquarters.

Barry moved to become an education officer and did a course at the School of Education at RAF Uxbridge. He spent two years in the education branch, initially at RAF Melksham. He was then posted to RAF Halton to teach electrics and electrical mechanics before setting up the basic training for the first ground electrician apprenticeships.

Barry undertook an unaccompanied 12-month tour to RAF Muharraq (Bahrain) and was in charge of the battery charging room. A further twelve months were spent at RAF Benson on 90 Group Tactical Communication Wing before returning to RAF Halton to join the Trade Standards and Testing Board. This moved to RAF Brompton where he wrote skills and knowledge specifications for RAF trades. Barry left the RAF in 1975 and continued in teaching and training roles.
]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Bahrain--Muḥarraq]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--London]]> Bahrain]]> Bahrain--Muḥarraq]]> 1945-02]]> 1948]]> 1975]]>
In October 1944 Jack was posted to 189 Squadron at RAF Fulbeck. His first three trips were aborted. He carried out 24 operations and two semi-operational trips (leaflets dropping and a diversion to confuse German radar). Several operations were to railway marshalling yards in Germany. He also describes an operation to Gdynia in Poland and the Dresden operation and its rationale.
Jack discusses the main duties of the wireless operator, his experience of ‘scarecrows’ and the difficulty of flying at night in close proximity to other aircraft.
When the war ended, Jack became warrant officer and was stationed at RAF Woodbridge, working on flying control tower signals. He left the RAF in April 1946 and returned to his job as trainee chartered accountant.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Iraq]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> 1944-10]]> 1945-02]]> 1940-09]]> 1943-12]]> 1946-03]]>
Martyn Horndern]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Wiltshire]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Keith Dexter]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Stow-on-the-Wold]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Stowmarket]]> 1942-10]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Bury St. Edmunds]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Bury St. Edmunds]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Bury St. Edmunds]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> William flew Ansons and Cranes and learned navigation in America on Catalina flying boats. He also tells of flying Lysanders and transporting agents for the Special Operations Executive into France. He also tells how he helped Polish airmen with different information to keep them safe if they crashed.
William flew a number of aircraft including the Lancaster, Stirlings and Halifaxes at different locations and was on 36 operation with Bomber Command, taking part in Operation Manna. He served with 138 Squadron and 161 Squadron. He also tells of his life after the war, when he went to live in Rhodesia where he helped to run the family business before returning to Great Britain in 2003.

Please note: The veracity of this interview has been called into question. We advise that corroborative research is undertaken to establish the accuracy of some of the details mentioned and events witnessed.]]>
Andrew Sadler]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> France]]> Germany]]> Netherlands]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Zimbabwe]]> Africa--Lake Nyasa]]>

In accordance with the conditions stipulated by the donor, this item is available only at the University of Lincoln.]]>
Helen Durham]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Egypt]]> Great Britain]]> Iraq]]> Ireland]]> Egypt--Suez]]> England--Suffolk]]> Iraq--Baṣrah]]> Northern Ireland--Belfast]]> North Africa]]>
John Taylor Brittain]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk ]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> France--Aisne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Kamen]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Netherlands--Rotterdam]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Juvincourt-et-Damary]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-02-03]]> 1945-02-04]]> 1945-02-20]]> 1945-02-21]]> 1945-02-22]]> 1945-02-25]]> 1945-02-27]]> 1945-02-28]]> 1945-03-05]]> 1945-03-07]]> 1945-03-08]]> 1945-03-14]]> 1945-04-04]]> 1945-04-05]]> 1945-04-09]]> 1945-04-10]]> 1945-04-18]]> 1945-04-22]]> 1945-04-29]]> 1945-04-30]]> 1945-05-02]]> 1945-05-05]]> 1945-05-17]]> 1945-05-19]]> 1945-05-23]]> 1945-05-25]]> 1945-06-02]]> 1945-06-18]]>
]]>
Jeremy Lodge]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Second generation]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941-09-15]]> 1942]]> 1943-02]]> 1943-03-12]]>
Denise Boneham]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--London]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944-10]]> 1945]]> Denise Boneham]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> 1944-06]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Stuart Bennett]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Kamen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Osterfeld]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Wales--Carmarthenshire]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1945-02-22]]> 1945-02-23]]> 1945-02-25]]> 1945-02-26]]> 1945-02-28]]> 1945-03-01]]> 1945-03-04]]> 1945-03-05]]> 1945-03-17]]> 1945-03-21]]> 1945-03-27]]> 1945-04-11]]> 1945-04-12]]> 1945-04-18]]> 1945-04-29]]> 1945-05-13]]> 1945-06-09]]> Posted to 26 Operational Training Unit at RAF Wing, he was formed into a crew to fly Wellingtons as a rear gunner. On one training flight, an engine failed on take-off and the pilot managed to complete a circuit before carrying out a belly landing. As Bert had learned morse code as an air cadet, he was tasked to take over as the wireless operator if necessary, therefore, moved to the mid-upper turret to be closer.
In 1944 he was posted to RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, initially with 1678 Heavy Conversion Unit to convert to Lancasters, and then to 514 Squadron as operational crew. His first operation was on the 30th of May to Boulogne. He describes a number of operations over France and Germany. On the 12th of June during an operation to Gelsenkirchen, they were hit by anti-aircraft fire putting their instruments out of action. They were diverted to RAF Woodbridge for an emergency landing.
Bert describes the differences in performance between the Mark II and Mark III Lancasters, and what happened during the day of operations. He completed his thirty operations in September 1944 and, after a period of leave, was posted to RAF Manby as an instructor with No. 1 Empire Air Armament School. He explains how he felt about the bombing of Germany, the loss of friends, and how the war was a great leveller of persons. He was demobilised in 1947. ]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Tyne and Wear]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-05-30]]> 1944-06-12]]> 1944-06-21]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-09-06]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> California--Long Beach]]> Colorado--Denver]]> Illinois--Belleville]]> Massachusetts--Chicopee]]> Maryland--Camp Springs]]> Newfoundland and Labrador--Gander]]> New York (State)--Long Island]]> Texas--San Antonio]]> Azores--Lajes]]> California]]> Colorado]]> Illinois]]> Maryland]]> Massachusetts]]> New York (State)]]> Texas]]> Newfoundland and Labrador]]> Canada]]> Azores]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]> Susanne Pescott]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Liverpool]]> England--Merseyside]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Anglesey]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> Germany]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Iraq]]> 1943-11]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> His pilot on operations was Pilot Officer Fulton.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Suffolk]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Scotland--Lossiemouth]]> South Africa--Port Elizabeth]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Ian Locker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944-07-10]]> ]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sam Harper-Coulson]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Navy]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--London]]> 1941-08]]> 1943-04-28]]> 1944-02-05]]> 1944-03]]> 1944-10]]> 1945-01-04]]> David Meanwell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> North Africa]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Italy--Milan]]> Saskatchewan--Swift Current]]> Saskatchewan]]> 1940-08-15]]> 1944-12]]> 1945-01]]> Rod Pickles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Iraq]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Essen]]> 1945-03-11]]> Dawn Hughes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Kent]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>