Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> O'Connell, Desmond. Guinea Pig Club Inaugural Dinner]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--East Grinstead]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Cara Walmsley]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Egypt]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Poland]]> South Africa]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kiel Bay]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> England--Devon]]> England--Essex]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Merseyside]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Clermont-Ferrand]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]> South Africa--Queenstown]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> France--Maillé]]> North Africa]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1943-12-02]]> 1943-12-03]]> 1943-12-04]]> 1943-12-29]]> 1943-12-30]]> 1944-01-01]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-05]]> 1944-01-06]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-15]]> 1944-01-20]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-01-31]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-02-26]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> 1944-03-18]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-24]]> 1944-04-25]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-01]]> 1944-05-02]]> 1944-05-03]]> 1944-05-04]]> 1944-05-07]]> 1944-05-08]]> 1944-05-19]]> 1944-05-20]]> 1944-05-21]]> 1944-05-22]]> Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> O'Connell, Desmond. Guinea Pig Club Inaugural Dinner]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--East Grinstead]]> Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> O'Connell, Desmond. Guinea Pig Club Inaugural Dinner]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--East Grinstead]]>
Chapter 1. Under Training.
Having been assessed in Birmingham Geoff sets off to London in August 1942 for training, at Lords. Initial training was at Bridlington then gunnery school at Andreas on the Isle of Man. After a short leave he was posted to an operational training unit at Chipping Warden followed by intensive training at Edge Hill. Finally he went to Feltwell for Escape and Evasion training before joining a Heavy Conversion Unit at Wratting Common then Waterbeach.

Chapter 2. Operations RAF Witchford. After seven days leave he commenced operational flying in a Lancaster. Their first target was Augsburg and he reports being waved off by WAAFs and airmen. On the next operation the navigator had a breakdown and refused to help. He continues with details of several operations.
Chapter 3. Return to Ops RAF Waterbeach. Initially this proved to be a very relaxing posting but after his recovery he was back on operations. After 30 operations he was posted to RAF Brackla, Nairn.

Chapter 4. Grounded. He was unhappy at Brackla which was remote and cold. Next was a transfer south to RAF Weeton where he learned about motor transport and learned to drive. He was then posted to RAF Halfpenny Green, followed by RAF Croughton and South Cerney. He then went to Hornchurch before being sent to Germany where he joined a micro film unit at Frankfurt. On completion of photographing relevant factory installations his unit headed south to Triberg in Bavaria.

Chapter 5. As Time Goes By. He reflects on his letter from the Secretary of State from Air, Bomber Command losses and life after the war. he discusses Labour minister John Strachey, a pre-war fascist then Communist Party , who belittled the work of Bomber Harris. and the refusal to allow a thanksgiving service to honour the ex-Prisoner of War Association at Coventry Cathedral.]]>
Geoff Payne]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Training Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Birmingham]]> England--London]]> England--York]]> England--Halifax]]> England--Loughborough]]> England--Flamborough Head]]> England--Manchester]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Fleetwood]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Douglas (Isle of Man)]]> England--Banbury (Oxfordshire)]]> England--London]]> England--Bognor Regis]]> France--Lille]]> England--Cambridge]]> England--Coventry]]> England--Ely]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Rouen]]> France--Vaires-sur-Marne]]> France--Normandy]]> France--Creil]]> France--Nucourt]]> France--Caen]]> France--L'Isle-Adam]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> England--Falmouth]]> France--Somme]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Sweden--Stockholm]]> Germany--Bremen]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Calais]]> Germany--Neuss]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Belgium--Antwerp]]> Germany--Emmerich]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Scotland--Nairn]]> England--Peterborough]]> England--Walsall]]> England--Hull]]> England--Wolverhampton]]> England--Dudley]]> England--Brackley]]> England--Cirencester]]> Germany--Cuxhaven]]> Germany--Bückeburg]]> Germany--Bremerhaven]]> Germany--Black Forest]]> Germany--Triberg]]> Germany--Rheinberg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> France--Châlons-en-Champagne]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Poland]]> France]]> Germany]]> Belgium]]> Netherlands]]> Sweden]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Worcestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Newmarket (Suffolk)]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Essex]]> England--Somerset]]> England--London]]> France--Normandy]]> Scotland--Caithness]]> England--Sussex]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]> 1949]]> 1950]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--East Grinstead]]> England--Sussex]]> 1992-09-26]]> Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> O'Connell, Desmond. Guinea Pig Club Inaugural Dinner]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--East Grinstead]]> Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> O'Connell, Desmond. Guinea Pig Club Inaugural Dinner]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--East Grinstead]]> British Army]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bexhill]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Preston (Lancashire)]]> 1945-12-21]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Worthing]]> England--Sussex]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Belgium--Ghent]]> France--Calais]]> France--Calvados]]> France--le Havre]]> France--Les Landes (Region)]]> France--Orléans]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Forêt du Croc]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Emmerich]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Salzbergen]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Netherlands--Breskens]]> Netherlands--Terneuzen]]> New South Wales]]> South Australia]]> Victoria--Benalla]]> Victoria--Point Cook]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Victoria]]> England--Sussex]]> Poland]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Pauillac (Gironde)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1943-11-13]]> 1944-07-04]]> 1944-07-05]]> 1944-07-06]]> 1944-07-07]]> 1944-07-12]]> 1944-07-13]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-26]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-08-02]]> 1944-08-04]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-06]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-08]]> 1944-08-17]]> 1944-08-18]]> 1944-08-19]]> 1944-08-25]]> 1944-08-26]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-08-30]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-05]]> 1944-09-06]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-16]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-27]]> 1944-10-05]]> 1944-10-06]]> 1944-10-07]]> 1944-10-11]]> 1944-10-14]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-24]]> 1944-10-31]]> 1944-11-01]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
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]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France--Calais]]> France--Royan]]> Germany--Aschaffenburg]]> Germany--Bonn]]> Germany--Bottrop]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Neuss]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Pforzheim]]> Germany--Steinfurt (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> New South Wales--Lindfield]]> New South Wales--Parkes]]> South Australia--Mount Gambier]]> Victoria--Sale]]> Wales--Anglesey]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Victoria]]> New South Wales]]> South Australia]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-16]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-20]]> 1944-09-23]]> 1944-09-24]]> 1944-09-25]]> 1944-10-03]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-16]]> 1944-10-18]]> 1944-10-19]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-24]]> 1944-10-28]]> 1944-10-30]]> 1944-10-31]]> 1944-11-01]]> 1944-11-02]]> 1944-11-06]]> 1944-11-09]]> 1944-11-21]]> 1944-11-29]]> 1944-12-28]]> 1944-12-29]]> 1945-01-02]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-01-07]]> 1945-01-08]]> 1945-01-14]]> 1945-01-15]]> 1945-02-01]]> 1945-02-03]]> 1945-02-07]]> 1945-02-08]]> 1945-02-13]]> 1945-02-14]]> 1945-02-15]]> 1945-02-21]]> 1945-02-22]]> 1945-02-23]]> 1945-03-01]]> 1945-03-02]]> 1945-03-12]]> 1945-03-15]]> 1945-03-16]]> 1945-03-17]]>
Australian Red Cross]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Map]]> Great Britain]]> England--Eastbourne (East Sussex)]]> England--Brighton]]> England--London]]> Scotland--Glasgow]]> Scotland--Edinburgh]]> England--Sussex]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Shoreham-by-Sea]]> England--Sussex]]> 1912-10-24]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> PRedgraveHC1618]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bexhill]]> England--Sussex]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> PRedgraveHC1620]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bexhill]]> England--Sussex]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> PRedgraveHC1624]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bexhill]]> England--Sussex]]> He describes individual operations in detail. He and his crew were transferred to Faldingworth where the condition of their aircraft was poor. These were quickly replaced with new aircraft. His crew were successful and survived their 30 operations never to meet up again.
He concludes his memoir with seven tailender tales.]]>
Bill Freeman]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Dewsbury]]> Canada]]> England--Stafford]]> Wales--Tredegar]]> England--Northampton]]> England--Grimsby]]> France--Rouen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Denmark--Frederikshavn]]> France--Maintenon]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Dieppe]]> France--Orléans]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Aachen]]> France--Paris]]> England--Lincoln]]> France--Le Havre]]> Poland]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Caen]]> France--Vierzon]]> France]]> Germany]]> Denmark]]> France--Reims]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Sussex]]> 1943-04-05]]> 1944-03]]> 1944-04-10]]>
D R Burns]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Sheffield]]> England--London]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Manchester]]> Canada]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Nova Scotia]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Arnstein (Main-Spessart)]]> Poland]]> Poland--Opole (Voivodeship)]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> Manitoba]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1946-01-19]]> David Geach]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Newquay]]> Scotland--Edinburgh]]> Scotland--Glasgow]]> Scotland--South Queensferry]]> Scotland--Perth]]> England--Carlisle]]> Scotland--St. Andrews]]> England--Sussex]]> 1942-02]]> 1942-03]]> 1942-04]]> 1942-05]]> 1942-06]]> 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]]>
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David Geach]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Scotland--Glasgow]]> Scotland--Edinburgh]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Whitley Bay]]> England--Bournemouth]]> England--Stourbridge]]> England--Birmingham]]> England--Wolverhampton]]> England--Stafford]]> Canada]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> Atlantic Ocean--Cardigan Bay]]> Wales--Rhyl]]> England--The Wash]]> England--Nottingham]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> England--Cannock]]> Wales--Aberystwyth]]> Scotland--Orkney]]> France--Saint-Malo]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Isigny-sur-Mer]]> France--Cherbourg]]> France--Avranches]]> England--Southampton]]> England--Stamford]]> England--Cambridge]]> England--Peterborough]]> England--Bedford]]> England--Portsmouth]]> Netherlands--Friesland]]> England--Cromer]]> France--La Rochelle]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> France--Nantes]]> England--King's Lynn]]> Italy--Turin]]> North Africa]]> Gibraltar]]> England--Thames River]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Berlin]]> England--Ely]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Norway]]> Netherlands--Texel]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Denmark]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Brandenburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Hannover]]> England--Sunderland (Tyne and Wear)]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Poland--Wrocław]]> England--Southend-on-Sea]]> Italy]]> Atlantic Ocean--Firth of Clyde]]> Poland]]> France]]> Ontario]]> Germany]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Durham (County)]]> England--Essex]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Worcestershire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Selsey (West Sussex)]]> Wales--Caernarfon]]> 1943-03]]> 1943-04]]> 1943-05]]> 1943-06]]> 1943-07]]> 1943-08]]> 1943-09]]> 1943-10]]> 1943-11]]> 1943-12]]> 1944-01]]> 1944-02]]>
Top right - view of pier and sea front. Captioned 'West pier again during the gale, 20.10.45'.
Bottom right - view of pier. Captioned 'West pier and paddling pool, 11.10.45'.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> 1945-10-16]]> 1945-10-20]]> 1945-10-11]]>
Top right, photograph of five women one in uniform, three men in uniform, town street background. Captioned 'Roy, Helena, Jane, Tony Palmer', '1946 Brighton'.
Centre left, photograph of two women in swimming costumes, promenade background, captioned '1946 Brighton'.
Centre right, photograph of a group on the beach, three ladies seated in deck chairs, two men in swimming trunks, cliffs in background, captioned '1946 Brighton'.
Bottom left, photograph of a man in swimming trunks, promenade background, captioned 'Ross Alger', '1946 Brighton'.
Bottom right, photograph of a group on the beach, in front row three women two seated in deck chairs one crouching and one seated RAF officer in uniform. In back row two women and two men in swimming costumes.cliffs in background, captioned 'McClure, Tony Palmer, Roy', '1946 Brighton'.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Sussex]]> 1946]]>