Flying training commenced at RAF Booker on Tiger Moths and he was then sent out of England as part of the Empire Training Scheme. Flying training on Stearman aircraft recommenced at Lakeland in Florida followed by multi-engined training at Macon in Georgia and Valdosta for advanced training. In October 1942 he became a pilot under the American Army Air Force System and declined an offer to stay and become an instructor.
Returning to Britain on an unescorted Queen Elizabeth liner, he trained on Oxfords at RAF Little Rissington. Posted to RAF Harwell to fly, in Bluey's terms "clapped out Wellingtons" he describes the system for forming a crew. They were posted to RAF Riccall to fly the Halifax.
The next posting was to an operational squadron at RAF Lissett where he did his first operational flight to Krefeld in June 1943 and trips to Berlin, Cologne and Mannheim. After his trip to Krefeld, his rear gunner refused to fly and was removed. On his second trip to Mannheim, Bluey's aircraft was struck by a bomb from an aircraft flying above. They had to reduce height and so used Window to disguise their location. The final trip was to Berlin in November 1943 and, having completed his tour, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Bluey never flew again. Sent to Tilly Whim, Bluey was trained to operate Oboe and explains the device. Posted to an Oboe station at RAF Winterton to monitor junior operatives, he met his future wife.
After the war had finished he became an instructor on the Link Trainer and sent to various RAF stations and finally to RAF Marham from where he was demobilised and returned to civilian life. In civilian life, employment in the farm feed industry was followed by time in the lubricant industry until retirement. Bluey compiled a register of all crews that flew with 158 Squadron and formed a Squadron association in 1947, of which he became president, and organised a memorial to the squadron at former RAF Lissett.]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Canada]]> United States]]> Florida]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Georgia]]> Georgia--Macon]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> 1943-06]]> 1943-11]]>
D Cameron]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--High Wycombe]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Georgia--Macon]]> Alabama--Dothan]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> France]]> France--Normandy]]> England--Norfolk]]> France--Le Havre]]> Florida]]> Alabama]]> Georgia]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942-03-23]]> 1942-05-10]]> 1942-08-11]]> 1943-05-21]]> 1944-01-05]]> 1944-01-25]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-04-14]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-15]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 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]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> United States]]> Alabama--Montgomery]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Warwickshire]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> France--Aisne]]> France--Essonne]]> France--Marseille]]> France--Paris]]> France--Toulouse]]> Georgia--Albany]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Italy--Bari]]> Scotland--Perth]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> Poland]]> Florida]]> Alabama]]> Georgia]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Juvincourt-et-Damary]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1945]]> 1944-04-05]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> Alabama--Dothan]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Georgia--Macon]]> Florida]]> Alabama]]> Georgia]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 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]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> Alabama--Montgomery]]> Alabama--Selma]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Belgium--Ottignies]]> Belgium--Leopoldsburg]]> Belgium--Mechelen]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> France--Amiens Region]]> France--Arras]]> France--Avesnes (Nord)]]> France--Caen Region]]> France--Cherbourg Region]]> France--Dieppe (Arrondissement)]]> France--Laval (Mayenne)]]> France--Le Mans]]> France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray]]> France--Normandy]]> France--Oisemont (Canton)]]> France--Paris Region]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Saint-Germain-en-Laye]]> France--Saint-Omer Region (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines]]> France--Tergnier (Canton)]]> France--Versailles]]> France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Leverkusen]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Scotland--Moray Firth]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Florida]]> Alabama]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Châteaudun]]> France--Domléger-Longvillers]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-25]]> 1944-06]]> 1944-07]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-15]]> 1944-06-30]]> Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Graham Emmet]]> Steve Baldwin]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Moray]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Canada]]> Ontario]]> Ontario--Trenton]]> New Brunswick]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> United States]]> Florida]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> South Africa]]> Germany]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Pakistan]]> Pakistan--Karachi]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> South Africa--Vereeniging]]> 1944-10-25]]> 1944-12-02]]> 1945-01-02]]> 1945-05]]> 1945-06]]> Herbert O'Hara]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Navy]]> Royal Air Force]]> Atlantic Ocean]]> Iceland]]> Canada]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Nova Scotia]]> Ontario]]> Florida]]> 1941-06]]> Lakeland School of Aeronautics]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> Lakeland School of Aeronautics, Lakeland, Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> United States]]> Florida]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> Reg Wilson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> France--Dunkerque]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> England--Runnymede]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Mühlberg (Bad Liebenwerda)]]> Germany--Eichstätt]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Cambridge]]> England--Manchester]]> Scotland--Gourock]]> Canada]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> United States]]> Georgia--Albany]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida--West Palm Beach]]> Ontario--Trenton]]> Lake Ontario]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Manitoba--Brandon]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Bournemouth]]> England--Whitley Bay]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Douglas (Isle of Man)]]> Scotland--Elgin]]> Scotland--Findhorn]]> Scotland--Forres]]> Germany--Ramsen]]> England--York]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> England--Flamborough Head]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Netherlands--IJssel Lake]]> England--Chigwell]]> England--Kew]]> England--Norwich]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> Florida]]> France]]> Georgia]]> Ontario]]> New Brunswick]]> Germany]]> Nova Scotia]]> Netherlands]]> North America--Niagara Falls]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Devon]]> England--Essex]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Surrey]]> Manitoba]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1943-10-03]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1943-10-08]]> 1943-10-09]]> 1943-11-11]]> 1943-11-12]]> 1943-11-18]]> 1943-11-19]]> 1943-11-22]]> 1943-11-23]]> 1943-11-25]]> 1943-11-26]]> 1943-11-27]]> 1943-12-29]]> 1943-12-30]]> 1944-01-20]]> 1944-01-21]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> 1942]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> 1942]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> 1942]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> Scotland--Moray]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> United States]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Alabama--Montgomery]]> Alabama--Selma]]> Florida]]> Alabama]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> #1 a Halifax of 35 Squadron, in flight.
#2 Albany, Georgia - Pecan trees and a hunter with aircraft above.
#3 Lakeland, Florida. Orange trees, fishing and houses.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> United States]]> Georgia--Albany]]> Florida--Lakeland]]> Florida]]> Georgia]]>