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- Spatial Coverage is exactly "France"
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Interview with William Anderson
Flight Officer William Anderson began his service in the Royal Air Force at the age of eighteen when he signed up in Edinburgh. In this interview he speaks about his training, reporting to Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, being paid at the London…
Interview with Vic Farmer
Vic Farmer volunteered for the Royal Air Force at eighteen and trained as a navigator in South Africa. He describes his experiences of crewing up and serving in 550 squadron, RAF North Killingholme. He saw action on D-Day, and participated in…
Interview with Heino Dirks
Heino Dirks recounts his younger life in Jever, his experience as a decorator's apprentice in Wilhelmshaven and his service as a firefighter at Jever Airbase. He recollects the crash of a 37 Squadron Wellington R3263 when on duty and his efforts to…
Tags: bombing; crash; firefighting; prisoner of war; Wellington
Normandy landings
In the sky, parachutes are floating down from aircraft and landing in the distance. Tanks from either side are engaged in battle. Black and white striped landing craft are disgorging their troops onto the beach. Many of the landing craft are engulfed…
The day I reviewed the German army
The memoir details the events after Sergeant George Reid Williamson baled out of his Lancaster over Chateau-Thierry. After hiding in a wood for a few days, he met a local farmer who took him back to the farmhouse for food and a large overcoat. While…
George Reid Williamson reading a newspaper in the Bois de Boulogne
George Reid Williamson dressed in a pinstriped jacket and dark trousers, leaning against a wood and wire fence, whilst reading a newspaper and smoking a cigarette. A wooded area is in the background. On the reverse ‘In the Bois de Boulogne during…
Tags: evading; Resistance
Rambouillet
Aerial photograph of fields and woods with Rambouillet and the Jardin Anglais in the top right-hand corner. Gazeran, Saint-Hilarion, Orcemont and Orphin are visibile. Two areas are outlined in red and marked 'X' and 'Y' as 296 Squadron drop zones…
Flight Lieutenant Roger Alfred Calvert – 152814
Biography of Roger Calvert detailing his training as navigator in Canada and the United Kingdom and his operational career flying Mosquito aircraft on night intruder operations. The account includes brief details of two significant events, losing…
Roger Calvert's Royal Canadian Air Force flying log book for aircrew other than pilot
Royal Canadian Air Force flying log book for aircrew other than pilot of Flight Lieutenant Roger Calvert from 25 March 1943 to 6 July 1945. Detailing training and operations flown. Served at RAF Cranfield, RAF Great Massingham, RAF Ouston, RAF…
An anxious moment
Describes events during a mine laying operation in a Stirling to the Gironde River near Bordeaux. Relates how the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire which damaged the tail and an engine as well as wounding the flight engineer. Describes the…
Don Briggs, a brief description of wartime service
Describes wartime service from 1939 to 1945. Joined as Halton apprentice in September 1945. Posted as fitter engine to RAF Wittering working on Wellington Hampden and Manchester aircraft. Followed by tour at RAF Upper Heyford working on Wellington…
Tribute to a pathfinder captain
Tribute to Squadron Leader William G Neal Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre, 1912-2001. Describes how Don Briggs met and was crewed with Bill Neal’s crew who having completed one tour had been selected for a…
Letter to his wife from Herbert Gray.
Starts with suggestion that a recent news film of daylight operation to Le Havre, which he was on, gives a good idea of what bombing is like. However as most of his operations were at night he goes on to describe these. Describes emotions and…
Letter to his wife from Herbert Gray
Starts with thanks for letter number 3 but complains about lack of letters for a couple of days particularly as he had been on operations. Sets up times for future phone calls. Noted that the crew’s original aircraft had been lost while being flown…
Letter to his wife from Herbert Gray
Starts with complaint that phone calls from wife are replacing letters which he does not like, but did enjoy hearing his wife’s voice. Letter is then a long explanation of why he cannot answer her last letter as it is in his locker at the squadron…
Langford Green’s flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers
Royal Air Force navigators, air bombers, air gunners and flight engineers flying log book for L W Green, air gunner, covering the period from 16 June 1944 to 8 July 1945. Detailing training, scores on gunnery course, and operations flown and post war…
Modane crowded good yards
At the top, article notes importance of Modane station and marshalling yards, recendly bombed by the Royal Air Force, as close to Mont Ceris tunnel and important resupply route to Italy. At the bottom a picture showing railway marshalling yards in a…
Tags: bombing
Nevers
Aerial photograph of Nevers centred on the station area. Railway sidings, roundhouses surrounded by build-up areas. Two roads run from top left to bottom right and one from bottom left to top right. Captioned 'Spils 15/16.7.44 heading 153 F/O Dalen…
Caen
Low level aerial vertical photograph of Caen showing heavy bombing damage. A few gutted buildings are still standing and the roads have been cleared of debris. No traffic visible.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by…
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by…
Tags: bombing
Ault
Aerial vertical photograph showing Ault. Captioned '9637.TIL.22/23.6.43//NT.8" 11000: 301.02.04. A/P.FORCES (Amiens) Y. NIckel. 10. SGT GRAHAM. H. 81. O.T.U.'.
Cleethorpes gunner killed in action : seven of family still alive
Gunner Francis Leslie Wentworth was 36, single, and for twenty years had been employed by Messrs. Molyneux, ship painters, Grimsby Docks. He was one of the eight children of V Dancy, Flight Sergeant H Wentworth, Gunner F Leslie Wentworth, Corporal…
Tags: killed in action
Dunkirk Docks
Across the centre four wide moles numbered 1 to 4 from right to left. Each mole has entry roads and numerous building. Many of the buildings appear to have damaged roofs. Mole 1 is only partly visible. Mole two has two large buildings on the right…
Tags: aerial photograph; Cook’s tour
Dunkirk Docks
A body of water stretches from the left side to the top middle with a tidal flats at the left end. From the middle bottom up to the lower bank of the waters is Mole 6 with multiple railway sidings on the left side and narrow buildings along the right…
Tags: Cook’s tour
Dunkirk Docks
In the bottom half, a triangular shaped area of dockland covered in snow with star shaped roads and railway lines. There are several damaged buildings without roofs. A road bridge crosses a narrow waterway which runs from lower left towards the…
Tags: aerial photograph; Cook’s tour
Dunkirk Docks
On the left side, docklands covered with buildings. On the right the land converges to a peninsular with water above and below. In the bottom centre a shipyard with two uncompleted ships with raised forecastle and large open cargo hatches at the…
Tags: aerial photograph; Cook’s tour