Browse Items (525 total)

  • Spatial Coverage is exactly "Germany--Hamburg"

PPageTJ1606.jpg
Thomas Page grew up in a farming family before joining the Royal Air Force in 1940, training as a flight mechanic. He was, initially, posted to 257 Squadron (Hurricanes) but soon went to Gloucester to train as a fitter, subsequently being posted to…

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PHollisAN1801.jpg
Richard’s father, Arthur Hollis, went to Dulwich College as a day boy. He left aged 16 to join the Home Guard, then worked for a firm of accountants for a couple of years before joining the Royal Air Force. He was sent to Manchester University for…

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ALyonJK180202.mp3
Jack Lyon was a navigator/ bomb aimer and a prisoner of war for almost four years. Born in 1918, he was employed with the London Gas Company as a bookkeeper until August 1939, when he transferred to Shell. At the outbreak of the war, Shell closed…

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AMackieGA171222.mp3
George Mackie served in the RAF as a pilot. He flew 44 operations, 15 as a second pilot. He was posted to 15 Squadron in 1941 and critically examines the state of Bomber Command at the time. He was posted to RAF Waterbeach for 18 months, where he…

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PTownsendE1702.jpg
Ernest was born in Marylebone, London. He tells of his childhood, how he helped his father on his milk round and became a butcher's boy at Shepherd Market before serving in the Air Training Corps. He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and a…

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SWatsonC188489v1-1.pdf
A memoir written by Cliff Watson divided into 20 chapters.

The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to…

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SHughesCL1334982v10022.pdf
Letters from air secretary branch stating that commissioning parchment was being prepared. Letter from RAF Historian researcher stating that he would obtain and send on the recommendation for his Distinguished Flying Cross and also copies of all his…

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SClydeSmithD39856v10011.pdf
Starts with joining on short service commission and covers, in great detail, his pilot training activities, including a crash landing during a cross country. After receiving his wings award, he moves to trials work, target towing and aircraft…

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BNashDCMNashDCMv1.pdf
Born in 1916, Dan spent his early childhood in Kent with his grandmother before moving back to his parents in Fulham. He left school aged 16 to undertake a job with the Hudson's Bay Fur Company, where he met Joyce, his future wife. At the outbreak of…

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YGeachDG1394781v5.pdf
Fifth and final diary kept by David Geach chronicling his time training and on operations. He writes about his return from Canada on the Queen Elizabeth then his training in England which began with arriving at the Posting Centre in Pannal Ash,…

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PGillDJ1601.jpg
Dennis joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1943 as a rear gunner. His training took place in RAF Porthcawl on Ansons, and in RAF Bridlington. At the Operational Training Unit, he trained on Wellingtons and Stirlings, and crewed up. He joined 199…

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APragnellJ160526.mp3
Jack Pragnell and his twin brother, Thomas, volunteered together for the RAF and trained together. Jack flew operations as a bomb aimer with 51 Squadron. His brother joined a Canadian crew. Jack was plagued with health problems and was suddenly told…

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APriestR160720.mp3
Ron Priest worked in accountancy before the war and then served as a rear gunner, flying 25 operations with 149 Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, all on Stirlings. He describes his training in England, Canada and the United States, under the American…

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AWhiteEJ161027.mp3
James White worked as a wages clerk for the Co-op before volunteering for the Air Force. He had intended to join the navy but, when he saw some recruits being shouted at, he turned around and crossed the corridor to join the RAF. He had always had an…

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PGardnerHS1701.jpg
During the final months of World War 2, Harold Gardner was a navigator on 106 Squadron based at RAF Metheringham. Known throughout his RAF career as Stan, he was born in Brighton. In 1937 aged 14, his father arranged employment for him with the…

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BStoreyDPStoreyDPv1.pdf
A memoir of David Storey's service from 27 May 1943 to April 1944. He describes his 32 completed operations as a navigator on Halifaxes and including details of incidents and aircraft losses.

This item was provided, in digital form, by a…

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MSandersDS1869292-160314-07.pdf
Contains details of 22 operations where David Sanders flew as flight engineer. Includes all up weights, bomb loads, fuel loads, snags, numbers of aircraft, defences, remarks and number of aircraft missing on operations.

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ATrotmanPJ180604.mp3
Applying for RAF Bomber Command in May 1940, Percival Trotman was called up in September 1940, training as a pilot at RAF Towyn in Aberystwyth. Being present at Coventry when the town was bombed, he recalls deciding that the Germans deserved to have…

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BMooreDMooreDv1.pdf
Dennis Moore's autobiography, compiled and edited by his son, Terry Moore.

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MFalgateD136896-160407-040002.jpg
A handwritten account of Don Falgate's tour between 10 September 1944 and 7 April 1945. The account includes his observations and calculations about the percentage of aircraft lost. He carried out a total of 32 day and night-time operations on…

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MPettyD189456-160831-01.jpg
Brief memoirs recorded by Doug Petty during his RAF service. They cover the period from June 1943 to April 1947.

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MIvesonD19171121-181213-010001.jpg
Headed 'Keep Your Movements Secret' details of 44 operations flown by Squadron leader Douglas 'Hank' Iveson with 76 Squadron and 77 Squadron in Europe and the Middle East in Whitley and Halifax aircraft. Annotations include bombing the Holz rubber…

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YIvesonD19171121v1.pdf
Douglas 'Hank' Ivseson's first tour in Europe and 16 days of operational duties in the Middle East covering the period 7 July 1941 to 26 February 1943. Hank served with 76 Squadron, 77 Squadron and 462 Squadron and flew in Whitley and Halifax…

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BWatersIWatersDWv1.pdf
Douglas joined the RAF as a wireless operator. His aircraft was shot down on an operation and he baled out but was captured, spending the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

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BWatersIWatersDWv3.pdf
Douglas' autobiography which includes a section on his career after the war.

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