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- Spatial Coverage is exactly "Germany--Ruhr (Region)"
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Interview with Derry Derrington
Dr Arnold Pearce Derrington grew up in Cornwall and joined the University Air Squadron at Exeter. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and completed training at RAF Ansty, South Africa, RAF West Freugh and RAF Moreton in the Marsh, where he trained…
Interview with Brigitte Terboven
Brigitte Terboven (b. 1930) recalls the bombing of Essen and the dropping of an air mine by a British bomber which was trying to evade a German night fighter. The bomb hit the ground about 20 meters from her home which collapsed like a house of…
Interviews with Jaun Schauerte
Jaun Schauerte (b. 1936) recalls rushing to the shelter with a suitcase and a bag pack. Remembers one night when his grandmother fell under the heavy weight of the rucksack and nobody stopped to help her. Recalls the Bremen bombing, while he was…
The Eder, Möhne and Sorpe operation
A Lancaster flies over the explosion of an Upkeep bouncing bomb against a dam. A second aircraft has been hit by anti-aircraft fire and is plunging towards the water, engulfed in flames and smoke. A third Lancaster is visible on the right with a bomb…
A-Able aircrew
Seven aircrew leaving a Lancaster 'A’, parked on a dispersal with bomb doors open following a daylight operation to Duisburg 14 October 1944. All aircrew are wearing life vests, carrying crew bags and helmets; two wearing Sidcot suits, two with…
Albert Ansell's observer’s and air gunner’s log book
Royal Canadian Air Force observer’s and air gunner’s log book for Sergeant Albert Victor Ansell from 25 October 1942 to 30 April 1943. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at Pan American Airways navigation school…
Pilot gets D.F.C. and gunner D.F.M.
Details of awards of Distinguished Flying Crosses and Distinguished Flying Medals to aircrew.
Jack Wilkinson
Head and shoulders portrait of Sergeant Jack Wilkinson, wearing a side cap and an air gunner brevet, looking at the camera. On the reverse ‘Sgt. Jack Wilkinson. 49 Squadron, Scampton. missing bombing operations Essen night [deleted] February…
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…
Don Briggs, a brief description of wartime service
Describes wartime service from 1939 to 1945. Joined as Halton apprentice in September 1939. 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 Flying 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…
Chemical works Cologne
Oblique aerial photograph of river valley with roads, railways and at bottom left, a open area of water. At lower right one road runs from middle left to bottom centre which splits into three from two junctions. Railway line runs along road and…
Südbrücke in Cologne and marshalling yard
Two aerial photographs.
The first is a target photograph taken at high level. Bombs are visible falling to centre left. A railway is seen running left to right in the bottom half, with marshalling yard in the centre. Below the railway is a river…
The first is a target photograph taken at high level. Bombs are visible falling to centre left. A railway is seen running left to right in the bottom half, with marshalling yard in the centre. Below the railway is a river…
44 Squadron and the Wesserling Raid 21/22 June 1944
Six page document courtesy of the late Allen White - 44 Squadron Historian. Reproduces narratives from three 44 Squadron crews involved in the operation. Overall the operation lost 37 crews from 120 launched against Wesserling oil refinery near…
Cologne in ruins
Oblique aerial photograph of Köln cathedral and surrounding area all showing heavy bomb damage. Photograph is looking west with railway station in the right hand corner.
Interview with Bill Thomas
Bill had joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps and Air Training Corps. He volunteered as a pilot in the Royal Air Force and flew Tiger Moths at RAF Sywell but was re-mustered as a navigator. Bill went to Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme,…
Cologne cathedral
Low altitude aerial reconnaissance photograph showing damage to and around Cologne cathedral: the railway station is partially visible on the right with extensive damage to canopy and some track damage. Rubble has been cleared, several tramcars can…
50 years ago
The memoir covers Sergeant Officer A Yates' time as a prisoner of war from September 1942 to April 1945. He was initially imprisoned in Stalag VIIIB in Upper Silesia, he was evacuated with 30,000 others to escape the advancing Russian Army. He and a…
Route to the Ruhr via France, Belgium and Holland
Map showing route in black with red direction arrows from a base near Ely via Dunkirk, through Belgium to Maastricht, Aachen, Cologne, to the east of the Dortmund in the Ruhr and then return via Holland. Label 'Map of route, France, Belgium, Germany…
Interview with Fred Young
Fred Young volunteered for the Royal Air Force at seventeen and flew operations as a flight engineer with 57 Squadron from RAF East Kirkby. He recounts his experiences on several operations including Berlin, Magdeburg, Leipzig, Essen, Munich,…
Interview with Desmond Hawkins
Desmond Hawkins volunteered for the Royal Air Force and became a navigator. After training on Wellingtons and Manchesters, he flew Lancasters for 44 Squadron and completed a tour of operations. He was commissioned as flight lieutenant and after the…
Cologne Cathedral
Aerial inclined photograph of Cologne Cathedral looking south. At the bottom left is part of the roof of the railway station. In the foreground a small open area with a tram in the centre. The cathedral is surrounded on all sides by multistory…
Cologne Hohenzollern bridge
Oblique aerial photograph of the Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine at Cologne. The river Rhine runs from left diagonally to the right, On the far bank a narrow parallel canal, the Rheinauhafen, beyond which is a city landscape of multistory…
Cologne
Aerial inclined photograph of the city of Cologne looking north. The river Rhine goes from left to right with one large meander. Three bridges cross the river as to turns back to the right. The furthest bridge is destroyed with the right hand two…