Alastair Montgomery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Canada]]> Prince Edward Island]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Brindisi]]> 1944]]> He signed up for the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 in December 1941 and was called up in April 192 and posted to RAF Padgate to train as a Wireless Operator.
Stanley tells of his training at Padgate, including learning to use Morse Code, where he was unable to make 12 words a minute and was then posted to an RAF Radio Station in Elfin in Scotland.
He worked at offloading bombs and his job was to prepare them for distribution to units that they were to be used, however he then tells of his experiences there and what lead to his application to become the company typist.
Stanley tells of his interview to work for Bletchley Park, where he was based for six to seven weeks, and his posting to a radio station at Great Witcombe before being sent on embarkation leave. He tells of boarding a ship to Algiers and his experiences there and he also recalls his work in Algiers and Tunisia, passing messages along and learning of the Normandy invasion on D-Day.
He worked with British, French and American Army units as part of a signals unit. Once Bletchley Park closed, he returned to the RAF, using his later service life to study Economics, Mathematics and Physics.
After the war, Stanley returned to the mills where he worked in the office, studying textiles, taking his accountancy exams and working at various companies and after being made redundant at the age of 64, started his own driving school.]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> France]]> France--Vittel]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> France--Reims]]> France--Bastia]]> Tunisia]]> Algeria]]> Algeria--Algiers]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Jean Massie]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Egypt]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Libya]]> North Africa]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Oxford]]> England--Shropshire]]> Italy--Naples]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]>
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 Norwich. The family then moved to London where he started an apprenticeship as an accountant.

Joining Up.
Cliff left the accountants to work in his father's radio business. Initially he was rejected by the RAF because he wore spectacles. He reapplied and passed various written, oral and medical examinations. Initial training was at Torquay then Newquay. Once training was complete he sailed from Greenock to South Africa.

Southern Rhodesia.
After acclimatisation in South Africa, Cliff and his colleagues were put on a sleeper train to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. Training commenced on Tiger Moths but he was 'scrubbed' or rejected. He was reselected as an air gunner and completed a course in Moffat, also in South Rhodesia. Hospitality in Rhodesia and South Africa was described as generous and excellent.

Postscript.
Cliff describes a run-in with a training corporal who took a dislike to him. Despite faked evidence he proved his points and emerged with a clean record and passed his exams.

Operational Training.
In August 1942 he sailed back to the UK. He was sent to Bournemouth for assessment, then on to RAF Finningley for training then RAF Bircotes for operations. Next was a move to RAF Hixon and its satellite airfield at Seighford. He married Hilda on 1st March 1943 during a week's leave.

Second Time to Africa.
He was then sent to West Kirby, Liverpool to join a ship sailing to Algiers, for further training. Their destination became Blida where they started operations on Tunis and Monserrato airfield. They then moved to a desert strip to the east by 250 kms. From there they continued operations into Italy. Later they moved to Kairouan and continued operations into Italy, mainly Sardinia and Sicily. Each operation is described in great detail.
He has included a letter in Arabic with instructions to take the bearer to British soldiers for a reward. At the end of his tour they sailed back to Greenock.

Screened.
After some leave Cliff's next posting was at Operational Training Unit Desborough where he helped train new gunners. Due to an argument with an officer he was sent to RAF Norton for correctional training. On his return his case was reviewed and the severe reprimand was removed from his record.

Scampton.
Scampton was Cliff's next operational base then Winthorpe for its Heavy Conversion Unit on Stirlings, followed by Syerston on Lancasters then Bardney.

227 Squadron.
Cliff joined 227 squadron at Bardney. Again he covers in detail each operation. His flight was later transferred to Balderton. During this period he was awarded the DFC.

Final Leg.
His squadron was transferred to Gravely at the end of the war. He did a photography course and was transferred to Handforth. There was little work, some unpleasantness and eventually a period of extended leave, a spell at Poynton looking after prisoners then demob.

Back to Civvy Street.
Cliff returned to Whitehaven to revitalise a radio company. He gives great detail about the improvements made. Later he set up a similar enterprise at Maryport. Wired radio services were set to become less popular and financially worthwhile so seeing the writing on the wall he decided to emigrate.

Kenya.
Cliff and family flew to Nairobi, then bus to Kitale where his father was.

Hoteli King George.
Dissatisfied with life on his father's farm, Cliff took a job as a prison officer. He and his family moved to Nairobi. He relates several stories about prisoners and their better qualities but in the end he gets restless and leaves.

Civil Aviation.
Cliff joined the East African Directorate of Civil Aviation in April 1951 as a radio officer. He and his family were relocated to Mbeya, 900 miles from Nairobi. His skills as a radio engineer were well used in this remote location. After 2.5 years the family returned to UK on leave. On his return he was posted to Mwanza, also in Tanganyika. He describes in great detail a royal visit. They left on leave in June 1957 and collected a VW Beetle for transport to Kenya. Their next move was to Entebbe. This was not a happy posting and led to a transfer to Kisumu in Kenya. After three years they transferred to Nairobi to spend more time with their children, who were at boarding school there.

D.C.A. Headquarters.
His role here was Telecomms superintendent. He describes in detail the operations of his section. This was an unsettled period in Kenya with many Europeans returning home.

Dec' 61 on Leave.
Leave was spent at their house in Wales then in May 1962 Cliff returned alone to Nairobi. His family did return later. By this time his father had abandoned his farm and was building radios.

On Leave June 1964.
He bought another house in Wales and spent his leave restoring it. His wife's mother moved in. In November 1964 Cliff returned alone to Nairobi. he left within a year due to the worsening situation.

Job Hunting.
Several electronics firms were approached offering Cliff's services. He attended an interview with Pye who quickly offered him employment.

At Pye Telecommunications.
He found his colleagues unhelpful. A great deal of time was spent on a Turkish quotation that had been in progress for 10 years. A quotation to the Iranian Directorate of Civil Aviation contained complications leading to Cliff revising the quotation. Later there was a complicated installation job at the London Stock Exchange. Eventually Pye pulled out from the bid but a rival company won it, only to be taken over by Pye. At first the system was troubled but after a simple modification it worked perfectly.

Dresden 13-14 February 1945.
A one page description of the bombing of Dresden.

Curriculum Vitae.
Cliff Watson's CV, dated 1976.











]]>
Cliff Watson DFC]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Huntingdon]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Norwich]]> England--London]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Birkenhead]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Sierra Leone--Freetown]]> South Africa--Durban]]> Zimbabwe--Bulawayo]]> South Africa--Mahikeng]]> Zimbabwe--Harare]]> Singapore]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> England--Bournemouth]]> France--Paris]]> Algeria--Algiers]]> Algeria--Blida]]> Tunisia--Tunis]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> Italy--Cagliari]]> Tunisia--Bizerte]]> Italy--Monserrato]]> Italy--Decimomannu]]> Italy--Trapani]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Rome]]> Italy--Lido di Roma]]> Italy--Tiber River]]> Italy--Alghero]]> Italy--Castelvetrano]]> Italy--Pantelleria Island]]> Tunisia--Sūsah]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--Comiso]]> Italy--Crotone]]> Italy--Pomigliano d'Arco]]> Italy--Paola]]> Italy--Battipaglia]]> England--Desborough]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> England--Whitehaven]]> Kenya]]> England--Yeovil]]> Kenya--Nairobi]]> Kenya--Kitale]]> Tanzania--Mbeya]]> Tanzania--Mwanza]]> Uganda--Entebbe]]> Kenya--Kisumu]]> England--Cambridge]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Zimbabwe--Gweru]]> Zimbabwe]]> South Africa]]> Sierra Leone]]> France]]> Algeria]]> Tunisia]]> Italy]]> Netherlands]]> Germany]]> Norway]]> Poland]]> Belgium]]> Tanzania]]> Uganda]]> Iran]]> North Africa]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Iran--Tehran]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Germany--Homburg (Saarland)]]> Tunisia--Munastīr]]> Tunisia--Qayrawān]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Cumberland]]> England--Devon]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Lancashire]]> Italy--Capri Island]]>
Denise Boneham]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Egypt]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Oman]]> Mediterranean Region]]> Egypt--Alexandria]]> Egypt--Suez]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Italy--Naples]]> Oman--Masirah Island]]> North Africa]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> Dick Curnock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Austria]]> Austria--Villach]]> Canada]]> British Columbia--Abbotsford]]> Québec--Montréal]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> Gibraltar]]> Germany]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Darmstadt]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bridlington]]> England--Horsham]]> England--Leicester]]> England--London]]> England--Melksham]]> Italy]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--Cortina d'Ampezzo]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Padua]]> Italy--Ravenna]]> Italy--Rimini]]> Italy--Rome]]> Italy--Udine]]> Italy--Venice]]> Malta]]> North Africa]]> Poland--Toruń]]> Germany--Lüneburg]]> Poland]]> Lithuania]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Germany--Bad Fallingbostel]]> England--Christchurch (Dorset)]]> Québec]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945-09-09]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945-09-09]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945-09-05]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945-09-05]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945-12-12]]> 1946-01-03]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1946-01-03]]> Geoff Blamires]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945]]> Geoff Blamores]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map. Navigation chart and navigation log]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1945]]> Great Britain. Air Ministry]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Angela Gaffney]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France--Méaulte]]> Germany--Herdecke]]> Germany--Schwerte]]> Germany--Sorpe Dam]]> France--La Pallice]]> Italy--Naples]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Tours]]> Austria--Linz]]> Germany--Norderney]]> France--Cherbourg]]> Germany--Rostock]]> Germany--Rechlin]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Italy]]> France]]> Germany--Möhne River Dam]]> Germany]]> Denmark]]> Austria]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Denmark--Ålborg]]> 1943]]> 1. Royal Arsenal
2. Torpedo works
3. Railway tracks extensively cratered
4. Freight and passenger train stock damaged and burning
5. Railway engine round house
6. Oil tanks damaged and some burning
7. Factory "destroyed"
8. Tracks severed and large building destroyed
9. Oil factory
10. Engineering and aircraft factory.
The image is intended for publication in newspapers.]]>
Great Britain. Ministry of Information]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Stuart Cummins]]> Sue Smith]]> Geolocated]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy]]> 1943-07-27]]>
His pilots on operations were Sergeant Walkden and Captain Lawrie. He is recorded as missing from the last of these operations. Comments on operations include: 'Aircraft holed 24 times. 2 through my turret'.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Leitch]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Algeria]]> Canada]]> Croatia]]> Czech Republic]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Greece]]> Hungary]]> Italy]]> Poland]]> Romania]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> Greece--Crete]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> Italy--Sicily]]> Mediterranean Sea]]> Algeria--Blida]]> Croatia--Rijeka]]> Czech Republic--Pardubice]]> Danube River]]> France--Valence (Drôme)]]> Greece--Ērakleion]]> Hungary--Szombathely]]> Italy--Alghero]]> Italy--Angitola]]> Italy--Battipaglia]]> Italy--Borgo Rizzo]]> Italy--Cagliari]]> Italy--Caltanissetta]]> Italy--Castelvetrano]]> Italy--Catania]]> Italy--Civitavecchia]]> Italy--Decimomannu]]> Italy--Eboli]]> Italy--Elmas]]> Italy--Foggia]]> Italy--Formia]]> Italy--Marsala]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Olbia]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Pantelleria Island]]> Italy--Pizzo]]> Italy--Rome]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Sesto Fiorentino]]> Italy--Taranto]]> Italy--Trieste]]> Italy--Villacidro]]> Italy--Viterbo]]> Poland--Warsaw]]> Québec--Mont-Joli]]> Romania--Bucharest]]> Scotland--Castle Kennedy]]> North Africa]]> Québec]]> Québec--Mont-Joli]]> Danube River]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1943-05-08]]> 1943-05-09]]> 1943-05-11]]> 1943-05-12]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-05-14]]> 1943-05-15]]> 1943-05-17]]> 1943-05-18]]> 1943-05-21]]> 1943-05-22]]> 1943-05-23]]> 1943-05-24]]> 1943-05-27]]> 1943-05-28]]> 1943-05-29]]> 1943-05-30]]> 1943-05-31]]> 1943-06-01]]> 1943-06-02]]> 1943-06-06]]> 1943-06-07]]> 1943-06-09]]> 1943-06-19]]> 1943-06-20]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-24]]> 1943-06-25]]> 1943-06-28]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-07-02]]> 1943-07-03]]> 1943-07-04]]> 1943-07-05]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-11]]> 1943-07-12]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-07-14]]> 1943-07-15]]> 1943-08-02]]> 1943-08-05]]> 1943-08-06]]> 1943-08-09]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-11]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1943-08-13]]> 1943-08-14]]> 1943-08-15]]> 1943-08-16]]> 1943-08-18]]> 1943-08-19]]> 1943-08-21]]> 1943-08-22]]> 1943-08-25]]> 1943-08-26]]> 1943-08-27]]> 1943-08-28]]> 1943-08-30]]> 1943-08-31]]> 1943-09-01]]> 1943-09-04]]> 1943-09-05]]> 1943-09-06]]> 1943-09-07]]> 1943-09-08]]> 1943-09-09]]> 1943-09-10]]> 1943-09-11]]> 1944-06-04]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-26]]> 1944-06-27]]> 1944-07-02]]> 1944-07-03]]> 1944-07-19]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-21]]> 1944-07-22]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-26]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-08-01]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-08]]> 1944-08-10]]> 1944-08-11]]> 1944-08-13]]> 1944-08-14]]> 1944-08-16]]> 1944-08-17]]> 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]]> Greece]]> Italy]]> Libya]]> Malta]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Rutland]]> France--Modane]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Greece--Ērakleion]]> Italy--Brindisi]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Naples]]> Libya--Miṣrātah]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> North Africa]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Kibrit]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1941-10-15]]> 1941-10-16]]> 1941-10-19]]> 1941-10-20]]> 1941-10-21]]> 1941-10-22]]> 1941-10-25]]> 1941-10-29]]> 1941-10-30]]> 1941-10-31]]> 1941-11-01]]> 1941-11-02]]> 1941-11-03]]> 1941-11-07]]> 1941-11-08]]> 1941-11-09]]> 1941-11-10]]> 1941-11-11]]> 1941-11-12]]> 1941-11-17]]> 1941-11-18]]> 1941-11-19]]> 1941-11-20]]> 1941-11-22]]> 1941-11-25]]> 1941-12-07]]> 1941-12-11]]> 1941-12-14]]> 1941-12-18]]> 1941-12-19]]> 1941-12-28]]> 1941-12-29]]> 1942-02-22]]> 1942-02-23]]> 1942-03-06]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-10]]> 1942-03-30]]> 1942-03-31]]> 1942-04-11]]> 1942-04-12]]> 1943-11-03]]> 1943-11-10]]> 1943-11-11]]> 1943-11-18]]> 1943-11-19]]> 1943-11-22]]> 1943-11-23]]> 1943-12-02]]> 1943-12-03]]> 1943-12-16]]> 1943-12-17]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-20]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-01-31]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 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]]> Greece]]> Italy]]> Libya]]> Malta]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Cheshire]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Kent]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Wiltshire]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> France--Brest]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Rhineland]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Greece--Aitōlia kai Akarnania]]> Greece--Maleme]]> Greece--Rhodes]]> Italy--Milan]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Turin]]> Italy--Venice]]> Libya--Darnah]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]> Scotland--Morar]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> North Africa]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Kibrit]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]> 1949]]> 1950]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1953]]> 1940-10-07]]> 1940-10-08]]> 1940-10-09]]> 1940-10-10]]> 1940-10-13]]> 1940-10-15]]> 1940-10-16]]> 1940-10-20]]> 1940-10-23]]> 1940-10-24]]> 1940-10-26]]> 1940-10-29]]> 1940-11-01]]> 1940-11-02]]> 1940-11-13]]> 1940-11-17]]> 1940-11-25]]> 1940-11-29]]> 1940-12-04]]> 1940-12-05]]> 1940-12-08]]> 1940-12-09]]> 1940-12-16]]> 1940-12-18]]> 1940-12-19]]> 1941-01-09]]> 1941-01-12]]> 1941-01-13]]> 1941-01-29]]> 1941-02-04]]> 1941-02-14]]> 1941-02-24]]> 1941-02-26]]> 1941-03-01]]> 1941-03-02]]> 1941-03-11]]> 1941-03-12]]> 1941-04-16]]> 1941-04-18]]> 1941-04-21]]> 1941-04-23]]> 1941-04-24]]> 1941-05-02]]> 1941-05-03]]> 1941-05-12]]> 1941-05-16]]> 1941-05-17]]> 1941-05-24]]> 1941-05-25]]> 1941-06-01]]> 1941-06-13]]> 1941-06-14]]> 1941-06-15]]> 1941-06-17]]> 1941-06-18]]> 1941-06-21]]> 1941-06-22]]> 1941-06-27]]> 1941-06-29]]> 1941-07-01]]> 1941-07-02]]> 1941-07-03]]> 1941-07-06]]> 1941-07-07]]> 1941-07-09]]> 1941-07-10]]> 1941-07-11]]> 1941-07-14]]> 1941-07-20]]> 1941-07-21]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-19]]> 1944-09-23]]> 1945-03-24]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Terry Hancock]]> Pending temporal coverage. Allocated]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Danube River]]> Great Britain]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> France]]> France--Valence (Drôme)]]> Greece]]> Greece--Eleusis]]> Greece--Thessalonikē]]> Hungary]]> Hungary--Miskolc]]> Hungary--Székesfehérvár]]> Hungary--Szőny]]> Italy]]> Italy--Aquino]]> Italy--Battipaglia]]> Italy--Bologna]]> Italy--Cagliari]]> Italy--Catania]]> Italy--Civitavecchia]]> Italy--Formia]]> Italy--Grosseto]]> Italy--Livorno]]> Italy--Marsala]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Paola]]> Italy--Pesaro]]> Italy--Pisa]]> Italy--Pratica di Mare]]> Italy--Ravenna]]> Italy--Reggio di Calabria]]> Italy--Rimini]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Sapri]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Torre Annunziata]]> Italy--Trieste]]> Italy--Verona]]> Italy--Viterbo]]> Romania]]> Romania--Ploiești]]> Slovenia]]> Slovenia--Maribor]]> 1943-06-09]]> 1943-06-19]]> 1943-06-20]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-28]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-06-30]]> 1943-07-01]]> 1943-07-04]]> 1943-07-05]]> 1943-07-06]]> 1943-07-07]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-10]]> 1943-07-11]]> 1943-07-12]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-07-14]]> 1943-07-15]]> 1943-07-16]]> 1943-07-19]]> 1943-07-20]]> 1943-07-21]]> 1943-07-22]]> 1943-07-23]]> 1943-07-26]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-08-02]]> 1943-08-03]]> 1943-08-04]]> 1943-08-05]]> 1943-08-07]]> 1943-08-11]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1943-08-13]]> 1943-08-14]]> 1943-08-15]]> 1943-08-19]]> 1943-08-20]]> 1943-08-22]]> 1943-08-23]]> 1943-08-26]]> 1943-08-27]]> 1943-08-29]]> 1943-08-30]]> 1943-08-31]]> 1943-09-01]]> 1943-09-06]]> 1943-09-07]]> 1943-09-09]]> 1943-09-10]]> 1943-09-11]]> 1943-09-12]]> 1943-09-13]]> 1943-09-14]]> 1943-09-15]]> 1943-09-16]]> 1943-09-18]]> 1943-09-19]]> 1943-09-23]]> 1943-09-24]]> 1943-09-25]]> 1943-09-30]]> 1943-10-01]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1943-10-03]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1944-08-15]]> 1944-08-16]]> 1944-08-17]]> 1944-08-18]]> 1944-08-21]]> 1944-08-22]]> 1944-08-23]]> 1944-08-24]]> 1944-08-25]]> 1944-08-27]]> 1944-09-01]]> 1944-09-02]]> 1944-09-04]]> 1944-09-06]]> 1944-09-07]]> 1944-09-09]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-14]]> 1944-09-15]]> 1944-09-18]]> 1944-09-21]]> 1944-10-11]]> 1944-10-13]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-17]]> 1944-10-21]]> He continued in the RAF after the war getting involved in secret radar trials. On leaving the RAF he got very bored with civilian life and rejoined to assist in the Korean war. Not required in Korea he joined Shorts as a staff pilot. Later he rejoined the RAF for two years.]]> Jim Eley]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jan Waller]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Ludlow]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Manchester]]> Scotland--Gourock]]> United States]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Canada]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Saskatchewan]]> Saskatchewan--Weyburn]]> Saskatchewan--Moose Jaw]]> Saskatchewan--Regina]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Filey]]> England--Snitterfield]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Netherlands--Rotterdam]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Bari]]> England--Rochester (Kent)]]> Korea]]> England--Oakington]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Italy]]> New York (State)]]> New Brunswick]]> Germany]]> Nova Scotia]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Kent]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Warwickshire]]> Manitoba]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]> 1949]]> 1950]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1953]]> 1954]]> 1955]]> Post war his squadron took part in the repatriation of Army personnel from Italy and his unit was in India at around the time it became independent.]]> John Joyner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Pakistan]]> Italy--Naples]]> Pakistan--Karachi]]> Northern Ireland--Belfast]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> 1940]]> 1945]]> Lawrence Goodman]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Midmar (Parish)]]> Scotland--Spean Bridge]]> Scotland--Edinburgh]]> Norway]]> Norway--Tromsø]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> India]]> India--Kolkata]]> Lebanon]]> France]]> France--Nice]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Jersey]]> Greece]]> Greece--Athens]]> Gibraltar]]> Spain]]> Spain--Madrid]]> Turkey]]> Turkey--Istanbul]]> England--Blackwater (Hampshire)]]> Italy]]> Italy--Naples]]> Lebanon--Beirut]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Amsterdam]]> M Kemp]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Potsdam]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Belgium]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Italy]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--Naples]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1945-02-25]]> 1945-02-27]]> 1945-03-28]]> 1945-03-18]]> 1945-03-23]]> 1945-03-27]]> 1945-04-26]]> 1945-04-09]]> 1945-04-13]]> 1945-04-14]]> 1945-05-01]]> 1945-05-04]]> 1945-08-11]]> 1945-08-13]]> 1945-08-24]]> 1945-08-26]]> 1945-09-18]]> 1945-09-19]]> 1945-11-08]]> 1945-11-10]]> 1945-11-10]]> John was born in 1919 to a poor but educated family. He was the youngest of eight children. At the age of 17 he started training as a teacher but war had broken out. He was accepted by the RAF as aircrew and after brief training in Jamaica was shipped to New Orleans then onward to Canada.
He trained as a Navigator and after crew selection at Kinloss, training on Whitleys he was sent to Pocklington, Yorkshire.
He completed 33 operations - there is great detail about the operations.
After the war he transferred to Transport Command and flew Hastings and Comets around the world. He was a successful athlete for the RAF.
Included is a eulogy for John written by his nephew, Mark Johnson.

An appendix covers a colleague, John Ebanks who served as a bomb aimer at RAF Oakington. He undertook 50 operations.


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Mark Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> Jamaica--Pedro Plains]]> Cayman Islands]]> Jamaica--Ocho Rios]]> Jamaica--Kingston]]> Belize]]> United States]]> Louisiana--New Orleans]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Canada]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> Québec--Montréal]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> Iceland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Sri Lanka]]> West Indies]]> Australia]]> New Zealand]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Italy--Turin]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Mülheim an der Ruhr]]> Germany--Koblenz]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> England--Liverpool]]> France--Ardennes]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Dülmen]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Goch]]> Germany--Bonn]]> Germany--Reichswald]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Worms]]> Germany--Kamen]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Bottrop]]> Germany--Witten]]> Italy--Naples]]> France--Marseille]]> Europe--English Channel Region]]> China--Hong Kong]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany]]> Jamaica]]> Italy]]> France]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Jamaica--Saint Elizabeth]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Wangerooge Island]]> Louisiana]]> New York (State)]]> Ontario]]> Québec]]> New Brunswick]]> Nova Scotia]]> China]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Lancashire]]> Jamaica--Saint Ann's Bay]]>