Bottom left - newspaper cutting with head and shoulders b/w photograph announcing that sergt-pilot Cyril Andrews of Oxford had been killed.
Top middle - newspaper cutting with b/w full face photograph announcing that Pilot Officer Kenneth Higgins had just received his wings and commission in Canada.
Bottom middle - newspaper cutting - Oxford sgt-pilot killed - announces that sergt-pilot C G Andrews had been killed.
Right - newspaper cutting - Salerno adventure. Story concerning Pte J F R Read R.A.M.C. who acted as stretcher bearer during operation at Salerno, Italy and was now in a convalescent depot in the middle east after being wounded. Gives some background details of upbringing in Oxford. Includes three-quarter length image of soldier wearing khaki uniform with shorts.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Oxford]]> Canada]]> Italy]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Indonesia]]> Indonesia--Java]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Map]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Albania]]> Yugoslavia]]> Syria]]> Iraq]]> Greece]]> Greece--Rhodes (Island)]]> Greece--Crete]]> Greece--Piraeus]]> Greece--Corinth Canal]]> Italy]]> Libya]]> Libya--Tobruk]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> Tunisia]]> Tunisia--Mareth Line]]> Tunisia--Qābis]]> Tunisia--Sharīk Peninsula]]> Tunisia--Tunis]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Pantelleria Island]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Anzio]]> Italy--Viterbo]]> Italy--Giulianova]]> Italy--Verona]]> Italy--Turin]]> Italy--Pisa]]> Italy--Livorno]]> Italy--Trieste]]> Italy--Milan]]> Bulgaria]]> Bulgaria--Sofia]]> Hungary]]> Hungary--Budapest]]> Austria]]> Austria--Steyr]]> France]]> France--Valence (Drôme)]]> Germany]]> Germany--Munich]]> Croatia]]> Croatia--Rijeka]]> Romania]]> Romania--Bucharest]]> Romania--Ploiești]]> Danube River]]> North Africa]]> Libya--Martuba]]> Egypt--Fukah]]> Greece--Leros (Municipality)]]> 1940-06]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-05]]> 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]]> 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]]> Rod Pickles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Graham Emmet]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]> Gibraltar]]> Morocco]]> Tunisia]]> Tunisia--Tunis]]> Italy]]> Italy--Sicily]]> Italy--Salerno]]> North Africa]]> 1943-09]]> 1943-10-01]]> Italy--Salerno]]>
Churchill describes the war’s progress in North-West Africa, a springboard to further offensive action, following conferences with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in June 1942 in Washington and January 1943 in Casablanca. Erwin Rommel has been repulsed by Generals Alexander and Montgomery and Tunisia conquered. Following a further conference in Washington in May 1943, Sicily was captured in 38 days.

Churchill had also spoken to Stalin in Moscow. Russian armies have advanced 1,600 miles of the front.

Map showing changes to the frontline on the eastern front.

An ever increasing Anglo-American control of the air and expansion of Air Forces. Increased RAF air operations were increasingly accurate with reduced losses. A systemic destruction of German war production was taking place, which was diverting Germany from offensive capabilities.

Germany was likely to retaliate with new methods and weapons and Churchill would keep the House informed of how this would be addressed.

Map showing where German air defence will be forced to defend against offensives from West and South.

Describes how the U-boats have become less of a threat because of success of air operations and new ship building.

Quebec conference discussed the offensive against Japan in the Pacific with General Douglas MacArthur getting good results. Reduction in Japanese ships, air power and supplies.

25th July 1943 memorable date as Benito Mussolini deposed and the Badaglio government was created. Armistice signed in Syracuse on night of 3rd September 1943. Churchill expresses sympathy for the Italian population; they will become a free democracy. The German population have, however, caused three wars and Churchill stresses the need to destroy Nazi tyranny and Prussian militarism.

Photograph of allied troops landing in Salerno.
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Great Britain. Political Warfare Executive]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Sally Coulter]]> deu]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Germany]]> Italy]]> Japan]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Leningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ]]> Russia (Federation)--Moscow]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Salerno]]> 1943-09]]> 1943-07-25]]> 1943-08-03]]> 1943-05]]>

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.











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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]]>
205 Group Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Albania]]> Austria]]> Austria--Steyr]]> Bulgaria]]> Bulgaria--Sofia]]> Croatia]]> Croatia--Rijeka]]> Danube River]]> France]]> France--Valence (Drôme)]]> Germany]]> Germany--Munich]]> Greece]]> Greece--Corinth Canal]]> Greece--Crete]]> Greece--Piraeus]]> Greece--Rhodes (Island)]]> Hungary]]> Hungary--Budapest]]> Iraq]]> Italy]]> Italy--Anzio]]> Italy--Giulianova]]> Italy--Livorno]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Milan]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Pantelleria Island]]> Italy--Pisa]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Trieste]]> Italy--Turin]]> Italy--Verona]]> Italy--Viterbo]]> Libya]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Libya--Martuba]]> Libya--Tobruk]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> North Africa]]> Romania]]> Romania--Bucharest]]> Romania--Ploiești]]> Syria]]> Tunisia]]> Tunisia--Mareth Line]]> Tunisia--Qābis]]> Tunisia--Sharīk Peninsula]]> Tunisia--Tunis]]> Egypt--Fukah]]> Greece--Leros (Municipality)]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>