Browse Items (3787 total)
- Temporal Coverage starts with "1943"
Sort by:
Interview with Lawrence Larmer
Lawrence Larmer was born in Australia in 1920. After completing school he went to work on the Beaufort aircraft in the Department of Aircraft Production. He was called up in 1942 and volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force to avoid the army.…
Interview with John McCredie
John McCredie grew up in Australia and served in the Militia before he volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force. He flew two operations as a pilot over France during training and was later posted to India. He later returned to Australia to…
Interview with Joe Shuttleworth
Joe Shuttleworth was born and raised in Brisbane but also spent a lot of time with family in the Melbourne area. He volunteered for aircrew and soon began training as a gunner. After initial training he sailed to the United States and on to the UK.…
Interview with Jean Smith
When war broke out, Jean was working in the Ministry of Aircraft Production. She joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1942 and did two months’ training at Innsworth camp. Jean was posted to 27 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lichfield as…
Interview with Don Southwell
Don Southwell grew up in Australia and worked for RKO Radio Pictures and as an Air Raid Precautions Warden before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. After training in Australia and Canada, he flew nine operations as a navigator with 463 Squadron…
Interview with Max Spence
Max Spence grew up in Australia and worked in a hardware store before he volunteered for the Air Force. He recounts his training in Canada and in England and life on an operational station. He flew 18 operations as a navigator with 460 Squadron.
Interview with Rita Brooks
Rita’s late husband was Flight Lieutenant Edward Brooks DFC, DFM. He was in the Home Guard before he enlisted with the Royal Air Force in February 1941, and sometime later went to RAF Uxbridge. Following his training at Blackpool the recruits…
Interview with Ronald Davis
Ron volunteered for the Royal Air Force at eighteen. Because of his eyesight, he was unsuitable for aircrew and became an airframe fitter. After assessment at RAF Cardington, he went to Bournemouth for drilling and firearms training. He was posted…
Interview with Dr 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 Jamie Barr
Jim Barr grew up in Scotland and worked as an apprentice engineer before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He trained as a navigator in South Africa and flew operations with 61 Squadron. He describes what it was like to be a navigator with Bomber…
Interview with Lesley Joseph Loosemoore
Les Loosemore describes his upbringing and employment history in Swansea before joining the war in 1945. He describes the Blitz in Swansea before training to be a mid upper gunner for 61 Squadron. He describes his rather intensive training, including…
Interview with Harry Hughes
Harry Hughes volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1940 and trained in America, where he was washed out as a pilot and then retrained as a navigator in Canada, flying Ansons and Wellingtons. In 1942, he converted to Halifaxes and flew operations…
Interview with Ronald Last
Ronald Last grew up in Dorset and worked as an apprentice for the local Gas and Water company before volunteering for the Air Force. He attended the reception centre at Lord's Cricket Ground and describes the medical tests and inoculations recruits…
Interview with Harry Rossiter
Harry Rossiter grew up in East London but his family moved to Essex, which gave Harry a “ringside view” of the Battle of Britain. He volunteered as a bicycle messenger and tried to join the Royal Navy as a telegraphist. He was encouraged to join…
Statement of Adelindo Meoni about some Allied servicemen
Adelindo Meoni claims he helped, from 10 September 1943 to 20 December 1943, ten allied prisoners of war, giving them food and shelter. On 20 December they moved to Migliana area, near Cantagallo (Prato), where they were recaptured some days later by…
Statement of Adelmo Ferri about some Allied servicemen
Adelmo Ferri claims he helped some Allied servicemen, from 8 September 1943: he hosted one of them for a month, and he helped other servicemen hid in the mountain areas of Vallone, Macchia, and Fonda, near Pistoia, with his fellow villagers. Then…
Commissioning form
Commissioning of airman GD branch - information on employment as pilot and hours flown.
Statement of Adolfo Innocenti about some Allied servicemen
Adolfo Innocenti claims he helped some English prisoners of war who arrived in the woods near his house. He regularly brought them food. One of them, called George, got sick, and he lived in Adolfo’s house for 21 days until his recovery; then, he…
Statement of Adori Melani about some Allied servicemen
Adori Melani claims he helped three English soldiers for six months. At first, they hid in a hut and then they moved to San Baronto, in the province of Pistoia. In both cases Adori brought them food and clothes. For his efforts, he received a…
Telegram to Mr L R Madgett
Reports Pilot Officer H Madgett DFM missing after operations 17/18 August 1943.
Telegram to Mrs Muir
Informing her that her son is missing after operations.
Letter from Robert Stott's wife, Agnes to Mr Blandford
Letter to Pilot Officer Blandford's father, thanking him for his letter, celebrating the fact that his son had survived and sharing the news that Robert and other crew members had died.
Letters between Robert Stott's wife, Agnes and Mr Blandford
Five letters from Agnes Stott to Mr Blandford, a fellow crew member's father, and one to Mr Blandford from a fellow crew member (Pilot Officer G G Whittle) who did not fly with them on their last operation.
Three letters from Robert Stott's wife
Letters from Agnes Stott to a fellow crew member's father, comments on confusion about regular crew member who did not fly with them on their last operation and telling him that she had received formal notice that Robert had died.
The Woodpecker magazine - October 1943
42 air school magazine. Articles, cartoons, artwork, club information, sports news, poems, advertisements, editor, padre, news from other stations in southern Africa, weddings and births, sports results.