Ron van de Put]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Mal Prissick]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> England--London]]> Netherlands--Amsterdam]]> 1939]]> 1940-05]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly ]]> Mal Prissick]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1943-06-25]]> 1943-09-27]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carron Moss]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Austria]]> Great Britain]]> Austria--Vienna]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Anglesey]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> Brian Wright]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Norway]]> South Africa]]> Arctic Ocean--North Pole]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Scotland--Montrose]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Zimbabwe]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Zimbabwe--Gweru]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> Adam Sutch]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> Pakistan]]> Sri Lanka]]> England--London]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Atlantic Ocean]]> Atlantic Ocean--Rockall Bank]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> 1938]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> Mike Connock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> Mick Jeffery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Christine Kavanagh]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> Nigel Moore]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> Patricia Selby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Julie Williams]]> Steph Jackson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Harrow]]> Canada]]> France]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Rhine River]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941-02]]> 1942-05]]> 1944-01]]> 1944-08]]> 1946]]> 1949]]> Brian Wright]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Manchester]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1939]]> 1944-08]]> 1946]]> 1948]]> He recalls his time in the RAF, including his recuperation from his extensive burns under the care of Sir Archibald MacIndoe with whom he became friends. He became one of the founder members of the Guinea Pig Club. He talks about life away from flight operations, of his exploits whilst on leave in London where daily life went on albeit under the threat of bombardment. It was where he met his future wife, an English woman who came to see him regularly at the hospital in East Grinstead, as he made his lengthy and painful recovery back to health. Jan later returned to duty as a gunnery instructor on Lysander aircraft before returning to his squadron and resuming flying operations.
Jan talks about daily life in between flight operations; how one lived day to day, because each day was precious, how crews had their own table in the dining room and wondering if the table next to them would be empty the next day.
He also shares anecdotes about, and pays tribute to, Guy Gibson and Leonard Cheshire who he knew and considered them friends. He recalls his fondness of, and conversations with, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and, at the time, President of the Guinea Pig Club.
Jan also reflects on Polish history and the aftermath of the war. After the war he settled in Britain, working all over the country, until he retired.


This item was provided, in digital form, by a third-party organisation which used technical specifications and operational protocols that may differ from those used by the IBCC Digital Archive.]]>
Geoff Burton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Chris Cann]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Argentina]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--London]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> 1943]]>

In 1939, he tried for aircrew but crashed three aircraft during flying training, so was pushed to join the maintenance unit. After equipment training at RAF Halton in 1940, he passed out and was promoted to flying officer in charge of supplying stations in the UK and overseas with everything from uniforms to aircraft. He was promoted in 1940 to flight lieutenant. Between 1939 and 1940, he was part of the training wing as an instructor at RAF Grange-over-Sands.

In 1941, the same year his son Jeremy was born, he was stationed at RAF Kinloss in Scotland. In March 1942, Charles was posted overseas, travelling from Liverpool to the Middle East headquarters supply. He then transferred to the Rear Air Headquarters Western Desert, and then to 33 Air Stores Park.

After his time in the Middle East, Charles was posted to Southern Italy, working alongside the Balkan and Mediterranean Air Force. Charles saw out the war at RAF Morcombe, RAF Cardington, and RAF Greenham Common, before retiring from the RAF in 1961 but remaining in active positions until he was 65. Charles died aged 86. ]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jennie Mitchell ]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Second generation]]> Algeria]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Italy]]> Malta]]> North Africa]]> Northern Ireland]]> Italy--Bari]]> Great Britain]]> Great Britain]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1942-02-14]]> 1943-08]]> 1943-11]]> 1945]]> 1946]]>
Joan got engaged on her 21st birthday in October 1939. Her finance got his call up papers to join the Royal Sussex some days later.
Joan and her mother went to Hastings for Christmas 1944 to stay with her grandparents. They returned home on boxing day to find that their house had been destroyed. The shelter which they would have used was burnt out and the occupants were all killed. She stayed in Hastings to look after her grandmother until she married. Her husband was a stretcher bearer and was taken prisoner in May 1940. The prisoners had to march from France to Poland where he was in Stalag 7B. During that time, he had appendicitis and was operated on by a German doctor. While a prisoner he worked with horses and in the salt mines. The prisoners were marched from Poland to Germany towards the end of the war before being released. When he returned home, they got married and he worked as a prison officer at Wormwood Scrubs. He retired at 55 and died at 57.
Joan had a variety of jobs since the end of the war and retired at the age of 63.
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Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Hastings]]> England--London]]> France]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1939]]> 1939-10]]> 1944-12-25]]> 1940-05]]>
Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Queensland--Brisbane]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> Germany]]> Germany--Heidelberg]]> Victoria]]> New York (State)]]> Queensland]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> Brian Wright]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> 1939]]> 1942]]> 1944]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> Malcom Young]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> France]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1945]]> His first operation was minelaying in the Baltic and he recalls standing in the astrodome to warn of enemy fighters. On other operations he would sit in the front turret and occasionally fire at enemy fighters, without success. Further minelaying operations were carried out and on his eighth, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and diverted to a US Army Air Force airfield where he stocked up on goodies, unavailable in England from the base exchange store.
On the 22 September 1943 he took part to an operation to Hanover and describes the night fighter tactics in detail. Following lengthy evasive action his aircraft was forced down to 5,000 feet where it was hit by by anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to bail out over Emden where he was caught by a member of the Luftwaffe who was visiting his girlfriend. After initial interrogation he was sent to the interrogation centre at Dalag Luft and after a two day train journey arrived at Stalag 5 prisoner of war camp.
On July 1944 the encroaching Russian army forced the evacuation of the camp and he was moved to the unfinished Luft 4 camp and remembers the bullying guards and poor conditions. Again in February 1945 the camp was evacuated and after crossing the River Oder in barges marched across northern Germany. After two months he arrived at Lübeck and escaped the column, narrowly missing being captured by German soldiers by conversing in French. Finding an allied airfield he was repatriated to England where he was treated as a hero.
After recuperation he attended a code and cipher course and was offered a commission if he would go to the middle-east. Wanting to get married he declined and wangled his way to 24 Squadron at RAF Hendon, were he was eventually demobbed in July 1946. ]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Terry Holmes]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--London]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany]]> Europe--Oder River]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Lithuania]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> 1936]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1943-09-22]]> 1944-07]]> 1945-02]]> 1946-07]]>
Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Poland--Opole (Voivodeship)]]> 1939]]> 1942-05]]> 1943]]> 1944-01]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Africa]]> Egypt]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Kent]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1948]]> Ian Locker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Florida]]> 1939]]> 1943]]>
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Ian Locker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Hull]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1943]]> 1945]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Shropshire]]> South Africa--Queenstown]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Bruges]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-30]]> Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Burma]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> South Africa]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942-02]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> British Army]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Dunkerque]]> Poland--Żagań]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>