1
25
6
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wilson, Reginald Charles
R C Wilson
Description
An account of the resource
166 items. The collection concerns Reginald Charles Wilson (b. 1923, 1389401 Royal Air Force) and contains his wartime log, photographs, documents and correspondence. He few operations as a navigator with 102 Squadron. He was shot down on 20 January 1944 and became a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Janet Hughes and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-01-13
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Wilson, RC
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[photograph]
Mink Tunnell, North Shore, Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada. – 10.
[page break]
Post Card [postage stamp][postmark]
1389401. LAC. Wilson RC
[underlined] 8 pm. 17th July 42 [/underlined]
Dear Mum & Dad,
On my Way to Brandon, Manitoba from Trenton. Have been travelling since yesterday 6 pm. The scenery is pretty wild round here with about 1 inhabitant. Love Reg
Mr & Mrs Wilson,
38, Joydon Drive,
Chadwell Heath
Romford,
Essex,
ENGLAND
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mink Tunnel, Lake Superior
Description
An account of the resource
A postcard of the rail tracks leading into a tunnel. It is addressed to Reg's parents. He is travelling by train to Brandon, Manitoba.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Reg Wilson
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-07-17
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Canada
Ontario--Trenton
Manitoba--Brandon
Great Britain
England--Romford
Ontario
England--Essex
Lake Superior
Manitoba
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Format
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One colour postcard with handwritten message
Identifier
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EWilsonRCWilsonWJ-M420717-0001,
EWilsonRCWilsonWJ-M420717-0002
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-07-17
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sue Smith
aircrew
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/886/23728/EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD420717-0003.2.jpg
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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/886/23728/EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD420717-0002.2.jpg
a19ede2638ee35553ab617cf26089ca4
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hudson, Douglas
James Douglas Hudson
J D Hudson
Description
An account of the resource
529 items. Collection concerns Pilot Officer James Douglas Hudson, DFC (755052 Royal Air Force) who joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in June 1939 and trained as an observer. While on route to Malta in August 1940 his Blenheim crashed in Tunisia and he was subsequently interned for two and a half years by Vichy French in Tunisia and Algeria. After being freed he returned to Great Britain and after navigator retraining completed a tour of 30 operations on 100 Squadron. The collection contains letters to and from his parents and from French penfriends while interned in Tunisia and Algeria, newspaper cuttings of various events, logbooks and lists of operations, official documents and photographs. A further 23 items are in two sub-collections with details of navigator examinations and postcards of Laghouat Algeria.<br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Elizabeth Smith and Yvonne Puncher and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.<br />
<p>This collection also contains items concerning Louis Murray and Harry Bowers. Additional information on <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/202827/">Harry Bowers</a> and <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/220410/">Louis Murray</a> is available via the IBCC Losses Database.</p>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-06-16
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
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Hudson, JD
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Prisoners of War Post
[inserted] 162 [/inserted]
[BY AIR MAIL stamp]
[postmark]
[postage stamp]
755052 Sgt. J. D. Hudson
Interned British Airman
Camp Militaire
Laghouat
Algerie
Afrique du Nord.
[page break]
From
Mrs Hudson
191 Halifax Road
Nelson
Lancs.
England
17/7/42
[postmark]
[inserted] 62 [/inserted]
[inserted] 11-8-42 [/inserted]
[page break]
[inserted] 163 [/inserted]
[underlined] 62 [/underlined]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson Lancs.
England.
Friday July 17th/42
My dear Douglas.
It has been a great joy to us to have 13 letters from you, 7 Sat. 2 Mon. 1 each Tues. & Wed. 1 each Thurs. a.m. & p.m. & your cable dated July 13th arrived yesterday morning the 16th. It was evidently sent via Imperial like your previous long message received July 6th asking for shoes, underwear, toothbrush, etc. I hope to get your parcel away next week. It will then be 3 months (almost) since the last one was sent so I suppose it will be in order. I have already got you six tablets of Lifebuoy toilet soap but am wondering if you might like a perfumed toilet soap as well so might dip into my ration box. And don’t think you are taking anything from us. Love! If it could do any good we would sent [sic] anything we had. Your letters have brought us much comfort and reassurance. It is grand to know that in spite of very extraordinary circumstances you are keeping fit & well & cheery & also that varying interests help to pass the time. The last letter which is dated March 30th & post-marked Laghouat 29 – 4 contained the photo of you with your type-writer & also the one of R.A.F. It does look a grand little dog & I can well understand your anger & indignation when it was shot. The photo of you is the best you’ve sent & I [inserted] am [/inserted] looking forward to more of you & your “Camp Echo”. Early this morning I wrote to John. You will remember that tomorrow is his birthday. Mrs Clayton came for the day on Wednesday. She sent word she was coming on the Tuesday but a post-card arrived on Tues. a.m. saying she was coming Wednesday. It wasn’t a very nice day. It was cool & cloudy & about seven p.m. rain began to
[page break]
fall & although it is now Friday 1-30 p.m. the rain has come down almost without a break. At the moment it is just a deluge. I was surprised to learn that John is, at present, J. J. Clayton Esq. & it would seem that the announcement made to me on June 29th and passed on to you, was some what premature. As you used to say “you never know where you are with them”. Mary sent your letter along for us to read. We thought it was very kind of her to do so. She said Kenneth was playing cricket at Headingley with a team from the Bank. Dad thought it was very foolish, but Kenneth must be in much better health when he is able to do it. Mrs Clayton brought news of Peter. He is back again in the thick of it after his long rest. We have been informed through the Press that next week a list of Japanese prisoners of war is expected in London & you can readily imagine how eagerly we shall scan the papers for Ted Hole’s name. It would be such joy to learn that he was safe. Mrs Clayton’s neighbour, Mrs Whiteley, got news on Monday that her daughter, Nurse Joan Whiteley reported missing at Hong-Kong in December is safe & well. It was one of the very few occasions that I have seen her [inserted] Mrs Clayton [/inserted] moved. She is very hard & Mr Clayton’s death does not appear to [inserted] have [/inserted] drawn her & John any closer. She said she had not heard from him for some time – probably owing to his very intensive studies. Mrs Murray has an officer guest. She has no news of Horace, in Libya, for 12 months.
Well love I must end my letter of bits & Pieces Dad is on duty tonight & my share of courage was & is a very small one. All our love & thoughts & prayers are ever with you.
Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat Algerie.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents
Description
An account of the resource
Reports that had now received 13 letters from him over the last week and two cables. Mentions message requesting underwear, tooth brushes and other items. Hopes to get parcel away to him in the following week and would includes soap which she has already obtained. Glad to hear he is keeping fit and well. Comments on letters and mentions included photographs. Catches up with other correspondence and news of friends and family. Mentions that news of Japanese prisoners of war was expected and they had hopes on news of friend who was missing in Malaya.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
P Hudson
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-07-17
Format
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Twoi page handwritten letter and envelope
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
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EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD420717
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Algeria
Algeria--Laghouat (Province)
Great Britain
England--Lancashire
England--Nelson
North Africa
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-07-17
1942-08-11
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
prisoner of war
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/680/9228/PAustinRA1601.2.jpg
8213b677a3a8a29b8cd4e7df5f880021
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/680/9228/AAustinRA160616.2.mp3
5ca69c712820bfa28a2c9cecd063ff60
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Austin, Rex Alan
R A Austin
Description
An account of the resource
An oral history interview with Group Captain Rex Austin (b. 1924, 419453, 034271 Royal Air Force). He flew operations as a wireless operator with 207 Squadron.
The collection was catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-06-16
Rights
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Austin, RA
Transcribed audio recording
A resource consisting primarily of recorded human voice.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
JH: This interview is being conducted for the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincolnshire. A part of the Oral History Project. The interview is John Horsburgh and today I’m interviewing Rex Austin who was a wireless operator with 207 Squadron. RAF. We are at [unclear] in Faulconbridge, New South Wales and it’s the 16th June 2016. Good morning Rex. Perhaps we can start by, with your birth date and where you were born.
RA: 4th of January 1924 at Werribee, Victoria.
JH: Thank you. Maybe we can talk about your early life and I’m interested to see if there is any family history in the First World War.
RA: Yes. My father was, served with the 8th Light Horse in the Middle East. I don’t know too much about it because he very rarely discussed anything about the First World War. However, following on from that my father transferred from the army to the Australian Flying Corps which subsequently became the Royal Australian Air Force on, I think from the date of about the 1st of April 1921.
JH: That’s interesting. So he would be one of the originals in that. In the RAAF.
RA: Yes.
JH: So your father, did he have a country, he grew up in the country. On the land. How come he ended up in the light horse?
RA: I’ve no idea why he ended up in the Light Horse. He was not a country boy. The best I know is that after leaving school he studied accountancy. Became an accountant but he was, when he joined the army he was living at East Kilda in Melbourne.
JH: So you grew up in Victoria. Tell me a bit about your early life and your schooling for example.
RA: Well, I did my primary school at Werribee. I started high school at Williamstown in Victoria but after three months I was taken to England as a school boy. My father was appointed in the staff of Australia House in London. He was at that time a squadron leader. And I did two and a half years to three years as a [unclear] at Frays College, Uxbridge. Whilst we were living at a place called Ruislip in Middlesex. Father took ill over whilst we were over there and we came home in 1938. Yes. ’38. Thereafter, I attended Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne and finished my schooling there.
JH: So, Rex, did you, did you join up from school or did you leave school?
RA: No.
JH: And had a job somewhere.
RA: I left school in 1941. Joined the Commercial Bank of Australia as a bank clerk. On my 18th birthday I filled in an application form to join aircrew in the RAAF, and on the 17th of July 1942 I was called up for full time duty.
JH: So the fact that your father was, was in the RAAF may have influenced your, your decision to go for the air force rather than the army say.
RA: Yes, certainly. That was very true. I, as a small child used to see my father on parade at Point Cook and Laverton where he was officer in charge of field troops and I used to think to myself one of these days I would like to be in the same position. So I had a long term, long standing desire to be in the air force, and my father supported that thought.
JH: He would have been very proud I should imagine when you, when you did sign up. So, Rex tell us a little bit about the training you went through in Australia before you set sail for the UK.
RA: I went to number 1 ITS. Initial Training School at Somers in Victoria. When I graduated from there I was advised my co-ordination was such that I couldn’t be a pilot, and I was given the opportunity of being a wireless operator, air gunner or a navigator or an air gunner. I chose wireless. My father was very disappointed when I advised him that I could not be a pilot. Extremely disappointed. Anyway, he no doubt organised that I would go to Parkes to do my wireless training. Turn it off.
JH: Well that’s ok. We’ll carry on. But I think everybody, from what I hear, and my father was no exception, wanted to be a pilot. Dad ended up being a navigator. So that’s, that’s what, what he did. So, so Parkes was wireless operating training plus gunnery combined.
RA: No. No. Gunnery was at Port Pirie in South Australia. We did nine months as I recall. Nine months training as wireless operators. Then six weeks at Port Pirie to do gunnery training.
JH: And it’s interesting combination of wireless operator and gunnery. Did you actually get involved in any gunnery in operations?
RA: No. No. I followed through as wireless operator both in Australia and in the UK purely on wireless as a wireless operator. After I was shot down I was re-mustered to signaller and awarded the S-Wing rather than having a wireless badge on my, on my sleeve, and a AG brevet.
JH: Ok. So let’s, so you passed, passed out and where did you set sail for the UK? Was it from Sydney or from Melbourne?
RA: From Sydney. From Sydney. We were transported by train from Melbourne to Sydney. Stayed at Sydney for about three weeks before we embarked on a ship for North America.
JH: Was this like a parade down George Street to the ship? How did it happen?
RA: Yes. Yes. It was a parade. A formal parade down to the ship. We embarked on a ship which was an American ship called the [pause] that I can’t remember.
JH: Was it a passenger ship?
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: It was a troop ship which had brought Americans out. American soldiers out to Australia. We travelled to St Francis Cove. Crossed America by rail. And ended up at a camp called Camp Myles Standish. Myles Standish in Taunton, Massachusetts. And we stayed there for about a month before we loaded on another troop ship. I think, I think it was the Queen Elizabeth, to travel across the Atlantic. Six days as I recall and landed at Greenock in the UK and travelled by train from there down to Brighton, UK. And I stayed there for about a month.
JH: What sort of training was involved in Brighton for that month?
RA: Nothing. Nothing. No training at all.
JH: Square bashing.
RA: Square.
JH: Yeah.
RA: I suppose it was square bashing but [laughs] like all good things they started off with a large numbers of uniformed people marching down the road and as the march kept going more and more people disappeared off the road, back of the troop. So that it ended up with a few blokes marching down all, all with a drill instructor looking at them. The others had disappeared to the local pubs.
JH: Not to the pub. Yes. What was the, one of the favourite pubs you remember there?
RA: I don’t remember.
JH: Yes.
RA: I don’t remember.
JH: Yeah. Yes. So then at some stage you got assigned to further training unit.
RA: Yes. I was posted to —
JH: Was it West Freugh?
RA: West Freugh.
JH: West Freugh. Yes.
RA: To do pre-OTU. I think, I think by memory we were there about a month and we were then posted to Market Harborough to do OTU on Wellington aircraft, Wellington 1C. I crewed up at OTU. My pilot was an Australian. The rest of the crew were English men.
JH: Can you remember much about your crew? Did you crew up very quickly?
RA: Quite quickly.
JH: Or did it take some days?
RA: Oh some days but it was relatively quickly.
JH: Yes. Did you know your pilot beforehand?
RA: No. No. I did not. He was on Number 26 Pilot’s Course in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was a sergeant.
JH: What was his name?
RA: Kevin McSweeney.
JH: Kevin McSweeney. Yes.
RA: We also crewed up with a rear gunner by the name of Reg Tice. T I C E.
JH: Rear gunner.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes. A rear gunner. And the navigator was Fred Holmwood. H O L M W O O D. Who was —
JH: Reg Holmwood. Yeah.
RA: He was a pilot officer. McSweeney was a sergeant. I don’t think there’s much to say about the training at the —
JH: Yes.
RA: At the OTU. There was one incident we, McSweeney, on one of the early solo trips he overshot and we ended up in a turnip field off the aerodrome. And I was virtually unhurt except that I caught a boot in the teeth when I went forwards. McSweeney was alright and he was climbing up through the pilot’s escape hatch and he happened to accidently kick me in the teeth.
JH: Any damage to the props?
RA: The aircraft, I believe was a right off.
JH: Really. Yes. So, so from there you went to do a conversion course.
RA: Went to Wigsley to do —
JH: Yes.
RA: A conversion course.
JH: Wigsley.
RA: Wigsley. RAF station at Wigsley.
JH: Yes.
RA: Where it was on Stirlings.
JH: Yes.
RA: Then to, to Lanc Finishing School.
JH: Where was that? The Lanc Finishing School.
RA: I don’t know. I can’t remember that.
JH: Doesn’t matter.
RA: Syerston. Syerston.
JH: Oh yes. Did you, did you do any nickel raids part of that?
RA: I didn’t. The pilot did. Pardon me. By nickel raids you probably refer to —
JH: Dropping leaflets. Yes.
RA: No
JH: Yes. Part of the training.
RA: No.
JH: Yes. Yeah. I’m interested to see how you were assigned to a squadron. In your case it was 207 Squadron.
RA: I’ve no idea.
JH: You just come, just the assignment came and —
RA: Posting.
JH: The posting. Yeah.
RA: On the conclusion of the Lanc Finishing School.
JH: Yes.
RA: We were posted to —
JH: East Spilsby was it?
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: Yeah.
JH: Yes. So what was it like? So this was ’44.
RA: Three.
JH: 1943.
RA: Yeah. About ‘43/44.
JH: Yes ok. So tell me a little about what it was like arriving at East Spilsby. Your first days on the squadron as a new crew.
RA: I don’t remember anything special about it.
JH: Yeah.
RA: I think we were one of a couple of crews that arrived. By that time McSweeney had been commissioned as a pilot officer. And as far as I was personally concerned I fitted in to the signals empire if you can call it. And that was that.
JH: Yes. And how long after was your first operation, real operation after you arrived at East Spilsby?
RA: Well our first operation was the last of the Berlin trips in March ’44. Yes. March ’44.
JH: So your first operation was Berlin.
RA: Yes.
JH: That, that’s being thrown in to the deep end to me.
RA: It was.
JH: Tell me, tell me can you remember much about that operation?
RA: No. No. No. I can remember that the old bomb aimer called, ‘Go around again. We’ve missed the aiming point.’ And we turned around and flew against the —
JH: The stream.
RA: The stream.
JH: Yes.
RA: And turned back and bombed from, from the aiming point. The crew were very annoyed with McSweeney for doing this, however good. We fortunately got away with it.
JH: Yes. Talking before, you, I think you did thirteen operations before you were shot down and you mentioned one operation. One raid to Nuremberg.
RA: That was —
JH: I —
RA: Berlin was the first trip.
JH: Yes.
RA: Essen was the second trip. I think, if I remember rightly Berlin, we the Command suffered something like seventy odd losses.
JH: On the second Berlin raid. Yeah.
RA: On the Berlin raid we were on.
JH: Oh yes.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yeah.
RA: The second trip was Essen and I think if I remember rightly it was only about forty, something like that, aircraft lost on that raid, which I felt was improving. The third trip was to Nuremberg and of course it’s well known that there was about a hundred aircraft lost on that raid. At that stage I felt to myself well Berlin, Essen, Nuremberg — you can’t find three worse targets than that to go to, so I was very confident. And I think that the crew, that we were very confident. We were success.
JH: Successful. Yes.
RA: In completing our tour.
JH: Yes. One thing I was going to ask was on a raid like that as a wireless operator were you able to hear other crews talking?
RA: No. No. You should stuck, stuck purely and only to your own messages.
JH: Yes.
RA: Yeah.
JH: Yes. Were you able to see that, you know, the raid, it wasn’t a good raid. Things were going. Going badly. Did you get a feel for that on an operation?
RA: The Nuremberg trip?
JH: Yes.
RA: Yes. We did. We were aware that other aircraft were being shot down but I think we were so — [pause]
JH: So, what? Busy on your —
RA: Yes.
JH: On your —
RA: Looking after ourselves.
JH: Yes. Yeah. Were you in the mid-stream? Towards the front of the stream?
RA: Towards the front as I remember.
JH: Yes. Yes.
RA: But we certainly saw a lot of what we thought at that stage were German Scarecrows. We’d been told about them and I don’t think it sank in ‘til we got back to base that the raid had been so costly in those, the thought of losing so many aircraft.
JH: Rex, I’ve heard about these Scarecrows. What was that?
RA: I have an idea, knowing what I know now, that there was no such thing as Scarecrows. The briefing was that there was no mention of them other than the fact that when we came back the intelligence people sort of pooh-poohed the idea that they were aircraft going down all the time but it was. We were led to believe that they were Scarecrows. The Germans had some way or other of making it look as though —
JH: I see. Kind of simulating a Lancaster exploding in mid-air.
RA: Yeah. Yeah.
JH: Ok yes, yes. Are there any other operations? I’m going to ask you about the operation when you were shot down in a minute. But apart from Nuremberg are there any other operations that —?
RA: No.
JH: You’d like to mention.
RA: No. No. No.
JH: Ok. Well, that’s amazing that your survived a raid like that. Tell me, tell me what happened on your thirteenth operation.
RA: The operation was completely normal until we got hit. We were attacked by a fighter in the starboard wing which sounded to me as though it was [pause] if it rained on a tin roof. That was the sound of it. It turned out to have been a German fighter. Came up from underneath. He was not sighted by anybody in the crew.
JH: Was this the upward firing?
RA: Yes.
JH: Jazz music.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes. Yes.
RA: But we didn’t know that at the time of course.
JH: Of course. You can’t see it.
RA: No.
JH: Yes, yes that’s right.
RA: But near the rear gunner, Norman, the mid-upper gunner gave no warning at all. And it was only a few seconds later that the captain of the aircraft realised that we were fatally hit and called on the crew to get out.
RA: Were you over the target or on the way?
JH: On the way in.
RA: Yes. What was the target that night?
JH: I think it was Brunswick.
RA: Brunswick. Yes. Brunswick.
JH: Anyway, the navigator — I was busily operating the wireless set at the time and the navigator told me get out and get out quick. So I proceeded to, in accordance with the normal evacuation drill, get out. I got out of the aircraft.
RA: You had your chute on you or did you have to find.
JH: I used to fly with my parachute by hand. At hand.
RA: Yes.
JH: So I strapped it on.
RA: Yes.
JH: Ran down the back over the main spar and ran down to the back. Saw the mid-upper gunner and the rear gunner were both exiting the aircraft. So I locked the back door and the aircraft opened and persuaded [laughs] persuaded, prepared to evacuate. And that’s what I did.
RA: Something you probably didn’t actually practice was jumping out of a Lancaster.
JH: Oh we used to I’ll say this, McSweeney used to make us practice evacuating the aircraft.
RA: Yes.
RA: When, whilst we were on the ground.
JH: Yes.
RA: But I would think it was that part of the training — I can’t recall how, how many seconds it took to get out but it was very short and sharp.
JH: Yes. Did you, all the crew manage to get out of the aircraft?
RA: No. The engineer and the bomb aimer were both killed. I identified the bodies the following morning and it appeared to me that they were both in the nose of the aircraft when they hit the ground.
JH: Yes. So, so you landed. This is at night.
RA: Yes.
JH: Were you picked up straight away?
RA: No. I was picked up. I broke my ankle when I landed. I didn’t realise it at the time but it didn’t take long for the pain to get heavy. I stayed where I was in a ploughed field and it was a misty night I think. I do recall light rain. I pulled the parachute over the top of my head and said I knew I couldn’t do anything. I tried to walk. I couldn’t. All I could do was hop. I disposed of my escape kit by burying it as much as I could in the furrows of a field. When I accepted I would not be able to escape. I pulled the parachute overhead to keep as dry as I could.
JH: It was raining that night.
RA: Raining gently.
JH: Yes.
RA: You know, that misty sort of rain.
JH: Yes. Had you seen any of the other chaps?
RA: No. No.
JH: You were on your own.
RA: On my own.
JH: Yes. So what — what did you think to do? Obviously you couldn’t get away.
RA: Yeah.
JH: Were you going to walk into the nearest village?
RA: I couldn’t walk.
JH: Yeah.
RA: I couldn’t walk.
JH: Yeah.
RA: All I could do was hop.
JH: Yes.
RA: Which I found out pretty quickly.
JH: Yes.
RA: At dawn the following morning three adults arrived. They were armed with rifles or shotguns of some sort. Two with a youth who also had a gun.
JH: Did you carry a revolver yourself?
RA: No.
JH: Yeah.
RA: Completely unarmed.
JH: Yes.
RA: The adults treated me such that they told me to get up and I got up on my right leg. Then they motioned me to go with them which I did. I hopped across this ploughed field and at the side of the field was a pathway, a dirt pathway. And there was a bicycle there. And so they told me to use the bicycle. So I hopped along with them with me and they took me to a house that was a collection of three or four, four or five houses adjoining the field I’d landed in and then they took me in to a house there. They knocked up the owners and they put me in to the house. The lady of the house was kindness personified. She, she asked me how old I was and I said I was twenty. She chatted a bit but in a language I didn’t understand. Took me to the kitchen. Stoked the fire up. The kitchen fire up. Put a chair, my leg on a chair and I sat there until such time as the police arrived.
JH: Yes. Yeah.
RA: Subject to the viewing of every bloody interplay near and far I think. The farmer had avoided the girl who was fourteen or fifteen and they chatted around me a bit too.
JH: Yes.
RA: I I had so many American dollars on me in my money belt. So I gave them American money. They were thrilled to bits.
JH: Yes.
RA: I gather that they had a uncle somebody or other, somebody or other who was an American.
JH: Yes. Yes.
[Telephone ringing]
JH: I’ll just pause it here.
[Recording paused]
JH: Ok. Back again. Rex, we were talking about your being captured and was in a village. What, what happened next?
RA: After some time the police arrived. They took over proceedings. Screaming out. In particular one fellow in a very smart uniform screamed at me and the people around me who were [unclear] me and I was then put into a to a VW type vehicle. The two men guarding me — one drove and the other one sat facing me. He was in the front seat. Sat facing me with a large revolver pointed straight at my head. I pushed the revolver out of the way on one occasion. All I gained out of that was a large number of words which I again couldn’t understand that I was led to believe that if I did it again he’d pull the trigger. So I didn’t do it again. I was taken back to the sight of the major part of the aircraft and motioned to look at the two bodies and say who they were, which I did. Then I was taken to what I understand was the Meppen night fighter base. Taken by car and put me in to the local jail. The air force base. I remained there for two or three days. They treated me. It was quite ok. Wasn’t quite up to the standard of the Savoy or [unclear] but at least they, whilst I didn’t get my leg treated in any form at least I was able to have something to eat and I think I probably slept a bit. I then stayed there and they gathered up aircrew from both the American and the Brits.
JH: Including some of your crew.
RA: Including my rear back gunner. Rear gunner. Navigator. That’s all.
JH: So four of you.
RA: Four of us.
JH: Yes.
RA: And we were taken to the railway station and under guard put on the train to what turned out to be Dulag Luft. The interrogation centre.
JH: This is in Frankfurt is it?
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: Yeah.
JH: Tell me a little bit about what it was like to [pause] to suffer the interrogation.
RA: The interrogator was a well-dressed German. He spoke perfect.
JH: Was he Luftwaffe or Gestapo?
RA: No. Military uniform. So I guess Luftwaffe. And initially started in solitary confinement and you stay there for four or five days but the person who interrogated me [pause] claimed, when I said, I admitted I was an Australian. [unclear]. But I said I was a student but he claimed that he had lived in Melbourne and knew where I lived because he’d been a wool buyer at some stage or other in his life. And believe it or not he actually mentioned the school I went to and told me where it was.
JH: My goodness.
RA: And he was quite friendly. Gave me a cigarette. To every question he asked I said, ‘I’m sorry sir. I’m not permitted to say.’ ‘ I’m sorry sir. I’m not permitted to say,’ and he told me that, obviously my ankle was pretty badly swollen at this stage. He looked at it and said, ‘Oh we’ll treat that. You tell us something. We’ll swap some knowledge,’ and I said, ‘Sir, I’m sorry. I’m not permitted to say.’ In the end he turned around and said, ‘For a so-called educated man,’ — boy, he’d called me, ‘For a so called educated boy you don’t know very much, Austin.’ Piss off, attitude. I never did get my ankle treated or my leg treated by them at all and I spent about seven or eight days in solitary. Then all of a sudden together with the two other — no. One other member of the crew. We were taken out and moved on to billets subsequently to Balaria.
JH: So that was the next trip. To Sagan.
RA: Yes.
JH: In what is now in Poland or Silesia.
RA: Yeah.
JH: Did you know where you were going? Did they tell you where you were going?
RA: No. I had no idea. No idea.
JH: Yes. So, so you ended up in the railway station at Sagan.
RA: Yes.
JH: And Stalag Luft iii and you went to the Balaria compound.
RA: Yes.
JH: Which is the other side of the town.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: That’s the story.
JH: Yes. Well as an aside my father was, was there at the same time as you. At Balaria.
RA: Yes.
JH: So, so, this was — what? What date was that, going, going into Balaria?
RA: Well, I was shot down on the 22nd of May.
JH: Yes.
RA: And I think.
JH: In ’44.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: I think it was about the 1st of June.
JH: Yes.
RA: That I ended up in there.
JH: Yes.
RA: In Balaria.
JH: What did you think of the camp when you got there?
RA: I think my, my reaction was thank God I’m safe.
JH: Yes. And I believe it was extended at some point.
RA: Yes.
JH: Was it full up when you got there?
RA: I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.
JH: Yes.
RA: We were six blokes in a room to start. That became eight very soon after. And remained at eight until we marched out in January ’45.
JH: Yes. So your hut-mates. Were, were they English or were a mixture?
RA: No.
JH: Of Aussies, Canadians.
RA: No. No. They were all Englishmen.
JH: I think this was after the Great Escape.
RA: Yes.
JH: Would that be correct?
RA: Yes.
JH: So. And we all know what happened there so I’m guessing but you can tell me there weren’t that many escape activities going on at Balaria.
RA: I don’t think so.
JH: Yes. The reading I’ve done I haven’t heard of any.
RA: No.
JH: Yeah. So you were, you were there for what, about a year?
RA: Yeah.
JH: And —
RA: Well, we marched out of Balaria on the 28th of May err 28th of January.
JH: Yes. So the Russian front. You could probably hear the guns. Would that be correct? The Russian front.
RA: Yes.
JH: Advancing from the east. And so you just got like a few hours notice to pack up and —
RA: Got off to all false starts. Word went out, I think I’m right, when I say word went out we would be leaving at 8 o’clock at night. Finally we left at 2 in the morning. Something like that.
JH: During one of the worst winters they’ve experienced. So what sort of things did you put together for the Long March at such short notice?
RA: My rear gunner and I got a bench type seat about six feet. Yeah, six feet long. Turned it upside down. Said, ‘Right we’ll use that.’
JH: As a sledge.
RA: As a sledge. And we did that. What we did in fact, put what clothing we could keep on the sledge and off we went. We tore up some of my old shirts that I had. Cancel that comment. We tore up some of my shirts, they weren’t old, and to use as a pulling rope and we found that quite satisfactory. We got rid of that sledge when the thaw set in on the snow.
JH: Yes. So you, you had a stash of food you could put into the sledge.
RA: Each man was given one Red Cross parcel when we marched out.
JH: Yes.
RA: So we had two Red Cross parcels put on this. Reg Tice, who was our rear gunner. I made out was thirty five years of age, ex-royal navy seaman and he said that on the march I would probably get angry at him so he would look after our food. He would ration.
JH: Rationed it. Yeah.
RA: He would ration the food and that’s what we did. So he took over responsibility for that.
JH: Rex, did the whole camp at Balaria march out as one long column?
RA: Yeah.
JH: Or they split it up in to batches.
RA: One long column. As far as I know, one long column. Group Captain MacDonald moved up and down the length. There was a vehicle there. A cart which the Germans had their belongings on. And I understand that a view with, in their view beyond endurance you would be able to pack your stuff on the cart.
JH: So they did. The POWs that were suffering. Not keeping up.
RA: Yeah.
JH: They did look after them and put them in the support vehicle.
RA: I think so.
JH: Yes. Yeah. So, so I believe you stayed at various villages along the way towards Spremberg across the border.
RA: Yeah. Yeah.
JH: And sleeping in barns. Would that be correct?
RA: Yes. Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: Yes.
JH: Was, was there a famous story about a goose belonging to a German officer?
RA: Yes. I I only heard it second hand.
JH: Yes.
RA: I can’t. I wouldn’t like to comment on it.
JH: Ok. Yes.
RA: I heard that the German officer had this goose and they purloined it and cooked it.
JH: Within minutes I gather.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes. Yeah.
RA: And the march was before we went on the march I was asked by the doctor if I thought I could stand it and I said, ‘Yeah.’ Because they were weeding out the people who were so sick that they were couldn’t stand the march. I reckoned on it, at the time I was but fair enough. I could stand it. And it turned out I could.
JH: Yes.
RA: In fact, to be honest with you I think I did better than the older blokes in terms of being able to look after myself.
JH: Yes. What other memories have you got of that march?
RA: Bloody cold.
JH: It was one of the worst winters wasn’t it, yeah?
RA: Yeah. Yeah.
JH: What was the feeling amongst you and your comrades. Was it you felt that you were heading home or you were a bit apprehensive with the Russians breathing down your neck.
RA: I think, I think the general, general consensus would be, ‘Come on Joe. Catch up with us.’
JH: Yes. Yes. So you ended up in Spremberg, which is a rail centre.
RA: Head.
JH: Rail head. And I think you were destined for Luckenwald camp.
RA: Yeah.
JH: But I gather you — that was delayed. Your departure to Luckenwald. What happened in Spremberg?
RA: I think we were just delayed being put in the cattle trucks. And then we ended up by arriving at Luckenwald at bloody 2 in the morning, it was raining. And then we were kept outside the camp. We weren’t allowed to go in for a couple of hours. Which is very uncomfortable, you know. Buggered.
JH: I gathered from my father Luckenwald was not exactly the Hilton. Would that be right?
RA: Yeah [laughs] that’s an understatement. The place was filthy. Absolutely filthy. The three tiered beds were not too good and the food was very far between. Very few and far between. Yes.
JH: What about, tell me what happened when you were liberated at Luckenwald. What happened?
RA: Nothing. The Russians arrived. And they drove, drove their tanks through the wire. Barbed wire. And everything was all quiet.
JH: Had, had the Germans —
RA: Taken off.
JH: Taken off.
RA: Yeah.
JH: The day before or that morning?
RA: No. The night before.
JH: The night before.
RA: Yeah. Yeah. During the night before.
JH: Yes.
RA: There was one occasion when the camp was strafed by a German aircraft. I don’t know that anyone was hurt. Again, I didn’t see anything but anyway we were — what should I say? In limbo.
JH: Yes. So, so how long did it take before you finally crossed the American lines and heading for home?
RA: I’m not certain. Your memory plays tricks on these. I think, I think it would be ten days.
JH: Yes.
RA: The Americans put through a convoy of vehicles to take us out and the Russians refused to let us go. So that a lot of the blokes took off on their own. We weren’t supposed to do that. In any case they ended the war. I was in hospital. In one of the beds that was called a hospital. I had yellow jaundice. And I was feeling pretty sick so my rear gunner took off. And he was one of the ones that took off on his own.
JH: Yes. You stayed put.
RA: I stayed.
JH: In the hospital. Yes. Yeah. So eventually you were repatriated in — I think they called it Operation Exodus.
RA: Yeah.
JH: With the, with the Lancasters coming over.
RA: Yes, yes, yes.
JH: And where did you end up in the UK from that? Brighton. Was it Brighton?
RA: Yes.
JH: Yes.
RA: Back at Brighton.
JH: Yes.
RA: Yes.
JH: Yeah.
RA: I don’t even know the name of the field we landed in.
JH: Yes.
RA: I can’t. I don’t think I ever did know. But I went out to Brussels from the American. The Americans took us by Dakota to Brussels and then from Brussels I went to, in a Lanc back to the UK and then by vehicle back down. Motor vehicle back to down Brighton. Now, I couldn’t tell you —
JH: Yes.
RA: The name of the airfield I landed back at in the UK.
JH: Yes. What about your trip back to Australia? I don’t know how long you were in Brighton but I guess you were assigned to one of the liners, coming back.
RA: Yeah. I came back on the Orion.
JH: Yes.
RA: Which was in August ’45.
JH: Yes.
RA: Being a warrant officer I didn’t have a cabin.
JH: Yes.
RA: Or anything like that. Half of the junior officers didn’t either. But we came back via the Panama Canal and my father met me at Melbourne Cricket Ground. We landed at Sydney and went overnight by train down to Melbourne. My dad and mum met me at the Spencer, as it was then, Spencer Street Railway Station.
JH: Yes.
RA: Dad was in uniform so we were, or I was, well looked after.
JH: I bet. Yeah.
RA: Dad was —
JH: Yeah.
RA: Dad was an air commodore at that stage.
JH: Air commodore.
RA: Yes. He was the AOC.
JH: Yes. He would have been very proud to have you back.
RA: I don’t think so. I don’t think so.
JH: No [laughs]
RA: Cut it out. Cut it out.
JH: I can cut that out. Yeah.
RA: No. I’ll tell you the story.
JH: If you want.
[recording paused]
JH: Yes. We’re back again. Rex, let’s, let’s finish off the interview by briefly talking about your life after, after you came back. I gather you worked in a bank for some, briefly, and then with another company. Tell me about how it came about that you re-joined the RAAF.
RA: I missed the RAAF when I accepted retirement straight after the war. Missed it very much. I was employed at various jobs. None of which gave me the satisfaction I had had whilst I was in the service. So I re-joined as trainee aircrew. Finished my training and subsequently took a re-muster to [unclear] officer.
JH: In Singapore?
RA: No.
JH: Was this?
RA: No. This was after Singapore.
JH: Yes.
RA: In 1957 I transferred out of flying duties to be a supply officer. I deeply regretted it initially. However, once I was settled into my new career I found it very rewarding and I got a lot of personal satisfaction out of it.
JH: And you received your commission in 1954.
RA: I was commissioned in 1954 and shortly after I re-mustered to supply officer I got posted to Paris. I spent three years and eight months in Paris supporting the Mirage aircraft projects. Subsequent to that I was posted to Staff College. And then promoted finally in my last four years to group, to the rank of group captain.
JH: And by the time you went to Paris you’d married and a family.
RA: Yes. I was married with two children.
JH: Yes.
RA: One eleven. One seven. The other one was eleven. And both boys have subsequently done very well for themselves. One finally retired out as an Air Vice Marshal the other one as a check group captain with Qantas.
JH: And he was a fighter pilot. Your younger son. At one stage.
RA: My second son was a Mirage pilots which is —
JH: Yeah.
RA: The pilot one.
JH: Well it’s a great connection with the RAAF. Your family. Right from your father, yourself and your sons. Rex, I think it’s been a fantastic interview. I’ve really enjoyed hearing your story. Especially about your time after you were shot down. And one thing I’d like to ask you is what do you — what are your thoughts on the treatment of Bomber Command after the war? And also, you know, did you have any strong feelings about the area bombing tactics?
RA: I’ll take the second one first. As far as I was concerned I had a job of work to do and I did that the best of my ability. I have no regrets about any aspect of that bombing. Bombing offensive. On the first point —
JH: This is the treatment of Bomber Command. In other words lack of a campaign medal.
RA: I don’t know that, I don’t know that I have feelings one way or the other. I never gave it a thought.
JH: I think your logbook and your, what you did, you and your crew, speaks for it.
RA: Thank you.
JH: Rex. Thank you very much. Well said. The last questions and we’ll wind up here. Again, thank you very much for the interview.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Rex Alan Austin
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Horsburgh
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-06-16
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AAustinRA160616, PAustinRA1601
Conforms To
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Pending review
Pending revision of OH transcription
Format
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01:09:14 audio recording
Language
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eng
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Great Britain
Poland
Germany--Berlin
Poland--Żagań
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941
1942-07-17
1943
1944
Description
An account of the resource
Rex Alan Austin was born in Werribee, Victoria in Australia on 4th of January 1924. Rex’s father served in World War One in the middle east and then transferred to the Australian Flying Corps, later known as the Royal Australian Air Force. Schooled in Australia and then Britain, Rex went back to Australia and joined the RAAF in July 1942. Rex talks about his initial training in Australia and his disappointment of not being able to become a pilot. After initial training he heads to Britain, via America. Rex then describes his posting to an OTU and the being crewed up, describes a miscalculation and landing in a turnip field. Goes to RAF Wigsley for a conversion course and then Syerston for Lancaster finishing school. Rex was then posted to East Spilsby to start flying operations to Berlin, Essen and Nuremberg. Goes on to talking about operating over Brunswick and being shot down. Rex had a broken ankle so waited to be picked up, and was subsequently interrogated by German military personnel and eventually ended up in Stalag Luft iii. Rex and others were marched out to Spremberg for Luckenwald camp. Russian forces arrived at the camp, and eventually Rex landed in Brighton and then headed back to Australia by ocean liner. Retired after the war but he re-joined as a supply officer. Rex talks of marriage and family, and having two sons, one retired as an Air Vice Marshall and the other as a check group captain with Quantas. The interview finishes with Rex’s opinions of the legacy and treatment of Bomber Command.
207 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944)
Lancaster Finishing School
Operational Training Unit
prisoner of war
RAF Market Harborough
RAF Spilsby
RAF Syerston
RAF West Freugh
RAF Wigsley
Scarecrow
shot down
Stalag 3A
Stalag Luft 3
Stirling
training
Wellington
wireless operator
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hudson, Douglas
James Douglas Hudson
J D Hudson
Description
An account of the resource
529 items. Collection concerns Pilot Officer James Douglas Hudson, DFC (755052 Royal Air Force) who joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in June 1939 and trained as an observer. While on route to Malta in August 1940 his Blenheim crashed in Tunisia and he was subsequently interned for two and a half years by Vichy French in Tunisia and Algeria. After being freed he returned to Great Britain and after navigator retraining completed a tour of 30 operations on 100 Squadron. The collection contains letters to and from his parents and from French penfriends while interned in Tunisia and Algeria, newspaper cuttings of various events, logbooks and lists of operations, official documents and photographs. A further 23 items are in two sub-collections with details of navigator examinations and postcards of Laghouat Algeria.<br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Elizabeth Smith and Yvonne Puncher and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.<br />
<p>This collection also contains items concerning Louis Murray and Harry Bowers. Additional information on <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/202827/">Harry Bowers</a> and <a href="https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/220410/">Louis Murray</a> is available via the IBCC Losses Database.</p>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-06-16
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Hudson, JD
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Royal Air Force 755052. Sgt. J. D. Hudson
c/o Consul General des Etats Unis
Rue Michelet
Alger. Algerie
Afrique de Nord.
17-7-42
My Dear Mother & Dad,
I was very pleased to receive two letters yesterday, one from you dated June 12th and one from E.W.T.[?] dated May 24th. In his letter, Ernest mentions not having received a reply to his cable (date not stated but presumably sent for my birthday). This cable never arrived in Laghauat. The only cables I received were yours & three from Calverly which I acknowledged in my reply telegram to you dated May 21st & which you have since received. Perhaps you would tell E.W.T. I am writing to him also to explain, & in the meantime send my best wishes etc. I am wondering if some of my cables sent in June have not reached you, because Tony received a telegram today from his mother to say that four of his cables arrived on one day. During the month of June there was a mix up all round but I believe the position has been considerably clarified since & that the cable system is running smoothly once again. In your letter yesterday about three lines were blacked out and it was quite impossible to even surmise the gist of the sentence. You say that June proved to be a very cold month and that you both had been suffering from very bad colds. I do hope you are better now. We heard terrible reports about the effect of the heat in Laghauat, how civilians were evacuated to Medeci[?] for the summer and that the birds dropped dead from the trees on account of the heat. Rumour had it that faces[?] became drawn at the end
[page break]
of the summer and that it was pretty grim generally. Well it has been hot, about 115F in the shade for some days, but I believe the peak has been reached, and everybody is bearing up jolly well. One just does not do anything between midday & three o’clock out of doors. Our room is one of the best ventilated in the camp. Three windows & a large door & five us us occupying the room. Three chaps are sleeping outside at present so that leaves only two inside at night & we have fixed netting over the windows to exclude the flies by day. The Canadian Red X has sent a terrific consignment of food & our tea position is greatly improved if only we could obtain fuel. We have to scrounge any old thing to burn. Please concentrate on socks in your parcels, I have only one pair, also shoes size 7, because my footwear is in a very perilous[?] state. It doesn’t matter much in summer because most people go about barefoot. [indecipherable word] of your parcels are as yet to hand. The times taken [inserted] to arrive [/inserted] do vary considerably but on the average three months is taken, especially for clothes parcels sent via the Red Cross. We put in a request to a Y.M.C.A. representative who visited us recently for a terrific quantity of books. I asked for one on the Man.[sic] & Production of Cotton Textiles, and in the meantime I am trying to polish up in Commercial[?] French. It sounds horribly like “digging in” but believe me I’d drop the lot like hot coals of the day if release came prematurely. Wonder what the circumstances of our homecoming will be? Like you both I am just living for that day. So until then all my thoughts are with you & I send all my love & wishes.
Douglas
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Description
An account of the resource
Discusses mail and cables and reports that problems with cables have been sorted and system should now be running smoothly. Catches up with news from home mentioning they had both had bad colds. Writes about weather at Laghouat believing that it had reached peak. Comments on how they cope with the heat including sleeping arrangements. Mentions that Red Cross have sent large consignment of food and tea situation was greatly improved if only they could get fuel. Ask them to send socks as he only has one pair and footwear. Discusses time taken for clothes parcels to arrive and comments that his were not yet to hand. Mentions asking YMCA rep for more books.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J D Hudson
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-07-17
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page handwritten letter
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EHudsonJDHudsonP-HE420717
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Algeria
Algeria--Laghouat (Province)
Algeria--Algiers
North Africa
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-07-17
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sue Smith
prisoner of war
Red Cross
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/81/7914/LGodfreyCR1281391v10001.2.pdf
2bb4feee369606f050f7e0e0563b6922
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Godfrey, Charles Randall
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War (1939-1945)
Description
An account of the resource
64 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Charles Randall Godfrey DFC (b. 1921, 146099, Royal Air Force) and consists of his logbook and operational notes, items of memorabilia, association memberships, personnel documentation, medals and photographs. He completed 37 operations with 37 Squadron in North Africa and the Mediterranean and 59 operations with 635 Squadron. He flew as a wireless operator in the crew of Squadron Leader Ian Willoughby Bazalgette VC.
The collection has has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by David Charles Godfrey and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Godfrey, CR
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-11-18
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Charles Godfey's observer's and air gunner's flying log book
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LGodfreyCR1281391v10001
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Belgium
Egypt
France
Libya
Greece
Germany
Gibraltar
Great Britain
Netherlands
Scotland
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Belgium--Haine-Saint-Pierre
Egypt--Alexandria
Egypt--Cairo
Egypt--Ismailia (Province)
Egypt--Marsá Maṭrūḥ
Egypt--Tall al-Ḍabʻah
England--Berkshire
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Cumbria
England--Devon
England--Gloucestershire
England--Hampshire
England--Kent
England--Leicestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Norfolk
England--Northumberland
England--Oxfordshire
England--Rutland
England--Shropshire
England--Suffolk
England--Wiltshire
England--Worcestershire
England--Yorkshire
France--Angers
France--Caen
France--Creil
France--Mantes-la-Jolie
France--Nucourt
France--Rennes
Germany--Wiesbaden
Germany--Berchtesgaden
Germany--Bottrop
Germany--Chemnitz
Germany--Dorsten
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Düren (Cologne)
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Essen
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Germany--Merseburg
Germany--Mönchengladbach
Germany--Munich
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Osnabrück
Germany--Osterfeld
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Troisdorf
Germany--Wanne-Eickel
Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Germany--Wesseling
Greece--Ērakleion
Greece--Piraeus
Libya--Darnah
Libya--Tobruk
Netherlands--Hasselt
Netherlands--Rotterdam
Scotland--Moray
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
England--Cornwall (County)
North Africa
Libya--Banghāzī
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Libya--Gazala
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1942-03-23
1942-06-10
1942-06-11
1942-06-12
1942-06-13
1942-06-14
1942-06-15
1942-06-16
1942-06-17
1942-06-18
1942-06-19
1942-06-20
1942-06-22
1942-06-23
1942-06-24
1942-06-25
1942-06-26
1942-06-28
1942-06-29
1942-07-02
1942-07-03
1942-07-05
1942-07-08
1942-07-09
1942-07-10
1942-07-12
1942-07-13
1942-07-15
1942-07-16
1942-07-17
1942-07-19
1942-07-20
1942-07-25
1942-07-26
1942-07-28
1942-07-29
1942-07-31
1942-08-01
1942-08-06
1942-08-07
1942-08-08
1942-08-09
1942-08-14
1942-08-15
1942-08-16
1942-08-17
1942-08-18
1942-08-19
1942-08-21
1942-08-22
1942-08-23
1942-08-24
1942-08-25
1942-08-26
1942-08-27
1942-08-28
1942-08-29
1942-08-30
1942-08-31
1942-09-01
1942-09-03
1942-09-05
1942-09-06
1942-09-08
1942-09-09
1944-05-06
1944-05-08
1944-05-12
1944-05-13
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-05-29
1944-06-05
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-15
1944-06-16
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-07-07
1944-07-09
1944-07-10
1944-07-14
1944-07-15
1944-07-16
1944-07-18
1944-07-19
1944-07-20
1944-07-23
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-26
1944-07-28
1944-07-29
1944-07-30
1944-08-01
1944-08-04
1944-11-17
1944-11-18
1944-12-04
1944-12-06
1944-12-07
1944-12-12
1944-12-15
1944-12-18
1944-12-24
1944-12-28
1944-12-29
1945-01-01
1945-01-02
1945-01-05
1945-01-07
1945-01-08
1945-01-23
1945-02-01
1945-02-02
1945-02-03
1945-02-04
1945-02-07
1945-02-08
1945-02-09
1945-02-14
1945-02-15
1945-02-18
1945-02-20
1945-02-21
1945-03-07
1945-03-08
1945-03-22
1945-03-24
1945-03-25
1945-03-31
1945-04-11
1945-04-13
1945-04-14
1945-04-25
1945-04-30
1945-05-05
1945-05-07
1945-05-15
1945-05-22
1945-06-08
1945-06-18
1945-08-03
1945-08-05
1944-06-06
1944-08-03
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Description
An account of the resource
Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Pilot Officer Godfrey from 3 of February 1941 to 25 of September 1945 detailing training schedule, instructional duties and operations flown. Aircraft flown were Dominie, Proctor, Wellington, Hampden, Anson, Defiant, Martinet, Stirling, Lancaster, C-47 and Oxford. He was stationed at RAF Manby, RAF Bassingbourn, RAF Harwell, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Downham Market, RAF Hemswell, RAF Wittering, RAF Abingdon, RAF Upper- Heyford, RAF Upwood, RAF Gillingham, RAF Cranwell, RAF Melton Mowbray, RAF Church Fenton, RAF Market Drayton, RAF Waddington, RAF Upavon, RAF Sywell, RAF Carlisle, RAF Linton-On-Ouse, RAF Newbury, RAF Cottesmore, RAF Brize Norton, RAF Exeter, RAF Andover, RAF Hampstead Norris, RAF Hythe, RAF Gibraltar, RAF St Eval, RAF El Dabba, RAF Shaluffa, RAF Abu Sueir, RAF Almaza, RAF Blyton, RAF Ingham, RAF Marston Moor, RAF Leeming, RAF Acklington, RAF Middleton St. George, RAF Newmarket, RAF Moreton-in-Marsh, RAF Leconfield, RAF Skipton-on-Swale, RAF Wyton, RAF Warboys, RAF Westcott, RAF Gravely and RAF Worcester. He completed 37 operations with 37 Squadron in North Africa and the Mediterranean and 59 operations with 635 Squadron to targets in Belgium, France and Germany. Targets included: Heraklion, Piraeus, Derna, Tamimi, Benghazi Harbour, Gazala, Mersa Matruh, Ras El Shaqiq, El Daba, Tobruk, Fuqa, Quatafiya, Düren, Munster, Mantes- Gassicourt rail yards, Haine St. Pierre rail yards, Hasselt rail yards, Rennes, Angers rail yards, Caen, Ravigny rail yards, Nucourt, Wesseling oil refineries, L’Hey, Kiel, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Notre Dame, Trossy St. Maximin, Karlsruhe, Merseburg, Essen, Ludwigshafen, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Mönchengladbach, Troisdorf, Dortmund, Nuremberg, Hannover, Munich, Gelsenkirchen, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Osterfeld, Kleve, Wanne- Eickel, Chemnitz, Wesel, Worms, Hemmingstedt, Dorsten, Bottrop, Osnabruck, Berchtesgaden, Ypenburg and Rotterdam. Notable events are that Charles Godfrey undertook a search and rescue operation in a Defiant and during the operation to Trossy St Maximin 4 August 1944 his aircraft, Lancaster ND811, was brought down by anti-aircraft fire. Whilst he survived and evaded, his pilot, Ian Willoughby Bazalgette was awarded the Posthumous Victoria Cross. The hand written notes added to the end of the log book give a description to the crash, and his attempts to evade capture. Pilot Officer Godfrey also took part in Operation Manna, Operation Exodus and Operation Dodge.
11 OTU
15 OTU
20 OTU
37 Squadron
635 Squadron
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
Anson
anti-aircraft fire
bombing
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
Bombing of Trossy St Maximin (3 August 1944)
C-47
Cook’s tour
Defiant
Dominie
evading
Hampden
killed in action
Lancaster
Martinet
missing in action
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operation Dodge (1945)
Operation Exodus (1945)
Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945)
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
Pathfinders
Proctor
RAF Abingdon
RAF Andover
RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Blyton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Carlisle
RAF Church Fenton
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cranwell
RAF Downham Market
RAF Graveley
RAF Hampstead Norris
RAF Harwell
RAF Hemswell
RAF Ingham
RAF Leconfield
RAF Leeming
RAF Linton on Ouse
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Manby
RAF Marston Moor
RAF Melton Mowbray
RAF Middleton St George
RAF Moreton in the Marsh
RAF Newmarket
RAF Skipton on Swale
RAF St Eval
RAF Sywell
RAF Upavon
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upwood
RAF Waddington
RAF Warboys
RAF Westcott
RAF Wittering
RAF Wyton
shot down
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Victoria Cross
Wellington
wireless operator
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Green, Alan William
A W Green
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-09-19
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Green, AW
Description
An account of the resource
58 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Alan William Green (b. 1920, 104402, 1150518 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, photographs, diary and correspondence. He flew operation as a navigator with 218 Squadron before being shot down and becoming a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Stuart Green and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[inserted] Rec'd Dec. 20/44 [/inserted]
Kriegsgefangenenpost
Postkarte
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
Sender Green (Alan) F/Lt
287
[rubber stamps] PASSED P.W.3901, GEPRUFT 111 [/rubber stamps]
[page break]
[inserted] Received July 17th 1942, Written May 30/42 [/inserted]
Kriegsgefangenenpost
Postkarte
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
(Warwickshire)
England
Sender F/O Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] Prisoner of War Post Written 30.6.42. [/inserted]
Kriegsgefangenenpost
Postkarte
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
Sender P/O Green
(not yet allotted)
[page break]
[inserted] Rec'd May 13, Written 21/3/43 [/inserted]
Kriegsgefangenenpost
Postkarte
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
(Warwickshire)
England
Sender F/O Green
287
[page break]
30-5-43
My Dear Folks,
Your birthday greetings arrived in good time. In fact about a week ago. During last few days have received Gwen’s 23/4, Ma’s 21/4, Pa’s 26/4. I shall be pleased to receive the hold-all & birthday present. I shall have much to make up to you for when I return. How are the mushrooms & cucumbers getting along in the frames? I wish I could be there to help & the eating of them. I don’t think I have seen a mushroom for years! Please congratulate Pauline on my behalf. Rodney Rockingham, Blake certainly ought to make the “grade” for the navy. Your Affectionate Son Alan.
[page break]
25-10-44
My Dear Folks,
Just a line to let you know that I have received a host of letters this month (36 to date) & that I shall be writing again before November to acknowledge them all. I was grieved when I heard of Bill’s misfortune & would like you to pass on my condolences to poor Barbara. – I will write to her as soon as I hear that all is well with the baby. The news of Basil is a great relief – please send him my love. Hoping that you are all well & that we shall be together before 1945. I remain Your Affectionate Son, Alan.
[page break]
21-3-43
My Dear Folks,
Please send me some more photographs sometime. I would like a shall on of “Hollingworth” etc etc. The last one which you sent of Peter came through OK. Suppose by now Bill will be a happily married man. Gwen tells me Pa is working too hard again. – I think this is very foolish, he should go away for a holiday. Recent letters Pa’s Dec 8th, 19th & Ma’s Jan 1st, 24th Gwen’s Jan 22nd Sorry this postcard is such a jumble, will write again in about 10 days. Please give my kindest regards to all. Your Affectionate Son Alan
[page break]
Prison Camp 30/6/42
My Dear Folks,
Just a little note to add to my requests. I would like some cigarettes, and also a tooth brush. I am just about through my socks, which have already been washed about 10 times. With regard to my request concerning that girl, I would like Mrs Sutton to write – no one else. It is a point of tact.
all for now
Love Alan
[page break]
[inserted] Written May 25/43 [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
F/O Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] Written 22/8/43 Received 15.11.43 [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
F/Lt Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] Written 5/12/42 Rec’d Mar 26
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
F/O Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] Rec’d Aug 12/44 [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
F/Lt Green
287
[page break]
22/8/43
My Dear Folks,
Have just been reading thru old letters & find I have not answered many of your questions. The shorts are excellent, & are now giving a service which should long outlast my POW life. The [indecipherable word] in my last parcel but one is excellently made, & has also been very useful. [indecipherable word] received “Lyall’s Languages of Europe” yesterday & sends sincere thanks. I have recently received two P.S.’s which are very interesting one with advert in back by some Chemist “Green” in Coventry. K regards to staff. Grandma’s both. Your Affectionate Son Alan.
[page break]
[inserted] Received 1 s t July. [/inserted]
23-5-43
My Dear Folks,
I received Ma’s letter of 5/4 & Pa’s letter of 10/4 several days ago. I see the mail situation is definitely looking up. I must congratulate Pa on the part he played in the Earlsdon team. I am rather pleased to hear that if Gwen is bound to do something, she intends to embark upon the midwifery & children branch. It is about the best thing she could do & may mean that she will be able to live at home. Ma the only photograph which I have is one which is so inaccurate that it may frighten you. Will send a decent one as soon as possible. Your affectionate Son Alan
[page break]
19-6-43
My Dear Folks,
Pa’s 8/3/44 Ma’s 8/3/44 & 18/3/44 all arrived together about 10 days ago. Pa mentions that he has just been planting lettuces & hopes that I may be home before he plants the next lot. – I just don’t dare to contemplate any alternative. I enter into my second year of P.O.W. life in a few days. My Feb parcel arrived about 2 weeks ago. It was quite intact & extremely welcome, though I think you ought to make the May on the last. Please give my congratulations to Barbara & Bill Bushill at appropriate moment. Yr Ever Loving Son Alan
[page break]
5-12-42
My Dear Folks,
My first clothing parcel has just arrived. It is excellent. A really fine XMAS present. among other things it contained 1lb of chocolate, half of which has already been dispensed with. Apparently the Br R X. deemed It necessary to remove the razor & blades. The razor does not matter, but I would welcome a few blades & a shaving brush in a later parcel. I am very fit and am receiving your letters regularly. Please give my love to all & keep smiling – Writing again next week
Your Affectionate Son. Alan.
[page break]
[inserted] Rec’d. Nov. 25. Written 18/8/43 [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
(Warwickshire)
England
Sender F/Lt Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] written 31.7.42 [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
Sender P/O Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] written 31.9.42 [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
Sender F/O A.W. Green
287
[page break]
[inserted] written 9.9.42. [/inserted]
Mr & Mrs W.H. Green
“Hollingworth”
Firs Estate
Kenilworth Road
Coventry
England
Sender F/O Green
287
[page break]
31.7.42.
My Dear Folks,
Have written [underlined] Mary Smith [/underlined] requesting her to give you some advice on Buying of Books for PART II. should you decide it is worth sending some. [underlined] I will pay you [/underlined] for them when I rejoin you “après la guere” or shall we say in [underlined] 5 yrs. [/underlined] time! I hope by now that you have all the “gen” on sending things. I will leave it all to you. [underlined] Uniform parcels [/underlined] can be sent “ad lib” I believe. Have you kept [underlined] my car? [/underlined] – Have not [underlined] as yet received [/underlined] any news from you. [underlined] How is Basil? [/underlined]
I am your loving Son Alan.
[page break]
18/8/43.
My Dear Folks,
I have a little surprising news for you today. I think you will remember the Corbishleys who were at Swallows at the same time as myself: well, Peter arrived here yesterday having been captured by the Germans after the fall of Italy. I would be grateful if you could convey this news to his people together with assurances that he is well & much the same as ever. He has been a P.O.W in Italy since ’41 & it is possible that his people have had little or no news of him during the recent [censored word] period in that country. Writing again soon.
Love, Alan
[page break
9/8/42
My Dear Folks
I had only just posted my letter yesterday when I received two letters from you. (First 2) The first one came through quite OK, and I was pleased to get all the news – I never knew I had so many friends that you should be snowed under. I am jolly pleased to hear that you have had a short holiday, - and if it has put 10 yrs on Pa’s expectation, take him away again at XMAS, and make it 20 yrs instead. Pleased to hear Bas OK, tell him we’ll make some of the Chemists sit up when we get back again. Glad you got my things OK. Go right ahead on the C&D arrangements, & I’ll have a crack at it. Cannot send much more mail this month – so don’t worry Love to all Alan.
[page break]
31-8-42
My Dear Folks
This is my last card for August, I have been keeping it in case I should hear from you but have not as yet done so. the things I have so far requested you to send are, [underlined] razor, blades, T. Brushes & paste. My oldest uniform [/underlined] (F/O tapes to be put on sleeves) some [underlined] blue shirts, shoes, ties, underpants, my flat topped hat [/underlined], and my [underlined] greatcoat [/underlined] can follow when you find it possible to send it. I would also like you to send me a few parcels of cigarettes, and medical comforts, such as horlicks, ovaltine, etc & other body-building foods. I think that any chemist can pack these, & have them forwarded to the Red X All for now, Hope to hear from you soon. Your loving Son Alan.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Postcards from Alan Green to his parents
Description
An account of the resource
12 postcards written by Alan Green whilst a prisoner of war. He thanks his parents for their mail, news of Basil, requests cigarettes, photographs, socks and a toothbrush, receipt of parcels and a list of clothing.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Alan Green
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
12 handwritten postcards
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SGreenAW104402v10001,
SGreenAW104402v10002,
SGreenAW104402v10003,
SGreenAW104402v10004,
SGreenAW104402v10005,
SGreenAW104402v10006
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Coventry
Poland
Poland--Żagań
England--Warwickshire
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jan Waller
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-06-30
1942-07-17
1942-07-30
1942-08-31
1942-09-08
1942-09-09
1942-09-30
1942-12-05
1943-03-21
1943-05-23
1943-05-25
1943-05-30
1943-06-19
1943-08-18
1943-08-22
1944-10-25
1944-12-20
aircrew
prisoner of war
Stalag Luft 3