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Story of my war

Describes a two year delay in joining the Royal Air Force due to his reserved occupation making cables for barrage balloons. Covers recruitment and life during initial training, Recalls 'crewing up' with Harry Watkins (P), Doug 'Duggie' Hockin (N),…

John Waugh’s Royal Australian Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book

John Waugh’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book from 9th March 1942 until 15th April 1945. Initial pilot training in Australia at 12 Elementary Flying Training School, 8 Elementary Flying Training School, then Canada at 8 Service Flying Training School.…

Letter from John Mansell to his parents

John writes wishing his mother and Joy happy birthday. He has not had much mail. He is playing hockey, studying Spanish and hoping to be home by Christmas.

Tags: prisoner of war; sport; Stalag Luft 3

John Elliott’s Royal Air Force Flying Log Book and commissioning scrolls

John Elliott’s Royal Air Force Flying Log Book from 20th June 1943 until 25th April 1945.

Trained as a wireless operator with No. 4 Radio School, No. 6 Advanced Flying Unit, 83 Operational Training Unit, 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit and No. 1…

Aubrey Coles’ Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book

Aubrey Coles’ Pilot’s Flying Log Book from 28th September 1942 until 19th December 1945. Initial training at No. 33 Elementary Flying Training School followed by No. 38 Service Flying training School, No. 14(Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, 20…

9 Squadron handwritten Operation Record Book. Three

This is a handwritten record of the operations of 9 Squadron from 19th June to 22nd November 1944. For each operation it includes many details of the target, routes, bomb load, a description of results, and if any did not return. Inserted is the…

Arthur Ward’s Royal Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book

Arthur Ward’s Flying Log Book as an air bomber from 20 November 1942 until 27 August 1944 on completion of his operational tour. Trained at No. 10 Advanced Flying Unit, 27 Operational Training Unit 30 Operational Training Unit, 1651 Conversion…

P M Edge’s Royal Air Force Flying Log Book. One

P M Edge’s Flying Log Book as a bomb aimer from 20th March 1943 until 28th September 1944. Initial bombing and gunnery training at 41 Air School in South Africa, before posting back to the UK in September 1943. Further training at 10 Advanced…

Thomas Kimberley's observer's and air gunner's flying log book

Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Thomas Kimberley covering the period 5 March 1943 to 25 September 1945. Details his training and operational duties. He flew 35 operations, 20 night time and 15 daylight, as cameraman / air gunner with…

Tags: 101 Squadron; 180 Squadron; 320 Squadron; 463 Squadron; 467 Squadron; 617 Squadron; 88 Squadron; 9 Squadron; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; Anson; B-25; Berlin Campaign (23 August 1943 – 25 March 1944); Blenheim; bombing; bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943); bombing of Luftwaffe night-fighter airfields (15 August 1944); bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944); Boston; Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); Hudson; Lancaster; Mosquito; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operation Exodus (1945); Oxford; propaganda; RAF Ballykelly; RAF Bardney; RAF Farnborough; RAF Ford; RAF Foulsham; RAF Fulbeck; RAF Hartford Bridge; RAF Lasham; RAF Ludford Magna; RAF Northolt; RAF Pembrey; RAF Swanton Morley; RAF Syerston; RAF Waddington; RAF Woodhall Spa; tactical support for Normandy troops; Tirpitz; training

George Thomas Hagues’ navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book

Navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book for George Thomas Hagues, air gunner, covering the period from 12 September 1943 to 12 September 1944, when he failed to return from operations. He was stationed at 7 Air Gunnery School…

D Hinshelwood’s Royal Air Force Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book

Pilot Officer Hinshelwood’s Log Book as an Air Gunner from 5th September 1943 until 6th October 1944. He started training at No. 2 Air Gunnery School and then 10 Operational Training Unit. Posted to 1658 Conversion Unit in March 1944. Operational…

Harry Brabin memoir

Harry joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 25 June 1942 as a wireless operator/air gunner and received his initial training in Australia before going to Canada for his trade training.

He sailed on the SS Johan Van Barneve to San Francisco and…

Tags: 102 Squadron; 1652 HCU; 27 OTU; 4 Group; Advanced Flying Unit; air gunner; air sea rescue; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; arts and crafts; bomb aimer; bomb struck; bombing; Bombing and Gunnery School; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944); briefing; crewing up; debriefing; demobilisation; entertainment; faith; fear; flight engineer; forced landing; Fw 190; Gee; gremlin; ground crew; H2S; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; killed in action; lack of moral fibre; love and romance; Master Bomber; McIndoe, Archibald (1900-1960); Me 109; Me 262; Me 410; military discipline; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; navigator; Navy, Army and Air Force Institute; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Oboe; Operational Training Unit; P-51; Pathfinders; perception of bombing war; physical training; pilot; prisoner of war; promotion; propaganda; radar; RAF Gamston; RAF Lichfield; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Pocklington; RAF West Freugh; RCAF Mossbank; recruitment; Schräge Musik; searchlight; Spitfire; sport; tactical support for Normandy troops; Tallboy; target indicator; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington; Window; wireless operator / air gunner; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force

Last of the Tail Gun Charlies - Ronald Carter's Biography

Biography of Warrant Officer Ronald Carter (1620578 Royal Air Force).

At the age of 17, Ronald volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in November 1942. After basic training, Ronald was selected for gunnery and wireless operator training, becoming…

James Inward's observer's and air gunner's flying log book

Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for James Inward covering the period 21 February 1942 to 30 September 1944. Details training and operations flown. He served at RAF Middleton St George, RAF Fayid, RAF Riccall and RAF Burn. Aircraft flown…

Derek Charles Carrott's observer's and air gunner's flying log book

Observer's and air gunner's flying log book covering the period 18 March 1944 to 28 July 1944. Details training and 17 operations, ten night time and seven daylight, all with Flight Officer Townsend as pilot in Lancaster aircraft. Targets were in…

Walter Braithwaite’s Observer’s and Air Gunner’s flying log book

Walter Braithwaite’s Observer’s and Air Gunner’s flying log book which includes a majority of his training, both stationed in Britain and Canada. Flights are recorded from the 2nd July 1942 to 13th July 1945. Walter began operations on 17th…

Ron Carter's flying log book

Flying log book for Ron Carter from April 1944 to 18 July 1944. Detailing operations flown from RAF Dunholme Lodge. Aircraft flown was Lancaster. He carried out a total of 21 operations with 44 Squadron as an air gunner on the following targets in…

Tags: 44 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bale out; bombing; Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944); bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944); bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944); Lancaster; mine laying; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); prisoner of war; RAF Dunholme Lodge; shot down; tactical support for Normandy troops; V-1; V-weapon

Frank Howkins’ navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book

Navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book for F Howkins, wireless operator, covering the period from 29 April 1943 to 30 August 1953. Detailing his flying training, operations flown, and post was flying with number 5 Reserve…

Alfred Sweeney’s RAF Pilot’s Flying Log Book

Alfred Sweeney’s RAF Pilot’s Flying Log Book from 17 May 1942 to 30 July 1962 detailing training, operations and post-war duties as a pilot and instructor, including VIP duties. (Several logbooks bound into one volume).
He was stationed at RAF…

Tags: 115 Squadron; 1651 HCU; 1653 HCU; 1669 HCU; 216 Squadron; 51 Squadron; 514 Squadron; 84 OTU; Advanced Flying Unit; aircrew; Anson; B-29; bombing; bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944); bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944); C-47; Cook’s tour; Flying Training School; Halifax; Halifax Mk 7; Harvard; Heavy Conversion Unit; Horsa; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Lancaster Mk 1; Lancaster Mk 2; Lancaster Mk 3; Lancastrian; Lincoln; Meteor; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operation Dodge (1945); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; RAF Aqir; RAF Bassingbourn; RAF Boscombe Down; RAF Carlisle; RAF Church Lawford; RAF Desborough; RAF Feltwell; RAF Kabrit; RAF Langar; RAF Lyneham; RAF Marham; RAF North Luffenham; RAF Syerston; RAF Waterbeach; RAF Watton; RAF Witchford; RAF Wratting Common; Shackleton; Stirling; tactical support for Normandy troops; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; York

Operation Overlord

Top - explanatory note explaining that our crews contributed to D-Day.
Top left - newspaper cutting providing account of plan for attack on Merville battery including saturation bombing by Lancasters and ground attack. Goes on with account of actual…

Tags: 1 Group; 4 Group; 5 Group; 6 Group; 8 Group; aircrew; bombing; bombing of the Boulogne E-boats (15/16 June 1944); bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944); flight engineer; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Lancaster; Master Bomber; Mosquito; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Pathfinders

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