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Interview with Frederick Joseph Keith Martin
Keith Martin was working for an agricultural machinery merchants in Shrewsbury when the war started. This was classed as a reserved occupation but when he was nearly 20, he decided to volunteer for the Royal Air Force in April 1942 and was selected…
Letter to Mrs W Brooks from Royal Air Force Records Office
![E[Author]BrooksWM430119-01.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/727/11324/E[Author]BrooksWM430119-01.jpg "E[Author]BrooksWM430119-01.jpg")
Confirms the death of No 1357673 Sergeant Harry Sidney Brooks of 9 Squadron who was killed in a mid-air collision on 20 December 1942, crashing near Waddington, Lincolnshire. Explains delay in writing due to information being initially sent to…
Interview with Mike Cope
Mike is the adopted brother of James (known as Sonny) who was in the Royal Air Force with 460 Squadron. The crew were all English apart from the Australian pilot. James was a wireless operator/mid-upper air gunner. Mike was seven in 1943 when his…
Interview with Lawrie Lawrence
Jack ‘Lawrie’ Lawrence planned on making a career in the RAF and joined in 1938. He enjoyed those early days when it felt like he belonged to a flying club. This was interrupted by the start of war and operational flying. He flew in Blenheims and…
Interview with William Hough
Bill Hough came from a farming background, went to a local grammar school in Northwich and was a member of the Air Training Corps. He joined the RAF in 1943. He describes his initial training at Bridgnorth. Bill then goes into the continuation…
Interview with William Paul Gould
William Gould joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps at his Grammar School in Stoke on Trent. After selection to join the RAF as a wireless operator/air gunner he went to RAF Eastchurch to remuster as a flight engineer, and from there did his training…
Interview with Rachel and John Gill
Peter Hazeldene joined the RAF from Wales when he saw a poster to see the world from a different perspective. He trained as a wireless operator and during training suspected a couple of incidents of sabotage on the base. Peter was posted to 106…
Interview with Richard Franklin
Richard Franklin served as a wireless operator and flew 34 operations in Bomber Command over Germany. Describes the only operation on which he risked being killed, when his aircraft was attacked by a German night fighter over Frankfurt. Tells of…
Interview with Reg Dunbar
Reg Dunbar enlisted for the RAF in Liverpool and it was suggested that he join as a wireless operator. He went to RAF Cardington initially and then to Yatesbury for training. He also trained as an air gunner, and after training was posted to 37…
Interview with Alan William Davis
Alan Davis joined the RNZAF towards the end of the war, training in Canada as a wireless operator and air gunner. He returned to the UK and after conversion to Lancasters was posted to 75 New Zealand Squadron. Alan tells of his training, crew changes…
Interview with David Kenneth McKenzie Dall
David Dall spent his early life in South Africa. He moved to the UK as a child to live with his grandmother and continue his education. He was enthralled by the stories his grandmother told him about the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War…
Interview with Jack Cook
Jack Cook was born in Mexborough. He left school at 14 and went to work at a Gentlemen’s Outfitters. At 16 he worked on the footplate for LNER. At the age of 18 he volunteered for aircrew and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner; joined 100…
Interview with Reg Payne. Two
Reg Payne was born in Kettering in 1923. He left school at the age of fourteen and just before he was eighteen he volunteered to join the RAF. He did his basic training at Blackpool learning Morse Code in the tram sheds. From there he did his…
Reg Payne's crew
Seven airmen in a line wearing flying gear and Mae Wests. One man has no life jacket. A caption supplied with the photograph reads 'his [Reg Payne's] crew when the pilot was Sir Michael Beetham - this was the crew in the plane that crashed near East…
Wireless operator training RAF Yatesbury
A group of six airmen arranged in two rows. Reg Payne is top left.
On the reverse
'W/Op training RAF Yatesbury
Reg Payne
Keith Kenway
Robbie Robertson
Ron Boydon
George Plank
Eric "Tubby" Melhuish'.
On the reverse
'W/Op training RAF Yatesbury
Reg Payne
Keith Kenway
Robbie Robertson
Ron Boydon
George Plank
Eric "Tubby" Melhuish'.
Wireless operator / air gunner training
A group of 12 airmen, all in fatigues except one man wearing a shirt and tie. On their left is an air raid shelter. Reg Payne is third from the right, back row.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
Interview with Henry Moss
Henry grew up in Bradford and left school just before the outbreak of war. He had various jobs like working in the mill, a greengrocer’s shop, the dye works and then garment cutting for the army. At 17 and a half was called up in London where he…
Aviation Memory
A detailed account of Reg Payne's service in the RAF. He starts with a list of 18 RAF bases where he served in his 5 years of service. He was 16 when war was declared but volunteered for the RAF at 17. After tests he was selected for training as a…
Sqn. Ldr Geoffrey Whittle, DFM RAF (Ret'd)
A brief memoir of Geoffrey Whittle's wartime service. His training started in March 1942 in Scotland. One year later he converted to Wellingtons, then Lancasters at RAF Lindholme. He was then posted to RAF Ludford Magna. On his 15th operation over…
Interview with Irene Bradbury
The interview is about Irene’s husband Dennis Bradbury, who died in 2017. In the March 1943 he enlisted in the Royal Air Force volunteer reserve, and became a wireless operator / air gunner, training on Proctors. After crewing up he ended up with…
Interview with Gordon Atkinson
Gordon Atkinson lived in Flixborough, Lincolnshire. As a young boy he recalls seeing aircraft gathering over the River Humber in the evenings, ready to fly out on bombing operations. In the morning he watched them come back, some with bits dropping…
Eindhoven Cemetery and war graves
1 - Keith Dexter's grave with peaked cap. 2 - two images of Kieth Dexters grave with other headstones alongside. 3- View over cemetery with line of war graves in front and other graves surrounded by hedges and trees in the background. 4 - two images,…
Interview with John 'Snogger' Watkins
John Watkins was working in retail in Rotherham and in 1939 he joined 218 Squadron ATC. He joined the RAF in February 1942 at RAF Cardington, and did his initial training at Blackpool. In December 1942 he did his wireless training at RAF Yatesbury.…
Hugh Woodfield
A head and shoulders portrait of Hugh Woodfield wearing a Sidcot suit. On the reverse
'Hugh Woodfield
Dads nephew
Died 2nd W War . Aged 17.'
'Hugh Woodfield
Dads nephew
Died 2nd W War . Aged 17.'
Interview with William Horace Shaw
Bill was a wireless operator/air gunner. He joined the Home Guard in 1941 and registered for conscription to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1943. He reported to Lord’s Cricket Ground and went to an Initial Training Wing at RAF Bridgnorth. Bill then…