Interview with Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey was born in Stafford. After finishing school he went to work for the Post Office Telephones service as a telegram boy. He decided to join the Royal Air Force and began training as a rear gunner at RAF Dalcross. He joined 31 Squadron of 205 Group. He was then posted overseas to Egypt, Palestine and Italy. He and his crew undertook supply drops to Yugoslavia and to partisan groups in Italy.
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2016-05-01
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00:48:23 audio recording
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ABaileyHH160501
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B-24 in flight over the Alps
31 Squadron South African Air Force B-24 in flight over snow-capped mountainous terrain. The registration letter K is visible.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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one b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1607
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Eight aircrew
Eight aircrew arranged in two rows, four crouched for standing. Two have pilot’s wings, others are single winged brevets. One man is holding a pet. In background are two tents.
Back row from left to right: wireless operator Flight Sergeant Geoff Shelmedine, pilot Lieutenant Van Van De Walt, navigator Lieutenant Perry Perkins, second pilot Lieutenant Robby Roberts. Front row from left to right: bomb aimer Sergeant Alex Neale, mid-upper gunner Flight Sergeant Bill Wynne, air gunner Warrant Officer Harvey Le Roux, rear gunner Sergeant Bill Bailey.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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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.
one b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1606
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Bill Bailey and Shorty in Sorrento
Bill has his arm around Shorty’s shoulder, who has a single wing brevet, a medal ribbon and Sergeant’s stripes. Both aircrew, in uniform, leaning against metal balustrade at the Grand Hotel, Sorrento bay with breakwater and headland in background.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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1945-04
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.
one b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1605
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Bill Bailey inside his B-24 rear turret
A B-24 on Marston Mat pierced steel planking. Bill Bailey's face is visible inside the turret. Five aircrew are visible and an aircraft is partly visible behind.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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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.
One b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1605
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Bill Bailey as newly qualified air gunner
Head and shoulders portrait of air gunner Bill Bailey with half wing brevet.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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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.
One b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1603
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Bill Bailey as a cadet
Head and shoulders portrait of cadet Bill Bailey aged 18, in training at Bridlington in November 1943.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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1943-11
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.
One b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1602
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Bill Bailey in telegraph boy uniform
Bill Bailey, aged 14, in telegraph boy uniform, standing in a garden alongside a bird table, in front of a house.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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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.
One b/w photograph
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PBaileyHH1601
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Daylight bombing of Pula harbour
Oblique aerial photograph of the harbour of Pula in Croatia centered on Otočić Sveti Andrija. The photograph focus is poor and has been folded several times resulting in horizontal tear marks cross the image. A big smoke cloud is rising from an explosion on Otok Katerina: other explosions are visible on land and water. {The donor identifies the splash, centre, to the impact crash of a B-24. The unit is 31 Squadron SAAF}
On the reverse:
'“POLA” NORTH EAST ITALY {sic}
NAVAL BUILDINGS AND HARBOUR INSTALLATIONS.
CREW.
LT. VAN DER WANT. PILOT
LT. ROBERTS. 2ND PILOT
LT. PERKINS. NAVIGATOR
F/O DE LONGH BOMB AIMER
SGT. SHE [two indecipherable letters] ERDINE WIRELESS OP
[indecipherable rank] WYNNE. MID UPPER GUNNER
[indecipherable name and rank] GUNNER
SGT. BAILEY REAR GUNNER
13,708
AIRCRAFT. LIBERATOR
FLAK. HEAVY, ACCURATE AND INTENSE
LARGE EXPLOSION IN TARGET AREA SMOKE RISING TO 4/500ft'
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
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1944
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Stuart Cummins</a>
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One b/w photograph with annotations on reverse
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PBaileyHH1608, PBaileyHH1609
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