Browse Items (4441 total)

  • Tags: bombing

PMusgroveJ1501.jpg
Born in York in 1922, Joseph left school at 14 and started work in a chocolate factory and attended two nights of further education per week. In 1936, a fighter aircraft had landed nearby which stimulated his interest in flying which he retained all…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PRobinsonD1601.jpg
Douglas was in the Local Defence Volunteers before joining the Royal Air Force as a pilot. After Babbacombe, he did initial training at Scarborough and then in Rhodesia. Initial flight training in Harare on Tiger Moths was followed by service…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PTomlinR1503.jpg
Ron Tomlin grew up in Birmingham and was an apprentice carpenter before working in a munitions factory. He volunteered for the Air Force at 18, and after training, flew operations as a bomb aimer with 10 Squadron. His aircraft was forced to ditch in…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ATophamG151018.mp3
Gordon Topham was born in Salisbury, but his family settled in Norwich, Norfolk and he joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, qualifying as a flight engineer in July 1944. Gordon’s father used to drive steam wagons and was involved with…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PWadeR1503.jpg
Ron was born in Stoke-on-Trent. He left school at 14 and tells of his experiences working in a pottery factory doing odd jobs, until he was called up. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1939 at the age of 22 and trained as an air gunner at RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

thumbnail_20160522_140004.jpg
Olive had two brothers and a sister. One of her brothers joined the army and the other was an air gunner on Lancasters. She left school at fourteen and went to work as a mender at Albion Mills. She then worked on Lancaster navigation panels in the…

Tags: ; ; ;

AHambrookHJ180109.mp3
Harry Hambrook was born in Hackney and when he left school he became an office boy. He volunteered for the RAF and became an air gunner. He was posted to 3 Air Gunnery School in Stranraer for gunnery training flying in Ansons. From there he went…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PPackhamG1610.jpg
Geoff’s father had been in the Royal Flying Corps and Geoff joined the Royal Air Force at RAF Cardington. He was posted to various stations before going to Halifax in Canada to train as a pilot on Tiger Moths and then Oxfords.
On his return, Geoff…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ASaundersJ170609.mp3
Jill Saunders’s father Frank Simon was born in Salford in 1917. He served an apprenticeship as a fitter before joining A.V. Roe. He had joined the RAF volunteer reserve but as he was in a reserved occupation, he was only called up in 1944. He…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PWilsonT1502.jpg
Gabi Wilson grew up in Berlin and was a schoolgirl in 1939. She discusses one brother training as an interpreter and another brother returning from Russian prisoner of war camps. She worked as an apprentice at a publisher firm. She met her husband,…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MBartlettA[Ser#-DoB]-150520-040001.jpg
Describes events during a mine laying operation in a Stirling to the Gironde River near Bordeaux. Relates how the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire which damaged the tail and an engine as well as wounding the flight engineer. Describes the…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MBartlettA[Ser#-DoB]-150520-01.jpg
Five verse poem describing feelings the next morning after a harrowing night operation. Describes emotions and surprise that the crew survived.

Tags: ; ; ; ;

MStimpsonMC155249-190922-09.pdf
A book detailing the activities undertaken at the training airfield of Cochran. It describes the history of the field, the training courses and names the staff and students.

Tags: ; ;

MHayhurstJM2073102-170725-11.pdf
A booklet with information about the progress of the war. This edition covers RAF Bomber Command activities.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EHarrisATWallisB430214.jpg
Copy of a note from Arthur Harris to R Saundby with title added 'It won't work Bomber Harris'. States that the idea was tripe of the wildest description with not the smallest chance of working. Goes on with other reasons why it would not work and…

Tags: ; ; ; ;

MNealeETH1395951-150731-0850001.jpg
Notes written by Arthur Harris to Hamish Mahaddie about Bomber Command. Included is a signed photograph of Arthur T Harris.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MLongNJ1581956-190516-01.pdf
Message from Arthur Harris to all Bomber Command Personnel.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EHarrisATMahaddieH[Date]-010001.jpg
Introductory letter from Sir Arthur Harris for Hamish Mahaddie, in support of Mahaddie's post-war lecture tour of Australia and New Zealand. Harris greets Bomber Command veterans and describes the significance of their contribution to the war.…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ;

EHopeADHeckendorf[Mo]450820-0001.jpg
The story of events the night Mrs Heckendorf's son was shot down and died.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BSpencerAHGSpencerAHGv1.pdf
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. Includes details of childhood and growing up. Continues with his joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. Followed by training in England and then posting…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

LLarmerLO430037v1.pdf
Royal Australian Air Force flying log book for Laurence Larmer covering the period from 7 April 1943 to 3 August 1945. Detailing flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at RAAF Benalla, RCAF Dauphin, RAF Fair Oaks, RAF Banff, RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

YClarkB1578273v1.pdf
Transcript of the Diary of Sgt. Bernard Clark RAFVR 30 November – 20 December 1943 with notes by M Warburton. Includes head and shoulders portrait of an airman wearing greatcoat and side cap. Includes crew list of his aircraft. Entries contain…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

YClarkB1578273v2.pdf
Transcript of diary entry for 20 December 1943. Includes crew list. Account of their first operation to Berlin on. He was wireless operator. Mentions anti-aircraft fire over coast, problems with Monica system, problems with oxygen, problems with rear…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BGoodmanLSGoodmanLSv1.pdf
Begins with his decision to cease his studies and join the Royal Air Force. Covers recruitment activities and life during initial training including employment as ground gunner while waiting for flying training. Describes basic training on Tiger Moth…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SGillK1438901v30063-0001.jpg
Transcription of letter from Ken Gill's pilot. Writes of snow clearing activities. Catches up with news of brothers and family's activities. Mentions recent snowy weather and a difficult flight when they had difficulty finding somewhere to land.…

Tags: ; ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2