Browse Items (1151 total)

  • Tags: military service conditions

PCoultonWA16010006.jpg
Top left - a group of 13 airmen in tropical uniform on the front of a small fabric covered lorry. There is a Nissen hut in the background. Captioned, ’32 Sqdn Boy’s Aqir’.

Top right - three men in tropical uniform. Two have rifles (with…

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MCluettAV120946-150515-010001.jpg
Leave form for A V Cluett from 3 Wing RAF Melksham for period 3 April 1941 to 17 April 1941.

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MCluettAV120946-150515-15.pdf
Royal Air Force notebook for workshop and laboratory records containing a large number of hand drawn wartime cartoons including aircraft caricatures. On the cover '547557 AC2 Johnson' and '1209046 LAC Cluett 1940'.

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EBrittainJTBrittain[Mo]450118-0001.jpg
Writes of flying in bad weather and very low temperatures. Says he has not had time to visit relative in Peterborough. Writes of absolute confidence in skipper and crew. Mentions no dates for squadron and no sign of leave until they get to new…

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BBaileyJDBaileyJDv1.pdf
Bill Bailey's wartime memoirs, from enlistment, training in UK and Canada and detail of each of 31 operation in Bomber Command. After completion of his tour he was transferred to Lossiemouth to train Free French aircrew. After successful progress he…

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AAn00086-150722.mp3
This interviewee was working at Chatham dockyard before he was accepted by the RAF as a mechanic. He then remustered as a flight engineer which fulfilled his hopes to be accepted as aircrew. While waiting for a place on the training course at St…

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AAn00509-160424.mp3
The interviewee was born in Berlin in 1924, his father being a British Army surgeon who was posted there to treat badly wounded soldiers. He went to school in France then attended boarding school in Hertfordshire. He volunteered for the Royal Air…

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AAn01137-170710.mp3
Anon, from Scarborough was keen to join the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. Disappointed that he didn’t meet the height requirement, he joined the RAF and began training as an electrician. His aim was to travel abroad with the service but, to his…

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ABaileyCE180424.mp3
Cyril Bailey was working in a garage before he volunteered for the RAF. He considered that he would like to be a mechanic but was told there were no vacancies and he was encouraged to become a flight engineer. He joined 625 Squadron at RAF Kelstern…

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ABolesKM180212.mp3
Keith Boles left school at the age of fourteen and took an apprenticeship in engineering. He was called up to the Air Force at the end of 1941 and was in Singapore when the Japanese invaded. He arrived in UK via Australia and Canada and after a…

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ABradleyG180724.mp3
Grace Bradley lived on Boothferry Road in Hull and remembers the bombing of Hull during the war. She was a shorthand typist and worked for a local timber importer. She joined the WAAF and as a typist she typed the reports given by the returning…

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PShipmanJ1802.jpg
John Shipman was born in Stathern, Leicester and as a teenager would cycle to Melton Mowbray to attend ATC meetings. He joined the RAF and started training as a flight mechanic. He joined a troop ship to start his posting and the journey took a very…

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AMcDonaldEA150918.mp3
Allan McDonald was born in Hull and watched Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus as a child. He worked as an apprentice electrician before joining the Air Force. He served as ground personnel in Northern Ireland until he passed the exams to become aircrew…

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MMabeyBC3008464-161128-010001.jpg
A pass allowing the holder to enter and leave camp. On the reverse 'Sleeping out pass granted signed DEWS W/Cdr o/c Bomber Command contingente from A.D to 08:00 hrs'.

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BFraserDKFraserDKv1.pdf
Memoir describing his life and service career in the RAF. He also gives a list of 29 operations he participated in with notes on specific operations, and recounts a brief history of the Lancaster.

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PFraserDK1607.jpg
Donald Fraser completed a tour of operations as a flight engineer with 101 Squadron. He discusses the importance of ground personnel, his crew, his operations and the conditions at RAF Ludford Magna. He describes having to stop his mid-upper gunner…

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PFalgateD16030108.jpg
Close up of Lancaster tail turret from directly behind aircraft, individual visible in turret.

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PFalgateD16030107.jpg
Close up of Lancaster bomb sight taken through flat optical panel, individual visible holding bomb release switch.

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EPayneMHWeeksD[Date]-010001.jpg
Letter from Flight Sergeant Malcolm Payne. He writes of his frustration at cancelled operations.

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PFalgateD16030105.jpg
Snowy landscape with five Lancasters on their dispersals, in the foreground tractor and bomb trolley with large bomb, armourers waiting to load.

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PFalgateD16030103.jpg
Snowy landscape, taken from an elevated view point showing large number of Lancasters lined up either side of the cleared taxiway or perimeter track. Some personnel are standing in the snow. Engine trestles, bomb trolleys with bombs, and hangars in…

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EPayneMHWeeksD440514-0002.jpg
Writes this will be short letter as they are flying and he is not now grounded. Mentions flying cancelled last night and continues with general banter. Mentions going to church and that she can ring him in the mess at specific times. Glad that…

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EPayneMHWeeksD440615-0002.jpg
Writes that he has been unable to write or phone as has been due to fly but it had been scrubbed. Says that he went on operation to Poitiers where they lost two engines and his turret was damaged. Writes they are off on tenth operation that night.

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EPayneMHWeeksD440626-0002.jpg
Writes with frustration over on/off operations and that on a very long operation the night before last was a murder trip when they lost 22 pals. Writes that he is not getting tired of her and he will see her a soon as he can.

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EPayneMHWeeksD440702-0002.jpg
Thanks her for her letters. Today's operations were eventually scrubbed. States they are reserve crew tonight. Catches up on family news.

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