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Interview with Harold Mercer
Harold Mercer served in the RAF initially as a transport driver and then trained to become an air gunner. He worked as a milkman before being called up in April 1942. Was sent to Weston-super-Mare, where he played in the military band. Was then sent…
Interview with James Mulhall. One
James was born in Gorton, attended Catholic schools, and became an apprentice plumber. In November 1942 he joined the Royal Air Force. He then trained as a mechanic at RAF St Athan before being posted to RAF Henlow to assemble Hurricanes. He then…
Interview with Fay Price
Fay Price was nine at the outbreak of the Second World War living in Grimsby. A twin, they were the youngest of six siblings. Her memory of the start of the war was the ending of birthday parties. Her father was a fish merchant and was able to…
Interview with Hilary Robinson
Hilary Robinson grew up in Yorkshire and volunteered for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She trained as a driver and served at RAF Elsham Wolds and at 1 Group Headquarters at Bawtry Hall. She married and lived on a farm after the war.
Interview with David Rose
David Rose was born in Swanage, Dorset. His father had been in the Medical Corps during the First World War and suffered ill health afterwards. David believed his father had as much reason to be on the War Memorial as his two brothers who died during…
Interview with Harry Rossiter
Harry Rossiter grew up in East London but his family moved to Essex, which gave Harry a “ringside view” of the Battle of Britain. He volunteered as a bicycle messenger and tried to join the Royal Navy as a telegraphist. He was encouraged to join…
Interview with Margaret Saint
Margaret Saint was employed by Airworks Limited as a civilian office worker throughout the Second World War, and met her future husband, Trevor, an air gunner, who she married in June 1945. Daughter of a Welsh miner, the family moved to the Cotswolds…
Malcolm Staves Diary
Copy of a day by day diary kept by Malcolm Staves from 26th April 1943 to 6th January 1945. Covers training, lectures, gardening and cleaning tasks. Also covers his social life and home leave.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
![EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-070001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1018/11630/EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-070001.jpg "EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-070001.jpg")
Catches up with family and writes of going to pictures. Mentions weather and snow. Comments on the work he has done and talks about life on the station. Mentions importance of his work on engines. Says he is off to French class.
Interview with Albert Smith
Albert was born in Aberdeenshire. Before the war he worked as an apprentice in an engineering firm. In 1943 he volunteered for the Royal Air Force, trained at London, Bridlington and Newquay before going for mechanical and engineering training. …
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Relates trip to London and describes show at the Palladium and tea at the Canadian Beaver Club. Mentions some damage to buildings in London. Writes that that he has found an old toy engine at his billet for his son David. Talks of troops scheduled…
Interview with George Thomson. Two
George Thomson was a navigator with 15 Squadron based at RAF Mildenhall. On their nineteenth operation they came under attack and had to bale out of the aircraft. The pilot and mid-upper gunner both died. When he landed he saw a parachute stuck in a…
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Discusses time off plans and leave passes. Writes of life in RAF including other peoples problems. Mentions flight engineers course and catches up with family and acquaintance news. Mentions commandos practice attack and resulting casualties.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Thanks her for letter and complains about life at St Athan. Writes of leave and life on camp. Mentions news about acquaintance and tells amusing story about colleague. Catches up with domestic matters.
Interview with Clifford Watson. One
Clifford Watson, initially, wanted to join the navy because of a high demand in pilots. After being rejected, he joined the RAF and was sent to Rhodesia for pilot training, but then re-mustered to become an air gunner. He flew 76 operations in total.…
Interview with Eileen Widdowson
Born in Peterborough, Eileen Widdowson’s father died when she was quite young, which resulted in the family moving to Grantham. With the East Coast main railway line and also a munitions factory, Grantham was a regular target for the Luftwaffe.…
Interview with Eric Wilkin
Erik Wilkin worked on the railways before he joined the RAF. Initially he wanted to be a pilot but it would be a significant wait for training. He trained as an air gunner and was posted to 115 Squadron. On one occasion his aircraft made an emergency…
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
He is worried about his son David’s illness. He also writes about the weather, that he is fed up and that he went to the cinema in Lincoln to watch Bambi.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Writes that he has no news and is browned off. Mentions that time went quicker when he was operating and it will take a long time to complete his tour. Catches up with family news and mentions a Rolls Royce course which he has applied for.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
He wishes her a Happy Birthday and reminisces about when they met eleven years previously. Mentions that he went to the pictures and catches up with family news.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Catches up with family news. Writes of new flight and aircrew taking ground crew for a drink in Grimsby along with an amusing incident. Reminisces and thinks about after the war.
Interview with Geoffrey Charles Spencer
Geoffrey Spencer grew up in Birmingham and worked with his father in tool making, carrying out fire watching as a youngster. He joined the Air Force in August 1943, aged 18. After training, he served as a flight mechanic and fitter with 49 Squadron…
Letter from Harry Brooks to his wife
![EBrooksHSBrooksW[Date]-040004.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/727/14898/EBrooksHSBrooksW[Date]-040004.jpg "EBrooksHSBrooksW[Date]-040004.jpg")
Incomplete letter telling his wife about going to see one film and hoping to go and see 'Gone with the Wind'. He goes on to say he is enclosing £5 cheque for her to buy a coat. Concludes both sending love to her and daughter.
To Jessie from Harry Redgrave
![ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM[Date]-010001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1230/15101/ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM[Date]-010001.jpg "ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM[Date]-010001.jpg")
Three-page (undated) handwritten letter from Harry Redgrave to his wife Jessie. Harry writes that he is now in a better room and has been to a show and a lecture. He is unable to get leave until Christmas.
To Jessie from Harry Redgrave
A two-page handwritten letter from Harry Redgrave to his wife Jessie. Harry writes about a three-hour drill and a lecture from Pilot Officer Biard.