Browse Items (2051 total)

  • Tags: ground personnel

AReedD151015.mp3
Douglas Reed was working in the Town Clerk's Department at Goole when he volunteered to serve in the RAF. After completing operational training at RAF Peplow he was posted to 166 Squadron at RAF Kirmington. He flew operations over Germany before…

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

EWynnIAWynnK430521-0001.jpg
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.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PHanksJ1602.jpg
John Hanks joined the RAF and served as an armourer. Describes his role and his duties. Tells of his posting at Swinderby and East Kirkby. Gives a graphic and vivid account of an aircraft crash at RAF Swinderby. Describes comradeship between ground…

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

EDonaldsonIDonaldsonDW-J[Date]-010001.jpg
From David's brother thanking him for birthday telegram and relating current activities. Catches up with family news. Tells an amusing story about two Women's Auxiliary Air Force members.

Tags: ;

AEldenEA161205.mp3
Emmanuel Alexis Elden grew up in Jamaica. He joined the Royal Air Force and trained at RAF Hunmanby Moor. He served as an air traffic controller and, when he was not on duty, he used to enjoy travelling to dances in London. He stayed in the RAF until…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

PHolmanR1801.jpg
Robert Holman was born and brought up in Leeds. He joined the Air Training Corps, enjoying camps at RAF Pocklington. On leaving school at fourteen he went to work in the shoe industry. He then joined the Royal Air Force as an engineer on ground…

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

APocklingtonAC171115.mp3
Arthur Pocklington grew up in Hull and was hoping to join the RAF as aircrew but failed the medical. He trained as a mechanic servicing the radar equipment on the aircraft. He served at RAF Scampton, RAF Dunholme Lodge and RAF Strubby before being…

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

ASterryBS-PearsonC180725.mp3
Bernard Sterry and Cecilia Pearson, both born in Hull, talk about their lives as evacuees during the war. Bernard, who was 10 years old when war broke out, was evacuated from Hull to North Lincolnshire until September 1944, when he came back home at…

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

PShakesbyFN1801.jpg
Norman Shakesby was a radar mechanic on 405 and 582 Squadrons. Born in 1924, he was studying languages at The City School in Lincoln at the outbreak of the Second World War. His language teachers were quickly called up to act as interpreters, so on…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BUreILUreILv1.pdf
A detailed autobiography by Ivan Ure.

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

PCrossK2203.jpg
24 Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel with one Royal Air Force sergeant. He sits in between eight women on the front row with two rows, each of eight, standing behind. Annotated 'Ivor E Lewis' 'Penarth'.

The reverse has short messages and a…

Tags: ;

PPickfordL2102.jpg
A squadron photograph taken at Bassingbourn in May 1939. Four rows of airmen and ground crew positioned in front of a Blenheim.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ;

MNichollsJEK2011088-200201-01.pdf
Includes don'ts for MT drivers, technical terms, notes on vehicle chassis and drive shafts, brakes, bearings, care and maintenance, inspections, controls and engines. Goes on with using maps and routes. Continues with lubricating systems, accident…

Tags: ; ; ;

EBurnsideJGBBurnsideKE440124-0001.jpg
Mentions seeing medical officer and got shampoo and pills. Hope to get trip over soon but leave situation looked blacker than ever. Mentions her health issue and that he could not sleep.

Tags: ; ;

EBullenJMDonaldsonDW440108-0001.jpg
Letter to David Donaldson from Chaplain J M Bullen based at RAF Warboys responding to a letter from David who had expressed concern about the welfare of the family of a Royal Air Force person. Bullen writes that the benevolent fund could help and…

Tags: ; ;

SCulkinJ19241214v10002-0001.jpg
A memoir by Jack of his life before and service in the R.A.F. up to 1942. Has his comments on postings and events up to 1942.

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

EDarbyCAHWellandJ430206.pdf
He has moved to Blackpool from Manchester. He complains about prices and how mean his landlady is. Jean is about to become a WAAF. He has been to a dance at the Winter Gardens.

Tags: ; ;

EDarbyCAHWellandJ430501.pdf
They have raised $20000 for the War Loan Victory effort with dances, boxing matches, films and variety shows. They marched through Moncton. He talks about his impressions of Canada.

Tags: ; ; ;

EDarbyCAHWellandJ430606.pdf
He is still waiting but is working in the camp post office. He has been on parade in Moncton and walking in the countryside.

Tags: ; ; ;

EDarbyCAHWellandJ440805.pdf
He thanks he for his birthday card. He describes his return trip to camp. The next day he had exams which he thinks he passed. They have had no luck getting a new wireless operator. They had a home guard training attack on the base. They had a couple…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EDarbyCAHWellandJ441226.pdf
He thanks her for two letters and a Christmas card. Christmas dinner was very good, followed by a dance.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

PClachersV1802.jpg
Vera Clachers volunteered for the WAAF for the experience and the adventure. She was selected for training as an electrician and was trained at RAF Melksham. She was posted to RAF North Coates. At first she was given the poorest jobs but then began…

Tags: ; ; ; ;

PGrahamFJ1701.jpg
Johnny Graham wanted to join the RAF as soon as he was of age. His grandmother asked him not to because she had lost her only son in the First World War. However, he joined the RAF on his nineteenth birthday. He trained initially as an armourer. He…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PRobertsonH1701.jpg
Horace Robertson was working with his father as a shoe repairer in Edinburgh before he joined the RAF. He trained as an electrician and his first posting was at RAF Finningley where he worked on Hampdens. He was then posted to a salvage unit and…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BSpencerJSpencerFDv1.pdf
A biography of Freddie Spencer. Details his training and operations with 106 Squadron and 630 Squadron.

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

Output Formats

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