Browse Items (826 total)
- Tags: Heavy Conversion Unit
Interview with John Cuthbert
Tags: 189 Squadron; 49 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; bombing; coping mechanism; crewing up; escaping; evading; fear; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; military living conditions; military service conditions; Operation Exodus (1945); Operational Training Unit; radar; RAF Bardney; RAF Bridgnorth; RAF Castle Kennedy; RAF Fulbeck; RAF Metheringham; RAF Swinderby; RAF Syerston; RAF Upper Heyford; RAF Wainfleet; Scarecrow; Schräge Musik; searchlight; Stirling; superstition; Tiger force; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; wireless operator / air gunner; York
Interview with John Derek "Bill" Bailey. One
Tags: 103 Squadron; 166 Squadron; 1660 HCU; 20 OTU; 83 OTU; Advanced Flying Unit; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; Bolingbroke; bomb aimer; bombing; Bombing and Gunnery School; Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); crash; crewing up; H2S; Halifax; Halifax Mk 2; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Lysander; Master Bomber; mine laying; Operational Training Unit; perception of bombing war; RAF Elsham Wolds; RAF Hemswell; RAF Kirkham; RAF Kirmington; RAF Llandwrog; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Penrhos; RAF Peplow; RAF Sandtoft; RAF Swinderby; RAF Torquay; Tiger force; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington
Interview with John Derek "Bill" Bailey. Two
Towards the end of the war, Derek did various bomber instructor courses and became a bombing instructor at RAF Lossiemouth on Wellingtons for Free French aircrew…
Tags: 103 Squadron; 166 Squadron; aircrew; bomb aimer; bomb disposal; bombing; Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); H2S; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Master Bomber; mine laying; Operational Training Unit; RAF Bicester; RAF Blyton; RAF Elsham Wolds; RAF Kirmington; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Swinderby; Tiger force; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington
Interview with John Eric Hatherly Dean
Interview with John Firth
Tags: 50 Squadron; aircrew; bale out; bombing; fear; final resting place; flight engineer; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; prisoner of war; RAF Skellingthorpe; RAF St Athan; RAF Syerston; RAF Wigsley; sanitation; shot down; Stalag 3A; Stalag Luft 7; Stirling; the long march; training; Wellington
Interview with John Green
Tags: 100 Squadron; 12 Squadron; 1667 HCU; 30 OTU; air gunner; aircrew; bomb disposal; bombing; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; military service conditions; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; perception of bombing war; RAF Grimsby; RAF Hemswell; RAF Hixon; RAF Sandtoft; RAF Wickenby; recruitment; Schräge Musik; shot down; training; Wellington
Interview with John Hanks
Interview with John Harrison
Tags: 106 Squadron; 1660 HCU; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; bale out; bombing; Dulag Luft; fear; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; Lancaster; lynching; Operation Exodus (1945); prisoner of war; RAF Dalcross; RAF Metheringham; RAF Skellingthorpe; RAF Swinderby; shot down; Stalag 357; Stalag Luft 6; strafing; training; Typhoon
Interview with John Henry Thomas
Tags: 102 Squadron; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); crash; Fw 190; ground personnel; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Mosquito; P-47; P-51; padre; pilot; RAF Acaster Malbis; RAF Moreton in the Marsh; RAF Pocklington; RAF Riccall; searchlight; Tiger Moth; training; V-2; V-3; V-weapon; Wellington
Interview with John Martin
Tags: 14 OTU; 166 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; aircrew; Anson; bale out; bomb aimer; bombing; C-47; Dominie; Dulag Luft; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Operational Training Unit; prisoner of war; Proctor; RAF Cosford; RAF Cottesmore; RAF Cranwell; RAF Husbands Bosworth; RAF Yatesbury; shot down; training; Wellington; wireless operator
Interview with John Wakeford Quine
Tags: 170 Squadron; 582 Squadron; anti-aircraft fire; bomb dump; bombing; Cook’s tour; coping mechanism; crewing up; Halifax; Harvard; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; love and romance; Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; Pathfinders; RAF Dunkeswell; RAF Harrogate; RAF Hemswell; RAF Lindholme; RAF Little Staughton; RAF Peplow; sanitation; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with John Young
Interview with Ken Fawcett
Tags: 1654 HCU; 17 OTU; 227 Squadron; 619 Squadron; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; Anson; bomb struck; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); civil defence; Cook’s tour; crash; ground personnel; Heavy Conversion Unit; Home Guard; Lancaster; military service conditions; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operational Training Unit; RAF Balderton; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Bridgnorth; RAF Cranwell; RAF Dunholme Lodge; RAF Silverstone; RAF Syerston; RAF Wigsley; Schräge Musik; Stirling; take-off crash; training; Wellington
Interview with Ken Macdonald
Tags: 12 Squadron; 1667 HCU; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; crewing up; Dulag Luft; entertainment; fear; final resting place; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; military living conditions; Operational Training Unit; prisoner of war; RAF Finningley; RAF Hemswell; RAF Lindholme; RAF Manston; RAF Wickenby; RAF Worksop; sanitation; Stalag 3A; training; Wellington
Interview with Ken Oatley
Tags: 106 Squadron; 16 OTU; 1660 HCU; 617 Squadron; 627 Squadron; aircrew; Bennett, Donald Clifford Tyndall (1910-1986); bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); civil defence; Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944); Heavy Conversion Unit; Home Guard; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Master Bomber; Mosquito; navigator; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; Pathfinders; RAF Manston; RAF Marham; RAF Metheringham; RAF Scampton; RAF Sealand; RAF Swinderby; RAF Syerston; RAF Upper Heyford; RAF Woodhall Spa; Stirling; target indicator; Tiger force; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with Ken Thomas
Tags: 16 OTU; 3 Group; 622 Squadron; Air Transport Auxiliary; aircrew; Asian heritage; bombing; Distinguished Flying Cross; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; navigator; Operational Training Unit; pilot; RAF Desford; RAF Heaton Park; RAF Mildenhall; RAF Stradishall; RAF Woodbridge; RCAF Moncton; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with Kenneth Cook
Tags: 1 Group; 617 Squadron; 9 Squadron; 97 Squadron; Botha; crewing up; dispersal; Distinguished Flying Cross; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lincoln; Meteor; military living conditions; military service conditions; Mosquito; Nissen hut; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Pathfinders; RAF Bardney; RAF Bawtry; RAF Coltishall; RAF Cottesmore; RAF Fiskerton; RAF Fulbeck; RAF Syerston; RAF Winthorpe; sanitation; Stearman; Tiger force; training; Window
Interview with Kenneth Killeen
Tags: 115 Squadron; 1651 HCU; 83 OTU; aircrew; Anson; bombing; bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944); forced landing; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Me 410; navigator; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; RAF Feltwell; RAF Peplow; RAF Torquay; RAF Witchford; RAF Wratting Common; Stirling; tactical support for Normandy troops; training; Wellington
Interview with Lacey Peter Webb
Interview with Lachie McBean
Interview with Lawrence Larmer
Tags: 1658 HCU; 27 OTU; 51 Squadron; aircrew; bomb aimer; bombing; coping mechanism; crewing up; debriefing; ground personnel; Halifax; Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984); Heavy Conversion Unit; intelligence officer; mess; military discipline; military living conditions; Operational Training Unit; padre; pilot; RAF Lichfield; RAF Riccall; RAF Snaith; superstition; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with Len McNamara
Tags: 10 OTU; 10 Squadron; 75 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); crewing up; demobilisation; Distinguished Flying Cross; escaping; evading; final resting place; Halifax; Halifax Mk 2; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; pilot; RAF Abingdon; RAF Langar; RAF Lissett; RAF Melbourne; RAF Ringway; RAF Woolfox Lodge; recruitment; training; Whitley
Interview with Leonard Ralph Tyrell
Tags: 1660 HCU; 17 OTU; 207 Squadron; 44 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; bomb aimer; bombing; crewing up; demobilisation; Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain (1926 - 2022); faith; fear; ground crew; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; memorial; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; Operation Dodge (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; RAF Halfpenny Green; RAF Silverstone; RAF Spilsby; RAF Syerston; Stirling; superstition; Tiger force; training; Wellington
Interview with Les Munro
Tags: 617 Squadron; 97 Squadron; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; bouncing bomb; Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); crash; Eder Möhne and Sorpe operation (16–17 May 1943); fear; Flying Training School; Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944); Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Manchester; memorial; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Normandy deception operations (5/6 June 1944); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; RAF North Luffenham; RAF Scampton; RAF Shawbury; RAF Wigsley; RAF Woodhall Spa; take-off crash; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with Lindsay Hibbard
Tags: 57 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; Battle; bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); Distinguished Flying Cross; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster Finishing School; Operational Training Unit; RAF East Kirkby; RAF Silverstone; RAF Syerston; RAF Winthorpe; Stirling; training; Wellington; wireless operator