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Before I was in the RAF by Reg Payne
An account by Reg Payne of his wartime experiences. Too young to sign up at the start of the war he spent two years in the Home Guard. Training started at age 18 and lasted for two years. He served at RAF Skellingthorpe and his brother served at RAF…
Seven aircrew standing behind a Lancaster
Seven aircrew wearing Mae West standing in line at rear of a Lancaster.
Reg Payne's crew
Seven airmen in a line wearing flying gear and Mae Wests. One man has no life jacket. A caption supplied with the photograph reads 'his [Reg Payne's] crew when the pilot was Sir Michael Beetham - this was the crew in the plane that crashed near East…
Jack Warner
Head and shoulders portrait photograph of Jack Warner, in RAF Sergeant’s uniform, engineer brevet, submitted with caption; “Jack in the early days of the war”. Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.
Brian Wilkinson and Jack Warner
Head and shoulders portrait of two airmen with Jack Warner on the right with flight engineer brevet. Submitted with caption 'Jack and a school friend, Brian Wilkinson - mentioned in the recording, 5 from the same class all joined the RAF'. Additional…
End of 37 operation tour
Seven aircrew standing in line front of a Halifax. Title '1943/44, End of Tour of 37 ops, official RAF Photograph'. Captioned ' Norman - navigator, John - pilot, Vic - bomb aimer, Arthur - rear gunner, Jack - flight engineer, George - mid upper…
Jack Warner
Head and shoulders portrait of an airman wearing tunic with flight engineer brevet and sergeants stripes. Submitted with caption 'Jack with his Flight Engineers Wings'. Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.
Interview with Tony Gerard
Tony lived in South Pool before moving to Liverpool with his job in a bank. He also belonged the Air Training Corps. After about a year he decided to sign up for the Royal Air Force. His assessment and medical were at Liverpool. He was called up to…
Letter to Mrs J. H. Wilson from 7 Squadron
![E[Author]WilsonJH440408-0001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/830/10718/E[Author]WilsonJH440408-0001.jpg "E[Author]WilsonJH440408-0001.jpg")
Letter to Mrs J. H. Wilson from 7 Squadron enclosing a list of next of kin for her husband’s crew and requesting confirmation of her address.
Interview with Harry Braithwaite
Harry Braithwaite was born in Portinscale and went to Keswick School. Harry’s close friend was killed in action and this spurred him on to volunteer. His father owned a garage and Harry would help him. This gave him some mechanical knowledge and…
Interview with Cyril Henry Bridges
Cyril Henry Bridges was born in Ramsgate and served as a flight engineer in the RAF. He tells of his father, a deep-sea fisherman, who fought in the First World War and later helped evacuate troops from Dunkirk. Remembers his early life, taking on…
Interview with Harrison Stanley Cammish
Harrison Cammish was born in Scarborough in 1923, and when he was fourteen, he became an apprentice carpenter and joiner, and when war broke out, he joined the Air Training Corps, and the Home Guard, who gave him a rifle and forty rounds of…
Interview with Cecil Harry Chandler
Cecil ‘Chick’ Chandler trained as a flight engineer and was posted to 622 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall. On his first flight as the flight engineer the undercarriage failed. He was horrified to find that it was the different mark than he had been…
Interview with William Frederick Chubb
Bill Chubb had several challenges in his early life and his father died when Bill was 12. After several jobs he joined the RAF as a flight engineer. He became part of a Canadian crew, despite some objection! Bill tells many tales of his RAF time,…
Interview with Jack Alexander Cook
Beginning the war in a reserved occupation, Jack eventually volunteered for the Royal Air Force, however, it would take the majority of the war before he joined. Eventually being called up for Bomber Command in 1944, Jack trained as a wireless…
Interview with Hilary Crozier
Hilary’s uncle, William Frederick Burkitt (known as John), was born in North London. He joined up in October 1943 and after training as a flight engineer, was sent to RAF Bardney. During their first operation they were badly hit and the rear…
Interview with Thomas Aiden Davidson
Born in Gateshead, Thomas was an apprentice railroad engineer. With the war beginning three days after his 16th birthday, Thomas feels very passionately about the British experience of the Second World War, as his only brother was killed. He claims…
Interview with Ronald Charles Davis
When the war broke out Ronald was a solicitor’s clerk, then got a job with in Portsmouth. Whilst there he volunteered for air crew and went to London to join the Air Force. After about six months he was called up for training. He went on a…
Interview with Eddie Edmunds
Eddie Edmunds was born in Walthamstow and was educated at a grammar school, then joined an oil company. He eventually moved to the Electric Supply Company and became an accountant. Eddie had always wanted to fly so he initially joined the reserve and…
Interview with Harry Fearns
Harry Fearns was born and lived in Barnsley South Yorkshire. He left school at 16 and joined the Prudential Insurance Company as a door to door premiums collector before joining the Royal Air Force in 1944 as a flight engineer. Following initial…
Interview with Thomas Fisher
Thomas Fisher trained initially as a fitter in the RAF. When the Air Ministry announced that flight engineers were needed from the ranks of the ground mechanics he volunteered for training. The CO was surprised that he volunteered and asked him if it…
Interview with Ron Flynn
Ron Flynn was living in London before he volunteered for the RAF. He trained as a flight engineer and joined a British / New Zealand crew. He was posted to RAF Mepal. There was at least one occasion when a fire in the engines was extinguished by the…
Letter to Mrs Wilson from mother of Sergeant Jenkins
Letter from mother of flight engineer, written to the captains wife expressing sympathy, thanks and hope that the crew are safe somewhere.
Interview with Ralph Freeman
Ralph Freeman volunteered for the RAF in 1942. He began initial training in March 1943 and was posted to Manitoba in October, where he qualified as a pilot after training on Cornells and Ansons. Upon returning to Great Britain, Freeman was remustered…
Interview with William Paul Gould
William Gould joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps at his Grammar School in Stoke on Trent. After selection to join the RAF as a wireless operator/air gunner he went to RAF Eastchurch to remuster as a flight engineer, and from there did his training…