Browse Items (2985 total)
Sort by:
Interview with Maurice Vivian Askew
Maurice Askew volunteered for the RAF and began training as a flight engineer. He was posted to 207 Squadron at RAF Spilsby and his first operation was to Berlin. On his last operation his aircraft came under attack. He was knocked unconscious as he…
Interview with Max Barry
Max was born in Beaufort, Victoria and grew up on his parents’ dairy farm. Gaining a scholarship led to him becoming a student teacher and attending training college. He was called up when he was 18 and applied to become a reserve in the Air Force,…
Interview with Gerald Walter Bell
Gerald Bell worked on a poultry farm before being called up in the RAF, where he served as ground personnel. He remembers his training at RAF Finningley and RAF Balderton. Tells of his posting to North Africa in 1942, where he initially was working…
Interview with David Berrie
David Berrie joined the RAF and served as a wireless operator. He flew six operations with 576 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds. Shares his experience about living on the station with Polish crews. Remembers crashing twice in twenty-four hours and on…
Interview with James William Birchall
James Burchill was in the ATC before he volunteered for aircrew training. He was expected to be deferred but was told he had been chosen for immediate service. On one operation he was injured and by the time he was ready for operational duties again…
Interview with Robert Boocock
Robert Boocock spent three and a half years in Japanese prisoner of war camps. As a young boy, he had a part time job in delivering ladies’ hats. He was conscripted into the Air Force and initially trained to become a wireless operator. After…
Airman beside Soviet prisoners of war memorial at Bergen-Belsen
An airman is sitting beside the Soviet prisoners of war memorial at Bergen-Belsen. At the top is 'CCCP' and a star. The ground is covered in snow.
Roy Maddock-Lyon's flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners and flight engineers
Flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers for Roy Maddock-Lyon, flight engineer, covering the period from 12 June 1944 to 2 May 1946. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war flying duties. He was…
Sqn. Ldr Geoffrey Whittle, DFM RAF (Ret'd)
A brief memoir of Geoffrey Whittle's wartime service. His training started in March 1942 in Scotland. One year later he converted to Wellingtons, then Lancasters at RAF Lindholme. He was then posted to RAF Ludford Magna. On his 15th operation over…
Aviation Memory
A detailed account of Reg Payne's service in the RAF. He starts with a list of 18 RAF bases where he served in his 5 years of service. He was 16 when war was declared but volunteered for the RAF at 17. After tests he was selected for training as a…
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…
Peter Stevens' pilot's flying log book
![LStevensP[Ser#-DoB]v1.pdf](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/990/10664/LStevensP[Ser -DoB]v1.jpg "LStevensP[Ser#-DoB]v1.pdf")
Pilots flying log book for Peter Stevens, covering the period from 6 June 1940 to 7 September 1941 when he was taken prisoner of war and then from 26 July 1945 to 22 January 1947 and from 28 September 1952 to 19 September 1953. Detailing his flying…
Target Frankfurt
Account of Jim Copus's last operation to Frankfurt during which his 97 Squadron Lancaster was shot down by a Me 110 night fighter. Includes the task of air gunners, the engagement by the night fighter which disabled all hydraulics including those to…
Interview with Percival Robert Court
Percival Robert Court joined the Air Training Corps in March 1941, volunteering for the Royal Air Force at the earliest age of seventeen and a half. Training at RAF Cardington, he became a flight mechanic. He then moved to Skegness to continue into…
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 Bruce Cunningham
Bruce Cunningham was born in New Zealand. After initial training as a pilot he was posted to RAF Wescott Operational Training Unit and flew operations with 514 Squadron at RAF Waterbeach. His first operation was over Berlin. On one operation they…
Interview with Ernest Davenport
Ernest Davenport was born in Tattenhall, Cheshire in 1923. He joined the Local Defence Volunteers in 1940 and after witnessing the bombing of Merseyside he decided to join the RAF as a pilot. He was accepted into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve…
Interview with John Louis Goldby
John Goldby was born in Kent but the family moved to London the year after. He was inspired to join the RAF when a schoolfriend joined and became a Spitfire pilot. John believes that it was a mid-air collision with a night fighter that led to his…
Interview with Raymond George Goss
Raymond Goss lived on the family farm at Westcott before, during and after the construction and occupation of RAF Westcott as 11 Operational Training Unit. One evening a Lancaster collided with a Wellington on the field and both exploded. The Goss…
Interview with James Hampton
James Hampton was born in February 1925. Before the war, he was an apprentice engineer with Laystall Engineering Company. He was in a reserved occupation before joining the Royal Air Force in 1943, where he trained as a flight engineer in Bomber…
Letter from Sergeant Gibbins in Laghouat camp to Douglas Hudson's parents.
![EGibbinsGHudson[Fa-Mo]421102-0003.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/886/10870/EGibbinsGHudson[Fa-Mo]421102-0003.jpg "EGibbinsGHudson[Fa-Mo]421102-0003.jpg")
Writes his job as postman and that sometimes sees what other have written on post cards. States that Douglas always has a smile and does not worry about anything, Reports all are well and looking forward to freedom.
Letter from Douglas Hudson in internee camp in Le Kef, Tunisia, to his parents
Writes that he has received correspondence from home and from pen friends. States he cannot write to the latter as he is only allowed two letters a month. Explains that he cannot say a great deal in letters and that politics are taboo. Explains about…
Letter to acquaintances from Douglas Hudson in internment camp Laghouat, Algeria
Explains that he has not been able to write to all as he has used allowance of letters to parents. Says that there he can tell apart from assuring them that he keeping well. Mentions summer weather and that they had been able to keep cool indoors.…
Letter from Douglas Hudson in Médéa to parents
Writes about moving from El Kef to Médéa in Algeria. New arrangements organised for internees by American and British governments with cooperation of French. Explains that conditions are much better that at El Kef where they were very rough. They…
Letter from Douglas Hudson in Médéa to parents
A repetition of previous letter but this one was sent via the American Consul in Algiers