Browse Items (114 total)

  • Tags: ditching

SBeckettG622136v10061.pdf
Six page document with details of and the loss of the loss of Geoffrey Beckett's Lancaster.
Page 1 - rear quarter b/w photograph of a Lancaster parked on grass. Caption details arrival of aircraft and squadron letters KM-B. Follows details of minor…

M78Sqn19361201-170421-14.pdf
Account of his aircraft, in which he was air observer, being attacked on return from operation in Germany by intruder aircraft. The aircraft was crash landed and caught fire. Miller escaped through the top hatch but noticed that the pilot and…

PRaebelGW16010001.jpg
Two mounted photographs of Allied airmen rescued by the German Air Sea Rescue Service. The page has the text: "Rescued by the German Air Sea Rescue Service. Informations [sic] from Brain Walley, 7 Solomon St, Fremantle, W.A. 6160".
It is further…

MMcMahonT1061081-240301-030005.jpg
A depiction of the outline of a goldfish, with white wings flying above blue waves.

MBrennanJ1210913-170405-010002.jpg
Made out for Sergeant J Brennan signed by Charles Robertson

MColingEF1481171-220427-010001.jpg
Made out for Warrant Officer Eric Coling and signed by Charles A Robinson.

MMcMahonT1061081-240301-030004.jpg
Envelope, addressed to Thomas' mother, with membership card made out to Sgt. T. McMahon and signed by Charles A Robertson. It has an abstract collage showing the outline of England and Wales, the night sky with stars, an aircraft, parachute, dinghy…

PSearleROJ17060008.jpg
Six photographs from an album.
Photo 1 is the nose of Halifax 'W' with the nose art of 'Willie the Wolf' depicting a naked woman pursued by a wolf. There are 44 operations marked.
Photo 2 is an airman on top of a Halifax.
Photo 3 is underneath the…

MGoldbyJL139407-200810-030001.jpg
Notes taken from a book 'Nobody Unprepared The History of 78 Squadron' by Vernon Holland. John was the bomb aimer on the Halifax.

SGrewB[Ser#-DoB]v20001.jpg
Medal set belonging to Harry Dawson (178722 Royal Air Force). 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal, and War Medal 1939-1945. Includes his identity tags and a letter about the loss of Wellington Z9016.

SBondS-RichardsonAv10015.MP3
Alan Richardson begins half way through a story of an aircraft losing wings flying through the Needles. S Bond then tells a couple of stories about crew who ditched a Wellington and an air gunner taken off ops. Alan finishes with some comment on log…

PColingE1801.jpg
Eric Coling’s father died when Eric was a child which left his mother to cope on her own, economically. Eric and his sister were sent to live in an orphanage but their mother was able to visit monthly. When Eric left the orphanage he began working…

PPattersonGE1901.jpg
Before joining the Royal Air Force on 4 February 1942, Ernie worked as an apprentice joiner. On being called up he went to RAF Blackpool for training, which included Morse code. Following training at different places he then attended the advanced…

PWynneH1825.jpg
Helga (00:00-34:00) was born in Kiel in 1926. Her father was a sailor, who then worked at Krupp shipbuilding yard; her mother was a tram driver during the war. None of her brothers were called up, either because of age or disability. She mentions…

AMarshallJ180116.mp3
Jack went to New Zealand in 1937 and became a steward in a gentleman’s club in Napier, where he stayed for two years until the war broke out. He joined the Royal Air Force and went to England where he did train to become an air gunner at RAF…

ALeithJM170112.mp3
James McKenzie Leith was a swimming instructor before he joined the RAF. He trained as a gunner and was posted to 429 Squadron at RAF Leeming. On their first operation their aeroplane was damaged and they attempted an emergency landing but this was…

AGoldbyJL171025.mp3
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…

PDoneK1701.jpg
Upon leaving Battersea Grammar School aged 14, he was employed at Chelsea Town Hall as a junior clerk. When the war started, he discovered he was in a reserved occupation and unable to enlist. However, suffering The Blitz was too much and after being…

PdiPlacitoLH1701.jpg
Lawrence di Placito served as a second-class coxswain on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches during the Second World War. Henry gives further details of his experiences in rescues, both successful and those with a tragic ending. He also tells of Ealing…

ACurtisL90XXXX.mp3
Leslie Curtis describes how, when flying from Gibraltar to Malta, his Wellington (Z8773) experienced engine failure and he was forced to ditch in the Mediterranean Sea. The sole survivor, Leslie was picked up after four days by the destroyer, HMS…

PStonemanMW1801.jpg
Maurice Stoneman was posted to 57 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby as the flight engineer on Lancasters in 1943. He recalls that, on returning from operations, they used to fly around the Boston Stump and around Lincoln Cathedral before finally landing.…

SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v320002.mp3
Nelson Nix grew up during the war. His father kept the village shop and was also a special constable and member of the Observer Corps, which later became the Royal Observer Corps. The post had access to the Darkie sets which were used to guide…

PCoxOV2003.jpg
Owen Cox attended grammar school in York and joined the Home Guard when the war started. He joined the Royal Air Force aged 18, although his parents were not keen. His initial trade was ground wireless operator (Morse), waiting to attend a gunnery…
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