Browse Items (4441 total)

  • Tags: bombing

PMuratoriG160314.JPG
Gino Muratori (b. 1929) recollects three Rimini bombings that occurred in November 1944, one of which was aimed at the Ausa river bridge. Mentions his grandmother losing two relatives when their boarding house was destroyed. Remembers how on 26…

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PColonnaB1601.jpg
Benito Colonna reminisces about the bombings of Rimini and other wartime experiences. Benito was with his mother when he witnessed the 1 November 1943 bombing: he saw aircraft approaching and bombing the town, concentrating the attack on the railway…

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SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v110002 BellGA.mp3
George Bell grew up in Lincolnshire. He was called up to the Army and was posted to India and Burma.

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SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v150002.mp3
Interview in two parts.
Part one.
Chris Allison served as a flight engineer. He answers questions from school children about what it was like to fly in a Lancaster.
Also taking part in this interview was Tony Bradley who was a child in Hull…

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AFroudJ160509.mp3
James Froud wanted to be a pilot. He was interviewed in London and called up to Lord’s Cricket Ground. Having twice failed navigation examinations, he was re-mustered and sent to RAF Eastchurch for a gunnery course. From there, he went to RAF…

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AFroudJ160516.mp3
As part of the Pathfinder Force, Jimmy explains that they did a lot of training using radar, wire runs and bombing ranges, as well as radio range with the wireless operator. Jimmy also describes the fighter affiliation they carried out. They…

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BGriffinDAJGriffinDAJv1.pdf
Writes of his last operation in a Halifax when his aircraft was shot down and exploded killing all the other members of the crew. Describes journey to camp and being in Frankfurt while it is under bombing attack. Continues with description of life as…

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EBoldyDABoldyAD411210-0001.jpg
Letter from sergeant David Boldy to his father about life in a Royal Air Force station near Nottingham, going dancing and his first operations.

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EBoldyDABoldyAD420224-0001.jpg
Letter from sergeant David Boldy to his father about seeing action in day and night operations. Mentions the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst battleship. He had some leave and went out to the Trocadero with Steve and Ajan.

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EBoldyDABoldyAD420426-0001.jpg
Letter from sergeant David Boldy to his father about the excitement of being in action again after a long pause. He saw his Mother in London and hopes his brother Steve completes his finals soon to become a doctor. Mentions daily life and pastimes …

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EBoldyDABoldyLM400619.pdf
Letter from David Boldy to his mother and brother. States his opinion on the latest Churchill’s speech; writes about his evening out with his friends and going to see a Bing Crosby film. He also writes doing Morse code and maths and about having no…

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EBoldyDABoldyLM400627.pdf
Letter from David Boldy to his mother. Speaks about his daily life in Torquay including drill, physical training and fire picket duties. He comments on his social life with the girls.

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EBoldyDABoldyLM400821-0001.jpg
Letter from David Boldy to his mother thanking her for the good time he had during his recent leave. He speaks about a bombing attack that had happened at a nearby station and mentions that he is enjoying his social life and finds his current…

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BCarterDACarterRv1.pdf
Biography of Warrant Officer Ronald Carter (1620578 Royal Air Force).

At the age of 17, Ronald volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in November 1942. After basic training, Ronald was selected for gunnery and wireless operator training, becoming…

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EDonaldsonDWAirMin540929-0001.jpg
David Donaldson points out that no mention was made of the one Halifax that he flew that went on an operation with Lancasters over Berchtesgaden in April 1945.

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ADonaldsonDW060415.mp3
David Donaldson reminisces about an operation on Turin, describing the crossing of the Alps at night and the awe-inspiring sight of Mount Blanc. David stresses the uniqueness of the operation, only comparable to a previous one on Munich, and mentions…

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BDonaldsonDWDonaldsonDWv10001.jpg
Service history of David Donaldson including postings, promotions and awards.

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YGeachDG1394781v1.pdf
Fourth of David Geach's diaries describing the final part of his training in Canada. He writes of his service and personal life training as an air bomber. He describes his ground and flying training experiences, social life both in camp and in local…

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YGeachDG1394781v3.pdf
Second of David Geach's diaries, describing his training for aircrew at Kingstown, Heaton Park, Hastings and Harrogate until his embarkation to Canada on the Queen Mary. Covers the period from 20 June 1942 to 7 October 1942.

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YGeachDG1394781v4.pdf
Third of David Geach's diaries describing his service & personal life training as an Air Bomber in Canada. He describes his ground & flying training experiences, social life both in camp and in local Canadian towns and New York. He details train…

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YGeachDG1394781v5.pdf
Fifth and final diary kept by David Geach chronicling his time training and on operations. He writes about his return from Canada on the Queen Elizabeth then his training in England which began with arriving at the Posting Centre in Pannal Ash,…

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AGrayCJ151017.mp3
Jeff Gray was a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He trained to fly in Texas and completed 30 operations as a pilot with 61 Squadron. After leaving the RAF he worked for BOAC flying Yorks and VC10s.

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ASmithJG160408.mp3
Jack volunteered for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in September 1940. He went to Padgate and then on to Blackpool where he trained as a wireless operator. Jack proceeded to a radio school at RAF Compton Bassett and then RAF Bramcote. He was posted to…

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ATinsleyR150604.mp3
Dick was from a farming background and joined the Royal Air Force in 1944. After going to Bedford, he was sent to Lord’s cricket ground. Those passing as a pilot went to a flying school near Coventry to be assessed for pilot training on a Tiger…

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PAlgarH1701.jpg
Harry Algar worked as an office boy at Hay’s Wharf in London before the war. He entered the Air Training Corps before joining the RAF when he was seventeen. Started his training on Tiger Moths but was then sent to Canada to remuster as a bomb…

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