Browse Items (1240 total)

  • Tags: military living conditions

EPayneMHWeeksD440628-0002.jpg
Starts by complaining about weather. Writes about possible places to stay during trip with her and states the one he would prefer and plans for his upcoming leave, including talking to her mother. Mentions that he is going to the adjutant to fill in…

Tags: ; ;

EPayneMHWeeksD440705-0002.jpg
Writes of frustrating day with flying on and off. Mentions going to the pictures and writing letters concerning upcoming trip to the Lakes.

Tags: ; ; ;

YStavesME203137v1.pdf
Copy of a day by day diary kept by Malcolm Staves from 26th April 1943 to 6th January 1945. Covers training, lectures, gardening and cleaning tasks. Also covers his social life and home leave.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AAllenG150917.mp3
Graham Allen joined the Royal Air Force aged 19. He trained as a mechanic and worked on inspection and recovery of Spitfire aircraft. He later volunteered to be a flight engineer, and flew a tour of operations with 106 Squadron. His first operation…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BCuthillMSFHCuthillMSFHv1.pdf
Margaret Cuthill's account of her time in the WAAF. At the age of 17 she volunteered for the WAAF and was enrolled as a teleprinter operator. She was sent to Wilmslow for training. After four weeks of drill and physical exercise she was posted to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BDixonMDixonMv1.pdf
13 handwritten pages, Margaret describes in some detail her early life and service in the WAAF as a nurse.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ACookeWH150902.mp3
William Cooke joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18, becoming a rear gunner on Lancasters. He followed his brother and sister into the RAF.
Tells of his spell of guard duty on board a troop ship, and losing one of the people he was showing…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AMarshallS150826.mp3
Syd Marshall grew up in Lincolnshire and was working as an engineering apprentice when he decided to volunteer for the RAF. He asked initially to train to be a pilot but when the basis of his apprenticeship became clear it was inevitable he would be…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PFoskettW2310.jpg
Bill, in khaki uniform, standing outside his tent. The tent is stamped 'US'.
On the reverse is a photographer stamp 'McCollum's Photoshop'.

Tags: ; ;

ABowkerD151117.mp3
David Bowker joined the Air Force and was originally training to be a wireless operator / air gunner but remustered as a pilot. He discusses rudder lock on early versions of Halifax. Jacqueline Bowker his wife, discusses her life during the war and…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PLockeBrownK1505.jpg
Kenneth Locke was born in 1923 and wanted to join the Royal Air Force, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a First World War Pilot. Between leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, Kenneth worked as a bank clerk, before signing…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PMarchantT1501.jpg
Tom Marchant had always wanted to fly and at eighteen joined the RAF as a Wireless Operator Air Gunner but was remustered as Flight Engineer after his initial postings to Warrington and Squires Gate Airfield, Blackpool. He describes his very first…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ATaitJT160610.mp3
John Tait was prompted to join the Royal Air Force, as he was American by birth and therefore he had to report to the police station once a month because he was considered an ‘alien’. He was a wireless operator and gunner, flying in Ansons,…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGreenKS150713.mp3
Kenneth Green was born on the 17th January 1922 at Pleasley, near Mansfield and worked with the Carlton Auxillary Fire Service before joining the Royal Air Force at the age of 20.
He trained as an engineer after he was unable to fly due to eye…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

VSmithNG[Date].mp4
Norman George Smith completed his Australian training as a pilot before being posted to the UK. He was posted to 463 Squadron where he completed ten trips before the war ended. Although he was an officer Norman would borrow his navigator’s jacket…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AColesT150928.mp3
Tom Coles was born in Watford and signed up for the Royal Air Force at the age of 18. He went to Canada for training, a period saddened by the loss of his sister who was in the Women’s Auxilliary Air Force. Tom flew Manchesters, then went to 158…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PKirbyH1511.jpg
Harold Kirby joined up the Royal Air Force encouraged by two friends, but ended up training as a flight mechanic at RAF Halton on medical grounds. Harold became them airframe fitter, volunteered as a flight engineer, passed the physical but was then…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

APoynterAD180416.mp3
Having worked in her father’s garage, Audrey was called up, aged 17½, and joined the Royal Air Force. After RAF Padgate, she did some square-bashing at Gloucester before going to RAF Halton. She was taught to change plugs, replace faulty studs and…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PBarronAJK1901.jpg
Andrew said that during leisure time the crew drank, sang silly songs but didn’t really socialise much. He recalled an occasion when the Germans sent in about 200 night fighters infiltrating the main force on its ways home. They shot down a B-17…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PFeltonM2201.jpg
Monty grew up in Croydon and became an articled accountant in London before joining the RAF. Training at the Initial Training Wing in Torquay was followed by RAF Bishops Court in Northern Ireland and RAF Kinloss, which had a flight simulation room.…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PBurtJH2202.jpg
During his time as medical officer at RAF Waddington, James Burt was responsible for inspecting sanitation and food hygiene as well as general medicine. On one occasion he also had to travel to RAF Tangmere to investigate the death of a member of…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SJonesHB1866363v10042.jpg
A copy of Harry Pearce's mess bill with 2/- deducted for damages.

Tags: ; ; ;

MRidingRH1525125-210923-19.jpg
A bill issued to Ron from RAF Lindholme, May 1948.

Tags: ; ; ;

BFieldPLFieldPLv1.pdf
Starts with account of life at school (Rendcomb College) from 1931 to 1937. Continues with decade 1938-1948 starting with time at Cheltenham Art School in 1938 and 1939. Continues with account of wartime activity including enlistment, training at RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EHoganPJHoganDH450103-0001.jpg
Writes about recent mail and catches up with family and friends news. Comments on conditions at his location including recent snow and thaw and burst water pipes. Reports arrival of cake and going to other nearby station to see Australian newsreels.…

Tags: ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2