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Interview with John and Vera Casey
Before the war, John Casey worked for Vickers Armstrong. He joined the Royal Air Force and completed his training as a warrant officer at RAF Padgate. He learned how to fly Stirling aircraft at RAF Wigsley, Wellington aircraft at RAF Bruntingthorpe…
Interview with Laurie Woods
Flying Officer Laurie Woods DFC was born in Deloraine, Tasmania, in 1922. He grew up in Tasmania, and at the age of eighteen, despite being in a reserved occupation, he volunteered for Air Crew in the Royal Australian Air Force. Initially training in…
Stuart Boynton Interview
During 1939 Stuart left grammar school and joined the Air Training Corps. After about half a year he volunteered for air crew and was accepted. He and his girlfriend were married in February 1943. Stuart was posted to South Africa working on Ansons…
Interview with Thomas Marchant
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…
Interview with Arthur Emlyn Williams
Arthur Emlyn Williams talks about his life before volunteering and what lead him up to volunteering. His parents were upset about his decision to join the RAF. In September 1943, he was accepted for training as an air-gunner. He started his first…
Interview with Arthur Emlyn Williams
Arthur Emlyn Williams was working as a pump operator at the mines, before he volunteered for the RAF. His mother hid his first recruitment letter. He trained at Lord’s Cricket Ground, and Number 2 Air-Gunnery school at Inverness, on Ansons. He…
Interview with Douglas "Jim" James
Douglas (Jim) James was born in India and returned to England when he was nine. After leaving school, he joined the RAF as an air gunner, forging his father’s signature on the application. Jim carried out 29 operations with 460 Squadron, flying in…
Interview with John Tait
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,…
Reg Miles Audio Memoir
Reg Miles's memoir in three parts. Part one Reg describes his childhood in St Peter’s on the Isle of Thanet, his family, school, lack of money, and holiday jobs. Reg joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice, known as a ‘Brat’, in January…
Norm George Smith video interview
![VSmithNG[Date].mp4](/omeka/application/views/scripts/images/fallback-video.png "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…
Interview with Bob Hughes
Bob Hughes joined the RAF as war became likely to avoid repeating his father's First World War experience in the trenches and transferred to the RAF Volunteer Reserve when war was declared. He trained on Ansons and then flew in twin-engine Blenheims…
Interview with Andrew Barron. Two
Andrew hitchhiked from Edmonton to Calgary and then on to Mountain View by train. Gunnery training was in a Bolingbroke which had a mid-upper turret; bombing training was done in an Anson. Andrew was then posted to navigation school in Quebec for…
Interview with Monty Felton
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.…
Peter Potter biography - part
Describes childhood in great detail and work after the war started. Continues with account of training after being called up.
Test Pilots of A.V. Roe & Co Ltd - S.A. 'Bill' Thorn
Covers biography of Bill Thorn early life and taking a short service commission in the Royal Air Force in September 1922 and learning to fly and posting to 17 Squadron at RAF Hawkinge.= and eventually to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at…
Interview with Kenneth George McVicar
Kenneth George McVicar was born in Llanelli, South Wales and joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18, where he qualified as a Gunner. He Flew in Ansons, as mid upper gunner turret, but also on Stirlings and Lancasters. He tells of how he went on…
Sam Saunders, Training in Canada
Two printed sheets with six photographs.
The text describes his early training then transfer to Canada learning on Ansons in the snow.
Photo 1 is Sam standing in the snow outside a hut.
Photo 2 is a ship.
Photo 3 is Sam and friend leaning on an…
The text describes his early training then transfer to Canada learning on Ansons in the snow.
Photo 1 is Sam standing in the snow outside a hut.
Photo 2 is a ship.
Photo 3 is Sam and friend leaning on an…
Sam Saunders, Training in Canada
The text contains some detail of Sam Saunders' training in Canada.
Photo 1 is annotated 'Our First Aeroplane January 1941'. It is an Anson with a group of 42 airmen arranged in front.
Photo 2 is the backs of 11 or so airmen in a classroom.
Photo…
Photo 1 is annotated 'Our First Aeroplane January 1941'. It is an Anson with a group of 42 airmen arranged in front.
Photo 2 is the backs of 11 or so airmen in a classroom.
Photo…
Sam Saunders Training in Canada
Sam at work and play in the snow.
Photo 1 is Sam at the navigator's station on an Anson.
Photo 2 and 4 snowy landscapes from an Anson.
Photo 3 is an air to air of the starboard side of an Anson.
Photo 5 is an ice hockey team resting.
Photo 6 is…
Photo 1 is Sam at the navigator's station on an Anson.
Photo 2 and 4 snowy landscapes from an Anson.
Photo 3 is an air to air of the starboard side of an Anson.
Photo 5 is an ice hockey team resting.
Photo 6 is…
Sam Saunders, Graduation and Further Training
Sam's graduation ceremony then further training on Battles and Astro on Ansons.
Photo 1 and 2 are the menu for the graduation meal.
Photo 3 is the ticket for the graduation dance.
Photo 4 is the tables set for the graduation meal.
Photo 5 is the…
Photo 1 and 2 are the menu for the graduation meal.
Photo 3 is the ticket for the graduation dance.
Photo 4 is the tables set for the graduation meal.
Photo 5 is the…
Sam Saunder's UK Training and Malta
A description of Sam's further training in the UK then operations at Malta.
Photo 1 is an informal group photograph with airmen, two WAAFs and three dummies.
Photo 2 is an air-to-air view of a Wellington.
Photo 1 is an informal group photograph with airmen, two WAAFs and three dummies.
Photo 2 is an air-to-air view of a Wellington.
Philip Hopgood's Second World War Biography
The detailed biography begins with government measures at the start of National Service. Philip Hopgood volunteered and enlisted at Padgate, Warrington. He was classified as medically Grade 1. Initial training was at RAF Regent's Park (Lord's Cricket…
I Flew with Nine Wing Commanders
The detailed and wide ranging story of Peter Baxter's service in the RAF from an Airframe Apprentice to Flight Engineer Leader.
Peter Hattersley's Service Diary
A service diary written by Peter Hattersley covering the period from November 1930 to 24 September 1948.Initially he served in the Royal Engineers but in February 1936 he joined the RAF. It covers his training and operations including a newspaper…
Letter to Terry Ford from Peter Lamb
A letter from Pete to Terry Ford where he writes about Terry starting to fly flying boats. Pete writes about how many hours he has got in flying. He has been to Vancouver on leave and is waiting to hear if he is going on a GR course.