Browse Items (826 total)
- Tags: Heavy Conversion Unit
Harry Brabin memoir
He sailed on the SS Johan Van Barneve to San Francisco and…
Tags: 102 Squadron; 1652 HCU; 27 OTU; 4 Group; Advanced Flying Unit; air gunner; air sea rescue; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; arts and crafts; bomb aimer; bomb struck; bombing; Bombing and Gunnery School; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944); briefing; crewing up; debriefing; demobilisation; entertainment; faith; fear; flight engineer; forced landing; Fw 190; Gee; gremlin; ground crew; H2S; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; killed in action; lack of moral fibre; love and romance; Master Bomber; McIndoe, Archibald (1900-1960); Me 109; Me 262; Me 410; military discipline; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; navigator; Navy, Army and Air Force Institute; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Oboe; Operational Training Unit; P-51; Pathfinders; perception of bombing war; physical training; pilot; prisoner of war; promotion; propaganda; radar; RAF Gamston; RAF Lichfield; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Pocklington; RAF West Freugh; RCAF Mossbank; recruitment; Schräge Musik; searchlight; Spitfire; sport; tactical support for Normandy troops; Tallboy; target indicator; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington; Window; wireless operator / air gunner; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Recollections of a Flight Engineer
He also recounts…
Pilot to Navigator - Where are we?
Tags: 100 Group; 4 Group; 425 Squadron; 51 Squadron; 77 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; aerial photograph; air gunner; Air Observers School; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; B-17; bale out; bomb aimer; C-47; Caterpillar Club; crewing up; Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Service Order; entertainment; evading; flight engineer; Flying Training School; Gee; ground personnel; H2S; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945); Hurricane; Ju 88; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Me 109; Me 110; military service conditions; missing in action; Mosquito; navigator; Nissen hut; Oboe; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; Pathfinders; pilot; prisoner of war; RAF Abingdon; RAF Acaster Malbis; RAF Bottesford; RAF Cosford; RAF Full Sutton; RAF Manston; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Melbourne; RAF Snaith; RAF St Eval; RAF Stanton Harcourt; RAF Tholthorpe; RAF West Freugh; RAF Wing; Red Cross; Resistance; shot down; sport; Stalag 3A; Stalag Luft 7; Stirling; Sunderland; target indicator; the long march; Tiger Moth; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington; Whitley; Window; wireless operator / air gunner; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Navigators log
Henry Wagner's life story. Part one
Tags: 1652 HCU; 51 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; aerial photograph; air gunner; Air Observers School; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; bale out; bomb aimer; briefing; C-47; Caterpillar Club; coping mechanism; crewing up; debriefing; Dulag Luft; evading; final resting place; flight engineer; Flying Training School; Gee; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; incendiary device; killed in action; Master Bomber; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; missing in action; navigator; Operational Training Unit; padre; Pathfinders; perception of bombing war; pilot; prisoner of war; RAF Abingdon; RAF Acaster Malbis; RAF Heaton Park; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Snaith; RAF West Freugh; recruitment; Red Cross; shot down; Stalag 3A; Stalag Luft 7; target indicator; target photograph; the long march; Tiger Moth; training; Whitley; Window
General Memories
He describes training in London, Bridlington, Morpeth and Wymeswold. Later training as a crew was at Castle Donington, Lindholme and Hemswell. He describes in detail his crew, aircraft and operations.…
Tags: 12 Squadron; 626 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bomb aimer; Churchill, Winston (1874-1965); crewing up; escaping; flight engineer; Halifax; Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984); Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Martinet; Me 262; military ethos; navigator; Operational Training Unit; pilot; RAF Brackla; RAF Bridlington; RAF Castle Donington; RAF Hemswell; RAF Kirkham; RAF Lindholme; RAF Morpeth; RAF Tilstock; RAF Wickenby; RAF Woodbridge; RAF Wymeswold; searchlight; superstition; target indicator; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington; wireless operator
Interview with John Hanks
Interview with Cecil Harry Chandler
Tags: 15 Squadron; 622 Squadron; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); control caravan; crash; fear; flight engineer; forced landing; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; killed in action; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; Me 110; military service conditions; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); RAF Mildenhall; RAF Woodbridge; sanitation; Schräge Musik; service vehicle; Stirling; training
The Years up to the Outbreak of the Second World War and How it Affected Me
Tags: 10 Squadron; 4 Group; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; Anson; B-24; Blenheim; bomb aimer; bombing; Botha; Chamberlain, Neville (1869-1940); Churchill, Winston (1874-1965); crewing up; ditching; Dominie; Dulag Luft; flight engineer; George VI, King of Great Britain (1895-1952); Halifax; Halifax Mk 1; Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984); Heavy Conversion Unit; Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945); Ju 88; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; Lysander; Me 109; Me 110; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; navigator; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; prisoner of war; Proctor; RAF Barrow in Furness; RAF Hendon; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Madley; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Melbourne; RAF Padgate; RAF Wittering; RAF Yatesbury; Red Cross; Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (1882-1945); Spitfire; Stalag Luft 1; Stalag Luft 4; Stalag Luft 6; Stalin, Joseph (1878-1953); Stirling; the long march; training; Typhoon; Wallis, Barnes Neville (1887-1979); Wellington; Whitley; wireless operator / air gunner
John Beisly memoir
Extracts from war diaries and information on aircraft crews and lists of bombing operations
Tags: 158 Squadron; 1652 HCU; 28 OTU; 4 Group; 466 Squadron; 640 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bomb aimer; bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); crewing up; Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Flying Medal; Distinguished Service Order; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; mess; military living conditions; navigator; observer; Operational Training Unit; RAF Leconfield; RAF Lissett; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Wymeswold; searchlight; training; Wellington; wireless operator
My experience as a prisoner of war in Germany 1943 - 1945
Tags: 428 Squadron; 6 Group; aircrew; bale out; bombing; C-47; crewing up; Dulag Luft; entertainment; escaping; flight engineer; Halifax; Halifax Mk 2; Halifax Mk 5; Heavy Conversion Unit; killed in action; navigator; Operational Training Unit; prisoner of war; RAF Middleton St George; Red Cross; shot down; sport; Stalag 3A; Stalag Luft 3; the long march; training
Service record John Henry (Jack) Thomas
Tags: 102 Squadron; 1658 HCU; 21 OTU; air gunner; aircrew; bomb aimer; crewing up; flight engineer; Halifax; Halifax Mk 2; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; navigator; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; RAF Acaster Malbis; RAF Hullavington; RAF Moreton in the Marsh; RAF Pocklington; RAF Riccall; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; wireless operator
Interview with John Young
Interview with Colin Hynd
Interview with Charles McNally
Tags: 101 Squadron; aircrew; bombing; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); Cook’s tour; FIDO; flight engineer; forced landing; Heavy Conversion Unit; love and romance; Operation Dodge (1945); Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Oxford; physical training; RAF Heaton Park; RAF Lindholme; RAF Ludford Magna; RAF St Athan; RAF Sturgate; RAF Wroughton; sport; Tiger Moth; training
Rascal’s flying log book for aircrew mascot
Tags: 1656 HCU; 19 OTU; 635 Squadron; 81 OTU; 97 Squadron; Anson; bombing; bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943); bombing of Kassel (22/23 October 1943); bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); Bombing of Peenemünde (17/18 August 1943); bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944); Dominie; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Master Bomber; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operational Training Unit; Pathfinders; Proctor; RAF Bourn; RAF Downham Market; RAF Kinloss; RAF Lindholme; RAF Tilstock; RAF Upwood; RAF Yatesbury; superstition; training; Wellington; Whitley
Flight Lieutenant Freddie Spencer DFC
Tags: 106 Squadron; 120 Squadron; 1654 HCU; 19 OTU; 630 Squadron; 97 Squadron; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; bombing; Defiant; Distinguished Flying Cross; flight engineer; ground crew; ground personnel; Heavy Conversion Unit; Hurricane; Lancaster; mine laying; Operational Training Unit; RAF Coningsby; RAF East Kirkby; RAF Kinloss; RAF St Athan; RAF Waddington; searchlight; training; Whitley
Interview with George Anderson
Interview with Lindsay Hibbard
Tags: 57 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; Battle; bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); Distinguished Flying Cross; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster Finishing School; Operational Training Unit; RAF East Kirkby; RAF Silverstone; RAF Syerston; RAF Winthorpe; Stirling; training; Wellington; wireless operator
Interview with Ken Macdonald
Tags: 12 Squadron; 1667 HCU; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; crewing up; Dulag Luft; entertainment; fear; final resting place; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; military living conditions; Operational Training Unit; prisoner of war; RAF Finningley; RAF Hemswell; RAF Lindholme; RAF Manston; RAF Wickenby; RAF Worksop; sanitation; Stalag 3A; training; Wellington
Interview with Harrison Stanley Cammish
Six chapters of wartime memories
'Based at Burn' Introduction by Jim Allen
One More Chalked Up
A Trip to Remember
Sabotage on 578 Squadron at Burn by Joe Dudley
Memories of 578 Squadron at Burn 1944 by Joe…
Tags: 4 Group; 578 Squadron; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bomb struck; bombing; Chamberlain, Neville (1869-1940); faith; fear; Gee; H2S; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; incendiary device; Master Bomber; military living conditions; military service conditions; Mosquito; navigator; Nissen hut; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); observer; Operational Training Unit; Pathfinders; prisoner of war; RAF Burn; RAF Farnborough; RAF Woodbridge; submarine; tactical support for Normandy troops; training; V-1; V-2; V-weapon; wireless operator
Letter to Spike from Jim Cahir
My Time in the Royal Air Force 1942-1955
Tags: 11 OTU; 1668 HCU; 207 Squadron; 3 Group; 514 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; bomb aimer; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); Cornell; crewing up; Dominie; flight engineer; Flying Training School; hangar; Harvard; Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; Lancaster; Lincoln; military service conditions; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; navigator; Operation Dodge (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; promotion; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Bottesford; RAF Greenock; RAF Hunmanby Moor; RAF Leconfield; RAF Marham; RAF Methwold; RAF North Luffenham; RAF Oakington; RAF Spilsby; RAF Sywell; RAF Waterbeach; RAF Westcott; recruitment; Spitfire; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; wireless operator