Browse Items (3650 total)

  • Tags: Lancaster

ELetieritGHobbsKM450103-0001.jpg
Writes that he has personal papers, that he has hidden from the Germans, which belonged to 'english aviators' who were killed in a crash of a Lancaster ND 583 near his house on 15 March 1944. Some papers had addresses and he writes to enquire…

ELetieritGHobbsKM450208-010001.jpg
Contains more details of the crash in which her husband was killed. He mentions that Sergeant Hobbs was still sitting in seat. In addition, he made a copy of the pilots tag and writes that the crew are buried in a small church nearby. He writes that…

PToombsSE15100022.jpg
George Toombs’ crew of N for Nan, 460 Squadron, RAF Binbrook, dated 1944. On the reverse ‘460 Squadron Binbrook
Australian crew of N for Nan
Navigator A K Ward
Pilot P K Lester
Radio/op A S Robb
Bomb/ Aimer T V Ierry
Upper gunner…

PAbrahams.jpg
Gerald Abrahams was sixteen when war was declared. He volunteered for the RAF the day after the Armstrong Vickers factory where he worked was targeted by the Luftwaffe who bombed the local school resulting in the deaths of many children. He trained…

AAdamsCB170802.mp3
Cyril was born in London in 1921 and lived in Battersea with his relatives; he met his wife in 1940 while working at Harrods. His family were killed by bombing after he joined up. Cyril enlisted at RAF Cardington in 1941 and was trained to be a…

AAn00086-150722.mp3
This interviewee was working at Chatham dockyard before he was accepted by the RAF as a mechanic. He then remustered as a flight engineer which fulfilled his hopes to be accepted as aircrew. While waiting for a place on the training course at St…

AAn00509-160424.mp3
The interviewee was born in Berlin in 1924, his father being a British Army surgeon who was posted there to treat badly wounded soldiers. He went to school in France then attended boarding school in Hertfordshire. He volunteered for the Royal Air…

AAn01137-170710.mp3
Anon, from Scarborough was keen to join the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. Disappointed that he didn’t meet the height requirement, he joined the RAF and began training as an electrician. His aim was to travel abroad with the service but, to his…

AArmstrongGR170720.mp3
George Rex Armstrong served in the RAF as a flight engineer. He was born in Belfast and grew up in Donaghadee. He decided to join the RAF because he wanted to follow his brother Ted, who flew 40 operations with 617 Squadron. He mentions being in the…

ABaileyCE180424.mp3
Cyril Bailey was working in a garage before he volunteered for the RAF. He considered that he would like to be a mechanic but was told there were no vacancies and he was encouraged to become a flight engineer. He joined 625 Squadron at RAF Kelstern…

PToombsG1508.jpg
Four Lancasters with bomb doors open dispersed on an airfield. A engine trestle in the foreground.

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

PToombsSE15100002.jpg
A vertical aerial photograph identified as Bois Desjardins. Much of the image is obscured by bright lights. Captioned '5691 BIN. 25/26-7-44 //NT(C) 8" 10.000' [arrow] 070° 0253 Bois Desjardins Y. 18x500. 19 secs. P/O. Lester. V 460'.

PToombsSE15100003.jpg
Vertical aerial photograph over Trossy St Maximin. The top and bottom sections are largely obscured by cloud and bomb explosions. Two Lancasters are visible, one directly below and one diving away in the bottom left corner of the…

ABarrickMJT161115.mp3
Maurice Barrick had always wanted to serve in the Royal Air Force. Upon completion of training, he was posted to Bomber Command 467 Squadron at RAF Waddington. He did four operational flights and two trips flying British prisoners of war from…

ABarryM180328.mp3
Max was born in Beaufort, Victoria and grew up on his parents’ dairy farm. Gaining a scholarship led to him becoming a student teacher and attending training college. He was called up when he was 18 and applied to become a reserve in the Air Force,…

PBeasleyDG1727.jpg
At the start of the war, Doug Beasley left school at 16 to start work. Initially a member of the Air Training Corps, he was sent for aircrew selection when he became 18. There was a 12-month wait to enlist as a pilot, so he opted to become a flight…

ABeckettPC180317.mp3
Peter Beckett grew up in Mildenhall village. He attended the local Air Training Corps which enabled him to visit the airfield and take the opportunity to have air test flights with operational aircrews and help the ground staff with their work. He…

ABerrieD161031.mp3
David Berrie joined the RAF and served as a wireless operator. He flew six operations with 576 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds. Shares his experience about living on the station with Polish crews. Remembers crashing twice in twenty-four hours and on…

ABirchallJW170816.mp3
James Burchill was in the ATC before he volunteered for aircrew training. He was expected to be deferred but was told he had been chosen for immediate service. On one operation he was injured and by the time he was ready for operational duties again…

ABradfordS161031.mp3
Stanley Bradford was working in a Reserved Occupation until he volunteered. The three services were represented but as he approached them in turn the army and navy both rejected him because of his work. The RAF said that since he was in Reserved…

PToombsSE15100016.jpg
Vertical aerial photograph of Le Havre showing end of breakwater around dock area. Numerous bomb craters visible throughout together with damaged or destroyed dockside buildings. Warship in dock lower right. Rectangular structure to top left of…

ESmithJUHobbsKM440812-0001.jpg
Confirms previous telegram that Flight Sergeant F J Hobbs now believed to have lost his life as a result of air operations on night 15/16 March 1944. Information received that Lancaster crashed at Blerancourt, France and all seven crew were…
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