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Interview with Marian Hollier
Marion Hollier served as a wireless operator in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force from February 1944 to September 1946. Before the war she worked in a construction firm, The George Wimpey Company, which built aerodromes. She learned the Morse code in…
Interview with Pat and Frank Harris
Pat Harris’ brother John ‘Jack’ Harris joined the RAF straight from school as an apprentice. During the war he volunteered for aircrew and trained as a navigator. He was reported missing when Pat was serving in the Wrens. His death was finally…
Interview with Margaret Habberfield
Margaret Habberfield was born in 1923. At sixteen she joined the Royal Air Force after giving her age as eighteen. She began her six-week general training at Harrogate and was billeted with around 20 other girls. Margaret was then posted to RAF…
Interview with Betty Greenwood
Betty Greenwood was born in 1926 in Belton, Lancashire. She attended Princess Mary high school and was privately educated in Paris but returned due to the threat of war. Aged 16, she was offered various jobs but decided to join the Royal Observer…
Interview with Iris Done
Upon leaving school until her marriage, Iris worked for London County Council. After her marriage she joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. She reported to Bridgenorth in June 1942 to be sworn in. After that, she went to Morecambe where she learned…
Interview with Lawrence Henry di Placito. Two
Lawrence di Placito served as a second-class coxswain on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches during the Second World War. Henry gives further details of his experiences in rescues, both successful and those with a tragic ending. He also tells of Ealing…
Interview with Lawrence Henry di Placito. One
Lawrence di Placito served as a second-class coxswain on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches during the Second World War. He was born in Chertsey and attended Egham grammar school where he was a member of the cadet force. Upon leaving school in 1936 he…
Interview with Margaret Helen Day
As her father was in the Royal Navy, Margaret attended school in Gibraltar, Portsmouth, and (after her mother’s death) Malta, before returning to Gosport in the UK when she was eleven. In 1939, she was fifteen and working for a company making soft…
Interview with John David Pennington Cotter
John was born in London, Hendon. His family fell on hard times in his early years. John and his brother, Paul, joined the RAF in 1941 as a pilot and wireless operator respectively. After initial training at RAF Brize Norton, John was trained in…
Interview with June Pauline Brandon
June Brandon was born in India, returning to England when her father died. She joined the WAAF and went into the Photographic Section, loading cameras on Spitfires then carrying out development of the films. She served at several RAF stations,…
Before I was in the RAF by Reg Payne
An account by Reg Payne of his wartime experiences. Too young to sign up at the start of the war he spent two years in the Home Guard. Training started at age 18 and lasted for two years. He served at RAF Skellingthorpe and his brother served at RAF…
Waving aircraft off
Large group of personnel (one holding a dog) waving with Lancasters in the distance.
Mary Wards' dog tags
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force dog tags issued to 893293 Mary Ward tied with ribbon.
Bomber Command people
Top left. Head and shoulders photograph of Ivor Jones, in uniform, captioned 'Sq Ldr Ivor Jones 1941 Linton on Ouse', ''The Colonel' had been previously Indian Army'.
Bottom left. Photograph of Mary Brown, civilian clothes, seated in a field of…
Bottom left. Photograph of Mary Brown, civilian clothes, seated in a field of…
Mary Ward's colleagues at RAF Silverstone
First head and shoulders photograph of a woman in civilian clothes captioned, 'Joan Scallen 1944 Silverstone', 'Photo Oct 1946'.
Second, head and shoulders photograph of a woman in civilian clothes, captioned 'Helen 1944'.
Third, head and…
Second, head and shoulders photograph of a woman in civilian clothes, captioned 'Helen 1944'.
Third, head and…
Mary Brown at RAF Shawbury
Top left, a head and shoulders portrait of Mary Brown, wearing dress with a necklace. Captioned 'Cpl Mary Brown in Shrewsbury Town', 'RAF Shawbury Mar 1945'.
Top right, photograph of 24 aircrew in uniform, in three rows, in formal pose. Captioned…
Top right, photograph of 24 aircrew in uniform, in three rows, in formal pose. Captioned…
Interview with Edward Allan McDonald. Two
Allan McDonald was born in Hull and watched Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus as a child. He worked as an apprentice electrician before joining the Air Force. He served as ground personnel in Northern Ireland until he passed the exams to become aircrew…
A member of Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Half length portrait of an airwoman wearing tunic, leaning on a chair back. On the reverse 'M31 Clark'.
Meteorological staff
Top, 12 airmen and airwomen all in uniform, one holding a balloon, standing in two rows in front of building, captioned 'Met Office Staff', 'RAF Chivenor'.
Bottom left, is of a bride in wedding dress with veil and flowers standing on path in front…
Bottom left, is of a bride in wedding dress with veil and flowers standing on path in front…
Meteorology department personnel and a Christmas card
Top right, six ground personnel, three female, two in Women's Auxiliary Air Force uniform, three men in RAF uniform, standing in front of hedge in a country lane. Captioned 'Mary Ozzy Wendy Bish Roy & Liz', '1946', 'Near Chivenor'.
Right, same…
Right, same…
Wendy Lord
Top, photograph of a Women’s Auxiliary Air Force corporal reaching up to a cable, with meteorological measuring equipment including a weather vane. Captioned 'Wendy Lord', '1946', 'Chivenor'.
Bottom, photograph of an airwoman looking at…
Bottom, photograph of an airwoman looking at…
Interview with Grace Bradley
Grace Bradley lived on Boothferry Road in Hull and remembers the bombing of Hull during the war. She was a shorthand typist and worked for a local timber importer. She joined the WAAF and as a typist she typed the reports given by the returning…
Was it all a Dream
Bill Bailey's wartime memoirs, from enlistment, training in UK and Canada and detail of each of 31 operation in Bomber Command. After completion of his tour he was transferred to Lossiemouth to train Free French aircrew. After successful progress he…
Part of M.T Section Cardington
Four members of Women’s Auxiliary Air Force sitting on the running board of a car. In front sitting on the ground are four airmen. In the background are houses. On the reverse 'M.T Section Cardington - Part Of, back row, Lynn Clark, - "Spooky"…