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Interview with Maria Domanovszky
Maria Domanovszky (b. 1937) recounts how she threw herself into a swampy ditch when under fire and how she lay down praying and hoping to get back home safely. Describes German soldiers with torn and dirty uniforms escaping from a burning forest.…
Interview with Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson reminisces about John Blair. He discusses family life in rural Jamaica as a mixed-ethnicity person, highly respected by everyone. He was a qualified teacher, a lawyer, and a farmer. Reminisces other Caribbeans who volunteered and served…
Interview with Neville Shenbanjo
Neville Shenbanjo was born in 1945, the son of Akin Shenbanjo. Flying Officer Akin Shenbanjo DFC was born in Nigeria and served as a wireless operator / air gunner with 76 Squadron. His crew named their Halifax 'Achtung! The Black Prince' after…
Interview with Oluwole Hyde
Oluwole Hyde’s father was Adesanya Hyde, who served as a navigator with 640 Squadron. He was badly injured but continued to navigate the aeroplane on operation. It was only when they were over the UK that he accepted the morphine for the pain.…
Interview with Oluwole Hyde. Two
Olu Hyde continues his interview by describing his experience as the son of a Bomber Command veteran.
Interview with Ralph Alfrado Ottey. One
Ralph Ottey was born in Jamaica in 1924. Raised by his grandparents, he describes his education and the family hopes that he would become a teacher. He left school at 16 and a half but was too young to attend teaching college so worked for his uncle…
Interview with Ralph Alfrado Ottey. Two
Ralph Ottey joined the RAF from Jamaica. After the war he returned to Jamaica. However, he had met the woman he was to later marry while based in the UK and returned to the settle here. He settled in Boston and had a long career with a local firm. On…
Interview with Ray Parke. One
Ray Parke worked on the railway before joining the RAF in 1943. Remembers flying forty operations as a flight engineer with 218 Squadron by the time he was twenty. Tells about operations on Essen and the Ruhr. Discusses the Dresden operation, giving…
Interview with Ray Parke. Two
Ray Parke trained as a flight engineer. During a training flight the pilot wanted to get back to base as soon as possible because he had a date but they were flying a Stirling. The pilot made an error on landing and the wheel stayed in the ditch and…
Interview with Sir Fitzroy Augier
Fitzroy ‘Roy’ Augier was born in Saint Lucia. When Roy was ten, his father owned a shop in the main town of Castries. Roy had a good education and after school went to work at the Post Office. However, his ambition was to go to university to…
Jamaican schoolboy
Full-length photograph of M Johnson’s father as a child, with his right foot placed on a low wall. Submitted with caption; 'A typical Jamaican schoolboy (in this case, the author’s father), mid-1940s.'
Jamaican schoolgirl
Young woman in school uniform, she is holding a pair of glasses in her left hand, standing in front of a door. Submitted with caption: 'A typical Jamaican schoolgirl, mid 1940s.'
John and Margaret Blair's wedding
John Blair and his bride. The groom is wearing Flight Lieutenant’s uniform with navigator’s brevet. The bride is in a white dress with short veil and bouquet. Caption at bottom reads: 'John Jellicoe Blair & Margaret Eileen Kirkham – March 1,…
John Blair
Three quarter length portrait photograph of John Blair in fatigue uniform with navigator’s brevet, and officer’s cap, standing between two huts smoking a cigarette. A bicycle is propped up beside one of the huts. Caption at bottom reads: 'John…
John Blair
John Blair as a cadet seated sideways to the camera, caption at bottom reads 'John in a moment of relaxation. Note the “Jamaica” shoulder flash.'
John Blair
John Blair in flying gear and parachute harness inside a bomber, captioned 'John inside bomber'.
John Blair and colleague
Two airmen in flying gear at the navigator’s station in a Halifax bomber. Caption: 'John (right) and a colleague inside their Halifax Bomber, 1945'.
John Blair and colleague
John Blair (left) with an officer’s cap and a colleague (right) who has the insignia of a flight sergeant visible on his right arm, brevet is partially covered. Caption: 'John and friend – 1945'.
John Blair and Leo Balderamos
John Blair standing with Leo Balderamos on a tall building with a cityscape in the background.
Caption: 'John Blair (left) and Leo Balderamos of Belize on the Empire State Building, New York, in October 1942'.
Caption: 'John Blair (left) and Leo Balderamos of Belize on the Empire State Building, New York, in October 1942'.
John Blair and six sports people
John Blair and six airmen and airwomen in various sportswear, one holding a trophy. Caption: 'John as part of an RAF sports team.'
John Blair at briefing
Three men, including John Blair, studying a map on the table in front of them, one is wearing a civilian suit and the furthest is an officer in dress uniform. Caption: 'Briefing – (John right)'.
John Blair DFC
Black and white full-length portrait photograph of John Blair wearing civilian clothes with medals on his left breast, in front of a large, white building with portico. There are various people behind him: one is dressed in the uniform of a British…
John Blair with aircrew
Eight RAF personnel, seven in flying gear (8th is a WAAF) standing beside an aircraft, John Blair is on far left. Caption: 'The Crew before take-off, in front of their Halifax bomber, 1945.'
Photograph has been double exposed [film failed to…
Photograph has been double exposed [film failed to…
John Blair with baby son
Three-quarter length photograph of John Blair holding his son standing outside french windows captioned: 'John w/[with] son John Julian – christening'.
Margaret Kirkham
Head and shoulders of a nurse titled 'Senior Flight Sister Margaret Kirkham on duty aboard a Hastings aircraft'.