Browse Items (204 total)
- Tags: searchlight
Interview with Bob Smith
Tags: 15 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; Air Observers School; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; crewing up; debriefing; demobilisation; Gee; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; mine laying; navigator; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); observer; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Feltwell; RAF Mildenhall; RAF West Freugh; recruitment; searchlight; Special Operations Executive; Stirling; training; Wellington; Window
Interview with Maurice Roberts
Letter from John Valentine to the father of his pilot
162 Squadron Light Night Striking Force Battle Orders
The Bombers
Tags: arts and crafts; bombing; propaganda; searchlight; Whitley
Book 5, Return to UK
Tags: 115 Squadron; 149 Squadron; 1678 HCU; 196 Squadron; 199 Squadron; 214 Squadron; 218 Squadron; 30 OTU; 514 Squadron; 623 Squadron; 90 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; aerial photograph; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; B-17; bale out; bomb aimer; bombing; Catalina; Conspicuous Gallantry Medal; crewing up; Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Flying Medal; entertainment; fear; flight engineer; Gee; ground personnel; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Hurricane; incendiary device; Ju 88; Lancaster; Lancaster Mk 2; Me 110; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Mosquito; navigator; Navy, Army and Air Force Institute; Nissen hut; Operational Training Unit; Pathfinders; pilot; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Downham Market; RAF Halfpenny Green; RAF Hixon; RAF Lindholme; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Seighford; RAF Tangmere; RAF Tuddenham; RAF Warboys; RAF Waterbeach; RAF Witchford; RAF Woolfox Lodge; Red Cross; sanitation; searchlight; Stirling; target indicator; target photograph; training; Typhoon; Victoria Cross; Wellington; wireless operator; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Just Another Tailend Charlie
The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to…
Tags: 109 Squadron; 142 Squadron; 150 Squadron; 1661 HCU; 227 Squadron; 25 OTU; 30 OTU; 5 Group; 617 Squadron; 84 OTU; 9 Squadron; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; Albemarle; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; B-17; B-24; Beaufighter; bomb aimer; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); C-47; Defiant; Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Flying Medal; ditching; FIDO; flight engineer; Flying Training School; Gee; ground personnel; Halifax; Harvard; Heavy Conversion Unit; Hudson; Hurricane; Initial Training Wing; Ju 87; Ju 88; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; mess; military discipline; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; Mosquito; navigator; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; Pathfinders; prisoner of war; RAF Balderton; RAF Bardney; RAF Bawtry; RAF Catfoss; RAF Desborough; RAF Eastleigh; RAF Farnborough; RAF Finningley; RAF Graveley; RAF Greenock; RAF Hemswell; RAF Hixon; RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor; RAF Milltown; RAF Norton; RAF Scampton; RAF Seighford; RAF Strubby; RAF Syerston; RAF Waddington; RAF Wick; RAF Winthorpe; RAF Wyton; searchlight; Spitfire; sport; Stirling; Sunderland; Tiger force; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; wireless operator / air gunner; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
V Group News, July 1944
Tags: 5 Group; air gunner; air sea rescue; aircrew; bomb aimer; bombing; bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944); bombing of the Mimoyecques V-3 site (6 July 1944); Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Flying Medal; Distinguished Service Order; ditching; flight engineer; Gee; H2S; Lancaster; mine laying; navigator; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Oboe; pilot; radar; rivalry; searchlight; sport; tactical support for Normandy troops; training; V-2; V-3; V-weapon; wireless operator
Interview with Colin Deverell
Tags: 51 Squadron; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; Bombing of Peenemünde (17/18 August 1943); Distinguished Flying Medal; flight engineer; H2S; Lancaster; Me 110; Mosquito; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); perception of bombing war; promotion; RAF Leconfield; RAF St Athan; RAF Tuddenham; RAF Wratting Common; recruitment; Resistance; searchlight; Stirling; training; V-1; V-2; V-weapon
Extract from Harry Stannus' (bomb aimer) memoir
Interview with Ron Mayhill
Tags: 11 OTU; 1653 HCU; 75 Squadron; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; Blenheim; bomb aimer; bombing; crewing up; Distinguished Flying Cross; ground personnel; Heavy Conversion Unit; intelligence officer; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; memorial; military ethos; Operational Training Unit; perception of bombing war; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Feltwell; RAF Mepal; RAF Westcott; searchlight; Stirling; training; Wellington
Citation for award of Victoria Cross to Flying Officer Leslie Thomas Manser
Gordon Cruickshank life on squadrons 1940-1944
Tags: 44 Squadron; 5 Group; 50 Squadron; 617 Squadron; 630 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; Bombing of Augsburg (17 April 1942); bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942); bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); crash; Distinguished Flying Medal; Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944); Hampden; Lancaster; Manchester; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Pathfinders; RAF Dunholme Lodge; RAF East Kirkby; RAF Felixstowe; RAF Swinderby; RAF Westcott; searchlight; training
Memoir Flight Lieutenant Gordon Cruickshank D.F.M. RAFRO
Tags: 44 Squadron; 50 Squadron; 630 Squadron; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; Anson; Bombing of Augsburg (17 April 1942); bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942); bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); bombing of Toulouse (5/6 April 1944); Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); Distinguished Flying Medal; Eder Möhne and Sorpe operation (16–17 May 1943); Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944); Hampden; Lancaster; Manchester; Mosquito; RAF Abingdon; RAF Bradwell Bay; RAF Cardington; RAF Cranwell; RAF Credenhill; RAF East Kirkby; RAF Evanton; RAF Felixstowe; RAF Silverstone; RAF Skellingthorpe; RAF Swinderby; RAF Uxbridge; RAF Warmwell; searchlight; superstition; training; Victoria Cross; Whitley
World War II service History of Flight Lieutenant WH Brooker DFC
Initially he served on Wellingtons at Snaith. He describes…
Tags: 27 OTU; 463 Squadron; 467 Squadron; Air Transport Auxiliary; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; Beaufighter; bombing; Fw 190; Gee; H2S; Halifax; Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984); Heavy Conversion Unit; Hurricane; incendiary device; Ju 88; Lancaster; Me 109; Meteor; mine laying; Mosquito; Oboe; Operational Training Unit; Portal, Charles (1893-1971); RAF Bottesford; RAF Church Broughton; RAF Lichfield; RAF Skellingthorpe; RAF Snaith; RAF Swinderby; RAF Waddington; Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (1882-1945); searchlight; Spitfire; training; Wellington; Window
The Story of Flight Lieutenant John J Blair, DFC
John was born in 1919 to a poor…
Tags: 102 Squadron; 216 Squadron; 4 Group; 78 Squadron; African heritage; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; bomb aimer; bombing; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); Conspicuous Gallantry Medal; crewing up; demobilisation; Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Flying Medal; entertainment; Gee; ground personnel; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945); incendiary device; Ju 88; killed in action; Lancaster; medical officer; mid-air collision; military service conditions; mine laying; missing in action; Mosquito; navigator; Pathfinders; pilot; prisoner of war; radar; RAF Kinloss; RAF Oakington; RAF Pocklington; RAF Tangmere; RCAF Moncton; searchlight; sport; training; Whitley; wireless operator
Interview with Douglas Arthur Smith
Tags: 10 OTU; 158 Squadron; 1658 HCU; 19 OTU; 76 Squadron; aircrew; bombing; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operational Training Unit; RAF Abingdon; RAF Kinloss; RAF Linton on Ouse; RAF Lissett; RAF Riccall; RAF Shepherds Grove; searchlight; shot down; training; Wellington; Window; wireless operator; wireless operator / air gunner
Interview with Bert Hammond. Two
Ted Neales' memoir
Mere Gen March 1944
Interview with Vivian David Williams
Tags: Advanced Flying Unit; fitter engine; Flying Training School; ground crew; ground personnel; home front; Hurricane; Lancaster; mechanics engine; military service conditions; RAF Calveley; RAF Cosford; RAF Grantham; RAF Hednesford; RAF Henlow; RAF Hixon; RAF Hooton Park; RAF Kemble; RAF Lyneham; RAF Manston; RAF Martlesham Heath; RAF North Weald; RAF South Cerney; RAF St Athan; RAF Thorney Island; RAF Uxbridge; RAF Watton; searchlight; training; York
Interview with Ernest James White
Tags: 44 Squadron; 61 Squadron; 8 Group; 97 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943); Botha; Cook’s tour; Lancaster; Lysander; memorial; military service conditions; Oboe; Pathfinders; RAF Bourn; RAF Graveley; RAF Morpeth; RAF Syerston; RAF Waddington; RAF Woodbridge; RAF Woodhall Spa; sanitation; searchlight; Window
Interview with John Robert Watson
Tags: 12 Squadron; 156 Squadron; aircrew; bombing; crash; Distinguished Flying Medal; fear; flight engineer; Halifax; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; Master Bomber; mid-air collision; military ethos; Pathfinders; RAF Faldingworth; RAF Ouston; RAF Warboys; RAF Wickenby; recruitment; searchlight; training; Wellington
Interview with Henry Townsley
Tags: 1661 HCU; 97 Squadron; aircrew; bombing; Distinguished Flying Medal; fitter engine; flight engineer; ground crew; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Manchester; Navy, Army and Air Force Institute; Pathfinders; promotion; RAF Bourn; RAF Coningsby; RAF St Athan; RAF Swinderby; RAF Winthorpe; RAF Woodhall Spa; searchlight; Stirling; training
Interview with John Henry Thomas
Tags: 102 Squadron; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); crash; Fw 190; ground personnel; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Mosquito; P-47; P-51; padre; pilot; RAF Acaster Malbis; RAF Moreton in the Marsh; RAF Pocklington; RAF Riccall; searchlight; Tiger Moth; training; V-2; V-3; V-weapon; Wellington