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Interview with Ron Saunders
Ron Saunders joined the RAF as a wireless operator rear gunner and served on 114 Squadron during the war. Remembers, as a little boy, seeing the airship R 101 and the Hindenburg flying in the distance. Describes his training in England and in Egypt…
Interview with Frank Saunston
Frank Saunston joined the ATC in 1941 and then the RAF in 1942. He worked as a transport driver at RAF Peplow and then as a forklift driver at RAF Methwold on the bomb dump. Describes his role and his duties and gives details regarding the bombs…
Interview with Frederick Donovan Say
Frederick Say went to Tottenham County High School and when he left school he went to study agriculture. He joined the RAF and was posted to RAF Tangmere and worked in the Operations Room as a clerk and was promoted to Leading Aircraftsman Special…
Interview with Tim Schneider
Tim Schneider lived at Westcott before, during and after the construction and occupation of RAF Westcott as 11 Operational Training Unit. He tells of feeding the rabbits when he was four years old; leaving school at fourteen to help working on the…
Interview with Seymour Owen Scott
Seymour Owen Scott (usually referred to as Owen) served as a Lancaster pilot during the war. He mentions always having a passion for flying since he was a little boy. Owen remembers training, in Canada and the United States, to become a flying boat…
Interview with Rex Searle. One
Rex Searle joined the RAF in 1938 as an air frame fitter. He was based at Hendon and then at Biggin Hill with 601 Squadron before the squadron was split and he moved with them to France. He was evacuated back to the UK via Boulogne as the German army…
Interview with Rex Searle. Two
While Rex Searle was an air frame fitter with 601 Squadron he was evacuated from France at the start of the war. He returned home for a short leave but didn’t want to wake the family so waited patiently from 4am until 6am when his mum started her…
Interview with Francis Neville Selwood
Francis Neville Selwood of Invercargill, New Zealand was fascinated with aeroplanes in his youth and lived near an airfield where he could go and watch the aircraft. He was keen to volunteer as a pilot but an early rugby injury made that impossible.…
Interview with Henry Leslie Shackleton
Henry Shackleton listened to Chamberlain’s speech on the radio and hoped to be a Spitfire pilot. He began his training and was selected as a flying instructor and was posted to Canada. On his return to the UK he was posted to his operational…
Interview with Bob Sharrock
Bob Sharrock was the son of a miner. He worked as a milkman delivering milk via a hand cart until he was given the privilege of a pony and trap. Bob then went to work as a lab technician for a gas company before he volunteered for the RAF. He trained…
Interview with Jack Edward Simmonds
Jack Simmonds was the son of an RAF serviceman. As a result, his childhood was spent moving around a great deal, including spending a few years in Egypt. He joined the RAF and began training as a pilot and then he joined 51 Squadron as a Whitley…
Interview with Lester Simms
Lester tells of his tough, early childhood and his first experience of seeing a Heinkel bomber flying over his home in Surrey, to attack the Brooklands Aircraft Factory. He tells of how he worked in the experimental department of Hawker Aircraft…
Interview with Timothy Sindall
Timothy Sindall is the son of James Herbert Sindall DSO, whose career as a pilot in the Royal Air Force started in the mid-1930s. Following the discovery of all of James logbooks, personal letters and newspaper cutting, Timothy has put together a…
Initial Training Wing at Bridlington
Formal course photograph, 46 trainees, three staff, arranged in seven rows on flight of stairs leading to Bridlington Grand Pavilion Theatre. Captioned 'D FLIGHT, 3 SQUADRON, No 20 ITW BRIDLINGTON AUG 14th - OCT 9th 1943'. There are also a large…
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
![EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-030001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1018/11624/EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-030001.jpg "EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-030001.jpg")
Writes of life while training at Newquay and chides wife for not writing. Catches up with family news. Complains about training and mentions leave possibilities. Pleased to hear progress with shelter.
Thornhill Southern Rhodesia 1948
Formal photograph of 20 aircrew of No 5 Flying Training School, arranged in four rows. Captioned 'Thornhill Southern Rhodesia 1948'. Corrugated iron structure and hedge in background.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
![EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-040001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1018/11626/EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-040001.jpg "EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-040001.jpg")
Writes of his arrival and training at Babbacombe, Torquay. Writes of weather, accommodation, other nationalities and that he has been appointed orderly for his section.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
![EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-050001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1018/11627/EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-050001.jpg "EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-050001.jpg")
Thanks her for photographs and catches up with family and friends. No news of postings. Has obtained chocolate and will send some to his boys. Mentions he watched a convoy being bombed.
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
![EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-100001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1018/11634/EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-100001.jpg "EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-100001.jpg")
Writes of glorious weather and catches up with family news, affairs and son's health. Mentions first exam and possibility of leave in 6 weeks time.
Philip Batty aircrew trainee
Head and shoulders portrait of Philip Batty with aircrew training flash in cap. On the reverse, photographer's stamp.
Interview with Albert Smith
Albert was born in Aberdeenshire. Before the war he worked as an apprentice in an engineering firm. In 1943 he volunteered for the Royal Air Force, trained at London, Bridlington and Newquay before going for mechanical and engineering training. …
Interview with Arthur Peter Smith
Peter Smith was born in Kent and attended school until he was 14. He started working for a woodwork shop and when the war began, they started building army huts. In 1941 he joined the Air Cadets. He recalls how one Sunday he and a friend saw an…
Interview with Edward John Smith
Edward served on 90 Squadron as a rear gunner. Born in 1925 on the Isle of Sheppey, he was employed as a butcher’s boy at the outbreak of the war. Evenings were spent fire watching, for which he received a small wage from the council. He became a…
Interview with Joan Smith
Before the war Joan worked as a hairdresser. At 17 and a half she applied for the Land Army and was interviewed in her home town of Sheffield. Her first posting was to a farm in Fulbeck. She and about fourteen other girls stayed in a hostel with…
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Thanks her for parcel and states he has received first pay. Asks after his son and goes on to describe training and food. Discusses financial affairs and mentions other nationalities that are training.