Browse Items (801 total)
- Tags: heavy conversion unit
Interview with Bill Spence
Tags: 44 Squadron; aircrew; Anson; bomb aimer; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); coping mechanism; crash; crewing up; fear; FIDO; Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944); Heavy Conversion Unit; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Operational Training Unit; perception of bombing war; RAF Bitteswell; RAF Bruntingthorpe; RAF Dunholme Lodge; RAF Heaton Park; RAF Swinderby; RAF Syerston; RCAF Bowden; RCAF Moncton; Stirling; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with William James Stoneman
Tags: 138 Squadron; 1664 HCU; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; air sea rescue; aircrew; animal; Anson; crewing up; Distinguished Flying Medal; ditching; final resting place; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; Magister; memorial; military service conditions; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Cardington; RAF Dishforth; RAF Elsham Wolds; RAF St Mawgan; RAF Tempsford; RAF Turweston; RAF Yatesbury; Resistance; Special Operations Executive; Stirling; training; Wellington
Interview with Derek Carington Evans
After leaving school at the age of 14, Derek delivered books in and around Doncaster before going down to the Royal Air Force Recruitment Centre…
Tags: 18 OTU; 625 Squadron; Absent Without Leave; aircrew; Anson; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); Cook’s tour; crewing up; Dominie; FIDO; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; military discipline; military service conditions; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; RAF Blyton; RAF Finningley; RAF Hemswell; RAF Kelstern; superstition; training; Wellington; wireless operator; wireless operator / air gunner
Interview with Eric Evans
Tags: 14 OTU; 1654 HCU; 463 Squadron; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; Anson; bale out; Caterpillar Club; Dulag Luft; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Me 110; military service conditions; Operational Training Unit; prisoner of war; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Bridgnorth; RAF Bridlington; RAF Market Harborough; RAF Padgate; RAF Syerston; RAF Waddington; RAF Wigsley; Stalag 3A; Stalag Luft 7; Stirling; the long march; training; Wellington
Interview with Peter Fitt
Tags: 467 Squadron; aircrew; animal; Bombing of Peenemünde (17/18 August 1943); briefing; crewing up; fear; Gee; H2S; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Manchester; mine laying; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; Operational Training Unit; RAF Bottesford; RAF Finningley; RAF Swinderby; RAF Yatesbury; training; Wellington; wireless operator
Interview with James Froud. Two
Interview with John Harrison
Tags: 106 Squadron; 1660 HCU; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; bale out; bombing; Dulag Luft; fear; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; Lancaster; lynching; Operation Exodus (1945); prisoner of war; RAF Dalcross; RAF Metheringham; RAF Skellingthorpe; RAF Swinderby; shot down; Stalag Luft 6; strafing; training; Typhoon
Interview with Peter Andrew Hopgood
Interview with Maurice Kemp
Tags: 115 Squadron; 1653 HCU; air gunner; aircrew; Cook’s tour; crewing up; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Operation Dodge (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); RAF Barrow in Furness; RAF Coningsby; RAF North Luffenham; RAF Silverstone; RAF Stradishall; RAF Witchford; Stirling; training; Wellington
Interview with F N Larard
Tags: 1 Group; 625 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; control tower; crewing up; Distinguished Flying Cross; ground personnel; Halifax; Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984); Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; mess; perception of bombing war; RAF Binbrook; RAF Dalcross; RAF Kelstern; RAF Lindholme; RAF Peplow; training; Wellington; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Interview with Fred Logan
Interview with Ronald Marlow
Tags: 14 OTU; 466 Squadron; 50 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; crash; crewing up; demobilisation; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; memorial; military discipline; military ethos; military service conditions; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operational Training Unit; RAF Driffield; RAF Market Harborough; RAF Skellingthorpe; searchlight; superstition; training; Wellington
Interview with Edward Harry Matthews
Interview with Edward Allan McDonald
Tags: 14 OTU; 50 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; bombing; crash; decoy site; Fw 190; ground personnel; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Operation Exodus (1945); Operational Training Unit; RAF Market Harborough; RAF Skellingthorpe; RAF Winthorpe; sanitation; shot down; Stirling; training; Wellington; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Interview with Len McNamara
Tags: 10 OTU; 10 Squadron; 75 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); crewing up; demobilisation; Distinguished Flying Cross; escaping; evading; final resting place; Halifax; Halifax Mk 2; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; pilot; RAF Abingdon; RAF Langar; RAF Lissett; RAF Melbourne; RAF Ringway; RAF Woolfox Lodge; recruitment; training; Whitley
Interview with Thomas James Page
Tags: 44 Squadron; 49 Squadron; aircrew; bombing; bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943); fitter airframe; flight engineer; flight mechanic; ground crew; Heavy Conversion Unit; Hurricane; Intelligence Officer; Lancaster; Lincoln; Manchester; military service conditions; mine laying; RAF Dunholme Lodge; RAF Fiskerton; RAF St Athan; sport; training; Window
Interview with Hugh Parry. One
Tags: 11 OTU; 1651 HCU; 3 Group; 75 Squadron; 90 Squadron; aerial photograph; air gunner; Air Gunnery School; aircrew; animal; Anson; bombing; crewing up; Gee; ground crew; ground personnel; guard room; H2S; Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; lack of moral fibre; Me 163; military ethos; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; P-51; perception of bombing war; physical training; RAF Bridlington; RAF Mepal; RAF Pembrey; RAF Silloth; RAF Tuddenham; RAF Westcott; RAF Woolfox Lodge; reconnaissance photograph; Spitfire; training; Wellington
Interview with Thomas Peter Payne. Two
Tags: 15 Squadron; 1653 HCU; 26 OTU; 90 Squadron; aircrew; B-17; Cook’s tour; crash; crewing up; Eder Möhne and Sorpe operation (16–17 May 1943); Flying Training School; Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944); Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; love and romance; Operation Dodge (1945); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; promotion; RAF Brough; RAF Feltwell; RAF Heaton Park; RAF Mildenhall; RAF North Luffenham; RAF Torquay; RAF Tuddenham; RCAF Moncton; sanitation; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; Window
Interview with Ted Peck
Ted describes an incident which occurred in bad weather in a Stirling at the 1657 Heavy Conversion…
Interview with Doug Petty
He completed technical training at RAF St Athan, where he met Betty, his future wife. From there Doug went to…
Interview with John Wakeford Quine
Tags: 170 Squadron; 582 Squadron; anti-aircraft fire; bomb dump; bombing; Cook’s tour; coping mechanism; crewing up; Halifax; Harvard; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; love and romance; Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; Pathfinders; RAF Dunkeswell; RAF Harrogate; RAF Hemswell; RAF Lindholme; RAF Little Staughton; RAF Peplow; sanitation; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with Douglas Robinson
Tags: 158 Squadron; aircrew; animal; bale out; bombing; Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992); Churchill, Winston (1874-1965); crewing up; forced landing; Gee; Halifax; Heavy Conversion Unit; lack of moral fibre; Lancaster; military discipline; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; prisoner of war; promotion; RAF Lissett; RAF Marston Moor; Stalag Luft 4; Stalag Luft 6; strafing; submarine; Sunderland; the long march; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Interview with Jack Smith
Tags: 189 Squadron; aircrew; bombing; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); crewing up; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Operational Training Unit; perception of bombing war; RAF Bramcote; RAF Compton Bassett; RAF Fulbeck; RAF Scampton; RAF Silverstone; RAF Winthorpe; RAF Woodbridge; RAF Yatesbury; Scarecrow; Stirling; training; wireless operator
Interview with Reg Spencer
Tags: 514 Squadron; aircrew; crewing up; Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; Lancaster; love and romance; Operation Dodge (1945); Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; RAF Desborough; RAF Llandwrog; RAF Waterbeach; RAF Woolfox Lodge; RAF Yatesbury; service vehicle; training; Wellington; wireless operator