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Interview with John De Hoop
John De Hoop was evacuated to Sussex at the start of the war but returned to London in early 1940. He joined the Home Guard before joining the Air Training Corps and went to radio school in RAF Yatesbury in Wiltshire, where he experienced flying in a…
Interview with John Derek "Bill" Bailey. One
Derek was in the Air Training Corps before enlisting at 18. He was given deferred service, eventually reporting to the Air Crew Reception Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. He proceeded to Ludlow and an Initial Training Wing at Paignton. Derek was…
Interview with John Derek "Bill" Bailey. Two
Part two of the interview with Derek Bailey, a bomb aimer with 103 and 166 Squadrons.
Towards the end of the war, Derek underwent various bomber instructor courses and became a bombing instructor on Wellingtons at RAF Lossiemouth, for Free French…
Towards the end of the war, Derek underwent various bomber instructor courses and became a bombing instructor on Wellingtons at RAF Lossiemouth, for Free French…
Interview with John Eppel
John Eppel grew up in Australia and joined the Royal Australian Air Force. After training, he completed 30 operations as a navigator with 550 Squadron. He describes initial training in Australia and the journey by sea via the United States, then…
Interview with John Firth
John was called up at 18 and went to Padgate. He did a flight mechanics course at RAF Locking, followed by a Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne. He was posted to a flight engineers’ course at RAF St Athan. John joined up with his crew at RAF Wigsley…
Interview with John Foster Thorp
John Thorp was born and raised in Manchester where he attended North Manchester Grammar School. At seventeen he joined the Home Guard. When he was eighteen he volunteered for the RAF with dreams of becoming a pilot. While waiting at Heaton Park to…
Interview with John Green
John Green was born on the 22nd of September 1921 in Penge, South East London. He registered for the Royal Air Force to prevent being called up by the Army and was drafted in 1942. He was posted to the Isle of Man, where he volunteered as a drogue…
Interview with John Hanks
John Hanks joined the RAF and served as an armourer. Describes his role and his duties. Tells of his posting at Swinderby and East Kirkby. Gives a graphic and vivid account of an aircraft crash at RAF Swinderby. Describes comradeship between ground…
Interview with John Harrison
John Harrison grew up in Yorkshire and worked in the Civil Service before joining the Royal Air Force at 18. After training, he flew operations as a mid-upper gunner with 106 Squadron from RAF Metheringham before being shot down over Leipzig and…
Interview with John Joyner
John Joyner was working for the Co-operative Wholesale Society in London and joined the Air Training Corps in 1940, aged 16. He later joined the RAF and trained as an air gunner, initially on Wellingtons and then on Lancasters as the mid-upper…
Interview with John L Crabb
John Crabb transferred to the RAF from the Army. He began training as a pilot in the USA but then returned to train as an observer in Canada. On his return was posted to 49 Squadron. After thirteen operations he and the bomb aimer developed colds and…
Interview with John Louis Goldby
John Goldby was born in Kent but the family moved to London the year after. He was inspired to join the RAF when a schoolfriend joined and became a Spitfire pilot. John believes that it was a mid-air collision with a night fighter that led to his…
Interview with John Martin
John Martin was born in June 1922 and lived in London. He always wanted the opportunity to fly and so at the age of 19 volunteered to join the Royal Air Force as an armourer. He was not accepted as he was in a reserved occupation. Eventually he…
Interview with John Norrington
John Norrington was a lorry driver when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. After initial training, he went to RAF Sandtoft on Lancasters and Halifaxes; he crewed up with Flying Officer James, then was at RAF Hemswell for the Lancaster Finishing…
Interview with John Ormerod
John Ormerod left school at 14 and worked in the textile industry before he volunteered for RAF. Initially, he trained as flight mechanic but later re-mustered to be a flight engineer. He talks about synchronising props and the German speaking eighth…
Interview with John Philip Lambourn
Flight Engineer John Lambourn joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, after working at Stewart Turners with engines and pumps. He recollects seen London burning.
He was classed as working in a reserved occupation, but joined the Air Training…
He was classed as working in a reserved occupation, but joined the Air Training…
Interview with John Plendeleith
John Plenderleith was in the Air Training Corps before he volunteered to join the RAF. He was posted to 626 Squadron at Wickenby and when the crew were allocated their hut they were surprised to find it was still occupied with another crew’s…
Interview with John Richard Bell
John Bell completed 50 operations as a bomb aimer with 617 Squadron before becoming an instructor.
Interview with John Robert Watson
John Robert Watson joined RAF Bomber Command in 1943, volunteering after he witnessed his next-door neighbour's house being destroyed by a bomb. Against his father's wishes, John joined Bomber Command initially as a wireless operator, before…
Interview with John Tait
John Tait was prompted to join the Royal Air Force, as he was American by birth and therefore he had to report to the police station once a month because he was considered an ‘alien’. He was a wireless operator and gunner, flying in Ansons,…
Interview with John Taylor
John Taylor grew up in Nottingham and was evacuated before he went into sixth form. He left school and started working as an analytical chemist at Boots and although this was a reserved occupation he volunteered for aircrew. After his initial…
Interview with John Usher about Bob Burns
Bob Burns trained as a navigator and was posted to 106 Squadron at RAF Metheringham. His aircraft came under attack from a night fighter and the centrifugal force pinned the crew down and making an escape impossible.
Suddenly the aircraft broke in…
Suddenly the aircraft broke in…
Interview with John Wakeford Quine
John volunteered for the Royal Air Force as a pilot. He went to Lord’s cricket ground, followed by the Initial Training Wing at Scarborough. He spent 10 hours on Tiger Moths in Carlisle. After a short time at RAF Heaton Park in Manchester, John…
Interview with John William Squires
John was living on a farm and working there when he left school at fourteen. The family of five lived in a two-bedroom cottage and John remembered hearing a plane crashing near Westborough one evening, all but one of the crew being killed. The…
Interview with Johnny Johnson. One
George ‘Johnny’ Johnson was the bomb aimer in a Lancaster AJ-T flown by Joe McCarthy during operation Chastise 16th of May 194. He discusses the attack on the dams and the events before and after the attack. He describes training over the Derwent…