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Greetings 1941 from Jim
Three bomber aircraft dropping bombs over a city on fire at night. Explosions on the ground and searchlights in the sky. On the reverse: “Thanks for the letter Jack I’ll write later, for now here wishing you a very happy time Jim.”
Bringing a damaged bomber back from Wilhelmshaven
Sergeant Spencer Lewis Belton is interviewed by a wing commander about his aircraft flying over North Sea to bomb Wilhelmshaven. Mentions a British convoy and intense anti-aircraft fire over Emden. Describes the Wilhelmshaven bombing mentioning many…
Stephen Dawson's memoir notebook
The notebook contains written accounts of 32 operations to targets in Germany, Italy and France between June and November 1943 and a list of his crew. Accounts include bomb loads and descriptions of operations including Pathfinder operations while on…
Interview with Jack Robson
Jack spent a year in the Local Defence Volunteers before he was called up in 1941. He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and became a radar mechanic. He trained in Glasgow on radio for five months and a further two months in Bury on Searchlight…
Interview with Frank Simpson
Frank Simpson was born in Manchester and volunteered to be an air gunner after joining the RAF. He flew in ‘Ollie’s Bus’ which was named after the Canadian pilot. He describes seeing the German aircraft with the Schrage Musik, the upward firing…
Interview with Ken Beard
Ken Beard served as a rear gunner during the Second World War. He has been a member of The Salvation Army all his life and his faith played a huge role in helping him through the horrors of war. Awarded a scholarship at Retford Grammar School, he…
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. …
The lucky crew
Memoir including photographs of the crew and aircraft. Thomas Jones was a flight engineer on Stirling and Lancaster and completed 64 operations on two tours. Describes early life, joining the RAF, selection and training., crewing up and first posting…
My life in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command
Writes of early life and mentions beginning of the war and volunteering for the air force in January 1940. Continues with account of initial training and mustering as an airframe mechanic and subsequent technical training. Describes first posting to…
My life in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command
Includes several b/w photographs of people and aircraft. Writes of early life and mentions beginning of the war and volunteering for the air force in January 1940. Continues with account of initial training and mustering as an airframe mechanic and…
Ted Neales' memoir
Memoirs of Ted Neale (written in a non-contemporary diary), recounting his experiences of an air raid on Woolwich, travelling to South Africa for aircrew training and taking part in bombing operations from Italy. Some anecdotes are repeated. This…
Interview with Geoffrey Robinson
Geoff joined the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer in April 1943. He reported to Lord’s Cricket Ground and went to an Initial Training Wing near Sunderland. He moved to RAF Bridlington, followed by six months’ training as a flight engineer at…
Interview with Charles Henry Clarke. Three
Charles Clarke volunteered for the Royal Air Force when he was seventeen years old and flew operations as a bomb aimer with 619 Squadron from RAF Woodhall Spa. His aircraft was shot down on his 18th operation and he became a prisoner of war. He was…
Interview with Harry Irons. Two
Harry was under age when he joined the RAF in 1940 after witnessing bombing in London. He went to Blackpool in August 1941 and became a rear gunner. Gunnery school for six weeks at RAF Manby followed, and Harry joined 9 Squadron at RAF Waddington. He…
Interview with Jan Black. One
Jan Black flew operations as an air gunner with 300 Squadron. He was badly burned when his aircraft crashed on a training flight and he became a member of the Guinea Pig Club. He underwent ten operations at East Grinstead Hospital. He describes his…
Memoirs of Flt/Sgt William Brookes, 78 Squadron, RAF Breighton
Gives background on what inspired him to write a memoir. Theme of chronical is 'Luck'. Writes of joining RAF as soon as he was old enough and of initial tests and selection as a wireless operator/air gunner followed by 18 months deferred service.…
World War II service History of Flight Lieutenant WH Brooker DFC
WH Brooker volunteered in June or July 1940. He was called up on 27 February 1941 and trained in Pearce, Western Australia. On transfer to UK there were delays in further training.
Initially he served on Wellingtons at Snaith. He describes…
Initially he served on Wellingtons at Snaith. He describes…
The Bombers
A poem about bombing with a sketch of two Whitleys flying amongst searchlights.
Interview with Christoph Wagner Brausewetter
Christoph Wagner Brausewetter (b. 1929) recounts the hardships civilians endured inside a shelter, the risks involved and the fact they spent there more time there than at home. Maintains that the worst year was 1943, when aircraft were no longer…
Interview with Margherita Franco
Margherita Franco (b. 1934) describes how an unexploded bomb was found in the garden of their house. Mentions technical terms she learned at that time and describes how her father resorted to the Unione Nazionale Protezione Antiaerea bomb disposal…
Interview with Renato Maldarelli
Renato Maldarelli (b. 1937) describes the 1943 bombing of Naples. Remembers being woken up by the alarm, his mother wrapping him in a blanket and going down to a cold shelter. Doesn’t recall the fear of being buried alive under his collapsed home,…
Day raid on Danzig. U-boat yards bombed. 1,700 miles through storms
Newspaper cutting from The Times about a day bombing on Danzig and Flensburg.
97 Squadron operation honours, Milan, 14/15 February 1943
The aircraft is dropping bombs, there is a depiction of an explosion over a river with docks. In the distance searchlights are focused on a target. There is some anti-aircraft fire. The names of the crew are written on the card – 'Sgt Lennox, Sgt…
Operations with 102 Squadron Pocklington and 10 OTU detachment, St Eval
At the back a map showing targets for operations in the Ruhr and rest of Germany as well as France and north Italy. There are two indications for German night fighters damaged and shot down. At the top a newspaper cutting headlined 'Huge explosion in…
Ronald Boone operations on 77 Squadron
Details of nine operations carried out between February and May 1943 from RAF Elvington on 77 Squadron flying Halifax. Targets include Cologne, Berlin and several in the Ruhr.