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Peter Lovatt, Gwen and crew
Nine photographs from an album.
Photos 1 and 4 are head and shoulder images of Peter, captioned 'Self -escape photos 1944'.
Photos 2,3, 5 and 6 are head and shoulders of Gwen, captioned 'Gwen WRNS 1942'.
Photo 7 is a diver being suited up with the…
Photos 1 and 4 are head and shoulder images of Peter, captioned 'Self -escape photos 1944'.
Photos 2,3, 5 and 6 are head and shoulders of Gwen, captioned 'Gwen WRNS 1942'.
Photo 7 is a diver being suited up with the…
Escape Material and Photographs
Six head and shoulders portraits of Alexander Lamb and a page of English-Dutch phrases. They are captioned 'Escape pictures for use in fake docs if needed'.
Rex Searle
Seven head and shoulders portraits of Rex Searle. Typically these were taken for use in identity cards, if evading capture on mainland Europe.
French, Dutch, German, Spanish phrase book
Noted not to be produced in public; a list of phrases in German, Spanish, French and Dutch.
Keith Thompson and others
Three head and shoulders portraits of Keith Thompson in civilian clothes captioned 'Photos to be used for forged I.D.cards by escape helpers.'
Photograph of aircrew in flying gear captioned 'Gunners dressed for cold at 25,000 ft (-25 [degrees]C)'.…
Photograph of aircrew in flying gear captioned 'Gunners dressed for cold at 25,000 ft (-25 [degrees]C)'.…
Letter to Leonard Cheshire from Flying Officer F N Lawrence
Asks if Cheshire has vacancy for wireless operator on his squadron. Served under him at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and recent returned after evading on the continent.
Italian war memories
Ted Neale describes the aircrew and circumstances leading to their baling out near Nereto, Tortoreto, Italy. Some of the crew were captured, but Ted was sheltered by local people. He met up with an English army corporal and travelled by boat to…
Interview with Henry Wolfe Wagner. One
Henry Wolfe Wagner was born in Ireland. The family moved to England when he was young and settled near Reading. Henry attended Reading University for two years joining the University Air Squadron. He then volunteered for the RAF and began training as…
Interview with Kenneth William Trueman
Kenneth William Trueman volunteered for the RAF and was called up in 1941. After training in South Africa, he served as a navigator with 640 Squadron and speaks of his preference for the Gee navigation aid rather than H2S. His operations included…
Interview with George Thomson. Two
George Thomson was a navigator with 15 Squadron based at RAF Mildenhall. On their nineteenth operation they came under attack and had to bale out of the aircraft. The pilot and mid-upper gunner both died. When he landed he saw a parachute stuck in a…
Interview with George Thomson. One
George Thomson had always wanted to fly. When he volunteered for the RAF he hoped to be a pilot but re-mustered as a navigator. He was posted to 15 Squadron based at RAF Mildenhall. On their first operation they were attacked by fighters three times.…
Malcolm Staves' Flying Boots
A pair of boots issued to Malcolm Staves. The uppers could be cut away to convert them into shoes if the wearer was shot down behind enemy lines.
RAF Boot Knife
Pen knife intended for cutting top away from escape flying boots, in order to convert them into shoes.
Interview with Carolyn Pritchard
Carolyns father, Arthur, joined the Royal Air Force on his 18th birthday. Following his training as a flight engineer, was posted to RAF Winthorpe. He was allocated to a crew consisting entirely of Australians. In February 1944 the crew were posted…
Interview with Philip Peel
Mike Peel was a Lancaster pilot and served on two squadrons before becoming a prisoner of war late in 1944. He was an active sportsman and played tennis in his eighties but unfortunately is no longer with us. Using his logbook, letters, and…
Interview with Betty May Pearson
Her brother-in-law William Mollison Walton, after training to be a pilot in Canada, was based at RAF Swinderby with 97 Squadron. In 1944 his aircraft was attacked and he baled out. He spent two days on a small island where he buried his parachute,…
List of Phrases
List of phrases translated into German, French, Dutch and Spanish to help with evasion.
Interview with Evelyn Paine
Two of Evelyn Paine’s three brothers joined the RAF. She discusses the service of her brothers Philip Jenkinson and Peter Raeburn Jenkinson. Philip Jenkinson trained as an air gunner. He was was shot down on his tenth operation and after evading…
Interview with Geoff Packham
Geoff’s father had been in the Royal Flying Corps and Geoff joined the Royal Air Force at RAF Cardington. He was posted to various stations before going to Halifax in Canada to train as a pilot on Tiger Moths and then Oxfords.
On his return, Geoff…
On his return, Geoff…
Interview with Alfie Martin
Alfie Martin was born near Belfast in 1920. He applied for the Air Force but his mother was worried about the dangers and so he withdrew his application. He joined the army and when the RAF advertised for soldiers to transfer the RAF he volunteered.…
Interview with Louis Makens
Louis Makens worked as a farm worker before the war but volunteered for aircrew. He discusses his training on Wellingtons and operations flying Stirlings with 196 Squadron including a crash landing, and glider towing. His Halifax was shot down 18/19…
Interview with Wally Lashbrook
Wally was born in February 1913, and joined the Royal Air Force in 1929 as an apprentice at RAF Halton and completed pilot training at RAF Prestwick. He flew many aircraft including Tiger Moths, Hendons and Halifaxes, and served with 51 Squadron and…
Interview with Bob Kemley
Upon joining the RAF in 1940, Bob Kemley trained as a navigator and completed 34 operations on Halifaxes, Wellingtons, and Lancasters. He joined 427 Squadron based at RAF Leeming, before moving to 432 Squadron as a navigation officer. On his final…
Interview with Ernest Holmes
Ernest Holmes joined the RAF and served as a pilot, flying operations first with 76 Squadron and then on Pathfinders. Gives a vivid and detailed account of when he was shot down over Holland: how he was given shelter by a farmer’s family and moved…
Interview with Frank Dell
Frank Dell’s father was a member of the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War and so it was perhaps inevitable that Frank would share the fascination with aviation and a desire to fly. As a teenager Frank witnessed the aerial battles of the…