Browse Items (253 total)

  • Tags: Initial Training Wing

PAkrillWE1906.jpg
Fifty one airmen sitting and standing in four rows in front of Aberystwyth old town hall. All are wearing tunic and most side caps. Title 'Royal Air Force Aberystwyth, No 4 Squadron, A Flight, 6 I.T.W. November 1941'

Bill Akrill is sixth from…

Tags: ;

BWilsonRCWilsonRCv1.pdf
Reg summarises Bomber Command's role in the war then details his personal experiences from training days. He covers in detail the navigational techniques he used. He describes the operation he was on when he was shot down.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PGerardJA1801.jpg
Tony lived in South Pool before moving to Liverpool with his job in a bank. He also belonged the Air Training Corps. After about a year he decided to sign up for the Royal Air Force. His assessment and medical were at Liverpool. He was called up to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PWestonJ1703.jpg
Jim Weston joined the Royal Air Force because he wanted to become a radio mechanic. While training at RAF Blackpool as air gunner wireless operator, he re-mustered as a pilot. He remembers being posted to 23 Squadron at RAF Little Snoring, where he…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BPageTJPageTJv1.pdf
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BPageTJPageTJv2.pdf
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MSaintTJ1452007-180212-01.pdf
Diary from joining the RAF in may 1941, through training as groundcrew and then volunteered for aircrew and eventually trained as air gunner and posting to 514 Squadron. Describes operations while on the squadron and notes details and losses.…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PFordTA1708.jpg
A group of trainee airmen arranged in four rows. On the front are the names of the individuals and on the reverse are the signatures of some of the men.

Tags: ; ;

PRoyallGL2205.jpg
A formal photograph of 46 trainee airmen, a corporal and a sergeant. All are seated or standing, in four rows, in front of a building and are wearing tunics. The trainee aircrew have a white stripe on their forage caps and are wearing white belts.…

Tags: ; ;

PHarrisB1604.jpg
Bernie Harris joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for the Royal Air Force, joining in April 1943 and training to become an air gunner. He mentions his father serving in the Royal Flying Corps. As a young boy, Bernie witnessed the London…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AHookerFJ170826.mp3
Fred Hooker was a mid-upper gunner on 102 Squadron at RAF Pocklington, where he flew three operations before being shot down. Born in Hartley Wintney in 1924, Fred’s first experience of the RAF was visiting RAF Odiham as a member of the Air…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BPerryWRPPerryWRPv2.pdf
Memoir starts by describing early life and education in Tunbridge Wells before moving to Cornwall. Writes about beginning of the war. Volunteered for aircrew in Plymouth (which had been bombed the day before) shortly after his 18th birthday.…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo][Date]-010001.jpg
Writes of life and events at his current location (NW London), and upcoming posting to Initial Training Wing. Says he will be glad to get away but has made some good friends. Mentions a recent air raid and anti aircraft guns sounding throughout the…

Tags: ; ;

EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo][Date]-020001.jpg
Catches up with family news. Writes of life at RAF on Initial Training Wing at RAF Aberystwyth. Tells her what scores he got in tests, how much he’s earning and how leave is looking more unlikely. He also tells her about being interviewed by the…

Tags: ; ;

EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]410915-0001.jpg
Writes from the Receiving Centre of his billet in a 'rather nice block of flats' near Regents Park and of walking round looking at bomb damage to some old haunts in London.

They go to the zoo for their meals ('lot of monkeys').

Will on be at…

Tags: ; ; ; ;

EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]410921-0001.jpg
Bill is at the Receiving Centre in London. He writes that he has had a good Sunday with going to a Baptist Chapel and being invited for tea by the pastor and meeting up with another cadet - 'I can say my first Sunday in the RAF has been splendid'. …

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]410926-0001.jpg
Bill writes that he is about to be posted within London for a short period. [page missing] Have been given food to improve night vision but he really misses getting fresh milk. Are about to move and really feel they have left 'civvie street'…

Tags: ; ; ;

EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]XX0929-0001.jpg
Written as cadet from posting wing. Sending washing home. Will be glad to get away from current location. Describes daily activity, a friend and going to Westminster Central Hall. Suggests that hardest part of Initial Training Wing will be aircraft…

Tags: ; ; ;

PBoldyDA15020009.jpg
45 aircrew are arranged in four rows, front row one sitting; all are wearing Sidcot suits, flying boots and gauntlets and are carrying flying helmets. Some airmen on the second row from front are holding a board on which is chalked ‘D Flight’ and…

Tags: ; ;

SMarshallS1594781v10003.jpg
Photograph 1 is of 53 airmen arranged in seven rows in front Bridlington Grand Pavilion Theatre.
Photograph 2 is a head and shoulders portrait of Syd Marshall wearing a side cap with white flash.
The page is captioned 'I.T.W.…

Tags: ; ;

SMarshallS1594781v10004.jpg
A card with 52 signatures and the home town of participant on the Initial Training Wing course.
Syd Marshall's Airman's Alphabetical Index card.
The page is captioned '121 Intake I.T.W Bridlington'.

Tags: ; ;

PFalgateD16030053.jpg
Formal photograph, 52 airmen and one officer in three rows, aircrew training flashes in their hats. Captioned 'No 10 ITW (Initial Training Wing, Royal Air Force. Photo in front of our billet, the Manor Hotel Scarborough. The HQ was in the Grand Hotel…

Tags: ;

PBattyPH1624.jpg
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…

Tags: ; ;

PNealeETH15010061.jpg
Three photographs taken during Ted Neale's training.
1. A group of airmen arranged in four rows, captioned 'ITW -1940'.
2. A group of airmen in desert uniform, arranged in three rows in front of a hut, captioned 'M.E.training course after retreat…

Tags: ; ; ;

PThompsonKG15010007.jpg
Page, annotated 'Initial Training Wing Oct - '41 - Jan '42'.
Colour postcard, captioned 'Torquay Riviera', annotated 'Our Church for Sunday parades', 'Messing and billets in long white building'.
Postcard captioned 'The Harbour and Vane Hill',…

Tags: ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2