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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 Harry Rossiter
Harry Rossiter grew up in East London but his family moved to Essex, which gave Harry a “ringside view” of the Battle of Britain. He volunteered as a bicycle messenger and tried to join the Royal Navy as a telegraphist. He was encouraged to join…
Interview with Hubert Draegert
Hubert Draegert remembers his wartime experiences, first in Berlin and then as an evacuee at his uncle’s farm near Wroclaw. He mentions the bombing of the Berlin State Opera and the repeated efforts made to rebuild the gutted building. He remembers…
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 John James Smith
John Smith grew up near Corby, surrounded by aerodromes, so was used to the sight of aircraft. He observed Lancaster aircraft practising for the Dambusters raid over Eye Brook Reservoir. He also witnessed glider practice and was impressed by the…
Interview with Kenneth Cook
Wing Commander Kenneth Cook was born in Randwick in Gloucestershire. At Marlings grammar school, he joined the Air Training Corps. On the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Air Force and went to America under the Arnold Scheme for pilot training.…
Interview with Kenneth White
Kenneth White trained as an air gunner. He was not sent to an Operational Training Unit but was sent straight to a squadron at RAF Oulton. He flew in B-17s with a special operator on board. On one occasion during an air test there was a fire on…
Interview with Monty Felton
Monty grew up in Croydon and became an articled accountant in London before joining the RAF. Training at the Initial Training Wing in Torquay was followed by RAF Bishops Court in Northern Ireland and RAF Kinloss, which had a flight simulation room.…
Interview with Peter Lovatt
Peter enrolled in the Air Training Corp before joining the Royal Air Force. He went to Walney Island, the Air Gunnery School, and was given the option of becoming a Bevin Boy or an air gunner choosing the latter. Following training on Ansons he…
Interview with Philip Bates
Philip volunteered for the Royal Air Force air force in May 1940. After a short time in Blackpool, he was posted to RAF Cosford where he volunteered for training as a flight mechanic, then fitter. At 86 Squadron, Coastal Command, flying Beauford…
Interview with Ron Priest
Ron Priest worked in accountancy before the war and then served as a rear gunner, flying twenty five operations with 149 Squadron from RAF Lakenheath all on Stirlings. Describes his training in England, Canada and the United States, under the…
Interview with Roy Berrill
Roy was born in Northampton and was evacuated from Becontree in London to Weston-super-Mare. He gained his degree from Queen Mary College, London, which was evacuated to Cambridge.
After the Air Training Corps, Roy was called up to be a…
After the Air Training Corps, Roy was called up to be a…
Interview with Sheila Wilmet
Sheila Wilmet grew up in Liverpool and was fifteen when war was declared. She describes the devastation of bombing in 1941, spending nights in an Anderson shelter, and navigating unexploded bombs during her commute. She volunteered after viewing a…
Interview with Syd Marshall
Sidney Marshall grew up in Lincolnshire and worked as an agricultural engineer. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force at eighteen and trained as a flight engineer. On his first operation to Duisburg one of his Lancaster's engines was hit by shrapnel…
Interview with Thomas James Page
Thomas Page grew up in a farming family before joining the Royal Air Force in 1940, training as a flight mechanic. He was initially posted to 257 Squadron (Hurricanes) but soon went to Gloucester to train as a fitter from where he was posted to 71…
Interview with Thomas Peter Payne. Two
Tom joined the Air Training Corps as a deferred service airman even though he was under-age. In April 1942 he received his call up papers to report to the Air Crew Reception Centre at St John’s Wood before being posted to Ludlow. He then went to…
Interview with William Frederick Chubb
Bill Chubb had several challenges in his early life and his father died when Bill was 12. After several jobs he joined the RAF as a flight engineer. He became part of a Canadian crew, despite some objection! Bill tells many tales of his RAF time,…
Jack Warner’s navigator's, air bomber's and air gunner's flying log book
Navigator's, air bomber's and air gunner's flying log book for Jack Warner, flight engineer. Covering the period from 2 July 1943 to 28 January 1945. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at RAF Topcliffe, RAF Leeming,…
John "Jack" Richard Davies
Draft comments on last operation of John Davies. Died on active service with 166 Squadron. List crew of his Lancaster (pilot and flight engineer survived) and recounts operation to V1 site at Trossy St Maximin in which and other crew John were…
Leonard William Fairbanks' Observer' and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book
Leonard William Fairbanks' log book covering two tours from 3 January 1941 to 15 April 1945, detailing his training schedule and operations flown. Training was undertaken at Air Gunnery School at RAF Stormy Down, 25 OTU RAF Finningley, 25 OTU RAF…
Letter and transcript of telephone interview
Letter encloses a transcript of telephone interview and ask Mr Chandler to check for accuracy and asks specific questions about window, operation briefings, bird strike, being coned on Karlsruhe operation, overcoming fear and did he feel operations…
Letter from Arthur NM Banks to Paul
Letter from Squadron Leader Arthur NM Banks to acquaintance Paul concerning an incident where at RAF Foulsham where a Halifax landed on top of a Mosquito. Aircraft were from 192 Squadron conducting special operations. Halifax windowed in front of…
Loose on the wind
Starts with a poem and then a series of stories which together form the memoirs of Harold Yeoman, an officer who served in Bomber Command during the war, initially as a pilot on Wellingtons and then as an Intelligence Officer. He relates his…
More war memories. The RAF bombing raids on Revigny
Describes how his aircraft was shot down on an operation to Revigny by an Me 110 night fighter. He baled out. and was captured. After being interrogated he became a prisoner of war. In February 1944, as the Russians advanced, he and his fellow…
No 100 (S.D.) Group - intelligence raid analysis
Details of operation to Berlin on 15/16 February 1944. Gives numbers of Bomber Command aircraft involved for 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 Groups. Details other targets - spoof to Frankfurt, Mosquitos to Aachen and mine laying. Weather, Enemy raid reaction -…