Browse Items (109 total)
- Tags: RAF West Freugh
Letter from Bill Akrill to his aunt
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
Excited that cadets now have own mess and, although not popular with the ground crew, aircrew need a special diet. Food is now much better and describes meals. Writes of flight up to near…
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
Letter from Bill Akrill to family
Letter from Bill Akrill to Ros and Harry
Bill describes his mounting flying hours during air navigation training and the imminent start of bombing training. He can’t wait to be doing it for real on operations.…
Letter from Bill Akrill to Mary
Tags: RAF West Freugh; training
Harry Brabin memoir
He sailed on the SS Johan Van Barneve to San Francisco and…
Tags: 102 Squadron; 1652 HCU; 27 OTU; 4 Group; Advanced Flying Unit; air gunner; air sea rescue; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; arts and crafts; bomb aimer; bomb struck; bombing; Bombing and Gunnery School; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944); briefing; crewing up; debriefing; demobilisation; entertainment; faith; fear; flight engineer; forced landing; Fw 190; Gee; gremlin; ground crew; H2S; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Ju 88; killed in action; lack of moral fibre; love and romance; Master Bomber; McIndoe, Archibald (1900-1960); Me 109; Me 262; Me 410; military discipline; military ethos; military living conditions; military service conditions; mine laying; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; navigator; Navy, Army and Air Force Institute; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Oboe; Operational Training Unit; P-51; Pathfinders; perception of bombing war; physical training; pilot; prisoner of war; promotion; propaganda; radar; RAF Gamston; RAF Lichfield; RAF Marston Moor; RAF Pocklington; RAF West Freugh; RCAF Mossbank; recruitment; Schräge Musik; searchlight; Spitfire; sport; tactical support for Normandy troops; Tallboy; target indicator; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington; Window; wireless operator / air gunner; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Bob Smith's Memoirs
Tags: 106 Squadron; 115 Squadron; 142 Squadron; 15 Squadron; 1653 HCU; 166 Squadron; 3 Group; 4 Group; 44 Squadron; 467 Squadron; 49 Squadron; 5 Group; 619 Squadron; 622 Squadron; 640 Squadron; 76 Squadron; 78 Squadron; 84 OTU; Advanced Flying Unit; aerial photograph; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; bale out; Beaufighter; bomb aimer; bombing; Boston; crash; crewing up; Distinguished Flying Cross; entertainment; flight engineer; H2S; Halifax; Hampden; killed in action; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Master Bomber; mess; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; Mosquito; navigator; Nissen hut; Oboe; observer; Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; prisoner of war; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Breighton; RAF Bridlington; RAF Cardington; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Cranwell; RAF Desborough; RAF Dunholme Lodge; RAF Feltwell; RAF Halfpenny Green; RAF Harrington; RAF Kirmington; RAF Leconfield; RAF Mildenhall; RAF Silloth; RAF Stradishall; RAF Tempsford; RAF Waddington; RAF West Freugh; RAF White Waltham; RAF Wigtown; RAF Witchford; Red Cross; sport; Stalag Luft 3; Stalag Luft 7; Stirling; training; V-1; Wellington; wireless operator
Bob Smith's Memoirs Book 4
Tags: 149 Squadron; 15 Squadron; 3 Group; 617 Squadron; 622 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; anti-aircraft fire; B-17; B-24; Churchill, Winston (1874-1965); Cook’s tour; crash; Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Service Order; Gee; George VI, King of Great Britain (1895-1952); ground personnel; H2S; Lancaster; love and romance; mess; mine laying; navigator; Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; prisoner of war; radar; RAF Desborough; RAF Honington; RAF Husbands Bosworth; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Mildenhall; RAF Stradishall; RAF Tempsford; RAF West Freugh; Special Operations Executive; sport; V-2; V-weapon; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Bob Smith's Memoirs Book 2
Covers his training.
Tags: 1653 HCU; 3 Group; 467 Squadron; 5 Group; 84 OTU; Advanced Flying Unit; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; bomb aimer; crash; crewing up; flight engineer; Gee; Hampden; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Lancaster Mk 1; Lancaster Mk 3; mess; mine laying; navigator; Nissen hut; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Normandy deception operations (5/6 June 1944); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; pilot; prisoner of war; RAF Andover; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Bridlington; RAF Cardington; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Cranwell; RAF Desborough; RAF Feltwell; RAF Halfpenny Green; RAF Harrington; RAF Mildenhall; RAF Silloth; RAF Stradishall; RAF Tempsford; RAF Waddington; RAF West Freugh; RAF White Waltham; RAF Wigtown; Stirling; tactical support for Normandy troops; training; V-1; V-weapon; Wellington; wireless operator
Bob Smith
#1 Bob in a hut with laundry hanging up to dry.
#2 A head and shoulders photograph of Bob in uniform with his navigator's brevet.
#3 A head and shoulders photograph of Bob in uniform, again with a…
Half a Life, Half Remembered
Tags: 101 Squadron; 115 Squadron; 12 Squadron; 142 Squadron; 148 Squadron; 149 Squadron; 15 Squadron; 2 Group; 3 Group; 311 Squadron; 4 Group; 5 Group; 7 Squadron; 9 Squadron; 99 Squadron; air gunner; aircrew; Anson; anti-aircraft fire; Blenheim; bomb aimer; bombing; Boston; Chamberlain, Neville (1869-1940); Churchill, Winston (1874-1965); Distinguished Flying Cross; Distinguished Flying Medal; entertainment; fitter airframe; flight engineer; Flying Training School; George VI, King of Great Britain (1895-1952); Gneisenau; ground personnel; Halifax; Hampden; hangar; Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984); Harrow; Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945); Hudson; Hurricane; incendiary device; Lancaster; love and romance; Magister; Manchester; Me 109; Me 110; mess; military living conditions; military service conditions; Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy; Mosquito; navigator; Navy, Army and Air Force Institute; observer; Operational Training Unit; Photographic Reconnaissance Unit; pilot; radar; RAF Benson; RAF Boscombe Down; RAF Catterick; RAF Cosford; RAF Cranwell; RAF Debden; RAF Duxford; RAF Finningley; RAF Grantham; RAF Halton; RAF Hendon; RAF Henlow; RAF Honington; RAF Leeming; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Manston; RAF Mildenhall; RAF Netheravon; RAF Newmarket; RAF Oakington; RAF Sealand; RAF Silloth; RAF South Cerney; RAF St Eval; RAF Stradishall; RAF Tangmere; RAF Upavon; RAF Upper Heyford; RAF Uxbridge; RAF Waddington; RAF Warmwell; RAF Waterbeach; RAF West Freugh; RAF West Raynham; RAF Wittering; RAF Wyton; Scharnhorst; shot down; Spitfire; sport; Stirling; Tiger Moth; training; Wallis, Barnes Neville (1887-1979); Wellington; Whitley; wireless operator; Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
Keith Hailey's Royal Air Force navigator’s, air bombers and air gunner’s flying log book
Tags: 1659 HCU; 20 OTU; 24 OTU; 433 Squadron; 635 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; Air Observers School; aircrew; Anson; bombing; bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944); bombing of the Boulogne E-boats (15/16 June 1944); Dominie; Halifax; Halifax Mk 3; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; mine laying; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; Pathfinders; Proctor; RAF Downham Market; RAF Honeybourne; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Manby; RAF Skipton on Swale; RAF Topcliffe; RAF Warboys; RAF West Freugh; RAF Yatesbury; training; Wellington; Whitley; wireless operator
Royal Air Force observer’s and air gunner’s flying log book
Peter Thompson’s Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book
Tags: 11 OTU; 1653 HCU; 195 Squadron; aircrew; Anson; bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945); Cook’s tour; Dominie; Heavy Conversion Unit; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Lancaster Mk 1; Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; Proctor; RAF Castle Kennedy; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Dishforth; RAF Feltwell; RAF Lyneham; RAF Madley; RAF Oakley; RAF Riccall; RAF West Freugh; RAF Westcott; RAF Witchford; RAF Wratting Common; RAF Yatesbury; Stirling; training; Wellington; wireless operator; York
Tadeusz Jasinski’s Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book
Tags: 167 Squadron; 18 OTU; 216 Squadron; 3 Group; 301 Squadron; 304 Squadron; aircrew; B-24; Battle; C-47; Dominie; Operational Training Unit; Proctor; RAF Bitteswell; RAF Bramcote; RAF Dale; RAF Hartford Bridge; RAF Holmsley South; RAF Lindholme; RAF North Weald; RAF Tiree; RAF West Freugh; RAF Yatesbury; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington; wireless operator
J.C. Cockram’s RCAF Observer’s and Air Gunner’s flying log book
Tags: 1652 HCU; 27 OTU; 462 Squadron; 466 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; Air Observers School; aircrew; Anson; bombing; C-47; Flying Training School; Halifax; Halifax Mk 2; Halifax Mk 3; Halifax Mk 5; Heavy Conversion Unit; navigator; Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944); Operational Training Unit; RAF Church Broughton; RAF Driffield; RAF Leconfield; RAF Marston Moor; RAF West Freugh; tactical support for Normandy troops; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington
Frank Jolliffe's flying log book. One
Tags: 138 Squadron; 14 OTU; 149 Squadron; 1653 HCU; 35 Squadron; 75 Squadron; Advanced Flying Unit; Air Observers School; aircrew; Anson; B-17; Beaufighter; Bolingbroke; bomb aimer; bombing; Bombing and Gunnery School; bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945); C-47; Dominie; Flying Training School; Hampden; Harvard; Heavy Conversion Unit; Initial Training Wing; Lancaster; Lancaster Finishing School; Lincoln; Martinet; Meteor; Mosquito; navigator; Operation Exodus (1945); Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945); Operational Training Unit; Oxford; RAF Bishops Court; RAF Chedburgh; RAF Farnborough; RAF Feltwell; RAF Graveley; RAF Husbands Bosworth; RAF Leeming; RAF Manby; RAF Market Harborough; RAF Mepal; RAF Methwold; RAF North Luffenham; RAF Paignton; RAF Tuddenham; RAF West Freugh; RCAF Rivers; Stirling; training; Wellington
List of aircraft flown
Tags: 149 Squadron; 463 Squadron; Anson; B-29; Bolingbroke; bombing; Lancaster; Lincoln; Operational Training Unit; RAF Bruntingthorpe; RAF Coningsby; RAF Kinloss; RAF Lindholme; RAF Marham; RAF Middleton St George; RAF Mildenhall; RAF St Mawgan; RAF Swinderby; RAF Syerston; RAF Topcliffe; RAF Waddington; RAF West Freugh; RAF Wyton; Shackleton; Stirling; Sunderland; Tiger Moth; training; Wellington