Browse Items (29 total)

  • Tags: 61 Squadron
  • Type is exactly "Sound"

PBarrJ1506.jpg
Jim joined the Royal Air Force after an engineering apprenticeship. He learnt navigation in South Africa at Oudtshoorn, followed by gunnery training at Port Alfred. After Dumfries, he went to an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF North Luffenham…

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Les Loosemore describes his upbringing and employment history in Swansea before joining the war in 1945. He describes the Blitz in Swansea before training to be a mid upper gunner for 61 Squadron. He describes his rather intensive training, including…

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AValentineM150724.mp3
Murray Valentine was a wireless operator with 61 Squadron and 617 Squadron. He describes his duties as well as his job on board the Lancasters on bombing operations. He recalls going to an operational training unit and flying Wellingtons for three…

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AFreethR160531.mp3
Reg Freeth grew up in Wales and worked for the Civil Service in the Labour Exchange before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. In South Afica, he trained as an observer and flew operations, and served as a bomb aimer with 61 Squadron from RAF…

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PJohnsonKA1507.jpg
Ken Johnson was born in Doncaster. At the start of the war the family was living in Sheffield but his father decided they should move back to Doncaster to avoid bombing. Ken started work as a joiner and later made cables for barrage balloons. Despite…

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AHearmonPC160317.mp3
Peter was born in London and evacuated for part of the war. For National Service, he was taken on by the Air Force for a short time engagement and subsequently accepted a permanent commission.
After RAF Padgate, Peter was selected as…

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Ernest was born in Marylebone, London. He tells of his childhood, how he helped his father on his milk round and became a butcher's boy at Shepherd Market before serving in the Air Training Corps. He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and a…

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PHouriganM1804.jpg
Margaret Hourigan grew up in and around Nottingham. Despite holding Labour principles she volunteered for the WAAF’s as soon as War was declared and was called up in January 1940. Margaret served as a plotter in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force,…

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AMcCulloughF210621.mp3
Fred McCullough discusses his series of abstract art works which are an homage to his uncle, Sergeant Harry McCullough, a flight engineer with 61 Squadron. He was killed on his tenth operation and is buried at Durnbach Cemetery.

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PTouleK2201.jpg
Keith was five at the start of the war and lived in a farm adjoining the airfield at RAF Skellingthorpe. He describes the airfield and how the trees were cut down in the farm belt. The airfield was closed soon after the war, bought by the City…

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AGrayCJ151017.mp3
Jeff Gray was a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He trained to fly in Texas and completed 30 operations as a pilot with 61 Squadron. After leaving the RAF he worked for BOAC flying Yorks and VC10s.

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AStanneyF160212.mp3
Frank Stanney was working on the land before he volunteered for the RAF. After training he flew operations as a wireless operator with 61 Squadron. One day his pilot took off as a twenty year old and returned as a twenty one year old as it was his…

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AWhiteEJ161027.mp3
James White worked as a wages clerk for the Co-op before volunteering for the Air Force. He had intended to join the navy but he saw some recruits being shouted at so he turned around and crossed the corridor to join the RAF. He had always had an…

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Kenneth Souter was born in Sunderland. His father ran a business importing wooden pit props. Kenneth learned to fly at Cambridge, and his first air experience flight was on the 5th of July 1939, and after training he went solo on the 31st of July…

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AGeogheganWT160706.mp3
William Geoghegan grew up in Australia and, after serving in the army, joined the Royal Australian Air Force. He flew operations as a navigator with 61 Squadron from RAF Skellingthorpe.

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PWatsonD1511.jpg
Donald Watson joined the Royal Air Force in 1941, having previously worked in the print industry. After training he served as an armourer with 61 Squadron at RAF Skellingthorpe.

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AWeirA180328.mp3
Archie was born in Ayreshire. He was about 17 when he joined, then went to South Africa to train as a bomb aimer. In February 1943 Archie worked on Halifax Mk 2 before being transferred to Lancaster finishing school at RAF Syerston. In November…

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Dick Heath was an apprentice boat builder and joined the Royal Air Force in 1943. He began training as an air gunner but was posted to RAF Fiskerton working in the bomb dump. He was on his way to Canada by ship when the war in Europe ended. After he…

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PChineryDR1601.jpg
Don Chinery was born in Upper Sherringham on the 14 August 1921 and, after working as a Baker, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1942, serving as a Rear Gunner. His first station was RAF Bircham Newton, where he did his training, and flew in Stirlings…

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AFreemanP180109.mp3
Philip Freeman was a young child in Gainsborough during the Second World War. His brother Desmond left Gainsborough to work for Lord Londonderry in London. From there he volunteered for the RAF and trained as a pilot. He was a fighter pilot but was…

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PCaseyJ1501.jpg
Before the war, John Casey worked for Vickers Armstrong. He joined the Royal Air Force and completed his training as a warrant officer at RAF Padgate. He learned how to fly Stirling aircraft at RAF Wigsley, Wellington aircraft at RAF Bruntingthorpe…

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PJohnsonKA1507.jpg
Kenneth Alfred Johnson joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19, after being in a reserved occupation making barrage balloon cables. He trained as an air gunner, serving as a mid-upper gunner.
He had a spell at the Operational Training Unit,…

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AAtkinsonA150623.mp3
Arthur Atkinson was born in Lancaster, and worked in the local Co-Op until he joined the Royal Air Force. He trained as a wireless operator and served at RAF Ringway before being posted to RAF Coningsby and, later, RAF Skellingthorpe with 61…

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ADavidsonRE151126.mp3
Roy was born in Lincoln in 1933 and was six years old when war broke out. He left school at the age of 15 and went to work for Lincoln City Council in the Pension department before being called up for National Service in 1951, doing basic training at…

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AGreenKS150713.mp3
Kenneth Green was born on the 17 January 1922 at Pleasley, near Mansfield and worked with the Carlton Auxillary Fire Service, before joining the Royal Air Force at the age of 20.
Being unable to fly due to eye problems, he trained as an engineer and…

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