Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Juvincourt-et-Damary]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Jim arrived at a personnel reception centre in Bournemouth. He was sent to become a pilot instructor at a single engine aerodrome on Tiger Moths. They had started a grading scheme for pilots who would do 80 flying hours, as an alternative to going to Canada. He spent time in Southam, Ansty and Perth. They wanted to train crews to become Pathfinders. Jim was sent to RAF Bruntingthorpe, an Operational Training Unit, on Wellingtons, followed by a heavy conversion course at RAF Swinderby on Stirlings. He went to the Lancaster Finishing School at RAF Syerston. For the last six months, Jim was posted to 106 Squadron at RAF Metheringham to train as a Pathfinder pilot. He did operations to Rheinau; Tønsberg, Oslofjord; and, Lutzkendorf. Jim describes how and where he spent his leave and discusses the Drem Lighting System at RAF Metheringham.
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Jean Macartney]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jan Hargrave]]> Sally Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Norway--Tønsberg]]> Atlantic Ocean--Oslofjorden]]> Germany--Halle an der Saale]]>
Gary Rushbrooke]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1944-02]]> 1945]]> Anna Hoyles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Sylt]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> North Africa]]> Iraq]]> Iraq--Mosul]]> Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Dawn Studd]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Lithuania]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> George joined the Army in 1935 in a tank regiment, serving in Egypt at Al El-Alamein, and in Italy. He was also mentioned in dispatches.
Gordon worked for the Spalding Free Press, in his free time he was a keen radio amateur wishing to become wireless operator. He joined the Royal Air Force and served with 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby. Margaret reminisces receiving a telegram claiming he was missing, the subsequent notification of death and the whole family grieving. Margaret’s husband Arthur, was ten years her senior - he served in the Royal Air Force with 9 Squadron and 106 Squadron from RAF Metheringham. He took part in an operation to Saint-Leu-d'Esserent with Flight Lieutenant Bill Williams, then was posted to RAF Bardney practising for Tirpitz operations. Gained his Distinguished Flying Medal, he went to Singapore with 50 Squadron as part of the Tiger Force. He married Margaret after the war. Margaret also elaborates on the bombing of Dresden and discusses lack of recognition for Bomber command veterans.]]>
Rod Pickles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> British Army]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Azores]]> Norway]]> Singapore]]> Egypt]]> France]]> France--Creil]]> Italy]]> North Africa]]> Egypt--Alamayn]]> 1945]]>
Michael Sheehan]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1947]]> David Meanwell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Alberta--Calgary]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Brighton]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> 1942-12-19]]> 1945-03-05]]> 1945-03-07]]> 1945-03-27]]> 1946-11-25]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams ]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Second generation]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> Bruce Blanche]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Fitter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> Netherlands]]> India]]> France--Aunay-sur-Odon]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944-02-23]]> 1944-03-03]]> 1944-05-04]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-15]]> David Meanwell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1944-02]]> Gary Rushbrooke]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Birmingham]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Meurthe-et-Moselle]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> England--Warwickshire]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> Germany]]> Germany--Dresden]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1940-10]]> 1945-02]]> 1946]]> Mike Connock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Benjamin Turner]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1945-03-11]]> Gemma Clapton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Zimbabwe]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Zimbabwe--Bulawayo]]> Zimbabwe--Harare]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Suddenly the aircraft broke in to two and Bob was blown out of the aircraft. He managed to activate his parachute and land but had injured his leg. He was caught and became a prisoner of war.
He narrowly avoided losing his life to an angry crowd of locals at a train station as the German guard gave him his rifle and he was able to hold the crowd at bay, until they were able to catch the train. He gave the rifle back to the guard.
Bob was a musician and played the saxophone and clarinet. One day the Red Cross delivered a selection of musical instruments to Stalag Luft 7 where he was being held, and amongst the instruments there was a saxophone and clarinet, both of which he played. He wrote arrangements for the camp bands and orchestra playing both instruments. He took part in the long march taking his saxophone with him.
After the war he worked as a civil engineer and continued to play his saxophone.
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Brian Wright]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Second generation]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>
Alan was posted to Bradfield Park for training and then to No. 2 Air Observers’ School in Edmonton, Canada. He was given a commission as a pilot officer and went to the Advanced Flying Unit at RAF Wigtown in Scotland, followed by the Operational Training Unit at RAF Lichfield. Alan describes the process of crewing up. He trained on Wellingtons and then went to the Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Winthorpe. Alan describes the night they had to parachute from their Stirling after a trip to the coast of Holland.
After Lancaster Finishing School, Alan was posted to 617 Squadron where the Commanding Officer was J B “Willie” Tait. His first operation in November 1944 was to bomb the Urft Dam in Germany but it was too cloudy to release the 12,000 lb Tallboy bomb on board. A second attempt was also unsuccessful. Alan then refers to two operations in the Netherlands where U-boat pens were bombed. Bergen was another operation. On 25 April 1945, their target was Berchtesgaden, their last operation leading a Main Force Group of 400 aircraft.

Alan then went to 467 Squadron at RAF Metheringham. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they were no longer required to go to Okanawa. Alan returned to Australia in February 1946 and joined Shell company in Sidney. ]]>
John Horsburgh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Norway]]> Queensland]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Queensland--Brisbane]]> 1942]]> 1943-11-03]]> 1944-01]]> 1944-09-24]]> 1944-11]]> 1945-04-25]]> 1946-02]]>
Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> Canada]]> Italy]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Jeff Williams]]> This Interview was recorded by Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary. Allocated C Campbell]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1992]]> 1993]]>