Bob Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Turkey]]> Turkey--Gallipoli]]> Australia]]> Queensland--Brisbane]]> Queensland--Ipswich]]> Queensland--Maryborough]]> New South Wales--Cootamundra]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> New South Wales--Wagga Wagga]]> New South Wales--Lindfield]]> New South Wales--Blue Mountains]]> New South Wales--Neutral Bay]]> American Samoa]]> American Samoa--Pago Pago]]> United States]]> Hawaii--Honolulu]]> California--San Francisco]]> California--Alcatraz Island]]> California--Oakland]]> Canada]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> Oregon]]> Washington (State)--Seattle]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> Alberta--Jasper]]> Alberta--Fort Saskatchewan]]> Germany]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Alberta--Calgary]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Tasmania]]> Italy]]> Italy--Foggia]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Gourock]]> England--Brighton]]> Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> France]]> France--Laon]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Antwerp]]> Germany--Wesseling]]> France--Montdidier (Picardy)]]> Austria]]> Austria--Vienna]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Queensland--Cairns]]> Saskatchewan--Saskatoon]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> North America--Niagara Falls]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Québec--Montréal]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Scotland--Aberdeen]]> England--Sidmouth]]> England--Salisbury]]> Scotland--Ailsa Craig]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> Scotland--Gatehouse of Fleet]]> England--Newcastle upon Tyne]]> Wales--Holyhead]]> Scotland--Paisley]]> France]]> France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer]]> Queensland--Bundaberg]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> Ontario--Trenton]]> Ontario--London]]> Saskatchewan]]> Québec]]> Nova Scotia]]> Manitoba]]> Covers his training.]]> Bob Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Sidmouth]]> Scotland--Aberdeen]]> England--Salisbury]]> Scotland--Stranraer]]> Scotland--Ailsa Craig]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> Scotland--Paisley]]> Scotland--Glasgow]]> France]]> France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Queensland--Bundaberg]]> Queensland--Brisbane]]> New South Wales--Cootamundra]]> United States]]> California--San Francisco]]> Canada]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> Scotland--Gourock]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Ontario--Trenton]]> Ontario--London]]> France--Châlons-sur-Marne (Arrondissement)]]> France--Caen]]> Germany]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany--Neuss]]> France--Calais]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Leverkusen]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Netherlands--Veere]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Germany--Castrop-Rauxel]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Fulda]]> Germany--Bottrop]]> Germany--Heinsberg (Heinsberg)]]> Nova Scotia]]> Manitoba]]> Poland]]> Bob Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Australia]]> Queensland--Brisbane]]> Queensland--Ipswich]]> Queensland--Maryborough]]> New South Wales--Cootamundra]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> New South Wales--Wagga Wagga]]> Canada]]> New South Wales--Blue Mountains]]> American Samoa]]> American Samoa--Pago Pago]]> United States]]> Hawaii--Honolulu]]> California--San Francisco]]> Oregon]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> Alberta--Jasper]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> Germany]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Alberta--Fort Saskatchewan]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> North America--Niagara Falls]]> Quebec--Montreal]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> England--Brighton]]> Nova Scotia]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Australia]]> Victoria--Ballarat]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Queensland]]> Victoria--Rutherglen]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1943]]> GB Blacklock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Skipton]]> Scotland--Bedrule]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--London]]> England--Appleby-in-Westmorland]]> Egypt--Alexandria]]> Egypt--Aboukir Bay]]> England--Chester]]> England--Newmarket (Suffolk)]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Guernsey]]> France--Marseille]]> Northern Ireland]]> Scotland--Montrose]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Wangerooge Island]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Borkum]]> England--Wisbeach]]> England--Weybridge]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Norway--Stavanger]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Netherlands--Rotterdam]]> France--Givet]]> Belgium]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Hazebrouck]]> France--Dunkerque]]> France--Socx]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> France--Salon-de-Provence]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Lünen]]> Wales--Hawarden]]> Germany--Baden-Baden]]> England--Eastleigh]]> Scotland--Stranraer]]> England--Doncaster]]> France--Brest]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany--Lingen (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> France--La Pallice]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> France]]> France--Charleville-Mézières]]> 1945-02-02]]> 1945-02-03]]> W R P Perry]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> France--Modane]]> Germany]]> Italy]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943-11-09]]> 1943-11-10]]> 1943-11-11]]> Dennis Terry]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1941]]> A R Witty]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Hull]]> England--London]]> England--Devon]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Liverpool]]> South Africa]]> South Africa--Durban]]> South Africa--East London]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> France--Rennes]]> Germany]]> Germany--Aachen]]> France--Paris]]> France--Normandy]]> France--Evreux]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> France--Le Havre]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France--Calais]]> France--Dijon]]> France--Tours]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Orléans]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Domléger-Longvillers]]> 1943-03-29]]> 1943-07-10]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-09-08]]> 1943-10-12]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-28]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-12]]> 1942-06-13]]> 1944-06-22]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-12-12]]> 1945-07-07]]> 1945-07-17]]> Peter Baxter]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Italy--Milan]]> France--La Rochelle]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Italy--Turin]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Mülheim an der Ruhr]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Bonn]]> Germany--Paderborn]]> Italy]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> France]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> H G Adams]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France]]> France--Le Havre]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Most]]> H G Adams]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Map]]> Photograph]]> Technical aid]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Wales]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--London]]> France]]> France--Le Havre]]> 1944-03-27]]> 1944-06-21]]> 1944-08-12]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-15]]> 1944-06-30]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-08]]> This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]> H G Adams]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Wales--Anglesey]]> Germany]]> Germany--Darmstadt]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Cootamundra]]> New South Wales--Mudgee]]> New South Wales]]> 1944-09]]> 1945-01]]> H G Adams]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany]]> Germany--Darmstadt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Bremerhaven]]> Germany--Rheydt]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Kaiserslautern]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Norway]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Norway--Trondheim]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Heilbronn]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Harburg (Landkreis)]]> Germany--Giessen (Hesse)]]> Germany--Euskirchen (Kreis)]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> France--Royan]]> Germany--Merseburg]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Most]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Pforzheim]]> Germany--Sassnitz]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Halle an der Saale]]> Germany--Würzburg]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia)]]> Netherlands--IJmuiden]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Norway--Tønsberg]]> Germany--Düren (Cologne)]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Germany--Herne (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1944-09]]> 1944-10]]> 1944-11]]> 1944-12]]> 1945-01]]> 1945-02]]> 1945-03]]> 1945-04]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-06-14]]> 1944-06-15]]> 1944-06-30]]> L E Patison]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Wollongong]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Overloon]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> New South Wales]]> 1945-01-01]]> E W Sanger]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Poland]]> Poland--Szubin]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> 1943-02-25]]> 1943-04-07]]> 1945-01-28]]> 1945-05]]> Carolyn Pritchard]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France--Paris]]> Great Britain]]> England--Liverpool]]> Wales--Y Felinheli]]> France--Étampes (Essonne)]]> France]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1944-06-09]]>
The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to Norwich. The family then moved to London where he started an apprenticeship as an accountant.

Joining Up.
Cliff left the accountants to work in his father's radio business. Initially he was rejected by the RAF because he wore spectacles. He reapplied and passed various written, oral and medical examinations. Initial training was at Torquay then Newquay. Once training was complete he sailed from Greenock to South Africa.

Southern Rhodesia.
After acclimatisation in South Africa, Cliff and his colleagues were put on a sleeper train to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. Training commenced on Tiger Moths but he was 'scrubbed' or rejected. He was reselected as an air gunner and completed a course in Moffat, also in South Rhodesia. Hospitality in Rhodesia and South Africa was described as generous and excellent.

Postscript.
Cliff describes a run-in with a training corporal who took a dislike to him. Despite faked evidence he proved his points and emerged with a clean record and passed his exams.

Operational Training.
In August 1942 he sailed back to the UK. He was sent to Bournemouth for assessment, then on to RAF Finningley for training then RAF Bircotes for operations. Next was a move to RAF Hixon and its satellite airfield at Seighford. He married Hilda on 1st March 1943 during a week's leave.

Second Time to Africa.
He was then sent to West Kirby, Liverpool to join a ship sailing to Algiers, for further training. Their destination became Blida where they started operations on Tunis and Monserrato airfield. They then moved to a desert strip to the east by 250 kms. From there they continued operations into Italy. Later they moved to Kairouan and continued operations into Italy, mainly Sardinia and Sicily. Each operation is described in great detail.
He has included a letter in Arabic with instructions to take the bearer to British soldiers for a reward. At the end of his tour they sailed back to Greenock.

Screened.
After some leave Cliff's next posting was at Operational Training Unit Desborough where he helped train new gunners. Due to an argument with an officer he was sent to RAF Norton for correctional training. On his return his case was reviewed and the severe reprimand was removed from his record.

Scampton.
Scampton was Cliff's next operational base then Winthorpe for its Heavy Conversion Unit on Stirlings, followed by Syerston on Lancasters then Bardney.

227 Squadron.
Cliff joined 227 squadron at Bardney. Again he covers in detail each operation. His flight was later transferred to Balderton. During this period he was awarded the DFC.

Final Leg.
His squadron was transferred to Gravely at the end of the war. He did a photography course and was transferred to Handforth. There was little work, some unpleasantness and eventually a period of extended leave, a spell at Poynton looking after prisoners then demob.

Back to Civvy Street.
Cliff returned to Whitehaven to revitalise a radio company. He gives great detail about the improvements made. Later he set up a similar enterprise at Maryport. Wired radio services were set to become less popular and financially worthwhile so seeing the writing on the wall he decided to emigrate.

Kenya.
Cliff and family flew to Nairobi, then bus to Kitale where his father was.

Hoteli King George.
Dissatisfied with life on his father's farm, Cliff took a job as a prison officer. He and his family moved to Nairobi. He relates several stories about prisoners and their better qualities but in the end he gets restless and leaves.

Civil Aviation.
Cliff joined the East African Directorate of Civil Aviation in April 1951 as a radio officer. He and his family were relocated to Mbeya, 900 miles from Nairobi. His skills as a radio engineer were well used in this remote location. After 2.5 years the family returned to UK on leave. On his return he was posted to Mwanza, also in Tanganyika. He describes in great detail a royal visit. They left on leave in June 1957 and collected a VW Beetle for transport to Kenya. Their next move was to Entebbe. This was not a happy posting and led to a transfer to Kisumu in Kenya. After three years they transferred to Nairobi to spend more time with their children, who were at boarding school there.

D.C.A. Headquarters.
His role here was Telecomms superintendent. He describes in detail the operations of his section. This was an unsettled period in Kenya with many Europeans returning home.

Dec' 61 on Leave.
Leave was spent at their house in Wales then in May 1962 Cliff returned alone to Nairobi. His family did return later. By this time his father had abandoned his farm and was building radios.

On Leave June 1964.
He bought another house in Wales and spent his leave restoring it. His wife's mother moved in. In November 1964 Cliff returned alone to Nairobi. he left within a year due to the worsening situation.

Job Hunting.
Several electronics firms were approached offering Cliff's services. He attended an interview with Pye who quickly offered him employment.

At Pye Telecommunications.
He found his colleagues unhelpful. A great deal of time was spent on a Turkish quotation that had been in progress for 10 years. A quotation to the Iranian Directorate of Civil Aviation contained complications leading to Cliff revising the quotation. Later there was a complicated installation job at the London Stock Exchange. Eventually Pye pulled out from the bid but a rival company won it, only to be taken over by Pye. At first the system was troubled but after a simple modification it worked perfectly.

Dresden 13-14 February 1945.
A one page description of the bombing of Dresden.

Curriculum Vitae.
Cliff Watson's CV, dated 1976.











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Cliff Watson DFC]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Huntingdon]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Norwich]]> England--London]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Birkenhead]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Sierra Leone--Freetown]]> South Africa--Durban]]> Zimbabwe--Bulawayo]]> South Africa--Mahikeng]]> Zimbabwe--Harare]]> Singapore]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> England--Bournemouth]]> France--Paris]]> Algeria--Algiers]]> Algeria--Blida]]> Tunisia--Tunis]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> Italy--Cagliari]]> Tunisia--Bizerte]]> Italy--Monserrato]]> Italy--Decimomannu]]> Italy--Trapani]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Rome]]> Italy--Lido di Roma]]> Italy--Tiber River]]> Italy--Alghero]]> Italy--Castelvetrano]]> Italy--Pantelleria Island]]> Tunisia--Sūsah]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--Comiso]]> Italy--Crotone]]> Italy--Pomigliano d'Arco]]> Italy--Paola]]> Italy--Battipaglia]]> England--Desborough]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> England--Whitehaven]]> Kenya]]> England--Yeovil]]> Kenya--Nairobi]]> Kenya--Kitale]]> Tanzania--Mbeya]]> Tanzania--Mwanza]]> Uganda--Entebbe]]> Kenya--Kisumu]]> England--Cambridge]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Zimbabwe--Gweru]]> Zimbabwe]]> South Africa]]> Sierra Leone]]> France]]> Algeria]]> Tunisia]]> Italy]]> Netherlands]]> Germany]]> Norway]]> Poland]]> Belgium]]> Tanzania]]> Uganda]]> Iran]]> North Africa]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Iran--Tehran]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Germany--Homburg (Saarland)]]> Tunisia--Munastīr]]> Tunisia--Qayrawān]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Cumberland]]> England--Devon]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Lancashire]]> Italy--Capri Island]]>
Robert Holman]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Navy]]> Great Britain]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> He names the crew and describes their roles, including the ground crews, details the activities before an operation, and lists his operations he was involved in.

This item was provided, in digital form, by a third-party organisation which used technical specifications and operational protocols that may differ from those used by the IBCC Digital Archive.]]>
WH Brooker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Georgie Donaldson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Orange]]> Victoria--Geelong]]> New South Wales--Harden]]> Victoria]]> New South Wales--Lismore]]> South Australia--Adelaide]]> Great Britain]]> England--Newcastle upon Tyne]]> England--High Wycombe]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> France--Brest]]> Belgium--Leopoldsburg]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Cherbourg]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Orléans]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Victoria]]> France]]> New South Wales]]> South Australia]]> Germany]]> Belgium]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> 1944]]>
Initially he served on Wellingtons at Snaith. He describes individual operations starting with Emden. After 30 operations he was transferred to an Operational Training Unit as an instructor, firstly to Lichfield then to Church Broughton. He then transferred to a Heavy Conversion Unit, training on Halifaxes and Lancasters, based at Skellingthorpe and Swinderby. He was then posted to Waddington with 463 Squadron, RAAF. After several operations he transferred to a specialist gunnery course before returning to 463. Bombing operations were switched to France to assist in hampering German reinforcements after D-day. He describes the various roles of the crew during a flight and how targets were decided by the High Command. He concludes with aids to bombers -GEE, H2S, Oboe and Pathfinders. Also he describes counter measures such as ABC, Tidal and Window.

This item was provided, in digital form, by a third-party organisation which used technical specifications and operational protocols that may differ from those used by the IBCC Digital Archive.]]>
WH Brooker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Georgie Donaldson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Australia]]> Western Australia]]> Victoria--Ballarat]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bournemouth]]> England--Brighton]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Kiel Canal]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Friesland]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> England--Lincoln]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> France--Brest]]> France--Lille]]> Belgium--Leopoldsburg]]> France--Cherbourg]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Orléans]]> France--Rennes]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Victoria]]> France]]> Germany]]> Belgium]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Sussex]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]>
]]> Harold Kirby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> 1942-08]]> 1946-11]]> He met his future wife in the Unity bar in Lincoln.
Reg survived a crash on a fighter training session when four of his aircrew died.
He also survived ten operations to Berlin. On one operation they were shot up and lost a lot of fuel and had to make an emergency landing at RAF Wittering where no one could be found because they were at a party, on base.
Arriving back on another operation they found everywhere fogged in but landed at RAF Melbourne where they had to stay for a few days until the fog cleared. They had no clothes to change into, no money and no toothbrushes.
After one operation they landed safely and on powering down the aircraft a bomb, which should have been dropped over Germany, came free and rattled down the bomb bay without exploding.
Once they came back with a large hole in the wing, made by a bomb.
On another op they shot down a JU-88 night fighter.
Bombing operations were directed by a Master Bomber who set flares.
Reg and Fred were given Lincoln Imps as mascots but the night Fred died he had left his mascot on another tunic.
He describes the landing procedures when 40 Lancasters arrive back at the same time, most low on fuel.
His navigator, Fl Lt Frank Swingerd calculated winds aloft and Reg transmitted these to 5 Group aircraft.
He describes the various operating areas of the crew on board the Lancaster.]]>
Reg Payne]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Rutland]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> Germany]]> 1943]]>
By June 1943 Reg is at RAF Cottesmore, 14 Operational Training Unit.
He details his daily tasks before operations.
Next he is moved to RAF Wigsley Heavy Conversion Unit for conversion to Halifaxes then Lancasters then ended up at RAF Skellingthorpe.
The social life at Skellingthorpe is popular and he met his first wife.
November 1943 his brother is missing over Dusseldorf.
Each operation he was involved in is described in detail.
Later in his memoir he details where and when he trained.
There is a list of prisoners of war from his squadron and a colour photograph of Reg and two colleagues at the tail of Lancaster 'Just Jane'.
There is a list of Reg's paintings.
He details his post war service via Libya, Cairo, Iran, India and Karachi, ending up at 56 Forward Repair Unit in Rangoon.
In June 1946 he returned to the UK by ship.]]>
Reg Payne]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> British Army]]> Belgium]]> Burma]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Burma--Rangoon]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> France--Paris]]> France--Toulouse]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Marseille]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> Germany--Wolfenbüttel]]> Poland]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1945]]> 1946]]>
Donald Fraser]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Modane]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Leverkusen]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]>