Bill Bailey]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Free French Air Force]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Norway]]> Poland]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> England--Birmingham]]> England--Devon]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France--Domléger-Longvillers]]> France--Ardennes]]> France--Calais]]> France--Cap Gris Nez]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Freiburg im Breisgau]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Manitoba--Carberry]]> Netherlands--Domburg]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> Ontario--Hamilton]]> Ontario--Picton]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> France]]> Ontario]]> New Brunswick]]> Nova Scotia]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Warwickshire]]> Manitoba]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> Belgium--Saint-Vith]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France--Calais]]> France--Criel-sur-Mer]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Somme]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Freiburg im Breisgau]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Merseburg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Zeitz]]> Manitoba--Carberry]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Ontario--Hamilton]]> Ontario--Picton]]> Scotland--Moray]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Poland]]> Ontario]]> New Brunswick]]> Belgium]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Manitoba]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1944-05-24]]> 1944-05-25]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-08-30]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-03]]> 1944-09-05]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-24]]> 1944-09-26]]> 1944-09-27]]> 1944-10-19]]> 1944-10-20]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-25]]> 1944-10-28]]> 1944-10-29]]> 1944-10-30]]> 1944-10-31]]> 1944-11-02]]> 1944-11-04]]> 1944-11-11]]> 1944-11-21]]> 1944-11-27]]> 1944-11-28]]> 1944-11-29]]> 1944-12-04]]> 1944-12-06]]> 1944-12-07]]> 1944-12-12]]> 1944-12-13]]> 1944-12-21]]> 1944-12-26]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-01-06]]> 1945-01-07]]> 1945-01-14]]> 1945-01-15]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-01-17]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike French]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Bonn]]> Germany--Bremerhaven]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kaiserslautern]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Neuruppin]]> Germany--Soest]]> Germany--Stade (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany--Wiesbaden]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Germany--Boizenburg]]> 1943]]> 1944-11-21]]> 1944-11-22]]> 1944-12-05]]> 1944-12-06]]> 1944-12-12]]> 1944-12-13]]> 1944-12-17]]> 1944-12-18]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-01-17]]> 1945-02-01]]> 1945-02-02]]> 1945-02-03]]> 1945-02-04]]> 1945-02-05]]> 1945-02-13]]> 1945-02-14]]> 1945-02-28]]> 1945-03-01]]> 1945-03-13]]> 1945-03-14]]> 1945-03-15]]> 1945-03-16]]> 1945-03-19]]> 1945-03-20]]> 1945-03-27]]> 1945-03-28]]> 1945-03-29]]> 1945-03-30]]> 1945-04-13]]> 1945-04-14]]> 1945-04-15]]> 1945-04-16]]> 1945-04-18]]> 1945-04-19]]> 1945-05-02]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]> 1949]]> 1950]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1953]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available. ]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cheshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Bamberg]]> Germany--Saxony]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Scotland--Elgin]]> Scotland--Moray]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-03-20]]> 1945-03-23]]> 1945-04-08]]> 1945-05-10]]> 1945-06-25]]> 1945-07-02]]> 1945-07-03]]> 1945-07-05]]> 1945-07-12]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> Pakistan]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--West Midlands]]> England--Worcestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Harburg (Landkreis)]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> India--Dehra Dūn]]> Pakistan--Karachi]]> Scotland--Moray Firth]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945-04-04]]> 1945-04-05]]> 1945-04-08]]> 1945-04-09]]> 1945-04-11]]> 1946]]> 1950]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1953]]> He also recounts his experience in the RAF after his flying career while awaiting demobilisation.
There is also a list of the operations that Henry carried out.]]>
Henry Sturrock]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Devon]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> France--Calais]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Germany--Hagen (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Leverkusen]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Hanau]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Goch]]> Germany--Leipzig Region]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> 1944-06-27]]> 1944-08-19]]> 1944-09-03]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-15]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-25]]> 1944-09-27]]> 1944-10-07]]> 1944-10-09]]> 1944-10-14]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-25]]> 1944-10-28]]> 1944-10-30]]> 1944-10-31]]> 1944-11-02]]> 1944-11-04]]> 1944-11-06]]> 1944-11-21]]> 1944-11-23]]> 1944-12-02]]> 1944-12-12]]> 1944-12-24]]> 1944-12-28]]> 1944-12-30]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-01-06]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-02-02]]> 1945-02-04]]> 1945-02-07]]> 1945-02-09]]> 1945-02-13]]> 1945-02-14]]> 1945-03-02]]>
Training continued on Whitleys before a transfer to Acaster Malbis for yet more training, followed by the heavy conversion unit at Marston Moor, on Halifaxes.
His first operational posting was 51 Squadron at Snaith. He covers each operation in detail. Interspersed with the details are explanations of electronic systems and tactics used.
During one operation he was shot down and parachuted behind the German lines. Eventually he was taken prisoner, interrogated then transferred to Stalag Luft 7. As the Russians got nearer they were forced to walk west. Later they were transferred by train to Stalag IIIA.
The account then jumps to reunions in the 1980s, then returns to the last few days at the camp as the war ends.
He reached home on 15th May.

This item is available only at the International Bomber Command Centre / University of Lincoln. ]]>
Henry Wagner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Royal Navy]]> Great Britain]]> England--Henley-on-Thames]]> England--Reading]]> England--London]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Hull]]> England--Manchester]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Liverpool]]> South Africa--Durban]]> South Africa--East London]]> Yemen (Republic)--Aden]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> Egypt--Port Said]]> Libya--Tobruk]]> Italy--Sicily]]> Algeria--Algiers]]> England--Harrogate]]> England--Whitley Bay]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Falmouth]]> England--York]]> Northern Ireland--Belfast]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> Germany--Jülich]]> Germany--Essen]]> England--Beachy Head]]> Germany--Neuss]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> England--Derby]]> Germany--Soest]]> England--Nottingham]]> Germany--Hildesheim]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Alps]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Hagen (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Düren (Cologne)]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Germany--Giessen (Hesse)]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Yemen (Republic)]]> Italy]]> Algeria]]> Libya]]> Egypt]]> North Africa]]> Germany]]> Belgium]]> South Africa]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Schönebeck (Schönebeck)]]>
Henry Wagner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> He passed through the Aircrew Reception Centre in London, Brighton, and Liverpool, Henry found himself sailing to Durban, South Africa. He tried to become a pilot but failed a test in a Tiger Moth so was placed in the Navigational Training School. He met Graham Walker while there. On 23 December 1943 Henry became a Sergeant with a Navigator’s brevet. (Navigator brevet p27).
After moving through RAF West Freugh, Scotland, Henry was then posted to the OTU RAF Abingdon to learn more complex skills in addition to lectures about the Luftwaffe, Intelligence information and ‘Escape and Evasion’. Henry crewed up at Abingdon. (Photographs of crew p 34-5). The next move was to 4 Group Training School, and this confirmed for the crew that they would be flying Halifax Mark 3 aircraft. Here lectures were ‘all good stuff’.
The penultimate move was to 1952 HCU RAF Marston Moor to learn about the Halifax Mark 3 and meet Sergeant Eric Berry, flight engineer. (Photograph p37). Henry describes the duties of the navigator, the use of the ‘Master Bomber’, some of the anti-aircraft techniques that were used in the technological war. (Photograph using of the H2S p39, pieces of the ‘Window’ radar defence p50).
Finally, they moved to RAF Snaith. There Henry took part in raids on Julich near Essen x 2, Hagen (an aborted mission), Soest, in the Ruhr Valley, Duisburg x 2, Aachen, Munster, and Osnabruck. There was a degree of acceptance that they were statistically going to die during their duties.
Henry was returning from a raid when he appraised the pilot that there was a fire onboard. The pilot to decide to abandon the aeroplane, and Henry parachuted from his plane. He landed in the garden of a domestic house and explains the contents of his evasion-pack. He was captured, moved to the Aircrew Interrogation Centre was in Oberursel and then onto Stalag Luft 7 Bankau, Silesia. Here he rejoined John Trumble with whom Henry had undergone part of his training. There was an army padre at the camp and the influence Captain John Collins had on the POWs both at Stalag Luft 7 and when the men were marching to other camps is described. They arrived at Stalag 3A, Luckenwaldwe. Henry describes Red Cross parcel, daily life there, attacks of dysentery, and ‘Goon-baiting’.
When the ‘gen’ revealed the Russians were only 12 miles from the camp, the Germans abandoned them, and RAF Wing Commander Beamont assumed command of the camp. On 22 April 1945, the Russians arrived. They refused to release the POWs, so Henry and John walked 7 miles westwards where they were met by the Americans and taken to the Reception Centre, Schonebeck.
With VE declared and de-lousing completed they were returned to RAF Wing, Aylebury. He shows the graves of his crew (photographs p 99-101).
On demobbing Henry resumed his university studies and became a teacher. He married and had children. Henry went to a Stalag Luft 7 reunion in 1982.

Claire Campbell]]>
eng]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> Germany]]> Kenya]]> Germany--Winterfeld]]>
J H Thomas]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Albury]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> New South Wales--Narrandera]]> Victoria--Point Cook]]> United States]]> California--San Francisco]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Rugby]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> France--Nieppe Forest]]> France--Falaise]]> France--Somain]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Lumbres]]> France--Le Havre]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> France--Calais]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Mülheim an der Ruhr]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> Germany--Koblenz]]> Germany--Ludwigshafen am Rhein]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> California]]> New York (State)]]> New South Wales]]> Victoria]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941-12]]> 1942-09-12]]> 1942-12-09]]> 1943-02-07]]> 1943-06-16]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-07-12]]> 1944-07-17]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-01]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-08]]> 1944-08-11]]> 1944-08-15]]> 1944-08-16]]> 1944-08-18]]> 1944-08-25]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-09]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-20]]> 1944-10-07]]> 1944-10-14]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-25]]> 1944-10-30]]> 1944-11-02]]> 1944-11-18]]> 1944-12-24]]> 1944-12-28]]> 1944-12-29]]> 1945-01-02]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-01-13]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-01-22]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Grantham]]> 1945-10]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--York]]> 1945-10]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--York]]> 1945-10]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1945-10]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1945-10]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--York]]> 1945-10]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1945-11]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1945-11]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1945-11]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--York]]> 1945-11]]> Jack Darby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--York]]> 1945-11]]> P J Hogan]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Lichfield]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)]]> England--Selby]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Kamen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1944-11]]> 1980-10-12]]> 1980-11-02]]> 1944-07]]> 1945-01]]> 1945-02-01]]> 1945-02-20]]> 1945-03-03]]> 1945-03-04]]> RAF Acaster Malbis, Officer's Mess]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Moray]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Italy]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--Naples]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Manchester]]> Canada]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Alberta--Lethbridge]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> United States]]> New York (State)--New York]]> England--Filey]]> England--Harrogate]]> Northern Ireland]]> England--Claygate]]> Germany--Rhineland]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Trier]]> Germany--Bonn]]> Germany--Neuss]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Homburg (Saarland)]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Recklinghausen (Münster)]]> Germany--Bochum]]> France--Aube]]> Netherlands--Hague]]> Netherlands]]> Germany]]> New Brunswick]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]>