Browse Items (431 total)
- Temporal Coverage starts with "1945-01"
Sort by:
Operational notes
Lists 42 operations with dates, targets, aircraft, fuel, bomb loads, times and accounts of sortie for each one. Mentions Pathfinder marking, occasional air sickness, Master Bomber, number of aircraft lost on some operations, damage to aircraft on a…
Sparks in the air - Jack Smith's wartime story
Covers life before the war and volunteering for the RAF in August 1940. Continues with account of training as a wireless operator. Includes radio school crest and photograph of a Battle aircraft. Describes voyage from Liverpool via Cape Town then…
Sparks in the air - Jack Smith's wartime story
Second version. Covers life before the war and volunteering for the RAF in August 1940. Continues with account of training as a wireless operator. Includes radio school crest and photograph of a Battle aircraft. Describes voyage from Liverpool via…
Arthur Pearce Air Force Diary 1945
Some personal data and a list of operations with heights. Entries for flying days, Operations January to April 1945, Mentions leave, birthdays, train times, days out, events, news of friends and acquaintances, meetings and parties, hospital…
Water under the bridge
Part 1. "By the Seat of his Pants". Covers from Alan Gamble's years as a schoolboy in Worthing in the late 1930's, up to joining the RAF in 1943, where he trained as a wireless operator in Blackpool. He joined 620 Squadron, which was equipped mainly…
Interview with Harry Winter
Harry Winter grew up in Cardiff and worked in a paper mill from the age of 14. He served in the Home Guard before he volunteered for the Air Force. After training as a wireless operator at RAF Yatesbury he flew operations over Germany, France, and…
Alfonso ‘Liviano’ Zamparo being tortured
A screaming naked man is suspended across a cell by ropes tied around his wrists, looped over a hook on the wall, and his ankles, looped through the bars of a window. The rope threaded through the window is held by a uniformed figure. A bucket is…
Tempio ossario dei Caduti d'Italia being used as partisan hideout
During a winter’s night, in the street outside a church, two Alpini, a priest and another figure in the shadows are present. One of the soldiers is running away whilst the other soldier is clutching four rifles in his arms. Lights are on inside the…
Partisan ‘Napoli’ being tortured
A man is tied to a wall with blood dripping from head wounds. Two soldiers in green and black uniforms are threatening him with weapons. One is shouting and pointing to a bludgeon, whilst the other soldier is kneeling down pointing a rifle at the…
Bombers flying over San Giorgio di Nogaro
Bombers fly over a town. In the scene, every window is lit up. Civilians are running for shelter. A woman reaches out for her child. One man remains stationary and seems confused. The five aircraft are being targeted by anti-aircraft fire.
Label…
Label…
Bombing of the S. Giorgio di Nogaro railway station
Bent and twisted railway tracks, flying pieces of metal, smoke and fire are featured prominently in the background, while another bomb is coming in from the left. The nearby railway station and two adjacent tracks look undamaged.
Label reads…
Label reads…
Bombing of Udine
On a starry winter’s night, a yellow glow is visible on the horizon, accompanied by bursts of anti-aircraft fire and tracers. Naked mulberry trees are visible in the distance.
Label reads “212”; signed by the author; caption reads “20…
Label reads “212”; signed by the author; caption reads “20…
Repairs of a railway line after a bombing
Repairs being carried out on bombed railway tracks on a starry night. The tracks are bent around a large crater. Men are using picks, shovels and a wheel-barrow while watched over by military personnel. The scene is illuminated by torch-light. A man…
Bombing of the Torviscosa railway bridge
On a clear winter’s day, a bridge on a railway line has been bombed. There is a village nearby where the telegraph poles have come down. In the foreground, a branch of the canal forks off to the left and a boat is moored at the side. Two aircraft…
Telegram to Sam Saunders DFC
A telegram congratulating Sam being awarded a Distinguished Service Order
No 2 Squadron, 2nd Tactical Air Force, 29 July 1944 - 3 January 1945
This is a diary covering No 2 Squadron, Aircraft Mobile Servicing part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, recording their journey from the time they landed in France until they arrived in Holland in early 1945.
List of Gordon Catling's operations with 50 squadron
Notes that he was posted to 50 Squadron on 2nd November 1944. Then lists 29 operations flown by Lancaster crew including Gordon Catling from Royal Air Force Skellingthorpe between November 1944 and April 1945. First operation flown as co-pilot on…
Letter from Bernard Gumbley to his brother Larry
Transcription of letter from Ken Gill's pilot. Writes of snow clearing activities. Catches up with news of brothers and family's activities. Mentions recent snowy weather and a difficult flight when they had difficulty finding somewhere to land.…
Flight Engineer, 420 Squadron RCF, Bomber Command, RAF WWII
Ben May's life and service as a flight engineer on 420 Squadron flying Halifax from January 1945. Relate life before volunteering for aircrew and being called up for the RAF in February 1944. Provides short description of training and joining 420…
Interview with David Berrie
David Berrie joined the RAF and served as a wireless operator. He flew six operations with 576 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds. Shares his experience about living on the station with Polish crews. Remembers crashing twice in twenty-four hours and on…
The Log
Experiences of the prisoners of war in the Belaria camp of Stalag Luft 3 by Squadron Leader Bryce Cousens. It contains stories, poems and illustrations.
Interview with Frank Wilcox
Frank Wilcox was born in Wales and worked in aircraft manufacturing. He was later called up and served in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Anzio and became a prisoner of war. When he was released and returned to the UK…
Interview with Sue Chaplin
Susan Chaplin was born in North Marston and was a local teacher. She recounts the story her mother told her as a young girl, about Wellington HE740 which crashed near the village. With her local history group she researched and wrote a book “The…
Interview with Irene Bradbury
The interview is about Irene’s husband Dennis Bradbury, who died in 2017. In the March 1943 he enlisted in the Royal Air Force volunteer reserve, and became a wireless operator / air gunner, training on Proctors. After crewing up he ended up with…
Interview with Joy Colbeck
Joy Colbeck was born in Maidstone, Kent and served within the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the war. Her brother, John, joined the RAF on the 28 of April 1943, qualified at as an air gunner in April 1944, before being transferred to an…