In 1948, Barry was posted to RAF St Athan No. 32 Maintenance Unit. He initially serviced a flight simulator, then moved to the Aircraft Electrical Servicing Squadron. After a year, he was posted to RAF Cranwell, servicing generators and was promoted to corporal. He passed his leading aircraftman examination. He spent two years in Malta before being posted to RAF Honington, where he became a sergeant.

Barry wanted to service flight simulators, did a course and was posted for two years to Fighter Command at Bentley Priory. He had a broad role in aircraft engineering at Command Headquarters.

Barry moved to become an education officer and did a course at the School of Education at RAF Uxbridge. He spent two years in the education branch, initially at RAF Melksham. He was then posted to RAF Halton to teach electrics and electrical mechanics before setting up the basic training for the first ground electrician apprenticeships.

Barry undertook an unaccompanied 12-month tour to RAF Muharraq (Bahrain) and was in charge of the battery charging room. A further twelve months were spent at RAF Benson on 90 Group Tactical Communication Wing before returning to RAF Halton to join the Trade Standards and Testing Board. This moved to RAF Brompton where he wrote skills and knowledge specifications for RAF trades. Barry left the RAF in 1975 and continued in teaching and training roles.
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Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Bahrain--Muḥarraq]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--London]]> Bahrain]]> Bahrain--Muḥarraq]]> 1945-02]]> 1948]]> 1975]]>
Eric describes his basic training in London and Torbay then recollects his technical training at RAF St. Athan. He then went to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Marston Moor and joined his Halifax crew. In 1944 they were posted to 102 Squadron at RAF Pocklington where there were told that they wouldn't last three weeks.
Eric and his crew carried out a vast range of strategic bombings including daylight operations on V-1 sites, night operations on The Ruhr and Essen, night and daylight operations to oil targets, minelaying in the Baltic. They also provided tactical support in support of Allied troops near Caen and in the Ardennes, where they were badly damaged by a fighter and the mid-upper gunner received serious injuries. After landing at RAF Woodbridge in fog using FIDO he was hospitalised and did not fly again. The crew also supplied petrol to troops in Belgium, enjoying the low-level flying on these trips
Eric describes the sound of shrapnel hitting the aircraft, recalls a bomber exploding in flight, but dismisses the Scarecrow theory. He describes the use of Schräge Musik against the bombers; how search lights in the Ruhr operated, the use of H2S and how the master bomber controlled the rest of the formation.
At the end of his tour Eric remustered and was posted at RAF Jurby as airfield controller. From there he went to RAF Topcliffe and was demobbed in January 1947. Eric went back to the railways for ten years before working in local government. He retired in 1978, moving to Cornwall. While at RAF Pocklington he dated Cora noting that her parents made feel like a son. But he then ended the relationship because, with his own life in such jeopardy, he thought it was unfair on her. After the war he married Ellen, who he had met when starting his first job with the railways.]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Andy Fitter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Devon]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> Wales]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> France]]> France--Ardennes]]> France--Caen]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Nieppe Forest]]> Germany]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Atlantic Ocean]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Denmark]]> Denmark--Bornholm]]> 1923]]> 1937]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1944-01]]> 1944-02]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-09]]> 1945]]> 1946-05-25]]> 1947-01-02]]> 1957]]> 1974]]> 1975]]> 1976]]> 1977]]> 1978]]> 1981]]>
Photo 1 is a man and woman outside their house, captioned 'Bill Hitchcock & Wife at home, Norfolk.
Photo 2 is an invitation to Squadron Leader and Mrs P Lovatt to a 15 Squadron to a presentation parade.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> 1975]]>
B John]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> 1975-10-17]]> B M Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Crawley (West Sussex)]]> England--London]]> England--Middlesex]]> Bahrain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Sussex]]> Bahrain]]> Bahrain--Muḥarraq]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1957]]> 1969]]> 1975]]> Photo 1 is a group of air cadets under the port side of a Hercules, captioned 'Summer Camp at RAF Thorney Island, Hants. Self with Warrant Officer Jack Parker 1975'.
Photo 2 is Ernest and two civilians. Ernest is pointing at a squadron photograph, captioned 'Self, Ron "Pop" Warren & Jack Cottingham at Bletchley in 1978'.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Milton Keynes]]> 1975]]> 1978]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Royal Air Force. Training Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Friedrichshafen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1940-12]]> 1941-01]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> 1958]]> 1963]]> 1975]]> Top - four men standing on a lawn with rockery behind them.
Bottom - three men standing in front of a building with signage stating that it was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in June 1991.
Captions on spine from top to bottom 'May 1993', 'September 1992'.
Right page:
Caption on spine 'July 5, 1975'.
Top - four men, three in shirtsleeves standing on grass with buildings behind in the distance.
Bottom - three men in shirtsleeves and one waring jacket standing talking on grass with buildings in the background.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> 1993-05]]> 1992-09]]> 1975-07-05]]> 1991-06-12]]>
Top - four men in shirtsleeves standing on grass with road and buildings in the background.
Bottom - four men in shirtsleeves sitting on grass with trees behind them.
Caption on spine 'July 5 1975'.
Right page:
Captions on spine top to bottom 'May 30 1983', May 26 1993'.
Top left - three men standing on a lawn with houses in the background.
Top right - two couples standing in front of a house.
Bottom - two men and a woman sitting on a wooden bench with two men standing behind. Hedge in the background.
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IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> 1975-07-05]]> 1983-05-30]]> 1993-05-26]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Inverness-shire]]> Scotland--Inverness]]> 1975-08]]>