1
25
3
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2177/38151/EKeenEDLEdPegJour900317-0001.1.jpg
20e281b6ab8206c910618dd9c85ec07c
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2177/38151/EKeenEDLEdPegJour900317-0002.1.jpg
e086e2d94df84252504bfd122073126c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Keen, Eric
Eric D L Keen
Description
An account of the resource
Ten items. Collection concerns Eric Keen (1451093) a Stirling flight engineer he flew bombing operations and then glider towing/paratrooper dropping all with 196 Squadron. Collection contains his log book, photographs a letter and memento 5 Franc note.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Steven White and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-01-05
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Keen, EDL
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
17TH. March 1990.
THE EDITOR. PEGASUS JOURNAL.
BROWNING BARRACKS.
ALDERSHOT, HANTS.
SIR,
ON THE NIGHT OF 5TH./6TH. JUNE 1944 TWENTY MEN OF THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT BOARDED A STIRLING BOMBER AND WERE DROPPED OVER NORMANDY. THEY BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AT MIDNIGHT, [inserted] AT KEEVIL AIRDROME IN WILTSHIRE [/inserted] AND WERE DROPPED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. WHILST EN ROUTE ONE OF THE PARTY WROTE OUT ALL THEIR NAMES ON A FIVE FRANC NOTE WITH THE MESSAGE “THANKS FOR THE LIFT.” THIS WAS HANDED TO THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW KEPT TOGETHER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WAR, AND, DESPITE TAKING PART IN MANY BOMBING RAIDS, SURVIVED. [deleted] [indecipherable letters] [/deleted] THE PILOT KEPT THE FIVE FRANC NOTE AND IT IS NOW A TREASURED MEMENTO.
THEY HAVE OFFERED WONDERED HOW MANY [inserted] (PARACHUTISTS) [/inserted] SURVIVED, FOR TO THE CREW IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE SURVICED THE DESCENT THROUGH ALL THE FLAK THAT WAS COMING UP. IT WOULD BE MOST PLEASANT IF IT COULD BE ARRANGED FOR AN EVENING TOGETHER AGAIN. THE NAMES OF THE PARTY ARE AS FOLLOWS:-
LT. STIRLING. – PTES. DOBBINSON
SGT. HARCOURT. – PTES. RUFF
SGT. MILBURN. – PTES. HOLBELLS
SGT. FOX. – PTES. RUDOLPH
SGT. JONES – PTES. DOBSON
CPL. THOMPSON – PTES. CADE
L/CPL. GLEESON – PTES. STONE
PTE. CHADWELL – PTES. CHEETAM
PTS. HARDING – PTES. TOWERS
PTE. NESS. – PTES. MAYES.
P.T.O.
[page break]
OF THE ORIGINAL CREW OF SEVEN MEN [missing words] SURVIVE AND WOULD WELCOME A NIGHT OUT WITH THEIR ERST-WHILE PASSENGERS. I WAS THE FLIGHT ENGINEER ON BOARD, AND WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO RECEIVE NEWS OF ANY OF THOSE NAMED.
PLEASE WRITE OR PHONE.
YOURS SINCERELY.
ERIC KEEN.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to the editor of Pegasus journal from Eric Keen
Story of the Five Franc Note
Description
An account of the resource
Story of paratroopers dropped from Stirling over Normandy on 5/6 June 1944 all signing 5 franc note with message 'thanks for the lift'. Stirling crew survived the war and the pilot kept the note. Lists names of paratroopers and the fact that Eric Keen was the flight engineer.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
E Keen
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1990-03-17
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1990-03-17
1944-06-05
1944-06-06
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
France--Normandy
Great Britain
England--Hampshire
England--Aldershot
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
British Army
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page handwritten letter
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EKeenEDLEdPegJour900317
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Paul Ross
aircrew
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Keevil
Stirling
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1939/36735/BSpearSFSpiersJMv10001.1.jpg
15ea2c565d3e72913c229807481e089b
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1939/36735/BSpearSFSpiersJMv10002.1.jpg
c3d87e7a0e1f3f94c342d217e79da9b7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Field, Peter L and Cynthia G
Peter L Field
P L Field
Cynthia G Field
C G Field
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-09-19
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Field, PL-CG
Description
An account of the resource
144 items and five photograph albums in sub-collections. The collection concerns Peter L and Cynthia G Field and contains memoirs, correspondence, photographs. Peter Field (b. 1920) served as a wireless operator and Cynthia (b. 1921) served as a WAAF in 2 Group. <br /><br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2137">Album One</a> Photographs of various people.<br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2138">Album Two</a> Photographs of people and places, postcards.<br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2141">Album Three</a> Photographs of parents house over the years.<br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2144">Album Four</a> Photographs of family events, places and people.<br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2146">Album Five</a> <span>Photographs of wartime colleagues, Cook's tour aerial photographs of bomb damaged German cities, and family and friends as well as two letters home.</span><br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Susan Elizabeth Field and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[underlined] Additional information about Jean’s life [/underlined] For Sally Spear.
It is not known when Jean joined the WAAF but she was already stationed at Huntingdon RAF when I arrived there in late 1941. We began to converse in the NAAFI and discovered many mutual interests, icluding [sic] artistic ones. It was such a joy having a cultural discussion for a change and to savour each other’s sense of humour.
Jean belonged to Intelligence and worked in the Drawing Office. She was fortunate to be amongst educated colleagues, who formed a group, including ourselves, to attend regular musical evenings at nearby Hemingford Grey. Borrowing camp bicycles in January 1942, we would make our way to the 12th. century Manor House, sometimes in moonlight, later on during light summer evenings. Mrs. Lucy Boston welcomed any local RAF personnel who cared to turn up to listen to classical records played on a wind-up gramophone with a huge horn. Interval refreshments were very civilised, in a candle-lit dining room with log fire blazing in a Tudor-arched fireplace, using “best china”. Mrs. Boston took an interest in Jean and wanted to draw Jean’s elegant hands, but the idea lapsed I believe.
A sequel to the evenings came about after Mrs. Boston died at the age of 98 in 1990. On behalf of Jean and myself, I wrote to Peter Boston, the son, expressing our gratitude for all his mother did for us at an impressionable age and at an extraordinary time.
He kindly invited us to the memorial service in October. Jean was to get a lift to Luton to take the coach to Cambridge, where we could pick her up. On the day it was worrying late when she arrived, but we managed to get to the church just in time. It was a hot day for Jean, in her already weak state, but she was determined, also, not to miss going to the house for refreshments afterwards. Sheer willpower enabled Jean to get through the afternoon and somehow to climb the stone staircase to the old Music Room, looking, amazingly, just the same as remebered. [sic] Finally we took Jean back with us to Birmingham and put her straight to bed.
Back to 1942, when our friendship underwent a test after my promotion to corporal and subsequently to sergeant, to qualify me for other work, albeit on the same camp, so that we saw less of each other for a time. Jean was anyway to be posted soon to RAF Benson, a photo-reconnaissence [sic] airfield feeding its results to the secret Interpretation Unit at Medmenham.
After the war we each attended London Art Schools, Jean at the Central School and myself at Goldsmiths College School of Art. We met from time to time – I remember her elder brother John, looking very impressive in his naval officer’s uniform, treating us to lunch at Vereeshwarmy’s rather grand Indian restaurant near the Mayfair Hotel (not sure of the spelling!). Jean would also visit me at my aunts’ Hampstead flat, where I lodged as a student.
[page break]
2.
In 1948 I received a devastating reply from Jean after sending her an invitation to my wedding in July. She was in South Mimms Hospital awaiting an operation and would be unable to come. I visited her there on my own, finding her extremely apprehensive about her coming ordeal. Some family members were also there, with Jean obviously feeling everything was becoming somewhat overwhelming, despite trying her hardest to keep a grip on herself, poor lass. The family kindly took me off to tea and I was glad Jean would have quiet, but I couldn’t forget Jean’s agony of mind. Peter and I soon went together – she was calmer than when I last saw her – but still had not been operated on, and it was to be a long time for her to endure afterwards also. She was to become increasingly physically more and more vulnerable and less able to work.
There was to be a period of some 12 years when Jean and I were “incommunicado” to each other, I busy with children, but Jean later confessed she also withdrew for undefined reasons. We eventually took up with each other again quite as before. Jean had been living with an aunt in Bushey for some years, but she died, leaving her cottage to a cousin of Jean’s, although he did not need it as much as Jean needed a secure home.
Ultimately Jean came to live at her flat at 62 Claybury, Sparrow’s Herne, Bushey in 1968 and here, as Sally mentions, was converted to the Baha’i faith and found her spiritual anchor. She seemed happy there, but work was becoming impossible for her to manage and she had to give it up. Her last job was at a company called Elliots, no details remembered. Jean got to know Atherton, as Sally mentions, but was left bereft when her friend moved away to Bovingdon. Jean herself then felt she would move to Bovingdon, which became her last home, save for an unfortunate short-lived venture to try a care home in Devon. Her high expectations were the unfortunate reverse of being fulfilled and Jean was extremely lonely. She was, after all an urban person born and bred and did not realise how isolated it can be in the country. Jean had put her flat up for sale and she had let us have some of her furniture but thank goodness she decided, in desperation, to return, just in time to re-secure her flat and of course we saw to it that her furniture came back
Jean’s idealistic, uncompromising attitude on standards in every aspect of life, spiritual, moral, temporal, gave me encouragement still to keep personal integrity against the general trends in society. She loved the best, whether it be of courtesy, honesty, love, or the good things of our world – books, pictures, music, clothes. Had she been rich she would have delighted in using her wealth wisely and generously, even – and she [underlined] was [/underlined] lavish when she had any small windfall! Jean was a sort of Mrs. Boston, who was ev[deleted]e[/deleted]en more uncompromising, if possible, and far more daunting than our dear Jean. It was a blessing on me and my family to have known her.
Cynthia Grayburn Field.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Memoir on the life of Jean Spears by her friend Cynthia Field
Description
An account of the resource
Describes meeting and becoming friends at RAF Huntingdon in late 1941. Writes of their work, common interests and activities including listening to classical music. Mentions promotions and change of job restricting meetings and subsequent postings. Continues with post war activities and on and off relationships.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
C G Field
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941
1942
1990
1948
1968
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Huntingdonshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--London
England--Hertfordshire
England--Bushey
England--Huntingdon
England--Herefordshire
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Civilian
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page printed document
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BSpearSFSpiersJMv1
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Steve Baldwin
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
ground personnel
Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
RAF Benson
RAF Medmenham
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1254/36050/PBakerWB16040010.1.jpg
db7bc5dbb9449eec53df780072594f38
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Baker, William Benjamin
Biff Baker
W B Baker
Description
An account of the resource
45 items. The collection concerns William Benjamin "Biff" Baker DFC (Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents art work and and photographs. He flew operations as an air gunner with 115 and 626 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Pamela Baker and catalogued by Nigel Huckins and Peter Adams.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-11-28
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Baker, WB
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
THREE CHEERS FOR THE MEN ON THE GROUND
by E. Sykes, 1942
Where ever you walk
You'll hear people talk
Of men who go up in the air
For the dare-devil way
They go into the fray
Facing Death with out turning a hair
They'll raise a big Cheer
And buy lots of Beer
For pilots that are going on leave
But they don't give a jigger
For the Flight Mech. or Rigger
Who has nothing but froth on his sleeve.
They just say 'Nice Day'
And then turn away
With never a mention of praise
But the poor bloody erk
Who does all of the Work
Just orders his own beer, and pays.
Its never been told
The hours in the cold
That he spent sealing the Germans fate
How he works on a kite
For all hours of the night
And turns up each morning at eight.
He gets no rake-off
For working to take-off
Or helping the aircrew prepare
When ever there's trouble
He's quick at the double
The men on the ground must be there.
Each flying crew
Will tell it to you
They know what this man's really worth
They know he's just part
Of the R.A.F.'s heart
Even though he stays close to the earth.
He doesn't want Glory
But please tell his story
Spread a bit of his fame around
He's one of the few
But give him his due
Three Cheers for the Men on the Ground.
[page break]
A Reply to Mr. Sykes' Ode
(Newsletter No. 26)
by 'Biff' Baker (No. 18)
Dear Mr. Sykes,
I must put you to rights,
About your view of those who flew.
After the target, we'd turn around
Thanking them on the ground,
'cause the Kite was sound
And to look forward to a 'Friendly Greeting'
From them, still around.
Remember the jocular ruckings we got if we turned up late,
Plus a few shell and bullet holes and sometimes – a dead Mate?
Remember also oft' at standown,
We went into town, a few pints to down
to the Pals we'd lost,
And our Ground-crew invited, at no extra cost?
So, please be fair,
When you say – those up there
Didn't care, 'bout those down there.
Also remember, we were all in it together,
In spite of your frozen shifts and soaking weather.
Medals – eggs or perks,
Officers, Ground-crews, W.A.A.F.s and of course, the Erks
Air-crews and such – So Thanks Very Much'.
[page break]
[inserted] THE WICKENBY NEWSLETTER. MARCH 1990 [/inserted]
ODD ODE TO AN IMAGINARY CREW
by Bill 'Biff' Baker DFC (No. 18)
'Where are we, Navigator’, Captain cried.
'Haven't a clue', he replied
'Try him at rear, his view is clear'
'No good' said Skip, 'He's all snug and warm; having a kip'.
'Well, there's him on top, he'd take a look'
'What, interrupt him, reading his porno book?'
'Then try the WOP, he's a good chance,'
'But WOP, didn't hear, he were tuned into Vic Sylvester and dance.
'Ah! the engineer, he's always awake,'
'Not now Skipper – It's me tea break.'
Then up spoke bomb-aimer, shivering in his combs,'
'What'll I do with all these flipping bombs?'
'Let 'em all go,' cried Skipper in dire distress
'What, down there – we'll blow up our ruddy Mess'
Some time later, collecting gongs galore, King said
'What's this lot for – I've no citation'
But trust our Skipper, who said 'They are for'
'Esprit da corps and ruddy good navigation.'
(With acknowledgements to Mr. Cyril Fletcher) [inserted] WHY? [/inserted]
[photograph]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Poems
Description
An account of the resource
Top left - poem - cheers for the men on the ground by E Sykes 1942. Six verse poem about forgotten ground crew compared to those who fly. Top right - a reply to Mr Sykes ode (newsletter No 26) by 'Bif' Baker (No 18). Letter putting Mr Sykes to rights about those who flew. Bottom left - poem - Odd ode to an imaginary crew by Bill Baker DFC (No 18). Poem about bomber aircrew. Bottom right - painting of a Lancaster with letters 'EM-K.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942
1990-03
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
1990-03
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Artwork
Text
Text. Poetry
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Three printed documents and one coloured painting mounted on an album page
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PBakerWB16040010
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sue Smith
aircrew
arts and crafts
ground crew
ground personnel
Lancaster