Browse Items (163 total)

  • Tags: 103 Squadron

PGrahamJ1701.jpg
Jimmy Graham was employed in a Reserved Occupation but volunteered with the RAF as potential aircrew. He began his training in Northern Ireland and was eventually qualified as an air gunner. He was posted to RAF Elsham Wolds. He took part in the…

PBrittRG1703.jpg
Six aircrew, three sitting and three standing wearing tunic with brevet. Five are sergeants and one a flight sergeant.
Back - Ron Britt (Mid Upper Gunner, RAF), Jack Widdowson (Wireless Operator, RAF) and Arthur Bergman (Bomb Aimer, RAAF)
Front -…

AWhymarkR171103.mp3
Robert Whymark’s father John ‘Jack’ Whymark took part in three tours of operations. Initially Jack was trained as a mechanic and was posted to 17 Squadron at RAF Debden and RAF Martlesham Heath. He then volunteered for aircrew and trained as a…

PThompsonS1601.jpg
Sam Thompson grew up in Northern Ireland and volunteered for the Air Force. After training he completed two tours as an air gunner with 103 and 9 Squadrons. He took part in operations against the Tirpitz and served in Germany after the war.

He was…

Fred Spencer grew up in Bradford and was fourteen when war was declared. He worked at a department store in Bradford and served in the Home Guard while awaiting his call up papers. He thought he would be going into the Army but found he’d been…

ARichGW180417.mp3
Gerald’s father, Wilfred, joined the Royal Air Force in January 1920 and stayed until about 1927 training as an aircraft fitter. He re-joined in June 1940 at RAF Cardington. In 1944, upon completion of training, he went to No. 1 Air Gunnery School…

ARaceR160204.mp3
Raymond Race was born in a family working in the textile industry and joined the RAF in 1943, serving on the metropolitan communications squadron. Tells about his family’s military service: his father joined the Royal Field Artillery; his eldest…

APeelE161018.mp3
Eric Peel worked in the Cotton Exchange in Liverpool before he volunteered for the RAF. He trained as an armourer and was initially posted to 56 Squadron at RAF Sutton Bridge where he worked on Hurricanes. He then was posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham…

PNeilsonNS1604.jpg
Norman Neilson was an apprentice engineer at St Rollox Locomotive Works when he volunteered. He had originally wanted to join the Navy but joined the RAF because the only way he could be released from his position was to volunteer for aircrew. His…

AJohnsonM160830.mp3
Mark Johnson reminisces about John Blair. He discusses family life in rural Jamaica as a mixed-ethnicity person, highly respected by everyone. He was a qualified teacher, a lawyer, and a farmer. Reminisces other Caribbeans who volunteered and served…

ADaviesE180525.mp3
Edward Davies (Sonny) joined the RAF at seventeen as a rear gunner. Having crewed up he joined 103 Squadron and flew on fifty operations. Sonny describes being in the rear turret and how close the crew were, so much that they sang to him on his…

ABirchallJW170816.mp3
James Burchill was in the ATC before he volunteered for aircrew training. He was expected to be deferred but was told he had been chosen for immediate service. On one operation he was injured and by the time he was ready for operational duties again…

PDexterKI1711.jpg
Air to air view of Lancaster PM-R. In the background Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Castle and Bailgate area.

ODexterKI127249-170830-03.jpg
Personal data including dates of commissioning, promotion and death as well as postings and next of kin details.

MDexterKI127249-170830-10.jpg
Ordered 1941 and built by A.V. Roe at Chadderton near Manchester as one of a batch of 620 between November 1943 and June 1943. Twenty of this batch either side of ED 932 (Gibson's aircraft) were modified as type 464 provisioning to enable Barnes…

SDexterKI127249v10023.jpg
Captioned 'Flying Officer Keith Dexter RAFVR 103 Squadron, flew Lancaster ED945 PM-R. Lost 17/6/43 Hal Holland'. Note 'Medals Dexter qualified for Defence M, served DCI Met Police 1939-42 until joined RAF April 1942'. Pilot's brevet above with medal…

YDexterKI127249v2.pdf
Day by day diary covering events from November 1942 to June 1943. Describes flying at Little Rissington and illness over Christmas 1942 which delayed posting. Eventually posted in January 1943 to 30 Operational Training Unit. Describes events at…

MDexterKI127249-170830-050001.jpg
Official document detailing crash of Lancaster ED945 near Boxtel in the Netherlands on 17 June 1943. Details crew including F/O Dexter. On the reverse, details of crew's parents and stating grave number.
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