Browse Items (104 total)

  • Tags: 57 Squadron

PLeedhamA1601.jpg
Alma Leedham grew up in London and worked for Hawker aircraft on the Hurricane at the start of the war. She later trained as a driver in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and served at RAF Scampton driving tractors taking bombs to the aircraft. Alma…

PPackmanDE1601.jpg
Doug grew up in Kent, and joined the Royal Air Force aged 18, as a flight engineer for 630 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby in 5 Group Bomber Command, flying Lancasters. He carried out 34 operations, followed by time as an instructor at RAF Syerston,…

ATaylorDP181017.mp3
Doug Taylor already had a pilot’s licence when he volunteered as RAF aircrew. However, he considered the lengthy training ahead to join the RAF as a pilot, thinking that the war might end before he’d had a chance to join, so he volunteered as an…

SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v610006.mp3
Doug Marsh was the son of a Royal Navy officer and, as a child, frequently moved around between Kent and Lincolnshire. When his father retired from the Navy his parents bought a fish and chip shop in Grimsby but shortages meant that the business…

ABrownE160314.mp3
Eric left school at 14 and worked, initially, in a bakery and then moved to accountancy. Aged 17 he volunteered for aircrew and trained as a flight engineer. He became a pathfinder and carried out operations to Hamburg, Karlsruhe, and Dortmund,…

AYoungF160720.mp3
Fred Young volunteered for the Royal Air Force at 17 and flew operations as a flight engineer with 57 Squadron from RAF East Kirkby. He recounts his experiences on several operations including Berlin, Magdeburg, Leipzig, Essen, Munich, Dresden, and…

AColeFJ160719.mp3
Frederick Cole grew up in Derby and was studying for a degree when he joined the Royal Air Force. He met his wife at an RAF dance during the war. He completed his degree after the war and had a career with Rolls Royce.

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Horace Robertson was working with his father as a shoe repairer in Edinburgh before he joined the RAF. He trained as an electrician and his first posting was at RAF Finningley where he worked on Hampdens. He was then posted to a salvage unit and…

ALorimerH160622.mp3
Hugh Lorimer skipped school to see a flying circus and won a flight in one of the aeroplanes. He later volunteered for the RAF and began training as a wireless operator. He was, initially, posted to Special Duty Flight test flying in India. However,…

PKingJ1701.jpg
Joan King was born in Lincoln and together with her daughter, Linda King, talks about her husband, Eddie King, who served as a mid-upper gunner on Lancasters at RAF Scampton with 57 Squadron. He did two tours of operations. While he was briefly…

PGanneyK1714.jpg
Keith was called up in February 1942 and, after basic training, learned to fly in the Tiger Moth and was then sent to Davidson in Canada for further training in Cornells and Cranes. He failed a flying test and was re-mustered as a bomb aimer and sent…

PManningL1501.jpg
Len Manning grew up in London and worked in a factory before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He flew operations with 57 Squadron before being shot down over France. He spent three months living with supporters of the Resistance in a small…

AHibbardL170221.mp3
Lindsay was born in Murwillumbah, Australia, before moving to Brisbane in 1927. He tells of growing up on the family, and how his eldest brother was killed in Malaya on the Thai Railway, and his older brother returning home to run the farm after his…

PStevensS-M1601.jpg
Sidney was inspired to join The Air Force when he was working as an Air Raid Precaution Warden and his own home was bombed on one occasion. The house next door was also destroyed and the lady who had offered him a cup of tea only hours earlier died.…

PStonemanMW1801.jpg
Maurice Stoneman was posted to 57 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby as the flight engineer on Lancasters in 1943. He recalls that, on returning from operations, they used to fly around the Boston Stump and around Lincoln Cathedral before finally landing.…

PCharltonR1603.jpg
Ray wanted to join Bomber Command but, after going to RAF Paignton, he was re-mustered and went to RAF Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey where he decided to train as a flight engineer. He was posted to RAF Bridlington and this was followed by a…

ABradfordS161031.mp3
Stanley Bradford was working in a Reserved Occupation until he volunteered. The three services were considered but the army and navy both rejected him because of his work. The RAF said that since he was in Reserved Occupation he could only join as a…

LVaseyJ179596v1.pdf
Pilot’s flying log book for J Vasey covering the period from 20 July 1942 to 28 April 1946. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as pilot. He was stationed at RAF Cambridge (22 EFTS) RCAF Neepawa (35 EFTS), RCAF Weyburn (41 SFTS), RAF…

LHitchcockJS740899v1.pdf
J.S. Hitchcock’s RAF Pilot’s Flying Log Book from 25 April 1941 to 28 June 1941, detailing flights as a Transport Command pilot based in Egypt. Very short logbook, includes a summary record of service from 4/12/37 onwards. The last entry reads:…

PGanneyK17010003.jpg
The couple are dressed for a wedding, with floral buttonholes. On the reverse 'Jack Vasey (skipper) & Wife 57 Sqdn'.
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