The bombing operations he took part in are described, as is his investiture and his time in India as an administrative officer.

Cruickshank then moves to Instructing before returning to Operations including Nuremberg. He then describes the transition to civilian life after his demobilisation from the RAF, poor health and his attempt to build a business in post war Britain.

Some of the photographs mentioned were donated separately and some are recorded as separate items.]]>
G Cruickshank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force. Balloon Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Portland]]> England--Bristol]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Essex]]> England--Aldershot]]> England--Felixstowe]]> England--Harwich]]> England--Middlesex]]> England--Herefordshire]]> Scotland--Ross and Cromarty]]> France]]> France--Clermont-Ferrand]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> France--Toulouse]]> Germany]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> Germany--Rostock]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> India]]> India--Mumbai]]> India--Kolkata]]> India--Bhopal]]> England--Liverpool]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> India--New Delhi]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1942-04-17]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-05-31]]> 1943-05-16]]> 1943-05-17]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]>
Ray Charlton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Eileen Reddish]]> Steve Christian]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Cara Walmsley]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Egypt]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Poland]]> South Africa]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kiel Bay]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> England--Devon]]> England--Essex]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Merseyside]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Clermont-Ferrand]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]> South Africa--Queenstown]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> France--Maillé]]> North Africa]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1943-12-02]]> 1943-12-03]]> 1943-12-04]]> 1943-12-29]]> 1943-12-30]]> 1944-01-01]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-05]]> 1944-01-06]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-15]]> 1944-01-20]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-01-31]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-02-26]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> 1944-03-18]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-24]]> 1944-04-25]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-01]]> 1944-05-02]]> 1944-05-03]]> 1944-05-04]]> 1944-05-07]]> 1944-05-08]]> 1944-05-19]]> 1944-05-20]]> 1944-05-21]]> 1944-05-22]]> John Horsburgh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Atlantic Ocean]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1944-09]]> Chris Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sam Harper-Coulson]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Urft Dam]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> 1945-07]]> Officer commanding 630 Squadron]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jeremy Patton]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> His pilots on operations were Sergeant Clark, Flight Sergeant Banks, Pilot Officer Medley and Pilot Officer Rodbourne. He was killed on his tenth operation, to Stuttgart. At the end of the book there is a photo of the grave site with six headstones.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Rutland]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Wales--Carmarthenshire]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1943-07-27]]> 1943-07-28]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-09-05]]> 1943-09-06]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1943-10-03]]> 1943-10-07]]> 1943-10-08]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-02-26]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> Officer commanding 630 Squadron]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text. Service material]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Nancy]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> Sheila Bibb]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Eastbourne (East Sussex)]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Heathrow Airport (London, England)]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> Chris Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Chris Johnson]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France]]> France--Revigny-sur-Ornain]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1946-03]]> Gill Barnes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> Netherlands]]> England--London]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1944]]> 1946]]> Mick Jeffery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> South Africa]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Devon]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Harrogate]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> England--Eastbourne (East Sussex)]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> India]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jon-Paul Jones]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Modane]]> France--Toulouse]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Paris]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1943-10-20]]> 1943-10-21]]> 1943-11-03]]> 1943-11-04]]> 1943-11-10]]> 1943-11-11]]> 1943-11-18]]> 1943-11-19]]> 1943-11-22]]> 1943-11-23]]> 1943-12-03]]> 1943-12-04]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1943-12-21]]> 1943-12-29]]> 1943-12-30]]> 1944-01-01]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-05]]> 1944-01-06]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-15]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-01-31]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-02-26]]> 1944-02-27]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> 1944-03-18]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-03-21]]> 1944-03-22]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-03-26]]> 1944-03-27]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-09]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-24]]> 1944-04-25]]> 1945-10-11]]> 1945-10-13]]> 1945-10-16]]> 1945-10-18]]> 1945-11-07]]> 1945-11-09]]> 1945-11-29]]> 1946-01-03]]> 1946-02-05]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> South African Air Force]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Kiel]]> 1944-05-03]]> 1944-05-04]]> Julian Maslin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Ray was posted to Bomber Command, initially on Stirlings at RAF Swinderby and then RAF East Kirkby. He crewed up with four Australians and two other English men. He mentions the difficult conditions and crews who did not return. The mid-upper gunner faced several issues before being replaced due to injury.
Ray does describe some of the events on his tour: going round Mont Blanc; an encounter with a German fighter plane; instrument failure, going to the oil fields in Poland; insufficient petrol; the ground crew mixing up oil and coolant when diverted to RAF Tarrant Rushton; almost being hit by a trainer Lancaster crew when trying formation flying. He did, however, later find out that they had saved the lives of 2,000 troops crossing the river at Wesel.
When Germany surrendered, Ray was sent on leave, and then Scotland and Grantham for a commissioning course. He became a pilot officer and was posted to Iraq where he was made adjutant of 1 Squadron.
Ray explains how he felt about the treatment of Bomber Command.
Before his death, Ray’s wife, Jean, was married to another crew member, whom she met while training as a nurse. ]]>
Pam Locker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Christine Kavanagh]]> Sally Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Wales]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Europe--Mont Blanc]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Iraq]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Belgium--Antwerp]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> Belgium--Leopoldsburg]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> France--Mimoyecques]]> France--Grandcamp-Maisy]]> France--Creil]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Annecy]]> France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer]]> France--Caen]]> France--Chalindrey]]> France--Châtellerault]]> France--Donges]]> France--Étampes (Essonne)]]> France--Givors]]> France--Joigny]]> France--Nevers]]> France--Paris]]> France--Pommeréval]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wesseling]]> Germany]]> France]]> Belgium]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-24]]> 1944-04-25]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-05-09]]> 1944-05-10]]> 1944-05-11]]> 1944-05-12]]> 1944-05-19]]> 1944-05-20]]> 1944-05-21]]> 1944-05-22]]> 1944-05-23]]> 1944-05-24]]> 1944-05-25]]> 1944-05-27]]> 1944-05-28]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-02]]> 1944-06-04]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-08]]> 1944-06-09]]> 1944-06-10]]> 1944-06-12]]> 1944-06-13]]> 1944-06-16]]> 1944-06-17]]> 1944-06-21]]> 1944-06-22]]> 1944-06-24]]> 1944-06-25]]> 1944-06-27]]> 1944-06-28]]> 1944-07-12]]> 1944-07-13]]> 1944-07-15]]> 1944-07-16]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-19]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-21]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-26]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-07-28]]> 1944-07-29]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-07-31]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-09]]> 1944-08-10]]> 1945-04-18]]> 1945-04-22]]> 1945-04-25]]> 1945-04-29]]> 1945-04-30]]> 1945-05-02]]> 1945-05-03]]> 1945-05-05]]> 1945-05-11]]> 1945-05-26]]> 1945-09-12]]> 1945-09-29]]> 1945-10-01]]> 1945-10-10]]> Des Hawkins]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Karl Williams]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Italy]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1945]]>