Part 2, "No Problem Sport".Covers Alan Gamble's short flying history over France in 1945 before being shot down, and his experiences as a POW in southern Germany and subsequent liberation. The manuscript of Part 2 appears to be complete except for one or more pages missing about two thirds of the way through. This is at the beginning or the end of a fragment bound by metal clips, and could easily have become detached as the outside pages of some fragments' in Part 3 were also lost. It is therefore possible that only one page is missing.

Part 3. "Nil Desperandum".Covers Alan Gamble's post war experiences up to about 1963. This has not been read.

The manuscript of Part 3 is missing pages 24-86, 120 and 170, the latter two being the outside pages of bound fragments. (Page numbering here has assisted in reconstruction).

Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.





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A T Gamble]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Skegness]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Wales--Porthmadog]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Barrow-in-Furness]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--North Friesland Region]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Turin]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Germany--Berlin]]> France]]> France--Modane]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Jordan]]> Jordan--Amman]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-06-17]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-07-03]]> 1943-07-24]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1943-08-17]]> 1943-08-27]]> 1943-08-31]]> 1943-10-03]]> 1943-11-03]]> 1945-01]]> 1945-02-03]]> 1945-02-07]]>
Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Burma]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> India--Bengal]]> Victoria]]> Victoria--Mount Martha]]> Victoria]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Michael Cheesbrough]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Australia]]> Libya]]> Libya--Darnah]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> North Africa]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> New South Wales]]> 1940]]> 1945-05-05]]> Air Commodore Henry Probert]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> 1995]]> Air Marshall Sir Ralph Sorley]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Navy]]> Great Britain]]> England--Felixstowe]]> England--Eastbourne (East Sussex)]]> England--Calshot]]> England--Bembridge]]> Atlantic Ocean--Spithead Channel]]> England--Cowes]]> England--Stroud]]> Scotland--Montrose]]> England--Sunbury]]> England--London]]> Monaco]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Iraq--Baghdad]]> England--Felixstowe]]> England--Aldeburgh]]> Iraq]]> Middle East--Kurdistan]]> Middle East--Palestine]]> Jordan]]> Iran]]> Middle East--Euphrates River]]> Syria]]> Yemen (Republic)--Aden]]> Singapore]]> Australia]]> Borneo]]> China--Hong Kong]]> England--Kent]]> United States]]> New York (State)--New York]]> France--Paris]]> Nigeria]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> Yugoslavia]]> Norway]]> Portugal]]> Spain]]> Denmark]]> Japan]]> Belgium]]> Argentina]]> Austria]]> Brazil]]> Canada]]> Chile]]> Greece]]> China]]> Lithuania]]> Estonia]]> England--Weybridge]]> Scotland--Island of Arran]]> England--Kingston upon Thames]]> France--Dunkerque]]> England--Hatfield (Hertfordshire)]]> Newfoundland and Labrador]]> New Brunswick]]> Maine]]> Maine--Presque Isle]]> Washington (D.C.)]]> Massachusetts--Boston]]> Pennsylvania--Philadelphia]]> Maryland--Baltimore]]> Washington (D.C.)--Anacostia]]> Tennessee--Nashville]]> Arkansas--Little Rock]]> Texas--Dallas]]> Texas--Fort Worth]]> Texas--Midland]]> Arizona--Tucson]]> California--Burbank (Los Angeles County)]]> California--Palm Springs]]> California--Los Angeles]]> California--Beverly Hills]]> California--San Diego]]> Arizona--Winslow]]> New Mexico--Albuquerque]]> Kansas--Wichita]]> Missouri--Saint Louis]]> Ohio--Dayton]]> New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Québec--Montréal]]> Newfoundland and Labrador--Gander]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> India]]> Switzerland--Zurich]]> Lebanon--Beirut]]> Pakistan--Karachi]]> India--Kolkata]]> Singapore]]> Indonesia--Jakarta]]> Australia]]> Northern Territory--Darwin]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> South Australia--Woomera]]> South Australia--Adelaide]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> Sri Lanka--Colombo]]> Spain--Madrid]]> South Africa--Johannesburg]]> Kenya--Nairobi]]> Sudan--Khartoum]]> Greece--Athens]]> Italy--Rome]]> Zambia--Lusaka]]> Zambia--Ndola]]> Zambia--Mbala]]> Heathrow Airport (London, England)]]> Turkey--Istanbul]]> France--Nice]]> Utah--Salt Lake City]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Atlantic Ocean--Firth of Clyde]]> Italy]]> France]]> Arizona]]> Arkansas]]> California]]> Kansas]]> Maryland]]> Massachusetts]]> Missouri]]> New Mexico]]> New York (State)]]> Ohio]]> Tennessee]]> Texas]]> Utah]]> New South Wales]]> South Australia]]> Victoria]]> Northern Territory]]> Egypt]]> Sudan]]> North Africa]]> Ontario]]> Québec]]> Germany]]> Indonesia]]> Iraq]]> Kenya]]> Lebanon]]> Netherlands]]> South Africa]]> Switzerland]]> Pakistan]]> Sri Lanka]]> Turkey]]> Yemen (Republic)]]> Czech Republic]]> Slovakia]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Great Yarmouth]]>
Label reads “96”; signed by the author; caption reads “18 Marzo 1944. Liberator britannici sulla rotta del ritorno da un’azione di bombardamento sui campi d’aviazione di Gorizia, sganciano spezzoni sull’abitato di Porto Nogaro, una rastrelliera carica di spezzoni e caduta in un campo presso il cimitero rimanendo inesplosa, (dal vero).”

Caption translates as: “18 March 1944. British Liberators, on their way back from the bombing operation on Gorizia airfields, drop small bombs on Porto Nogaro, a rural village. A rack full of small bombs fell in a field near the cemetery. It did not detonate (true-to-life artwork).”]]>
Angiolino Filiputti]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Francesca Campani]]> Alessandro Pesaro]]> Helen Durham]]> Giulia Banti]]> Maureen Clarke]]> ita]]> Artwork]]> Italy--San Giorgio di Nogaro]]> Italy]]> 1944-03-18]]>

Label reads “015”; signed by the author; caption reads “19 Maggio 1944. Liberators e Fortezze volanti attaccano in ondate il ponte ferroviario di Latisana UD, l’obiettivo non è stato colpito, era un mercoledi giorno di mercato il paese affollato, veniva devastato con tutti i suoi abitanti sorpresi nelle strade”.

Caption translates as: “19 May 1944. Liberators and Flying Fortresses attacking the Latisana railway bridge (Udine province) in waves. The target was not hit – it was Wednesday morning, market day, and the village was busy. The inhabitants were taken by surprise in the streets while the village was devastated.”]]>
Angiolino Filiputti]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Francesca Campani]]> Alessandro Pesaro]]> Helen Durham]]> Giulia Banti]]> Maureen Clarke]]> ita]]> Artwork]]> Italy--Latisana]]> Italy]]> 1944-05-19]]>
Annie Moody]]> Gary Rushbrooke]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Cathie Hewitt]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Egypt]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Italy--Sicily]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1965]]> He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19 in 1941, but whilst he was waiting to be called up, he was helping to build a bomber station and what is now Teesside Airport, also completing work at the satellite station of Croft.
Ernie trained as a Wireless Operator, where he did well with Morse Code. He did his training in February 1942. He was sent to Evanton in Scotland, where he also trained as an Air Gunner.
He flew Proctors, Whitleys, Dominies, Avro Ansons, Halifaxes, Lancasters, Liberators and had a trip in at Catalina Flying Board. Ernie flew with 635 Squadron, which was part of the Pathfinders Force.
Ernie completed 51 Operations, flying to Stettin, Chemnitz and Hanover. He was part of the Master Bomber Crew to Dorsten, Kiel, Nuremburg, Osnabruck and Heligoland.
After the war, he was in charge of flying control in India, handling the closing of a Flying Boat base and arranging for them to be returned to the UK.
Ernie left the Royal Air Force in 1946 and returned to work as a Joiner, retiring from work at the age of 78.
]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Second generation]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1943]]>
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
]]>
Bill Bailey]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> South African Air Force]]> Italy]]> Alps]]>
Bill Lanning]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Great Britain]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> England--Kent]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> France]]> France--Morbecque]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Calais]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1944-12-23]]> Birmingham Mail]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> ]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Paderborn]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Europe--Skagerrak Region]]> Europe--Frisian Islands]]> Austria--Vienna]]> Hungary--Szombathely]]> Slovakia--Bratislava]]> Czech Republic--České Budějovice]]> Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany]]> Austria]]> Czech Republic]]> Hungary]]> Slovakia]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1945-03]]> Covers his operational tour and bombing operations.]]> Bob Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Heinsberg (Heinsberg)]]> France]]> France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> United States]]> Michigan--Detroit]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> France--Châlons-en-Champagne]]> France--Caen]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Sylt]]> France--Somme]]> France--Aire-sur-la-Lys]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Brest]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Falaise Region]]> France--Royan]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Glasgow]]> Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> Sweden]]> Denmark]]> Sweden--Malmö]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany--Neuss]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> France--Calais]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Europe--Kattegat Region]]> Norway]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Denmark--Frederikshavn]]> France--Strasbourg]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Emmerich]]> Netherlands--Nijmegen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Antwerp]]> Germany--Essen]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Belgium--Charleroi]]> Germany--Leverkusen]]> Netherlands--Veere]]> Germany--Castrop-Rauxel]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Aachen Region]]> Germany--Düren (Cologne)]]> Germany--Jülich]]> Germany--Fulda]]> Germany--Bottrop]]> Germany--Osterfeld]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Australia]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Queensland--Brisbane]]> Scotland--Inverness]]> England--Blackpool]]> England--Colchester]]> Germany--Merseburg Region]]> 1944]]> Bob Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Aberdeen]]> Scotland--Paisley]]> England--London]]> England--Thetford]]> Norway]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Germany]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Switzerland]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> England--Ely]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> England--Brighton]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Liverpool]]> Malta]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> Western Australia--Fremantle]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Queensland--Ipswich Region]]> Queensland--Maryborough]]> New South Wales--Cootamundra]]> Canada]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> England--Sidmouth]]> Nova Scotia]]> C F Lillie]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Devon]]> England--Honiton]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> United States]]> North Carolina--Hot Springs]]> North Carolina]]> 1944-02-14]]> ]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Egypt]]> Great Britain]]> Middle East]]> Egypt--Ismailia (Province)]]> Egypt--Alexandria]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carron Moss]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary. Allocated S Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Flensburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Hannover]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> After a transit camp in Ismailia, Bill went to Jerusalem and attended a wedding in Bethlehem. He proceeded to an Operational Training Unit at Attiyah where they trained on Wellingtons. He was posted to RAF Shallufa for conversion onto B-24s.
Bill eventually joined 37 Squadron, No. 205 Group, at Tortorella, near Foggia. He went on two operations: one to bomb a railway bridge in the north of Italy and the second to attack marshalling yards near Salzburg in Austria. After the Germans surrendered, he flew up supplies from the south to the north of Italy. The squadron then disbanded, and Bill was sent to a maintenance unit just outside Cairo, delivering aircraft. Bill left the RAF in 1947.
]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Cheshire]]> Scotland--Ross and Cromarty]]> North Africa]]> Egypt]]> Italy]]> Italy--Foggia]]> Austria]]> Austria--Salzburg]]> West Bank--Bethlehem]]> Middle East--Jerusalem]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1947]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Second generation]]> Burma]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> Bangladesh--Jessore District]]> England--Norfolk]]> France--Brest]]> Bangladesh]]> 1936]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> Victor completed 28 operations, including Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Cologne, Essen and Frankfurt, but he missed out on his 30 operations when he contracted rubella. He tells of his experiences on his operations, and supporting the D-Day operations when he and his crew were sent to attack the gun emplacement at Le Havre. He mentions how he saw all the ships heading for the beaches. Victor also recalls being put in charge of training with Lancasters, Halifaxes, Sunderlands and Stirlings, before heading out to Malaya to work on supporting the Army.
He served during the Suez Crisis helping with issues concerning radar. Back home he served at multiple stations before becoming commanding officer at RAF North Luffenham. He mentions an incident at RAF Marham and joining Task Force Grapple which was involved with nuclear testing.
Victor retired in 1977 and then he became a parish councillor for West Norfolk Council, before becoming mayor of West Norfolk from 1990 to 1991. At the local Royal Air Force Association he takes part in events helping to organise the acts of Remembrance every year.
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Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Essex]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Rutland]]> France]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Christmas Island]]> Egypt]]> Malta]]> Singapore]]> Malaysia]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1956]]> 1957]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]>
Chris Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Chris Johnson]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> After leaving school he worked in the clothing trade until the Second World War broke out when John joined the ATC with the intention of going into the RAF as soon as he became eighteen. He was sent to St. Johns Wood for his initial training, with drill at Lord’s Cricket Club. John was sent to Newquay, Brighton and Bridlington which was where he learnt to be an air gunner.
In his logbook (not in the collection), he recorded the places he went to before arriving in Ciro, Egypt, and seeing the Sphinx. John He travelled as a passenger together with a pilot, in a Wellington 10. He finally arrived at RAF Salbani where he was in 355 Squadron. Here he was trained to work on four-engine bombers and flew B-24 Liberators operationally.
John describes the various crew positions and that they were a seven-man crew. He was a middle-upper gunner working to bomb the Japanese positions. Sometimes an operation would be cancelled because the British had already taken to target area from their opponents. John describes the opposition he faced both from enemy fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft fire. One of the returning trips involve the aircraft running out of fuel and the rear gunner seriously injured.
He was in India Command, which became Royal Air Force India, then Southeast and Asia Command. While there he met many Australians returning home. John was in an Australian crew, and they were sent to Jessore to go onto 91 Squadron – air sea rescue (SEAC).
John was shipped back to England before the end of the war (VE). He learnt that President Roosevelt had dies while between Gibraltar and the Bay of Biscay. 1944
Once in England he had to report to a base in Shropshire. John’s Squadron moved to a range of bases before working in charge of ground control at RAF Acklington Northumbria. John worked aircraft control until the conclusion of the war.
VE Day had ‘no effect on [John] personally.’ But there was much deprivation with the devastation from the bombing and the lack of money to buy clothing. John returned to tailoring after the Second World War, from which he retired. He didn’t join a RAF Squadron Association or go to any reunions because his was an unsecure job, so John didn’t have much time to think about how the members of Bomber Command were treated after the war.
John has been to the International Bomber Command Centre and was there at its opening the Spire). He found it difficult to talk to other veterans as he’s partially deaf now. He sometimes has flashbacks to his time in the RAF and feels that they should be learning much more of the Second World War.

Claire Campbell]]>
eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> Iraq]]> Israel]]> England--London]]> India]]> Iraq--Ḥabbānīyah]]> Israel--Tel Aviv]]> Bangladesh--Jessore District]]> Bangladesh]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>
Clare Bennett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Emma Bonson]]> Heather Hughes]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Warwickshire]]> Croatia--Rijeka]]> Danube River]]> Egypt]]> Italy--Foggia]]> Poland--Warsaw]]> Italy]]> Poland]]> Romania--Ploiești]]> Croatia]]> Romania]]> Danube River]]> 1944]]>
The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to Norwich. The family then moved to London where he started an apprenticeship as an accountant.

Joining Up.
Cliff left the accountants to work in his father's radio business. Initially he was rejected by the RAF because he wore spectacles. He reapplied and passed various written, oral and medical examinations. Initial training was at Torquay then Newquay. Once training was complete he sailed from Greenock to South Africa.

Southern Rhodesia.
After acclimatisation in South Africa, Cliff and his colleagues were put on a sleeper train to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. Training commenced on Tiger Moths but he was 'scrubbed' or rejected. He was reselected as an air gunner and completed a course in Moffat, also in South Rhodesia. Hospitality in Rhodesia and South Africa was described as generous and excellent.

Postscript.
Cliff describes a run-in with a training corporal who took a dislike to him. Despite faked evidence he proved his points and emerged with a clean record and passed his exams.

Operational Training.
In August 1942 he sailed back to the UK. He was sent to Bournemouth for assessment, then on to RAF Finningley for training then RAF Bircotes for operations. Next was a move to RAF Hixon and its satellite airfield at Seighford. He married Hilda on 1st March 1943 during a week's leave.

Second Time to Africa.
He was then sent to West Kirby, Liverpool to join a ship sailing to Algiers, for further training. Their destination became Blida where they started operations on Tunis and Monserrato airfield. They then moved to a desert strip to the east by 250 kms. From there they continued operations into Italy. Later they moved to Kairouan and continued operations into Italy, mainly Sardinia and Sicily. Each operation is described in great detail.
He has included a letter in Arabic with instructions to take the bearer to British soldiers for a reward. At the end of his tour they sailed back to Greenock.

Screened.
After some leave Cliff's next posting was at Operational Training Unit Desborough where he helped train new gunners. Due to an argument with an officer he was sent to RAF Norton for correctional training. On his return his case was reviewed and the severe reprimand was removed from his record.

Scampton.
Scampton was Cliff's next operational base then Winthorpe for its Heavy Conversion Unit on Stirlings, followed by Syerston on Lancasters then Bardney.

227 Squadron.
Cliff joined 227 squadron at Bardney. Again he covers in detail each operation. His flight was later transferred to Balderton. During this period he was awarded the DFC.

Final Leg.
His squadron was transferred to Gravely at the end of the war. He did a photography course and was transferred to Handforth. There was little work, some unpleasantness and eventually a period of extended leave, a spell at Poynton looking after prisoners then demob.

Back to Civvy Street.
Cliff returned to Whitehaven to revitalise a radio company. He gives great detail about the improvements made. Later he set up a similar enterprise at Maryport. Wired radio services were set to become less popular and financially worthwhile so seeing the writing on the wall he decided to emigrate.

Kenya.
Cliff and family flew to Nairobi, then bus to Kitale where his father was.

Hoteli King George.
Dissatisfied with life on his father's farm, Cliff took a job as a prison officer. He and his family moved to Nairobi. He relates several stories about prisoners and their better qualities but in the end he gets restless and leaves.

Civil Aviation.
Cliff joined the East African Directorate of Civil Aviation in April 1951 as a radio officer. He and his family were relocated to Mbeya, 900 miles from Nairobi. His skills as a radio engineer were well used in this remote location. After 2.5 years the family returned to UK on leave. On his return he was posted to Mwanza, also in Tanganyika. He describes in great detail a royal visit. They left on leave in June 1957 and collected a VW Beetle for transport to Kenya. Their next move was to Entebbe. This was not a happy posting and led to a transfer to Kisumu in Kenya. After three years they transferred to Nairobi to spend more time with their children, who were at boarding school there.

D.C.A. Headquarters.
His role here was Telecomms superintendent. He describes in detail the operations of his section. This was an unsettled period in Kenya with many Europeans returning home.

Dec' 61 on Leave.
Leave was spent at their house in Wales then in May 1962 Cliff returned alone to Nairobi. His family did return later. By this time his father had abandoned his farm and was building radios.

On Leave June 1964.
He bought another house in Wales and spent his leave restoring it. His wife's mother moved in. In November 1964 Cliff returned alone to Nairobi. he left within a year due to the worsening situation.

Job Hunting.
Several electronics firms were approached offering Cliff's services. He attended an interview with Pye who quickly offered him employment.

At Pye Telecommunications.
He found his colleagues unhelpful. A great deal of time was spent on a Turkish quotation that had been in progress for 10 years. A quotation to the Iranian Directorate of Civil Aviation contained complications leading to Cliff revising the quotation. Later there was a complicated installation job at the London Stock Exchange. Eventually Pye pulled out from the bid but a rival company won it, only to be taken over by Pye. At first the system was troubled but after a simple modification it worked perfectly.

Dresden 13-14 February 1945.
A one page description of the bombing of Dresden.

Curriculum Vitae.
Cliff Watson's CV, dated 1976.











]]>
Cliff Watson DFC]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Huntingdon]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Norwich]]> England--London]]> England--Torquay]]> England--Newquay]]> England--Birkenhead]]> Scotland--Greenock]]> Sierra Leone--Freetown]]> South Africa--Durban]]> Zimbabwe--Bulawayo]]> South Africa--Mahikeng]]> Zimbabwe--Harare]]> Singapore]]> South Africa--Cape Town]]> England--Bournemouth]]> France--Paris]]> Algeria--Algiers]]> Algeria--Blida]]> Tunisia--Tunis]]> Italy--Sardinia]]> Italy--Cagliari]]> Tunisia--Bizerte]]> Italy--Monserrato]]> Italy--Decimomannu]]> Italy--Trapani]]> Italy--Palermo]]> Italy--Naples]]> Italy--Rome]]> Italy--Lido di Roma]]> Italy--Tiber River]]> Italy--Alghero]]> Italy--Castelvetrano]]> Italy--Pantelleria Island]]> Tunisia--Sūsah]]> Italy--Syracuse]]> Italy--Messina]]> Italy--Salerno]]> Italy--Bari]]> Italy--Comiso]]> Italy--Crotone]]> Italy--Pomigliano d'Arco]]> Italy--Paola]]> Italy--Battipaglia]]> England--Desborough]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Norway--Oslo]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> England--Whitehaven]]> Kenya]]> England--Yeovil]]> Kenya--Nairobi]]> Kenya--Kitale]]> Tanzania--Mbeya]]> Tanzania--Mwanza]]> Uganda--Entebbe]]> Kenya--Kisumu]]> England--Cambridge]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Zimbabwe--Gweru]]> Zimbabwe]]> South Africa]]> Sierra Leone]]> France]]> Algeria]]> Tunisia]]> Italy]]> Netherlands]]> Germany]]> Norway]]> Poland]]> Belgium]]> Tanzania]]> Uganda]]> Iran]]> North Africa]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Iran--Tehran]]> Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Germany--Homburg (Saarland)]]> Tunisia--Munastīr]]> Tunisia--Qayrawān]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Cumberland]]> England--Devon]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Lancashire]]> Italy--Capri Island]]>
D W Raettig]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1941]]> 1941-01]]> 1941-08]]> 1942-02]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1943]]>