Pete Jones]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Great Britain]]> France]]> Germany]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Christmas Island]]> United States]]> 1939]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1957-06-19]]> The Sunday Telegraph]]> The Sunday Telegraph]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> 1980-04-19]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> 1980-04]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> Pam Locker]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Cathy Brearley]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Algeria]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> United States]]> Algeria--Algiers]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Florida--Miami]]> Florida--Pensacola]]> Bosnia and Herzegovina]]> Bosnia and Herzegovina--Sarajevo]]> Italy--Trieste]]> North Africa]]> Florida]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Arthur Spencer]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Joy Reynard]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Transport Command]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Bosnia and Herzegovina]]> Bosnia and Herzegovina--Sarajevo]]> Croatia]]> Croatia--Zagreb]]> Hungary]]> Hungary--Székesfehérvár]]> North Africa]]> South Africa--Mahikeng]]> South Africa]]> Thomas Waller]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Norway]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Devon]]> England--Greater Manchester]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Belgium--Kortrijk]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> France--Brest]]> France--Caen]]> France--Calais]]> France--Chalindrey]]> France--Châtellerault]]> France--Creil]]> France--Doullens]]> France--Joigny]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Limoges]]> France--L'Isle-Adam]]> France--Paris]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Bremerhaven]]> Germany--Darmstadt]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Heilbronn]]> Germany--Hörstel]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Merseburg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Rheydt]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wettin]]> Norway--Horten]]> Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> Germany--Böhlen]]> France--Lyon]]> Russia (Federation)]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-06-23]]> 1944-06-24]]> 1944-06-25]]> 1944-06-27]]> 1944-06-28]]> 1944-06-29]]> 1944-07-12]]> 1944-07-13]]> 1944-07-14]]> 1944-07-15]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-19]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-21]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-26]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-07-28]]> 1944-07-29]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-07-31]]> 1944-08-01]]> 1944-08-02]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-08]]> 1944-08-09]]> 1944-08-10]]> 1944-08-11]]> 1944-08-12]]> 1944-08-13]]> 1944-08-14]]> 1944-08-26]]> 1944-08-27]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-05]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-14]]> 1944-09-18]]> 1944-09-19]]> 1944-09-20]]> 1944-11-26]]> 1944-11-27]]> 1944-12-04]]> 1944-12-06]]> 1944-12-10]]> 1944-12-21]]> 1944-12-22]]> 1945-01-13]]> 1945-01-14]]> 1945-01-15]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-01-17]]> 1945-02-02]]> 1945-02-03]]> 1945-02-06]]> 1945-02-07]]> 1945-02-08]]> 1945-02-13]]> 1945-02-14]]> 1945-02-15]]> 1945-02-20]]> 1945-02-21]]> 1945-02-23]]> 1945-02-24]]> 1945-03-20]]> 1945-03-21]]> 1945-04-07]]> 1945-02-08]]> 1945-02-09]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Hamilton]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> 1944-12-04]]> 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]]>
In the early 1970s the Lancaster PA474 was flown to RAF Waddington from RAF Henlow ostensibly to be a gate guardian. In 1973 the Lincolnshire Echo announced that it was to be moved to RAF Coltishall. A group gradually formed to oppose the move because of the Lancaster’s connections to Waddington; the Lincolnshire Lancaster Committee. A public meeting was held and the City Council agreed to adopt the Lancaster. The Lancaster moved to RAF Coltishall. The committee collected over 17,000 signatures in 15 weeks and eventually the Lancaster returned to RAF Coningsby.
The committee became Lincolnshire’s Lancaster Association so funds could be raised. While Stuart was Chair for c. 36 years, £½ million was donated to projects, including the digitisation of manuals.
Stuart describes how unfairly he felt Bomber Command and Sir Arthur Harris were treated.
Stuart lists a large number of people he has met, received letters or signatures from.]]>
Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Second generation]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Lincolnshire]]>
Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Although he wanted to be a pilot, Ted’s skills were needed as a flight engineer. He was posted to 35 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse in 1940 where he encountered Flight Lieutenant Leonard Cheshire. Later that year, Ted found a crew and aircraft and started operations over Germany. After only four operations, he went to instruct pilots and flight engineers on Halifaxes at 102 Squadron.
Ted was posted to Pathfinders 35 Squadron and was the first flight engineer to be commissioned. After 47 operations, he volunteered and was sent for training as a mid-upper gunner to a Pathfinder Training Unit and 7 Squadron, who needed experienced people. He had to learn about Lancasters, which he compares in some detail to Halifaxes.
Ted outlines the work of the Pathfinders and how the system became more sophisticated. He encountered Donald Bennett and once flew with him, as well as flying with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris to Brazil.
Ted flew 108 operations (47 on Halifaxes and 61 on Lancasters). He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order.
Ted did an engineering officers’ course at RAF St Athan, followed by 24 Squadron, a VIP transport squadron, flying Lancastrians.
After pilot training in 1947, Ted was flight commander on 217 squadron. He flew Neptunes, which he compares favourably to Shackletons. Ted was then posted to Germany for two years as adjutant with an Air Observation Post squadron and flew Austers. He left the RAF because of impaired hearing.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> Germany]]> 1938]]> 1940]]>
Frank joined 115 Squadron at RAF Witchford, where his crew was formed and flew in Lancaster Mk 2. His first tour consisted of 30 trips, although they only completed 29 because of a change of pilots. He then joined 7 Squadron, part of the Pathfinder Force. He trained at the Pathfinder Training Unit and went to RAF Oakington where they were twice Master Bombers. After his tour, Frank was posted to the Radar Research Establishment at RAF Defford as station navigation officer. It involved several different aircraft and flights (bomber, coastal, naval). He describes several of the interesting people he flew with and the work on Doppler navigation. Frank was subsequently sent to the Pathfinder Training Unit as an instructor and recounts a flight with Air Vice Marshal Bennett, investigating blue target indicator bombs.
After Frank was demobilised, he worked initially as an air traffic control officer before accepting a permanent commission into the RAF. Frank goes on to describe his post-war RAF activities.
Squadron Leader Frank Leatherdale was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work in Pathfinders.]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Worcestershire]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Calgary]]>
Item 2 is a Caterpillar Club membership card issued to Sgt Roy Maddock-Lyon, captioned 'Caterpillar Club Membership Card.'
Item 3 is a newspaper cutting referring to 20,000 'Escapers' belonging to the Caterpillar Club, captioned 'Over 20000 Escapers.'
]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Georgie Donaldson]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Denmark]]>
Fred Whybrow]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> MWhybrowFHT170690-160926-160004]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Harwich]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> England--Essex]]> By June 1943 Reg is at RAF Cottesmore, 14 Operational Training Unit.
He details his daily tasks before operations.
Next he is moved to RAF Wigsley Heavy Conversion Unit for conversion to Halifaxes then Lancasters then ended up at RAF Skellingthorpe.
The social life at Skellingthorpe is popular and he met his first wife.
November 1943 his brother is missing over Dusseldorf.
Each operation he was involved in is described in detail.
Later in his memoir he details where and when he trained.
There is a list of prisoners of war from his squadron and a colour photograph of Reg and two colleagues at the tail of Lancaster 'Just Jane'.
There is a list of Reg's paintings.
He details his post war service via Libya, Cairo, Iran, India and Karachi, ending up at 56 Forward Repair Unit in Rangoon.
In June 1946 he returned to the UK by ship.]]>
Reg Payne]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> British Army]]> Belgium]]> Burma]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Burma--Rangoon]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> France--Paris]]> France--Toulouse]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Marseille]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> Germany--Wolfenbüttel]]> Poland]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1945]]> 1946]]>
Rod Pickles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> 1944]]> Adam Sutch]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Southeast Asia]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> United States]]> Alabama--Montgomery]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Azores]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Netherlands]]> United States]]> Zimbabwe]]> Arizona--Tucson]]> England--Burton upon Trent]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Essex]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> India--Kolkata]]> Italy--Elba]]> Mediterranean Sea--Bay of Naples]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> Scotland--Leuchars]]> Wales--Glamorgan]]> Washington (State)--Seattle]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> Arizona]]> Ontario]]> New Brunswick]]> India]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Staffordshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> Germany]]> Germany--Dresden]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1940-10]]> 1945-02]]> 1946]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Wiltshire]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> 1944]]> Gary Clarke]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Malta]]> Netherlands]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> France--Falaise]]> G N Donaldson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Frances Grundy]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Hamble-le-Rice]]> England--Eastleigh]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> Scotland--Ross and Cromarty]]> Scotland--Evanton]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Bristol]]> England--Essex]]> England--Clacton-on-Sea]]> Italy]]> Italy--Venice]]> Italy--Turin]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Walcheren]]> England--Berkshire]]> France]]> France--Bordeaux Region (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> 1934]]> 1939]]> 1940-04]]> 1940-09-20]]> 1940-10]]> 1940-12]]> 1941-10-22]]> 1941]]> 1941-04]]> 1942]]> 1942-07]]> 1942-08]]> 1943]]> 1943-01]]> 1943-04]]> 1943-06]]> 1944]]> 1944-06]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-12-29]]> 1945]]> 1945-07]]>