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Interview with Desmond Hawkins
Desmond Hawkins volunteered for the Royal Air Force and became a navigator. After training on Wellingtons and Manchesters, he flew Lancasters for 44 Squadron and completed a tour of operations. He was commissioned as flight lieutenant and after the…
Interview with Fred Crawley DFC.
Fred Crawley joined the Royal Air Force in 1939 when he was 18 years old. While at an operational training unit he survived a crash which killed five members of his crew. He was treated in hospital at RAF Rauceby for burns. After training he…
Interview with Fred Young
Fred Young volunteered for the Royal Air Force at seventeen 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,…
Interview with James Thomas Bateman.
James Bateman trained in Canada and completed tour of operations as a navigator with 149 Squadron
Interview with John Tait
John Tait was prompted to join the Royal Air Force, as he was American by birth and therefore he had to report to the police station once a month because he was considered an ‘alien’. He was a wireless operator and gunner, flying in Ansons,…
Interview with Johnny Johnson.Three
George ‘Johnny’ Johnson comments on Paul Brickhill's book and on the 1955 film of the same name, expressing disappointment that there was no mention of the Sorpe Dam. He voices contempt for the unscrupulous people who have made money by selling…
Interview with Les Rutherford. One
During this interview Les describes his experience as a despatch rider in France in 1940 before escaping from Dunkirk and returning to the United Kingdom, eventually joining the Royal Air Force. He also describes his training in South Africa and his…
Interview with Mark Johnson
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…
Interview with Peter Bellingham
Peter Bellingham worked as a post office engineer before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He trained in Rhodesia and South Africa and completed a tour of operations as a bomb aimer, dropping supplies with 138 Squadron from RAF Tempsford. He…
Interview with Priscilla Henwood
Priscilla Henwood's father was in the Royal Air Force and she joined 600 Squadron as an auxiliary before the war and worked in recruitment. She later worked as a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in the equipment section at an Operational…
Interview with Ronald Davis
Ronald Davis grew up in the East End and worked in London as a solicitor’s office boy. He joined the RAF and trained as a fitter airframe. He was saddened when the pilot of the aircraft he services did not return from operation because they had got…
Interview with Ronald Davis
Ronald Davis grew up in the East End and worked in London as a solicitor’s office boy. He joined the RAF and served as a fitter airframe.
Interview with Stanley Ernest Jeffrey
Stan Jeffrey was a flight mechanic at RAF Pocklington. He discusses the camaraderie between the ground and air crews. He would stick chewing gum to the undercarriage as a good luck charm. Shortly after the end of the war, the ground crew were taken…
Interview with Thomas Charles Arthur Long
Thomas Charles Arthur Long was born in Quorn, England. He was in the Home Guard and worked at Brush as a draughtsman, also gaining a Higher National Certificate from Loughborough College. He decided to join the RAF being that the only way to get out…
Interview with Tom Coles
Tom Coles was born in Watford and signed up for the Royal Air Force at the age of 18. He went to Canada for training, a period saddened by the loss his sister who was in the Womens Auxilliary Air Force. Tom flew Manchesters, then went to 158 Squadron…
Jim Tyrie's Wartime Log. Two
A wartime log kept by Jim Tyrie whilst being kept a prisoner of war. He was shot down on 10th April 1941 and imprisoned for 4 years, 1 month and 16 days. It contains cartoons, sketches and maps.
He lists the men who were shot after recapture during…
He lists the men who were shot after recapture during…
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
![EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420706-0001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/666/18050/EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420706-0001.jpg "EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420706-0001.jpg")
Bill catches up with domestics, family and friends news. Describes station parade of 2000 men. Now devoting one afternoon a week to station defence. Mentions Winston Churchill and A Sinclair passing through Stanraer. Mentions American in local area…
Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother
![EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420819-0001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/666/18057/EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420819-0001.jpg "EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420819-0001.jpg")
Bill hopes harvest is going well and complains about food in the camp.
He gives a vivid description of dinghy drill, which was very funny to watch, but got on well with his own swimming and went on to Girvan where he describes what they did on…
He gives a vivid description of dinghy drill, which was very funny to watch, but got on well with his own swimming and went on to Girvan where he describes what they did on…
Letter from the Prime Minister to A.O.C.-in-C. Bomber Command on Augsburg operation
Congratulatory letter concerning daylight operation by Bomber Command Lancasters on U-boat factory at Augsburg. 'Undeterred by heavy losses at the outset 44 and 97 Squadrons pierced in broad daylight into the heart of Germany and struck a vital point…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Discusses plans for future to join him. Thanks him for telegram. Says she has booked taxi to station and mentions failure to contact gardener. Comments of recent Churchill speech.
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes of receiving his letter describing his lone walk amid moors and glens. Reports on what she is reading and her gardening activities. Mentions Attlee's speech and Churchill going to see Roosevelt. Concludes with domestic issues.
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes that she has just seen film Target for Tonight which she found real and vivid. Mentions seeing a colleague of his in sergeants uniform and pilots wings. Talks of books and Christmas presents. Reports seeing newsreel of Churchill's meeting with…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes of gardening and family issues. Notes that Mrs Stenzel has had a job offer with Quakers which might speed her journey to the United States and means she will leave next week. She would now be alone for winter and will take up her Russian…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Thanks him for recent letter and glad he liked photograph. Continues with news of daughter Frances standing and other activities. Mentions, unlike him, she has little time to read and comments on his pilot being high handed and asking if progress…