Browse Items (3389 total)
Sort by:
Interview with Eric Clarke
Eric was born in Doncaster and had a difficult childhood. He was attracted by nearby RAF Finningley and decided he wanted to join the RAF when war was imminent. He was registered as an aircraftman second class and trained to be a wireless operator.…
Interview with Joan Ray
Joan Ray was born in Doncaster on the 11th March 1925.
Joan suffered problems with her eyes in her early life and tells of the impact it had on her life, including problems with reading and writing.
She spent time in domestic service, working at…
Joan suffered problems with her eyes in her early life and tells of the impact it had on her life, including problems with reading and writing.
She spent time in domestic service, working at…
Interview with Ernie Patterson. One
Ernie Patterson DFM was born in Middleton St George in Darlington. At the age of 14, he left school and took on a job as an apprentice Joiner.
He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19 in 1941, but whilst he was waiting to be called up, he was…
He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19 in 1941, but whilst he was waiting to be called up, he was…
Interview with Bill Spence
Bill Spence was born in Middlesborough. He abandoned his teacher training and joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 becoming a bomb aimer. He completed 36 operations during his time in Bomber Command. Bill tells of his experiences while training in…
Interview with Derek Carington Evans
Derek was born on June 20th 1924 in Edlington near Doncaster, volunteering as aircrew at the age of 17.
After leaving school at the age of 14, Derek delivered books in and around Doncaster before going down to the Royal Air Force Recruitment Centre…
After leaving school at the age of 14, Derek delivered books in and around Doncaster before going down to the Royal Air Force Recruitment Centre…
Interview with John Harrison
John Harrison grew up in Yorkshire and worked in the Civil Service before joining the Royal Air Force at 18. After training, he flew operations as a mid-upper gunner with 106 Squadron from RAF Metheringham before being shot down over Leipzig and…
Interview with Bob Lasham
Bob Lasham began an electrical engineering apprenticeship with British Thomson-Houston before volunteering for the RAF in 1941, aged 20. He trained at Babbacombe and Wilmslow before continuing to Clewiston, Florida, to complete his training as a…
Interview with Frank Leatherdale
Frank was an aircraft spotter for the Local Defence Volunteers and volunteered to join the Royal Air Force as a pilot. He went to Calgary in Canada on the Empire Air Training Scheme, where he few Tiger Moths at the Elementary Training School. He…
Interview with Frank Mannion
Frank Mannion was born in Manchester. When he completed his electrical engineering apprenticeship at Metropolitan Vickers he volunteered for the RAF. Initially he was ready to train as a pilot but was told there was a shortage of air gunners so…
Interview with Len McNamara
Len McNamara was born in Bristol in 1924. An apprentice plumber, he joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for aircrew. Discusses his initial training at various stations, the gunnery course he passed with merit and honours, an escape and…
Interview with Douglas Robinson
Douglas was in the Local Defence Volunteers before joining the Royal Air Force as a pilot. After Babbacombe, he did initial training at Scarborough and then in Rhodesia. Initial flight training in Harare on Tiger Moths was followed by service…
Interview with Gordon Topham
Gordon Topham was born in Salisbury, but his family settled in Norwich, Norfolk and he joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, qualifying as a flight engineer in July 1944. Gordon’s father used to drive steam wagons and was involved with…
Interview with Olive Crowther
Olive had two brothers and a sister. One of her brothers joined the army and the other was an air gunner on Lancasters. She left school at fourteen and went to work as a mender at Albion Mills. She then worked on Lancaster navigation panels in the…
Interview with Jill Saunders
Jill Saunders’s father Frank Simon was born in Salford in 1917. He served an apprenticeship as a fitter before joining A.V. Roe. He had joined the RAF volunteer reserve but as he was in a reserved occupation, he was only called up in 1944. He…
Interview with Tom and Gabi Wilson
Gabi Wilson grew up in Berlin and was a schoolgirl in 1939. She discusses one brother training as an interpreter and another brother returning from Russian prisoner of war camps. She worked as an apprentice at a publisher firm. She met her husband,…
WAR - Frankfurt Revisited
A booklet with information about the progress of the war. This edition covers RAF Bomber Command activities.
It won't work - Bomber Harris
Copy of a note from Arthur Harris to R Saundby with title added 'It won't work Bomber Harris'. States that the idea was tripe of the wildest description with not the smallest chance of working. Goes on with other reasons why it would not work and…
An interesting war
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. Includes details of childhood and growing up. Continues with his joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. Followed by training in England and then posting…
Presentation of Lancaster Model to Warrant Officer Norman Jackson
Photo 1 is three quarter length image of Norman Jackson, Roy Dobson, E Sandilands and Roy Chadwick.
Photo 2 is a caption with the names of the four in photo 1.
'Warrant Officer NC Jackson VC, Sir Roy Dobson OBE, Managing Director, Mr E Sandilands,…
Photo 2 is a caption with the names of the four in photo 1.
'Warrant Officer NC Jackson VC, Sir Roy Dobson OBE, Managing Director, Mr E Sandilands,…
Flight engineers notes for Lancaster
Produced by A V Roe, title page records copy is no 1360, belongs to Flight Lieutenant Baxter of the Lancaster Finishing School and is dated June 1943. Also pencilled note with settings for Lancaster for maximum range and for maximum endurance.
Flight Engineer's Notes for Lancaster Aircraft
A book used by flight engineers.
This item is available only at the International Bomber Command Centre / University of Lincoln.
This item is available only at the International Bomber Command Centre / University of Lincoln.
Operation Manna route
Chart shows route for one flight. It has an inscription which reads 'No 576 Squadron, R.A.F. Fiskerton to Delft, 30 Apr 45, Lancaster G for George, Crew: Pilot F/O. Everitt, Nav Sgt B A Gilbert, BA Sgt T Royall, Eng F/S Kitchen, W/Op P/O. T…
Crew scrapbook
Scrapbook prepared by Bernard Clark for his son containing contributions from the crew of William Warburton's Lancaster. First page has sketch of Lancaster with crew positions noted. Other page includes signatures and other material from: Alan…
Extract from Bernard Clark's diary
Transcript of the Diary of Sgt. Bernard Clark RAFVR 30 November – 20 December 1943 with notes by M Warburton. Includes head and shoulders portrait of an airman wearing greatcoat and side cap. Includes crew list of his aircraft. Entries contain…
Extract from Bernard Clark's diary
Transcript of diary entry for 20 December 1943. Includes crew list. Account of their first operation to Berlin on. He was wireless operator. Mentions anti-aircraft fire over coast, problems with Monica system, problems with oxygen, problems with rear…