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Interview with Kenneth Cook
Wing Commander Kenneth Cook was born in Randwick in Gloucestershire. At Marlings grammar school, he joined the Air Training Corps. On the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Air Force and went to America under the Arnold Scheme for pilot training.…
Interview with David Rayner Fox
David Rayner Fox grew up in New Zealand and joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1942. After training, he flew operations as an air gunner with 75 Squadron from RAF Mepal. During one operation his pilot, Dave Moriarty was terribly injured when a…
Interview with Hugh Lorimer
Hugh Lorimer skipped school to see flying circus and won a flight in one of the aeroplanes. He later volunteered for the RAF and began training as a wireless operator. He was initially was posted to Special Duty Flight test flying in India. However,…
Interview with Lachie McBean
Lachie McBean grew up in Australia and joined the Royal Australian Air Force when he was 18. He was a pilot at a Heavy Conversion Unit when the war in Europe ended. After the war he returned to Australia and became a farmer. He also took the…
Interview with Donald McDonald
Donald McDonald grew up in Australia and worked for a general store before he volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force. He flew operations as a pilot with 466 and 578 Squadrons. He returned to Australia after the war where he became involved in…
Interview with Bill Moore. Three
Bill Moore grew up in Scotland and volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He completed 36 operations as a navigator with 138 and 161 Squadrons.
Interview with Les Munro
John Leslie Munro was born in the area of Gisborne, New Zealand. He only completed two years of secondary education because of the economic slump and in 1936 began work on a sheep ranch and then a mixed farm. On the outbreak of the Second World War,…
Interview with Lawrence Penn
Lawrence Penn grew up in Australia and worked as a bank clerk before he volunteered for the Air Force. He flew 40 operations as a pilot with 226 Squadron. After the war he had his own air taxi company and also flew for Qantas.
Interview with Sheila Rankine
Sheila Rankine wanted to become a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force but was conscripted to be a munitions factory worker. She worked at Rose's in Gainsborough making the hydro-static fuses for bombs including the Upkeep bouncing bomb. She met…
Interview with Douglas Reed
Flight Lieutenant Douglas Reed worked for the council before he joined the Royal Air Force. He flew operations with 166 Squadron from RAF Kirmington and with 156 Squadron, Pathfinders, from RAF Upwood. His aircraft often suffered damage. On one…
Interview with Jean Smith
Jean Smith worked as a clerk in the aircraft manufacturing industry before the war and later served as a secretary in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. She served at 27 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lichfield.
Interview with John Taylor
John Taylor grew up in Nottingham and was evacuated before he went into sixth form. He left school and started working as an analytical chemist at Boots and although this was a reserved occupation he volunteered for aircrew. After his initial…
Interview with Herbert Tinning
Herbert Tinning trained as an aircraft fitter but later remustered and flew operations with 51 Squadron as a navigator. After the war, he build a career as a town planner and later as an architect.
Interview with Peter Watson
Peter Watson was born in South Wales and joined the Royal Air Force in 1943. He wanted to be a pilot but there was a surplus of pilots so he became an air gunner. He crewed-up and flew with 101 Squadron initially, a special duties squadron, and he…
Interview with Eddie Worsdale
Eddie Worsdale was working as a furniture salesman in Wellington, New Zealand after the Depression era curtailed his education. His brother volunteered for the New Zealand Air Force and so Eddie followed him. After initial training he continued his…
The war memoirs of 1096366 Cpl T Waller
Memoir covers early life, joining and training as a Royal Air Force Armourer and his subsequent wartime career. States that he served on 138 Squadron at Royal Air Force Stradishall and describes its Special Operation Executive operations. Goes on to…
Interview with Charles Frederick Green
Charles Frederick Green was born in Peckham, London, in 1921. On leaving school he began an apprenticeship with a printing company, acting part-time as a police courier, before becoming an Air Raid Precaution warden. He then volunteered for the…
John Firth's navigator's, air bomber's and air gunner's flying log book
Navigator's, air bomber's and air gunner's flying log book for Sergeant John Firth from 31 March 1944 to 7 August 1944. Detailing training and operations flown. Served at RAF Wigsley, RAF Syerston, RAF Skellingthorpe. Aircraft flown were Stirling and…
88 and 226 Squadron aerial photographs
Photograph 1 and 2 are sequential vertical aerial photographs of the marshalling yards at Arras. They are partly obscured by smoke. They are numbered 5018 and 5017 and captioned 'RS 636 88 30.APR44//D14" → 10,000'Z'. Captioned: '30 April 1944,…
Colombelles steel works, Arnhem, and Breskens fort
Photograph 1 is of a vertical of Colombelles steel works marshalling yard. Much of the ground is obscured by cloud and bomb explosions. There is a Boston with invasion stripes in the top half of the image. It is annotated '5018 F342 134 22 Jun 44…
RAF Hartford Bridge
Photograph 1 is of the port side of a Boston, 'BZ331', 'D' captioned 'Boston A/C 88 Sqd with its 'War Paint' ready for the invasion, May 1944.'
Photograph 2 is of a group of airmen arranged in five rows in front of a Boston, 'D'. Captioned '88…
Photograph 2 is of a group of airmen arranged in five rows in front of a Boston, 'D'. Captioned '88…
RAF Hartford Bridge
Photographs 1 and 2 are of a crashed Mustang, AL999, behind are two Bostons and Nissen huts. Captioned 'R.A.F. Hartford Bridge Crashed Mustang A/C, French Pilot uninjured. Sept 1943.'
Photograph 3 is the port side of a Boston 'D' with invasion…
Photograph 3 is the port side of a Boston 'D' with invasion…
342 Lorraine Squadron
Photograph 1 is of a group of French airmen arranged in four rows in front of a Nissen hut. Captioned '342 Sqd Lorraine (Free French) R.A.F. Hartford Bridge.'
Photograph 2 is of a French airman standing in front of a Boston, 'C'. It is named Ville…
Photograph 2 is of a French airman standing in front of a Boston, 'C'. It is named Ville…
Interview with William Barfoot
Bill Barfoot was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. On joining the Air Force, he trained as a wireless operator but remustered as aircrew. He trained as a navigator in South Africa. He flew operations with 296 Squadron supplying the French and Norwegian…
Lancaster and Fred Phillips' crew
A starboard side view of a Lancaster, PA964, on the ground. There are eight aircrew standing at the nose. On the reverse is a list of the aircrew including Tom Jones and a list of his operations.