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Interview with Thomas Carroll
Tom joined the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer. He did his ground training at RAF Mablethorpe, followed by courses at RAF Locking and RAF St. Athan and speaks highly of the training he received. He went to RAF Lindholme where they crewed up as…
Interview with Kenneth Cook
Wing Commander Kenneth Cook was born in Randwick, Gloucestershire. Whist 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…
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…
Interview with Hugh Lorimer
Hugh Lorimer skipped school to see a 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, posted to Special Duty Flight test flying in India. However,…
Interview with Lachie McBean
Lachie joined the Royal Australian Air Force at 18. He went to the Initial Training School at Bradfield Park and the drill instructor made a lasting impression on him. He was selected as a pilot and Lachie proceeded to the Elementary Flying Training…
Interview with Donald McDonald
Because of his dislike of the army, Don enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He went to Somers Initial Flying Training School and became a pilot. At Elementary Flying Training School at Western Junction, Don flew Tiger Moths although he…
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.
Please note: The veracity of this interview has been called into question. We advise that corroborative…
Please note: The veracity of this interview has been called into question. We advise that corroborative…
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…
Interview with Lawrence Penn
Laurie was a bank clerk in Australia before enlisting in September 1941 at Bradfield Park. He proceeded to Narromine for elementary flying training and eventually to Canada where he was posted to the Service Flying Training School at Dauphin. He…
Interview with Sheila Rankine
Sheila Rankine wanted to join 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 Guy Gibson…
Interview with Douglas Reed
Douglas Reed was working in the Town Clerk's Department, Goole when he volunteered to serve in the RAF. After completing operational training at RAF Peplow he was posted to 166 Squadron at RAF Kirmington. He flew operations over Germany before…
Interview with Jean Smith
When war broke out, Jean was working in the Ministry of Aircraft Production. She joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1942 and did two months’ training at Innsworth camp. Jean was posted to 27 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lichfield, as…
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 the Chemist and, although, this was a reserved occupation he volunteered for aircrew. After his…
Interview with Herbert Tinning
Herbert joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and was posted, initially, to a communication flight as a fitter. He managed to transfer to aircrew and describes the enlistment process. He went to Somers, then Cootamundra for navigator training…
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, a special duties squadron, initially, and…
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…
Gilze Rijen
Oblique aerial photograph of an Gilze Rijen airfield. Runways going from bottom middle to top and left to middle. A large number of bomb explosion visible in the centre of the airfield with one string of bombs offset to the left running bottom 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…