Browse Items (201 total)

  • Tags: Operation Exodus (1945)

ACockbillDFA171008.mp3
Born in Newport, Denis volunteered for the Royal Air Force having already joined the Air Corps aged 17. Due to his interest in radio technology Denis wanted to train as a wireless operator and officially joined the Royal Air Force three months after…

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Don Crossley was born in South Emsall in 1924. He tells of his time before the war working at Upton Colliery before joining the Royal Air Force. He volunteered and trained, initially, as a wireless operator/air gunner. He tells of his experience at…

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PSouthwellDE1603.jpg
Don Southwell grew up in Australia and worked for RKO Radio Pictures and as an Air Raid Precautions Warden, before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. After training in Australia and Canada, he flew nine operations as a navigator with 463 Squadron…

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AHarrisDR190508.mp3
Donald was born in Acton, London. He stayed at school until he was 14 and then worked as a tea boy/general help for O. C. Summers, a firm that laid gas mains in Slough. When that job ended, he worked for another ganger in Shepherds Bush. Soon…

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AMcDonaldEA150713.mp3
Allan McDonald was born in Hull and worked as an apprentice electrician before joining the Air Force. He passed the exams to become aircrew and trained as an air gunner. During training, his aircraft crash landed and he was soaked in petrol. He flew…

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PKeyEG1701.jpg
Ted Key was a flight engineer. He was born to a large family in London which he remembers coming down from Norfolk to visit. His father was in the Navy as a chief petty officer and away a lot. Ted was in the air defence cadet corps before he joined…

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PMcRaeER1701.jpg
Ted McRae volunteered for aircrew and trained as a gunner. He was usually in the mid-upper turret but would sometimes swap places with the rear gunner. On one trip, repatriating ex-prisoners of war, his aircraft crashed. He and the other gunner were…

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AStanneyF160212.mp3
Frank Stanney was working on the land before he volunteered for the RAF. After training, he flew operations as a wireless operator with 61 Squadron. One day his pilot took off as a 20 year old and returned as a 21 year old, as it was his birthday…

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ACrawleyF151222.mp3
Fred enrolled in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in May 1939. He wanted to be a navigator and was sent to an Initial Training Wing at Bexhill. He received excellent training on DH Rapides at RAF Scone, near Perth. Bombing and gunnery training were carried…

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PBowmanFA1801.jpg
Frederick Bowman was born in Sydney in 1924. He was a member of the Air Training Corps, and when he was 18 he joined the Air Force. He went to Kingaroy for basic training, and did his wireless course at Maryborough, and Evans Head for bombing and…

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PLimerF1501.jpg
Freddie Frederick volunteered for the Royal Air Force and completed a course in RAF Blackpool. He was posted to No. 12 Initial Training Wing at RAF St Andrew, although was unsuccessful in his flying test. Freddie was then trained at RCAF Moncton in…

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PConacherG1701.jpg
Geoffrey Conacher grew up in Australia and, after a few months in the army, joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942. After training he flew 14 operations as a pilot with 622 Squadron. His aircraft was shot down and he baled out over liberated…

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ARobinsonG150803.mp3
Geoff joined the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer in April 1943. He reported to Lord’s Cricket Ground and went to an Initial Training Wing near Sunderland. He moved to RAF Bridlington, followed by six months’ training as a flight engineer at…

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AArmstrongGR170720.mp3
George Rex Armstrong served in the RAF as a flight engineer. He was born in Belfast and grew up in Donaghadee. He decided to join the RAF because he wanted to follow his brother Ted, who flew 40 operations with 617 Squadron. He mentions being in the…

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AAllenG150917.mp3
Graham Allen joined the Royal Air Force aged 19. He trained as a mechanic and worked on inspection and recovery of Spitfire aircraft. He later volunteered to be a flight engineer, and flew a tour of operations with 106 Squadron. His first operation…

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APriceSTG151001.mp3
Gwynne Price was living a rural lifestyle until he volunteered for the RAF. His dream was to train as an RAF pilot but, since there was a surplus of pilots, he chose to train as a flight engineer instead. During operations, Gwyn experienced the…

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PAlgarH1701.jpg
Harry Algar worked as an office boy at Hay’s Wharf in London before the war. He entered the Air Training Corps before joining the RAF aged 17. He started his training on Tiger Moths but was then sent to Canada to re-muster as a bomb aimer. Harry…

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AParkinsHW150612.mp3
Harry shares several memories of his time as a flight engineer in the Royal Air Force. He describes their initial accommodation in luxury London flats, and dinghy training at the local swimming pool. He recounts how, in June 1944, their aircraft was…

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PMossH1801.jpg
Henry grew up in Bradford and left school just before the outbreak of war. He had various jobs, including working in the mill, a greengrocer’s shop, the dye works and then garment cutting for the army. Aged 17 and a half he was called up in London…

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AFosterIWE180221.mp3
Ivor Foster of Plymouth volunteered for the RAF as soon as he was of age. He was, initially, accepted for training to become a Pilot, navigator or bomb aimer but decided the length of time for the training was too long and chose to train as a gunner.…

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AWebsterJK161004.mp3
Jack Webster applied to join the RAF in December 1942 and attended a selection board at RAF Cardington, and was eventually called up in June 1943. After initial training he went to 4 Radio School at RAF Madley passing out from there with eighteen…

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PMortensenJC1803.jpg
Born on 27 December 1924 in Aigburth Liverpool, James was 15 when war broke out in Europe. He intended to join as a pilot, navigator, bomber aimer in 1943 but, due to shorter waiting list and training time, he trained to become a wireless operator at…

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PBrownJ1721.jpg
Jeff left school at 15 and became an electrician. Being keen on aircraft he joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for the RAF when aged 17 to prevent him being randomly sent into the mining industry. Deferred until he was 18, he was initially…

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PHildrethJ1502.jpg
Jeff Hildreth was born in Huntwood, Derbyshire, studied Electrical Engineering at Worksop Technical College before joining the Air Training Corps, eventually joining the Royal Air Force as a Wireless Operator. He did his training at RAF Yatesbury,…

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PMackayWJ1501.jpg
Jeff Mackay was born in 1922 in Ballarat, Australia and was working as a cadet engineer. He joined the Army but decided to join the RAAF when the Japanese entered the war in 1941. After boarding a ship he trained as a navigator in Canada and then…

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