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Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Replies to issues raised in her letters. Writes of receiving soap flakes and doing laundry. Happy that RAF allowance is going through. Discuses mail and other domestic matters. Goes on with brief description of daily activities and a hateful new…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Thanks her for letter. Disappointed that he not win in draw for leave pass. Mentions her visiting new place and planning for upcoming birth. Debating applying for compassionate leave but doesn't hold out hope. Hopes that Peter was not affected by the…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Starts with description of punishment duty and reason for it. Writes of possibility of getting compassionate leave due to immanent birth. Goes on to describe daily activities and then provides a very detailed description of local town of Bridgnorth.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Writes it was wonderful to spend two days with her. Mentions journey back to camp. Describes activities and intensive training for passing out parade. Mentions cook house fatigues, food preparation and free cake. Goes on with more description of…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Writes of very good weather, daily activities and problems with laundry. Exited about next station although they have not been told about it for security reasons. Postscript adds that postings have now been announced but he was not on list and 30…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Writes describing last day at Bridgnorth and difficult journey to Grantham. Mentions poor food and difficulty finding accommodation on arrival. Describes activities and frustration about no news of future. Accommodation now in married quarters,…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife
Thanks her for her letters. Apologises for his awful writing. Describes camp and day to day activities. Covers RAF ranks and badges. Mentions his instructors and training schedule. Concludes with domestic and finance matters as well as general…
Letter from Donald Baker to his mother
Writes that he has recovered from recent illness and is still at RAF Bridgnorth, not doing much RAF stuff. Mentions inoculations, shooting. Says not heard from relative but visited Wolverhampton again. Mentions costs of things and rationing. Writes…
Letter from Donald Baker to his mother
Received her third letter and says he is still at Bridgnorth. Mention he passed his medical for pilot and is awaiting posting for training. Mentions 175 Germans shot down previous day. Mentions weather, going to Wolverhampton and other activities…
Letter from Donald Baker to his mother
Writes that he received her latest letter. Mentions he had had some leave and managed to get to see relatives in Somerset. Provides a full description of journey and his activities while there and catches up with family news. Concludes by saying he…
Letter from David Boldy to his mother
Letter from David Boldy to his mother. Explains that he was staying at Bridgenorth for that week, whilst they rush the course. His crew had a rivalry with another the pilots at Uxbridge, which integrated various pranks.
Letter from David Boldy to his father
![EBoldyDABoldyAD[Date]-010001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/53/415/EBoldyDABoldyAD[Date]-010001.jpg "EBoldyDABoldyAD[Date]-010001.jpg")
Letter from Sergeant David Boldy to his father, mentioning training and shooting.
Letter from David Boldy to his father
Letter from David Boldy to his father about being in the Royal Air Force, with details of training at Uxbridge and at RAF Bridgnorth. He bought a silver cigarette case with Royal Air Force wings.
Just Another Story
Recalls joining the RAF as a flight mechanic in 1939 and then employed as a barrage balloon operator. Describes his subsequent selection for aircrew and training in London, St Andrews, Manchester and in advanced navigation at Dumfries. Next covers…
Jeff Brown's flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers
Flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers for Jeff Brown, air gunner, covering the period from 18 August 1944 to 31 December 1951. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war flying. He was stationed…
Itinerary on joining
List train times, routes and reporting eventually to depot at RAF Bridgenorth. On the reverse part of a list of names.
Interview with William Hough
Bill Hough came from a farming background, went to a local grammar school in Northwich and was a member of the Air Training Corps. He joined the RAF in 1943. He describes his initial training at Bridgnorth. Bill then goes into the continuation…
Interview with William Horace Shaw
Bill was a wireless operator/air gunner. He joined the Home Guard in 1941 and registered for conscription to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1943. He reported to Lord’s Cricket Ground and went to an Initial Training Wing at RAF Bridgnorth. Bill then…
Interview with Taff Owen
Aneurin ‘Taff’ Owen was born neat Dolgellau, near Penmaenpool in Wales, and joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 in 1942. Taff was a farmer’s son and as such was put into a reserved occupation, so some of the areas of the Royal Air Force…
Interview with Sidney Borthwick
Sidney enlisted on 4th January 1944 at the Air Crew Reception Centre, Lord’s cricket ground. He was accepted despite a tumour on his left arm. Sidney was a rear gunner on Lancasters. After trained at Blackpool, he served at RAF Bottesford, RAF…
Interview with Roy Briggs
Roy Briggs was born in Battersea, London. After leaving school he undertook an engineering apprenticeship with Benham and Sons, producing equipment for the war. He describes his life during the Blitz. When he joined the Royal Air Force he trained as…
Interview with Ronald George Doble
Ron Doble grew up in London and joined the Air Training Corps and the fire watchers when war was declared. He volunteered for the Air Force when he was 18 and trained as an air gunner. He talks about the conditions in his turret and the mishaps he…
Interview with Peter Rowland Ruthven Neech
Peter was born in London and his home suffered bomb damage during the war. He served in the Air Training Corps until joining the Royal Air Force in 1943. After reporting to the Aircrew Reception Centre at St John’s Wood, he spent a few weeks at RAF…
Interview with Leslie Temple
Leslie Temple spent four years in the Air Training Corps before joining the Royal Air Force as a radio operator. He completed a tour of 30 operations with 101 Squadron at RAF Ludford Magna, as a German speaking special operator. He describes how…
Interview with Kenneth White
Kenneth White trained as an air gunner. He was not sent to an Operational Training Unit but was sent straight to a squadron at RAF Oulton. He flew in B-17s with a special operator on board. On one occasion during an air test there was a fire on…