Browse Items (100 total)

  • Tags: RAF Bridgnorth

PFlowersJ1501.jpg
Horace James Flowers was born and grew up in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire. He became an apprentice butcher before being released to volunteer for the Royal Air Force in 1944. He trained as an air gunner at RAF Bridgnorth, RAF Wigsley and RAF Syerston…

EBoldyDABoldyAD[Date]-010001.jpg
Letter from Sergeant David Boldy to his father, mentioning training and shooting.

EBoldyDABoldyAD400522-0001.jpg
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.

EBoldyDABoldyLMXXXX19-0001.jpg
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.

PTempleL1501.jpg
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…

Frost, Bob.jpg
Bob Frost recounts experiencing the London Blitz as a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force and trained at the Air Gunnery School at RAF Evanton, Scotland. He was then posted to the Operational Training Unit at…

PBriggsR1613.jpg
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…

PJamesDWK1701.jpg
Douglas (Jim) James was born in India and returned to England when he was nine. After leaving school, he joined the RAF as an air gunner, forging his father’s signature on the application. Jim carried out 29 operations with 460 Squadron, flying in…

PVarneyE1501.jpg
Eric Varney completed 28 operations as a mid upper gunner with 207 Squadron from RAF Spilsby. After the war Eric worked as a bus driver, coal miner, long distance lorry driver and coal merchant.

ABirkbyB150729.mp3
Bessie Birkby grew up in Sheffield and volunteered for the Women’s Auxilliary Air Force in 1942. She initially worked in Balloon Command in Scotland and then trained to be a driver in North Wales. She was then posted to 625 Squadron at RAF Binbrook…

ADobleRG151117.mp3
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…

AHookerFJ160525.mp3
Fred’s talks about life before being called up for service, including his brother being captured in Hong Kong and becoming a prisoner of the Japanese. Fred joined the Boy Scouts, aged 11, and then the Air Training Corp when it was formed in 1941.…

PEvansE1602.jpg
Eric Evans was born in 1923 in Liverpool and was 16 years old when war broke out. He served in the Royal Air Force, serving with 463 RAAF Squadron, starting from the rank of sergeant and rising to a warrant officer on leaving the service, before…

AFroudJ160509.mp3
James Froud wanted to be a pilot. He was interviewed in London and called up to Lord’s Cricket Ground. Having twice failed navigation examinations, he was re-mustered and sent to RAF Eastchurch for a gunnery course. From there, he went to RAF…

PNeechPRR1601.jpg
Peter was born in London and recalls his home suffering 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…

AShawWH151027.mp3
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…

ABorthwickS180306.mp3
Sidney enlisted on 4th January 1944 at the Air Crew Reception Centre, Lord’s cricket ground. He was accepted, despite having a tumour on his left arm. Sidney was a rear gunner on Lancasters. After training at Blackpool, he served at RAF…

PHammondBF1801.jpg
Bert Hammond was born and brought up in Norwich and was working as a grocer’s assistant, as well as being an air cadet, at the start of the war. He recalls bombing attacks on Norwich and a lone aircraft machine gunning female workers leaving the…
Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2