At the outbreak of war, he left the Post Office and was employed building naval vessels at a boat yard on the Thames in Chertsey. It was here that he first heard about RAF Air Sea Rescue, which he successfully enrolled into. Following training at various establishments he was posted to Newhaven on High Speed Launch 190 as a gunner.
Lawrence describes rescue operations: a Spitfire leading them to an airman in a dinghy; a Wellington aircrew rescued close to Le Havre on 17 July 1943; a German wireless operator who baled out from a downed Ju 88 and his parachute being divided amongst the crew, and finally rescuing the United States serviceman T G Giles who baled out of a P-38.
Occasionally they would come across mines that had broken free. These would be guarded until the Navy arrived and detonated them. This would result in the surface being covered in stunned fish which the crew would be able to scoop up.]]>
David Meanwell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> British Army]]> Royal Navy]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Chertsey]]> England--Great Yarmouth]]> England--Newhaven]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France]]> France--Le Havre]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Surrey]]> 1943-07-17]]> 1944-03-16]]>
Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Burma]]> Great Britain]]> India]]> South Africa]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942-02]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sam Harper-Coulson ]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Skegness]]> England--London]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> 1941-03]]> 1943]]> Jennifer Barraclough]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Egypt]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Malta]]> North Africa]]> Egypt--Suez Canal Region]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Libya]]> Libya--Bardiyah]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-06-11]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form: no better quality copies are available.]]>
R Davies]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Bournemouth]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Hampshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1945]]>
Bill joined 138 Squadron at RAF Tempsford. He carried out 32 operations in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and Norway. Flying low, they dropped agents and supplies. He describes the clandestine liaison with resistance groups. On long flights to southern France, they would refuel at RAF Blida in North Africa. He also discusses carrying pigeons for intelligence gathering. Bill recounts how their aircraft was shot down on one occasion, returning from RAF Blida. On his return, Bill changed to Stirling aircraft which he very much liked. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in July 1944.
Finishing the Second World War as a flight lieutenant, he was sent to RAF Yatesbury working on codes and ciphers. He went to Belgium, Cyprus, Germany and Singapore. He worked at the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit in Belgium and finished at RAF St Mawgan having been served for 37 years.]]>
Rod Pickles]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Northern Ireland--Down (County)]]> Belgium]]> Cyprus]]> France]]> Germany]]> Netherlands]]> North Africa]]> Norway]]> Singapore]]> 1944-07]]>
Denise Boneham]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Cyprus]]> Egypt]]> Great Britain]]> Libya]]> North Africa]]> Cyprus--Nicosia]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Egypt--Port Said]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Essex]]> England--Hertfordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Surrey]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> 1945]]> 1947]]> R Marsh]]> E Humes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Essex]]> England--London]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> Scotland--St. Andrews]]> England--Manchester]]> Scotland--Dumfries]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> France]]> France--Biarritz]]> Germany]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Venlo]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Bad Sulza]]> Poland]]> Poland--Łambinowice]]> Germany--Munich]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Limburg (Province)]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> England--Lancashire]]> France--Palaiseau]]> 1939]]> 1943-11-25]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-04-11]]> M Adder]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending text-based transcription. Under review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Text. Personal research]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Hull]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Scunthorpe]]> England--Belton]]> Canada]]> 1941-10-15]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]>
The bombing operations he took part in are described, as is his investiture and his time in India as an administrative officer.

Cruickshank then moves to Instructing before returning to Operations including Nuremberg. He then describes the transition to civilian life after his demobilisation from the RAF, poor health and his attempt to build a business in post war Britain.

Some of the photographs mentioned were donated separately and some are recorded as separate items.]]>
G Cruickshank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force. Balloon Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Dorset]]> England--Portland]]> England--Bristol]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Essex]]> England--Aldershot]]> England--Felixstowe]]> England--Harwich]]> England--Middlesex]]> England--Herefordshire]]> Scotland--Ross and Cromarty]]> France]]> France--Clermont-Ferrand]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> France--Toulouse]]> Germany]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> Germany--Rostock]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> India]]> India--Mumbai]]> India--Kolkata]]> India--Bhopal]]> England--Liverpool]]> Germany--Augsburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> India--New Delhi]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1942-04-17]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-05-31]]> 1943-05-16]]> 1943-05-17]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]>
M Adder]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Hull]]> England--London]]> England--Scarborough]]> England--Manchester]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1942-02-28]]> 1942-04-25]]> 1942-09]]> B M Smith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Robin Christian]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--London]]> 1937]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> Richard Yates]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> France]]> France--Brest]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> France--Boulogne-Billancourt]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Lorient]]> 1940-10-01]]> 1941-02]]> 1941-04]]> 1941-06]]> 1941-08]]> 1941-08-16]]> 1941-11]]> 1941-11-24]]> 1941-11-30]]> 1942-01-06]]> 1942-02]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-13]]> 1942-05-08]]> 1942-06-08]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Bedford]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Emily Jennings]]> eng]]> Map]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> Andrew Hobley]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Beeston (Nottinghamshire)]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> 1940-09-24]]> B Goodman]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ashley Jacobs]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Peterborough]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Woodley (Wokingham)]]> Canada]]> Ontario--Kingston]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> United States]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> France--Brest]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Arkhangelʹskai︠a︡ oblastʹ]]> France]]> New York (State)]]> Ontario]]> Nova Scotia]]> Russia (Federation)]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cardington]]> 1944-02-27]]> Stan Shaw]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cambridge]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Hucknall]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> 1941-03-12]]> 1846-05-10]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hanau]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Paderborn]]> Germany--Pforzheim]]> Germany--Wiesbaden]]> Netherlands--Gouda]]> Wales--Flintshire]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945-02-02]]> 1945-02-03]]> 1945-02-07]]> 1945-02-08]]> 1945-02-13]]> 1945-02-14]]> 1945-02-23]]> 1945-02-24]]> 1945-03-13]]> 1945-03-14]]> 1945-03-16]]> 1945-03-17]]> 1945-03-19]]> 1945-03-20]]> 1945-03-22]]> 1945-03-23]]> 1945-03-25]]> 1945-03-27]]> 1945-04-09]]> 1945-04-10]]> 1945-04-25]]> 1945-05-02]]> 1945-05-07]]> 1945-05-25]]> 1946]]> 1947]]> 1948]]> 1949]]> 1950]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1953]]> 1954]]> 1955]]>
Stan Shaw]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Derby]]> England--Ashbourne]]> Wales--Bannau Brycheiniog National Park]]> England--Derbyshire]]>