Browse Items (80 total)
Sort by:
Flight Engineer's Party, Methwold
Photo 1 and 2 are the Flight Engineers seated at a long table set for dinner.
Photo 3 is the Flight Engineers, including Arthur Thomas, standing by a table, drinking. It is captioned with the individuals named.
Photo 3 is the Flight Engineers, including Arthur Thomas, standing by a table, drinking. It is captioned with the individuals named.
Flying Officer A F Thomas’ RAF navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book
Flying Officer A.F. Thomas’ RAF Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, from 4th November 1943 to 26th March 1947, detailing his training, operations, instructional and post-war duties as a flight engineer. Also contains…
Flying Officer Arthur Thomas DFM
Head and shoulders image of Arthur Thomas in uniform. Captioned 'Flying Officer Arthur Froude Thomas DFM. 149 Squadron RAF Methwold 1947.
Frank Jolliffe's flying log book. One
Flying log book for F S W Jolliffe, bombe aimer/navigator, covering the period from 11 December 1942 to 29 September 1952. Detailing his flying training, operations flown, instructor duties, Post war flying duties with 35 and 98 squadrons and RAE…
Gordon Mills observer's and air gunner's log book
G A Mills’ RAF Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, from 18th October 1943 to 24th May 1952, detailing training, operations and instructional duties as an air gunner, and post-war duties including Operation Sunray. Based at RAF Penrhos…
History of RAF Spilsby
Describes location, construction and layout. Opened in September 1943 with 207 Squadron Lancaster and later 44 Squadron. Last operation was in April 1945 to Berchtesgaden. Covers post-war squadron moves, locations and disbandment, including arrival…
Homberg and Hohembudberg
Photo 1 is a vertical aerial photograph of Homberg. Bombs can be seen exploding in the town at the early stages of the attack.
Photo 2 is a vertical aerial photograph of Hohembudberg, Duisberg. It shows a night attack with incendiary bombs burning…
Photo 2 is a vertical aerial photograph of Hohembudberg, Duisberg. It shows a night attack with incendiary bombs burning…
Interview with Alexander Charles Gilbert
Alexander Gilbert, DFC, joined the Royal Air Force in November 1940, and started service on the 7 April 1941. He had a long and varied career in the RAF, rising to the rank of Squadron Leader. On call up, he was trained as a Flight Engineer Air…
Interview with Anthony William Kent
Anthony Kent was born in Wood Green, London, and his family settled in Eltham. Tony started an apprenticeship with Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, at the start of the war and worked as an apprentice draughtsman for 18 months before volunteering for the RAF.…
Interview with Charles Mears
Charles left school with no formal qualifications and was undertaking further education when the Second World War commenced. Being too young to enlist, he joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps, eventually joining when he was aged 18. He was detached to…
Interview with Frances Elizabeth Secker
Frances Elizabeth Secker is a lifelong resident of Feltwell. She was still at school when RAF Feltwell opened in 1937, and remembers the Harrow being the first aircraft to arrive, followed by Wellingtons. Elizabeth has clear memories of attending…
Interview with Frank Saunston
Frank Saunston joined the ATC in 1941 and the RAF in 1942. He worked as a transport driver at RAF Peplow and then as a forklift driver at RAF Methwold on the bomb dump. He describes his role and his duties and gives details regarding the bombs used.…
Interview with Frederick Harold Shepherd
Frederick joined the Royal Air Forcein 1941. After going to RAF Cardington, he was given deferred entry and studied for a year at university. He was invited to London for initial training, followed by the Initial Training Wing at RAF Newquay. He did…
Interview with Frederick Limer
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…
Interview with Gerald McPherson
Gerald joined his brothers in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1943, following the Air Training Corps. He went from Melbourne to the Initial Training School in Somers. At the Air Gunnery School in Ballarat, Gerald chose to be an air gunner and was…
Interview with James Christian Mortensen
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…
Interview with James Thomas Bateman
James volunteered for aircrew in June 1942, aged 17, purely for the adventure as he was looking for something exciting. He trained in Canada as a navigator and, after a wonderful leave in New York,returned to England for advanced flying training. On…
Interview with John Cooper
John was a founding member and corporal at his local Air Training Corps. He would cycle to local airfields to get a flight in different aircraft. He volunteered for the RAF in 1942 and was, finally, called up to Lord’s Cricket Ground in November…
Interview with Peter Thomas
Peter was born in Nelson, Lancashire and had two brothers. He was 16 when he left school in 1940 and got a job until joining the Royal Air Force in 1943. He went to London Air Crew Reception Centre before going to Initial Training Wing at RAF…
Interview with Ray Parke. One
Ray Parke worked on the railway before joining the RAF in 1943. He recalls flying 40 operations as a flight engineer with 218 Squadron by the time he was 20. He tells about operations on Essen and the Ruhr, and discusses the Dresden operation, giving…
Interview with Ray Parke. Two
Ray Parke trained as a flight engineer. During one training flight, the pilot wanted to get back to base as soon as possible because he had a date but they were flying a Stirling. The pilot made an error on landing and the wheel stayed in the ditch…
Interview with Tony Adams
Tony Adams grew up in Australia and was studying accountancy when he was conscripted into the army at the age of 18. He later transferred to the Air Force, trained as a wireless operator and was sent overseas to the UK in June 1943. After training,…
Interview with William Holmes
William Holmes remembers his time as a pilot in the RAF. He gives a vivid and graphic account of the dramatic crash-landing which left him badly injured and brought him to join the Guinea Pig Club. William remembers various episodes of his…
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Royal Air Force Methwold
King George VI in RAF uniform shakes hands with a sergeant at the near end of the rear rank of airmen parading on grass. To the King's right, two other RAF officers. In the background Venturas are parked in two lines.
Top right a group of officers…
Top right a group of officers…
Koblenz and Homberg
Photo 1 is a vertical aerial photograph of Koblenz. The river can be seen and falling sticks of incendiaries.
Photo 2 is a vertical aerial photograph of Homberg. The image is very clear with only a few explosions hiding the detail.
Photo 2 is a vertical aerial photograph of Homberg. The image is very clear with only a few explosions hiding the detail.