2
25
126
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1742/34421/LHowellJ552601v1.2.pdf
cc749b53567b78c38db7042a350db0a9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Howell, Jack
J Howell
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-04-23
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Howell, J
Description
An account of the resource
Five items. The collection concerns sergeant Sergeant Jack Howell (55260 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, photographs ans newspaper clippings. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 144 Squadron and was killed 10 April 1941. <br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jeff Howell and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Jack Howell is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/111358/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jack Howell's RAF observer’s and air gunner’s flying log book
Description
An account of the resource
I J Howell’s wireless operator/ air gunner’s flying log book covering the period from 6 September 1939 to 10 April 1941. Detailing his operations flown as wireless operator/air gunner. He was stationed at RAF Finningley (76 Squadron and 7 BATFlt), RAF Upper Heyford (76 Squadron), RAF Hemswell (144 Squadron) and RAF Cottesmore (14 OTU). Aircraft flown in were Valentia, Anson and Hampden. He flew a total of one daylight and 41 night-time operations with 144 Squadron including one early return and one recall totalling 42. Targets were Hamburg, Oslo, North Sea sweep, Cologne, Bordeaux, Gelsenkirchen, France and Kiel plus many unspecified.His pilots on operations were Pilot Officer Sooby, Pilot Officer Adams and Pilot Officer Kerr. His log book is stamped ‘Death presumed 10 April 1941’ but no operation is recorded on that date.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Norway
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--Oslofjorden
England--Lincolnshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Rutland
England--Yorkshire
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Brest
France--Lorient
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Elbe River Estuary
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Mannheim
Germany--Sylt
Norway--Stavanger
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LHowellJ552601v1
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1940-03-01
1940-03-20
1940-04-12
1940-04-14
1940-04-20
1940-04-23
1940-05-02
1940-05-09
1940-05-14
1940-05-17
1940-05-23
1940-06-01
1940-06-05
1940-06-07
1940-06-09
1940-06-11
1940-06-13
1940-06-19
1940-06-21
1940-06-23
1940-06-25
1940-06-27
1940-06-30
1940-07-05
1940-10-13
1940-10-16
1940-10-24
1940-10-25
1940-11-05
1940-11-08
1940-11-13
1940-11-23
1940-11-26
1940-12-06
1940-12-12
1940-12-21
1940-12-28
1941-01-09
1941-02-08
1941-02-21
1941-03-18
1941-03-21
1941-03-23
1941-03-30
1941-04-10
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
Mike Connock
14 OTU
144 Squadron
76 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
Anson
bombing
Hampden
killed in action
Operational Training Unit
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Finningley
RAF Hemswell
RAF Upper Heyford
training
wireless operator / air gunner
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/345/34358/LWarmingtonI150280v10002.2.pdf
49989e368e54a7ee09cd9eaf34192f86
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Warmington, Ivon
I Warmington
Description
An account of the resource
Four items. One oral history interview with Ivon Warmington (b. 1922, 150280 Royal Air Force) and his flying log books.
The collection was catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-29
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Warmington, I
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ivon Warmington’s pilots flying log book. Two
Description
An account of the resource
Pilots flying log book two, for W I Warmington, covering the period from 15 November 1943 to 31 March 1945. Detailing his flying training, Operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Hixon, RAF Blyton, RAF Hemswell, RAF Kirmington, RAF Peplow, RAF Lulsgate Bottom, RAF Gamston and RAF Upper Heyford. Aircraft flown were, Wellington, Halifax, Lancaster, Oxford. He completed a total of 30 operations with 166 Squadron. Part of the log book is missing listing operation 20 to 27. Targets listed were, Maintenon, Mailley, Rennes, Aachen, Calais, Wimeraux, Crisbicq, Acheres, Versailles, Le Havre, Sterkrade, Aulnoye, Mimoyecques, Saintes, Flers, Chateaux Bernapre, Oisemeont and Normandy. The log book also contains several aircraft pictures and a photo of pilots from the Operational Training Unit. His first or second pilots on operations were Pilot Officer Myers and Flight Sergeant Miller. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943
1944
1945
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1944-06
1944-07
1944-08
1944-06-05
1944-06-06
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-30
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Shropshire
England--Somerset
England--Staffordshire
France--Flers-de-l'Orne
France--Le Havre
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Maintenon
France--Manche
France--Nord (Department)
France--Normandy
France--Oise
France--Oisemont (Canton)
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Rennes
France--Saintes
France--Versailles
France--Wimereux
France--Yvelines
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Bermesnil
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LWarmingtonI150280v10002
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
128 Squadron
16 OTU
166 Squadron
1662 HCU
30 OTU
83 OTU
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Flying Training School
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Lancaster Mk 1
Lancaster Mk 3
Me 410
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
nose art
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Blyton
RAF Gamston
RAF Hemswell
RAF Hixon
RAF Kirmington
RAF Paignton
RAF Peplow
RAF Upper Heyford
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1823/32400/PKentKD17010041.2.jpg
a1ba796e1503a1af20300fb90cf0e926
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kent, Kenneth D
K D Kent
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-04-04
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Kent, KD
Description
An account of the resource
31 items. The collection concerns Kenneth Kent (b. 1922, 572440, 55219 Royal Air Force) and contains a photograph album and documents. He joined the RAF as an Apprentice in 1936, starting his training at RAF Halton later going to RAF Cosford. He completed his training as an aircraft tradesman and was promoted to corporal. He volunteered for aircrew and went to the United States and Canada for flight training in July 1942. He was commissioned in July 1943 and was posted to 106 Squadron at RAF Metheringham. He was promoted to Squadron Leader in August 1945.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Nigel Kent and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wellington and four aircrew
Description
An account of the resource
A Wellington in flight, captioned '16 O.T.U Upper Heyford February 1944, The good old Wimpy'.
Second is of four aircrew standing under a palm tree, captioned 'Bari Italy October 1945, Under the swaying palms'.
The third is missing, this was captioned 'The crew 106 Squadron and listed their names.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-02
1945-10
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two photographs on an album page
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PKentKD17010041
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
England--Lincolnshire
Italy--Bari
England--Oxfordshire
Italy
Great Britain
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-02
1945-10
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
106 Squadron
aircrew
Operational Training Unit
RAF Metheringham
RAF Upper Heyford
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/592/31567/SJoynerJH1812689v1.1.pdf
7433d476357205e2d0cc404394ff7f21
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joyner, John
John Howard Joyner
J H Joyner
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Joyner, JH
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with John Joyner (1924 - 2016, Royal Air Force), his memoir and scrap book. He flew operations as an air gunner with 189 and 101 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by John Joyner and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Flying Log Book]
JOYNER J
[Page break]
[Inserted] No 16 OTU [/inserted]
[Sergeants’ Mess Subscription Card R.A.F Upper Heyford] J. H. J[word missing]
[Inserted] 101 SQUADRON [/inserted]
[Sergeants’ Mess Subscription Card R.A.F. Ludford Magna] Sgt JOYNER No 619
[Inserted] 189 SQUADRON [/inserted]
[Sergeants’ Mess Subscription Card R.A.F. Bardney] Sgt. Joyner
[Inserted] 16 O.T.U. [/inserted]
[Sergeant’s Mess Subscription Card R.A.F. Barford St. John] 920 Sgt Joyner
[Page break]
[Drawings of aircraft]
John. H. Joyner
[Photograph]
– His Book
[Page break]
[Photograph]
Little did the Air Force know of the disaster about to befall them with the approach of the winter months, – Annual A.T.C. Summer Camp. Halton 1943.
[Photograph]
Air Crew Receiving Centre – October, 1943 (Juggernaut bottom right).
[Page break]
[Postcard] [Inserted] No 2 Squadron Grand Hotel No 1 Squadron Rusacks Marine. [/inserted]
St Andrews – P.N.B. Initial Training Wing
November 1943 – February 1944.
[Page break]
[Inserted] T.IW. St Andrews. [/inserted]
The Officer Commanding and Officers wish you all a Happy Christmas
[Inserted] Christmas 1943 [/inserted] [R.A.F. Crest] [Inserted] [Signatures] [/inserted]
ROYAL AIR FORCE
NO. 12 INITIAL TRAINING WING
Menu
Soup.
Cream of Celery.
[Underlined] Joints. [/underlined]
Roast Stuffed Turkey. Roast Pork.
Apple Sauce.
[Underlined] Vegetables. [/underlined]
Roast Potatoes. Creamed Potatoes.
Brussels Sprouts.
[Underlined] Sweets. [/underlined]
Christmas Pudding. Sauce. Mince Pies.
Cheese. Biscuits. Potato Crisps.
Apples. Dates.
Beer. Minerals.
Christmas,
1943.
[Page break]
[R.A.F. wings]
11 Embarkation Unit
Belfast
Northern Ireland
Christmas Fare
1946
[Page break]
[Underlined] MESSAGE FROM “THE OLD MAN” [/underlined]
We in 11 E.U. have travelled a long road – a hard road, since 1940 and I would say this to you who are with us now, when the job is nearly complete.
You have followed the traditions of the old R.F.C. and the young but sturdy, R.A.F.
11 E.U. has done a grand job of work. Keep it up until the last bit of Freight has been successfully handled, till the last vehicle has been slung on the ship and till the last “Body” has been allocated his space.
A right Merry Christmas to you all and Happiness and Peace in the future wherever you may be.
Thank you and good luck to you all.
R. S. Swanton.
Wing Commander.
[Page break]
Menu
08.00 hrs.
Breakfast (WHY?)
No. 9’s or SHREDDED WHEAT
BACON AND EGG
(Burned, Fried or Destroyed)
TOAST, MARMALADE AND BUTTER
(Try and get it)
TEA OR COFFEE
(With sugar and milk)
1300 hrs.
Dinner (A NECCESSITY) [sic]
CREAM OF CHICKEN
(Oil-skins to be worn)
DISEMBARKATION TURKEY – BREAD SAUCE
(Gave itself up)
BURNT PORK AND BRUISED HAM
(Kerr’s speciality)
ROAST POTATOES
(Basted Smiling Murphys)
SPROUTS AND PEAS
(Kempson’s Revenge)
CHRISTMAS PUDDING – G.D. SAUCE
MINCE PIES AND CUSTARD
(Smith’s Reply – Works and Bricks)
APPLES, BEER AND CIGARETTES
(Nuts)
[Underlined] No Gratuities for Waiters! [/underlined]
[Page break]
Evening
RUNNING BUFFET
(One Waiter – One Sandwich)
COLD HAM – TONGUE
ROAST BEEF
BREAD – BUTTER – JAM
TEA
[underlined] Any Complaints? [/underlined]
[Page break]
[R.A.F. Wings]
11 Embarkation Unit
Belfast
Northern Ireland
Christmas Fare
1946
[Page break]
[Photograph]
“Mac” and his grandfather.
[Page break]
[Underlined] Before leaving the “Tarmac” or parking area a complete and methodical cockpit check is to be carried out in the order laid down. [/underlined]
1. Controls working fully and freely in right direction (Rudder Tested whilst taxying).
2. Sufficient petrol for flight in tank.
3. All four switches on.
4. Petrol on.
5. Tail trim back for running up and taxying.
6. Mixture control back.
7. Throttle friction nut slack (for taxying).
8. Altimeter zero.
9. Compass set to wind direction.
10. Rev counter working.
11. Oil pressure satisfactory.
12. Slots unlocked.
13. Cockpit doors locked and harness secure.
14. Goggles down.
15. Run up the engine, testing the magnetos.
[Drawing vertical in margin]
[Underlined] Vital actions before take off (Tiger Moth) [/underlined]
T - (Throttle friction nut tight.
(Tail-trimming gear set for take off.
M – Mixture control back.
F – Fuel-cock on and sufficient fuel for flight.
F – Free slots.
Flying Grading School – Theale, Reading April 1944.
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
[Photograph]Harry, Kim, Dicky & myself – [indecipherable], Heaton Park
[Page break]
No 7 Air Gunnery School
Pyle – Glamorganshire.
[Cartoon]
And it all depended on Winde!
[Photograph]
Marie of Pyle.
[Photograph]
[Page break]
W. G. Jones [Photograph]
[Photograph] MG Stockwell.
DJ. Brown. [Photograph]
[Photograph] S. Holtham.
R Erskine [Photograph]
[Photograph] Gordon J Page
[Page break]
[Photograph] George. F. Chatterton
[Signature] [Photograph]
[Photograph] J. B. Walker.
[Photograph] [Signature]
[Page break]
[Stormy Down Station Stamp]
23 JUN 1944
[Initials]
R.A.F. Form 295.
[missing letter]EAVE FORM.
[missing letter]ASS.
[missing letters]is pass is/is not valid for [missing letters]rthern Ireland and/or Eire.
[missing letters]tion. RAF Stormy Down
[missing letters]ficial No. 1812689 (Rank) AC/2
[missing letters]e JOYNER J. H.
[missing letters]m 1250 No 1990430
[missing word] permission to be absent from [missing word] quarters from A.D hrs. on 23/6/44 23.59 hrs. on 24/6/1944.
[Missing word] the purpose of proceeding on 1944 pass/leave to Garnant.
[Missing numbers]4 “Brynamlwg” Garnant Rd.
Garnant Carms.
Date 22/6/44.
[Signature] F/O.
for Commanding Officer.
[Page break]
[Photograph]
With Bill, Don, Ritch and Frank celebrating our reunion after three days separation. Sprog Air Gunners!
Trafalgar Square –
22nd August 1944.
[Page break]
[Section of Theatre Leaflet]
WHITEHALL
Licensed by the
London County Council to
LOUIS COOPER
6D DIXTRA ENTE[missing letters]
England’s Popular Pin-Up Girl
PHY[missing words]
“PEE[missingwords]
[Inserted] Phyllis Dixey. [/inserted]
CONTINUOUS from [missing words]
Reserved Seats Bookable
[Page break]
[Signed photograph]
[inserted] To Johnny Good Luck Phyllis ! [/inserted]
On leave – 22nd August 1944
[Page break]
[Telegram]
+ BNP/T 1812689 14 12 HUND 5/ +
16 9.20 BNP/T OHMS 40 [Stamp]
1812689 SGT JOYNER J 14 THE CRESCENT
ILFORD ESSEX = [Inserted] 5.30 [underlined] Paddington [/underlined] [/inserted]
REPORT TO RAF STATION UPPER-HEYFORD BY 1200 HOURS 5/ SEPTEMBER NEAREST RAILWAY STATION HEYFORD PRODUCE TELEGRAM AT NEAREST [word obscured] OR POLICE STATION FOR ALTERATION OF RAILWAY WARRANT AND ROUTING ACKNOWLEDGE = AEROS PYLE
[Page break]
[Photograph]
The village of Bloxham
Burford St. John
December 1944
[Photograph] [inserted] Happy Landings Johnny
Ken [/inserted]
Sergeant Ken Ketley –
Operational Training Unit.
Upper Heyford
September 1944
[Page break]
[RAF Form 295]
[Orderly Room Date Stamp] 21 OCT 1944
Station RAF BARFORD ST. JOHN
Official No 1812689 (Rank) SGT. (Name) JOYNER J.H.
Form 1250 No 257212
has permission to be absent from his quarters from A.D. hrs. on [deleted] 23.59 [/deleted] 2 DECEMBER 1944 to 23.59 hrs. on 23rd Oct 1944
for the purpose of proceeding on [deleted] leave [/deleted] pass to 14 THE CRESCENT ILFORD. ESSEX. (leave address)
(Date) 21/10/44 I. G. McPhail F/LT. for Commanding Officer.
[Page break]
[Theatre advert]
Comedy THEATRE Licensees Comedy Theatre Ltd.
Lessee ARCHIBALD NETTLEFOLD
Managing Director CHARLES KILLICK
JACK DE LYON
in association with
MARCEL HELLMAN PRODUCTIONS
presents
Sonia Dresdel
In
This was a Woman
6D
[Inserted] Tuesday Boxing Day
26th December 1944 With Mum and Dad. [/inserted]
A NEW PLAY BY
JOAN MORGAN
[Page break]
[RAF Crest]
SERGEANTS’ MESS R.A.F. STATION, WINTHORPE
The Warrant Officers and Senior N.C.O.’s of the Sergeants’ Mess
REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF THE COMPANY OF
McQualky’s Kids’
TO A
Victory Dance
at the Sergeants’ Mess, Winthorpe
FRIDAY, JUNE 22nd, 1945, at 20.00 hrs.
R.S.V.P. C.M.C.
[Photograph] YOUR PLACE in the AIR CREW TEAM
[Page break]
[Theatre advert]
PRINCE OF WALES
THEATRE Coventry Street, W.1.
[Drawing]
SID FIELD
by Dame Laura Knight RA
in George Black’s
STRIKE IT AGAIN!
[Inserted vertically in margin] Friday 22nd December 1944. After visiting the [indecipherable word] And Johnny Collins
[Page break]
[Variety Show Programme]
GEORGE BLACK invites you to
“STRIKE IT AGAIN”
Designed and produced by ALEC SHANKS
With WENDY TOYE Dances
Musical Advisor: DEBROY SOMERS
1 MEET THE SWING STREET KIDS (“That’ll be the DAY” by Hubert Gregg)
The Good News is told by ROBERTA HUBY, STELLA MOYA, JOYCE WHITE, PAULINE BLACK, CORAL WOODS and LIND JOYCE
“The Adam in Me” (by Hubert Gregg)
Sung by BONAR COLLEANO Jnr.
2 A COME-BACK (by Bud Flanagan) – SID FIELD
Introduced by – JERRY DESMONDE
3 THE CONVICTS RETURN (by Frank Eyton)
The Heroine – ROBERTA HUBY
4 LOOK ON THIS PICTURE (Harold Purcell)
(a) Royal Diversion
The Singer – ROBERTA HUBY
(b) Affairs of State
Premiere Danseuse – WENDY TOYE
An Admirer – TEDDY KING
5 FRENCH WITHOUT A BLUSH (by Barbara Gordon and Basil Thomas)
The Parisian – BILLY DAINTY
The Vendeuses – STELLA MOYA & LIND JOYCE
A Tommy – SID FIELD
A G,I. – JERRY DESMONDE
6 THE FRENCH PANTOMIMIST (by Pam Smalley and P. Frustaci)
SHERKOT
7 FANTASY – “Fascinating You”
The Young Man – BERNARD HUNTER
The Dancer – JOYCE WHITE
8 BRUSHWORK (by John Jowett)
The Artists – SID FIELD & JERRY DESMONDE
A Student – PAULINE BLACK
A Rustic – SYD RAILTON
They’re Only Human (by Leslie Gibbs and Michael Carr)
(Note.- The Shirts used in this scene are washable)
[Page break]
[Variety Show Programme Cont.]
9 SOMETHING OLD – SOMETHING NEW
Around Chestnut Street – “Between 18th and 19th Chestnut Street”
The Boys and Girls: CORAL WOODS, BILL GORDON, CHARLES YATES and PAULINE BLACK
At the Café – “Canteen Bounce”
The Proprietor – BILLY DAINTY
The Pianist – JOHN SHACKELL
Bessie Rhonestone Gown – STELLA MOYA
The Waiters – ALAN WREN, BILLY MAGUIRE
The Checkroom Girl – JACQUELYN DUNBAR
The Guests: HAZEL HOLLAND, BERYL FRASER, JEAN CHAPPELLE, DAVID CAREY, TEDDY KING
Piccadilly – “I Left my Heart in Piccadilly (by Herbert Gregg) – BERNARD HUNTER and ROBERTA HUBY
The M.P.’s: KEN ASTELL, DREW PRINGLE, ARTHUR LOADER and ALAN EDWARDS
Further North – “Jingle Bells”
The Boy – BONO COLLEANO Junr.
The Girl – LIND JOYCE
South Again – “Come and Live on the Farm” (by Hedley Grey)
Sung by CORAL WOODS
The Train Arrives – “Headin’ South” (by Tommy Connor and Dennis Moonan)
The Traveller – LIND JOYCE
Dancing in the Barn – ALL THE FOLKS
Special Guests – THE WALLABIES
INTERMISSION
Orchestra under the Direction of
JIMMY CAMPBELL
10 SWING FEVER – THE GIRLS
11 SLIGHT CONFUSION
Boy and Girl – MARGERITE & CHARLES
12 PORTRAIT STUDY (by Martin Lane)
The Receptionist – HAZEL HOLLAND
The Sitter – JERRY DESMONDE
The Photographer – SID FIELD
13 FORCES FAVOURITE (Lyrics by Harold Purcell, Music by Phil Park)
Pin Up Girl, 1939 – CORAL WOODS
Pin Up Girl, 1914 – STELLA MOYA
Pin Up Girl, 1900 – LIND JOYCE
Jane, 1944 – ROBERTA HUBY
The Service Men: BERNARD HUNTER, BILLY DAINTY, WILLIAM GORDON and BONAR COLLEANO, Junr.
14 WE LIKE TO DANCE (Music by Phil Greene)
WENDY TOYE with IRVING DAVIES, DONALD REED and JOHN SHACKELL
PROGRAMME CONTINUED OVERLEAF
[Page break]
[Theatre advert]
STOLL THEATRE
KINGSWAY
Licensed by the Lord Chamberlain to Prince Littler
[Inserted] With Mac and [indecipherable]
Monday 23rd. October 1944. [/inserted]
THE LISBON STORY
[Inserted] This the result of a pleasant 48 hr. when we were just back to 92 Course. [/inserted]
EVENINGS AT 6.15
MATINEES: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday at 2.30
[Page break]
[Underlined] Addendum March 2001 [/underlined]
This is a report composed and written by Stan [indecipherable], our Navigator, for F/O Harrison our pilot following the transfer of McQuitty our first pilot, to Transport Command.
It relates to Bill Jones, our rear gunner, who was later found to have sustained a burn from a short circuit in his heated suit (in addition to his problems with his chute).
[Page break]
To./
O.C. Flying – RAF Stn. Winthorpe.
From/
F/Lt. Harrison 21 Course.
Sir,
I, [inserted] F/Lt Harrison [/inserted] have the honour to report that while engaged on [deleted] night [/deleted] flying on the night of 26th inst. I allowed my gunner to leave the [inserted] rear [/inserted] turret due to [deleted] the [/deleted] intense cold [inserted] to his face [/inserted] & to the fact that ice was forming on his oxygen mask. [Deleted] While doing this his parachute was accidentally opened [/deleted]
[Page break]
[deleted] and his oxygen tube became damaged and removed from mask [/deleted]
After leaving the turret the gunner reached the oxy. pt at the door and plugged in.[symbol] From [deleted] that [/deleted] the time [inserted] R/G left the door position to [/inserted] reaching the Wop pos; he has vague recollect of what happened, [deleted] where [/deleted] [inserted] then [/inserted] he collapsed. [Deleted] I [/deleted] The W/op shared his oxygen supply, at the same time noticing that gunners tube was missing. I immediately decided to descend to [inserted] below [/inserted] oxygen level.[symbol] As I could not get any reply from the RG on the inter-com, I ordered the MUG to leave his turret to ascertain his whereabouts & condition. The MUG found RUG making his way forward obviously in a condition of oxygen lack and oblivious to the fact
[Page break]
[Post Office Telegram]
[Nottingham date stamp] 3 JU 45
1.29 9.50 PM EAST LDN T 21
1812689 SGT JOYNER C/O SGTS MES RAF STN WINTHORPE NR NEWARK-NOTTS
CONGRATS ON YOUR 21 ST WITH LOVE = MOTHER DAD AND JEAN +
1812689 21 ST +
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[inserted] B Flight Gunners 101 Squadron JULY 1945 [/inserted]
‘B’ Flight Air Gunners No 101 Squadron – Ludford Magna July 1945
[Page break]
[Underlined] Addendum March 2001 [/underlined]
Joyner Midupper sixth from right back row
Bill Jones Rear Gunner eighth from right back row
{opposite telegram dated 4/6/45)
[Page break]
[Newspaper clip]
[Hand of cards]
[indecipherable newspaper cutting]
[Photograph]
[Underlined] Above [/underlined] The Greatest Shootist of them all [underlined] John Cameron. Right - [/underlined] The famous passport to Poverty.
Ludford Magna August 1945
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
[newspaper cutting]
Coming back in bombers
“Daily Mirror” Reporter
LONG before you awoke this morning Lancaster and Halifax bombers were winging their way over the British coast and across France on the same routes they’d taken months ago to bomb the Reich.
But in their bomb-bays were no bombs, the twin Brownings had gone from the gun-turrets, and inside the fuselage were rows of cushions.
For the bombers were off to Italy to bring home Army men, some on leave, and others for de-mobbing.
Bomber Command of the RAF has agreed to bring home nearly 20,000 men a month. Transport Command too, will fly a big number back.
After six or seven hours in the air all bombers will circle airfields near Naples and Bari before landing to pick up twenty men each for the homeward trip.
All the flying is done by day and at low altitude, so that the men, unused to air travel, will be as little fatigued as possible.
Air crews rest in Italy for a day and a half before making the long trip home.
Only fully trained crews, many with one or two tours of thirty operations to their credit, are picked for the job.
[Leaflet]
[Photograph] [inserted] Pompei 25th August 1945
Myself, Jock MacGregor and Cam – in front of the Catholic Cathedral in Pompei August 1945
[Page break]
[Postcard] Pompei – Santuaria – Interna
[Photograph] “Dear Old Pals” – Pete and Jock
[Banknote]
[page break]
“McQualky’s Kids”
[Photograph]
David McQuitty
[Pilot’s wings]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
Peter Gillespie [Engineer’s brevet]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
John Bennett Orr [Bomb aimer’s brevet]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
Stanley Annetts. [Navigator’s brevet]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
John Cameron. [Signaller’s brevet]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
William. G. Jones. [Air Gunner’s brevet]
[Page break]
[Postcard] Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn, Nottingham.
[Underlined] 10th August. [/underlined]
And it came to pass that on this date + at this tavern in Nottingham Town, each and every year, those who are known as McQualky’s Kids were wont to meet. And many were the lines that were shot, the songs sung, And the drams drunk, for they had diced together, and were as brothers.
[Page break]
[Theatre advert]
THEATRE ROYAL
LINCOLN
WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY, OCT. 15th, 1945
6.0 p.m. – TWICE NIGHTLY – 8.0 p.m.
[Photographs]
ZISKA
FRED BRAND
Billy MAXAM
Jane
“JANE” of the DAILY MIRROR
the VICKERS TWINS and LESLIE JOHNS
ANGLO-AMERICAN PRODUCTIONS Ltd
Know you will be pleased that “JANE’S BACK!”
PAUL ROACH and SYLVIA ROYAN
The Marie-de-Vere Trio
Waddington – Lincoln December 1945
Good times with “Rip”
[Page break]
[Photograph] 1692006 RIPPON F/SGT
“Rip”
[Bottle label] “The Caf” LINCOLN January 1946.
[Photograph]
No 9 and 617 Squadron’s Farewell Party, Waddington December 1945
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
[9 Squadron Date Stamp]DEC 1945 By arrangement with the Traffic Superintendant, [sic] the undermentioned is permitted to travel by train on Special Christmas Leave, prior to proceeding overseas.
1812689 F/S JOYNER, J. H. (A/G).
[photograph]
[Inserted] Friday 7th December
Tower Hill
London [/inserted]
[Page break]
[Telegram] [Confirmation Stamp] [Lincoln Date Stamp]3 JAN 46
[inserted] 11-11 U SO [/inserted]
65 10.40 EAST LONDON T 20
FLT/SGT JOYNER 1812689 RAF SGTS MESS RAF STATION WADDINGTON NR-LINCOLN =
GOOD LUCK GOD BLESS YOU JEAN OKAY =
MOTHER AND DAD + [deleted] 1812689 [/deleted] + + +
[Page break]
[Postcard] DESTINATION SOUTH EAST ASIA
[Rupee Note]
[Inserted] 8 Mugs of “Char”
2 Cinema Seats
2 Lime and Lemons
8 Oranges.
11 Bananas
4 [deleted] Boxes [/deleted] packets of Gum
etc, etc. [/inserted]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
No. 17 STAGING POST
ROYAL AIR FORCE
CASTEL BENITO
North Africa
11th January 1946.
[Deleted] Snacks [/deleted]
Soup
Spaghetti Gratim
Roast Lamb
Peas
Fried Onions
Cream Potatoe’s [sic]
Trifle
Coffee or Tea
[2 Lire Note]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[inserted] Cairo 1946 12th January [/inserted]
Cairo West “In quest of Brown Knees”
12th January 1946.
[Bank note]
[Page break]
[Beer label]
[inserted] SHAIBAH PERSIA 13th January 1946 [/inserted]
Shaibah IRAQ – 13th January 1946.
[Photograph]
Approaching Digh Road
Karachi
14th January 1946.
[Photograph]
Karachi –
15th January 1946
In front of the Catholic Church
[Page break]
Note –
Underneath the “White Label ale”
more correctly than SHAIBAH
SHU’AIBA
[Page break]
[Underlined] opposite “White Label” [/underlined]
The five NCOs of the new crew
[Underlined] Back row [/underlined] ‘Nobby’ Clark W/op?
Bill [deleted] spalding [/deleted] “Jock” Spalding (Bomb aimer) Self
(Mid upper) (Rear Gunner)
Addendum
[underlined] March 2001 [/underlined]
[Page break]
[Photograph] Jock Spalding with some of the local “colour” pose before the Catholic Church in Karachi.
15th January 1946
[Photograph]
Salbani Airfield
[Page break]
[Photograph] Runner up in the Salbani Annual Chariot Race.
Salbani Family Group. [Photograph]
[Photograph] A Hindu Girl –
Praying in the Pani
[Page break]
Note
31st March 2003
Bottom right –
The girl is in the PANI but is not praying.
She is making the NAMASKAR
A sort of salutation or greeting.
[Page break]
[Cartoon] HAMBOLO RECORDINGS
Well, I must jaldi now, Bessie – nearly Khanna time. hope [inserted] you, the [/inserted] chickos and the sub cheese are all teak hai. Hope to see you all tora peachy . . . “
One of the “Boys out East”!
[Page break]
[Photograph]
With Nobby at the Bazaar –
[Underlined] Khargpur [/underlined]
24th March 1946.
[Travel ticket]
[Page break]
[Photograph] “Down by the River” Salbani Village
[Photograph] Another River Scene.
[Photograph]
Nobby plus background “T” Tail on the Salbani Dispersal
[Page break]
[Photograph]
Left to Right [indecipherable] Jimmy Taylor Nobby [indecipherable words], Bill
Standing in the doorway, with myself outside right “All for One and One for all”
[Photograph]
Salbani Airfield just after take-off
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
Redundant –
Embarkation assistant
Belfast.
4-48
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
Jock Spalding
Mid upper
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
48
[Page break]
SALBANI BED MINUS NOBBY 27/3/46
Or CHARP minus CLARK
[sketch]
[Page break]
[3 Photographs]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
1999 Postscript
We are sitting on 500lb bombs at NAGPUR central India, to where we flew from SALBANI. Bengal. We were supposed to be dealing with [inserted] the [/inserted] mutiny of the Indian Navy. From Karachi we flew back without incident.
[Page break]
[Inserted] Mauripur Karachi. February 1946. [/inserted]
[ENSA Crest]
ENSA
Entertainment for H. M. Forces
By Arrangement with Canteen Services (India)
presents
“LABURNAM GROVE”
A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS
by
J.B. PRIESTLEY.
[Top of Newspaper]
REG. NO. S. 16. Editor: K. PUNNIAH
The Sind Observer
Evening Bulletin
NO. 12. VOL. 7. PRICE: HALF ANNA.
KARACHI, MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1946.
[Page break]
AYAZ & Co.,
Manufacturers Cashmir Shawls, Embroidery & Wood Carving
Dealers in:-
Persian & Bukhara Carpets, furs and Namdas
Head Office
ERAHAH STREET
LUDHJANA (Punjab)
Branch
“KHAN MANZIL”
NAGIN ROAD
SRINAGAR (KASHMIR)
No. Date 2/4/46.
Received the sum of Rs. 20/- on a/c of the one Indian Carpet size 6 x 3
For Ayaz & Co.,
Manager,
M. jan.
Receipt for a 65 Rupee Carpet.
[Page break]
[3 x Photograph]
[Page break]
[Map] COMING HOME
[Page break]
[2 x photographs]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
Top F/O Kirkwood Pilot.
Bottom – Someone said this was the Dead Sea.
[Photograph]
[Page break]
[3 x Photograph]
[Page break]
[3 x Photograph]
[Page break]
[2 x Photographs]
[Page break]
[Photograph]
[Page break]
Units at which served
STORMY DOWN 18/8/44
[Page break]
[Sergeants’ Mess ROYAL AIR FORCE WADDINGTON. Lincs.]
[Sergeants’ Mess R.A.F. Coningsby. Mess Subscription Card]
Name
JOYNER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
John Joyner's scrap book
Description
An account of the resource
A log book used as a scrap book. The photographs and documents cover his aircrew training from November 1943. It has sergeant's mess subscription cards, photographs, correspondence and cuttings.
Many of the entries are post war and a number refer to theatrical performances. It includes a promotional picture of Phyllis Dixie.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Joyner
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-10
1946-12
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Printed book with photographs and documents with handwritten annotations
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Physical object
Text
Photograph
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SJoynerJH1812689v1
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Oxfordshire
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-10
1946-12
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
Anne-Marie Watson
101 Squadron
617 Squadron
9 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
Anson
bomb aimer
entertainment
flight engineer
Lancaster
mess
military living conditions
military service conditions
navigator
Operation Dodge (1945)
Operational Training Unit
pilot
RAF Bardney
RAF Coningsby
RAF Ludford Magna
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Waddington
RAF Winthorpe
Tiger Moth
training
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/592/31566/BJoynerJHJoynerJHv1.2.pdf
9de39cff8626cc2b55c3c48152ab32cb
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joyner, John
John Howard Joyner
J H Joyner
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Joyner, JH
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with John Joyner (1924 - 2016, Royal Air Force), his memoir and scrap book. He flew operations as an air gunner with 189 and 101 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by John Joyner and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
1
It was 1940. It was a significant year for Britain, and young men and women, clerks and shop assistants, were stirred by the promise of another life and another world full of yet unknown opportunities.
I was 16 and I joined the Air Training Corps. We paraded and drilled under the stern eye of Warrant Officer Ash one evening in the week and on another learnt the Morse Code. This, together with algebra & [indecipherable word] which I had never encountered before broadened my horizons and prepared me for my application to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at 17¼ years. In the interview we learnt the rudiments of navigation and I studied “Teach yourself to Fly” one of an optimistically titled series. One could use an imaginative joystick and rudder bar on the front seat of the bus[?]. My year or so included an opportunity to fly which I did in a Miles Magister, which prompted me to write “My first flight” now lost to posterity. Waiting for my call up I sported an RAFVR badge
[page break]
2
while marking off the days on the locker room door of the warehouse where I worked.
My parents saw me off on the train to London and I recall my father kissed me, possibly believing he might not see me again. His loving gesture was fortunately misplaced, however, for I was home on leave in a week, as I had merely been summoned to St Johns Wood in London where those of us who had not been inoculated and vaccinated received this painful procedure and we were kitted out. We were told that a 6d tip to the barber would ensure a tasteful haircut but this proved to be a fallacy, as was a collection for our discip.[?] corporal’s marriage.
We were taken to Seymour Hall Baths were[sic] the prospect of young men swimming in what were euphemistically called “slips” up and down decided [two indecipherable words] for Initial Training Wing (ITW) Those who demonstrated their ability to swim a length were sent to St Andrews in Scotland and those who could not to Scarborough, [deleted] where there were [/deleted] [inserted] which unlike Scotland provided [/inserted] swimming facilities.
[page break]
3.
Foolishly the swimmers could not get leave home from Scotland as easily as the non swimmers at Scarborough. It was one lesson among many which one learns in life.
At I.T.W. we came to grips with Navigation, astronomy, signals, and the inevitable drill. Our drill instructors managed to demonstrate movements from one of the concrete blocks defending the sea shore without disappointingly falling in, and for our part we leapt from one block to another miserably clad in singlets and shorts.
Eventually we were posted to what promised to be, and was, actual flying. Perhaps some were deemed more suitable for training as Navigators or Bombaimers[sic] but for my part, I went to Elementary Flying Training school (EFTS) at Theale in Reading.
There we actually flew in Tiger Moths from a grass field. The latter figured in our training because we were told that when one could distinguish blades of grass
[page break]
4
from the green grass alone, one could pull back the stick prior to an optimistic three point landing rarely accomplished in practice, for the instructor had to bear much leaping from terra firma into the air before the blessed moment[?] when the plane came to a halt.
I do recall the “spin” however, showed you need this manoeuvre to lose height. Pull back the stick as far as it will go while closing the throttle. The plane will go into a stall, that is, the nose will come up before it goes into a dive. At the moment[?] apply full rudder to either [deleted or [/deleted] port or starboard and the plane [inserted] will [/inserted] commence a dive, turning the while – the spin. This is not recommended after a greasy breakfast.
I never did solo but in any case before we had finished our training we were all summoned to
[page break]
5
Heaton Park in Manchester for a series of psychological and aptitude tests. At the end of the week we were all considered suitable for training as Air Gunners, including one of our number named memorably Snooks, who had soloed. I think it was because the P.N.B. (Pilot Navigator Bomber Aimer category) had choked[?] up the training programmes in Rhodesia, Canada, and even America as I recall, or equally Bomber Command needed more Air Gunners.
Oh I forgot – to get out of the spin you put the stick forward – full throttle and opposite rudder – and do none of it unless you have reasonable height.
We were posted to [inserted] Gunnery School [/inserted] in a place called Stormy Down in South Wales, where I met a fellow trainee named Bill Jones, with whom I am still friends [deleted] after [/deleted] with surviving crew members after 67 years. Bill came from a village named Garnant, and we hitchhiked there
[page break]
6
Whenever we could get a weekend pass.
We learned how to take a Browning .303 to pieces and put it together and hydraulics, which was to understand the working of a gun turret, [inserted] some practice with shotguns too. [/inserted]
We went to St Athans, where [deleted] we [/deleted] three of us went up in an Avro Anson with a pilot and rendezvous with a Harvard towing a [deleted indecipherable word] drogue. Each of us took our turn in the gun turret from which we fired at the drogue, using belts of ammunition covered with wet paint in distinctive colours. The idea was that when (and if) ones bullets hit the drogue then as the bullet entered it there remained a hole ringed with the colour of the gunner’s bullet. The drogue was then dropped over the airfield and waffs had the unenviable task of counting the hits of each gunner, he [inserted] also [/inserted] sat in a darkened room identifying flashed on silhouettes of aircraft.
The time came for our final exams and oral tests. Much of what I’d learned about hydraulics eluded me but the examiners said “Do you want to be an Air Gunner?” and when
[page break]
7
I said “yes please” (I was brought up to be polite) they said “Right – you’ve passed!” I think this had to be because Stormy Down was being turned into a POW camp for German officers.
So (you will be glad to lean) we were given our sergeant stripes and air gunner’s half wing, and all us Gunners met up in London and went to see Phyllis Dixey in “Peekaboo”.
We went to O.T.U. [inserted] Operational Training Unit [/inserted] at which crew members of all trades were assembled in a hall and told to sort ourselves out into crews. Bill Jones and I stayed together, and as he is a bit shorter than me he became Rear Gunner and I Mid-upper.
I cannot explain the chemistry which formed crews, but ours became six (because we didn’t have a Flight Engineer until later) [deleted] consisted [/deleted] consisting of a pilot from Tasmania, David MacQuitty[?] (Mac) Stan Annetts,[?] Navigator, of whom more about later, John Orr[?], Bomb Aimer
[page break]
8.
(Jock, a suitable title for a Scot as we would have had three Johns), John Cameron (Cam). Later on [deleted indecipherable word] in Lancasters, Peter Gillespie [inserted] (Pete) [/inserted] joined us as Flight Engineer.
[deleted] We did the usual [/deleted]
We flew first in Wellingtons which because it doesn’t have a Mid-upper Turret meant I had to stand with my head in the Astrodome. I didn’t have guns until we flew in Lancasters.
Stan Annetts our Navigator was a policeman in Civvie Street, and as such was only able to join the forces for aircrew, for which he volunteered.
We did circuits & bumps by day and night and bombing exercises. I was useful in my astrodome keeping an eye out for other aircraft on the circuit. It is a sobering thought that over 8000 aircrew were killed in training exercises.
Later it was Bill and my opportunity to demonstrate our skills against an “attacking” Harvard.
[page break
9.
[deleted] opportunity to demonstrate our skills. [/deleted] We took turns in the rear turret with a gunsight linked to a camera. The film was later developed and shown to the crew.
During this gunnery exercise the pilot responded to directions from the gunner to “dive starboard” or “climb port”, a manouvre[sic] called the “corkscrew” the principle of which is to climb away at right [inserted] near [/inserted] angles from a diving fighter or dive at the same angle from a fighter climbing in pursuit with its fixed cannon or guns bearing on a key area of the Bomber, often the Rear Gunner with his four Brownings, or engines and fuel tanks. [inserted] The RAF [indecipherable word] on the side of the fuselage was regarded to be a near target for the mid-upper gunner in the sights of an attacking fighter. [/inserted]
Searching was a key exercise to avoid a surprise attack, turrets turning through 180°, Bomb aimer vigilant for head on attacks [deleted] within his [/deleted] with no guns, [deleted] nose[?] turret [/deleted], prone in his Bomb aimers position, and pilot contributing to a general awareness
[page break]
10
of threats from attacking fighters. Once the fighter had committed to its attack the bomber would perform the corkscrew, presenting a difficult target.
Chat over the intercom was kept to a minimum and to the [deleted] essentials necessary for [/deleted] necessary essentials.
Our first operation together was [deleted] first [/deleted] to France and then into Germany. The operation was called “Sweepstake” and involved entering the area partially occupied by the Allies, in particular to divert fighter aircraft away from the main force which was bombing WESEL, just beyond the Rhine in preparation for Montgomery’s crossing. “Sweepstake” employed “window” – strips of paper with a metallic side. This was dropped by the Bomb-aimer in handfuls according to a prearranged plan. I reported a single engined fighter on our port quarter which I took to be a
[page break]
11
Focke wolfe 190, but I could have been wrong. I reported it but almost immediately it [deleted one word] fell back and disappeared. It was said that fighter aircraft were less likely to attack if their quarry appeared vigilant. Nothing else happened to us before we returned to base.
What happened next proved tragic and kept us on the ground until we were transferred to a holding unit. Mac, our skipper was one of three brothers in Bomber Command flying in Lancs. One had been killed on ops. and we learned [deleted] that the [/deleted] that the second brother had been killed, resulting in Mac being taken off ops. just as we were [deleted] just [/deleted] about to begin our tour of ops. and posted to Transport Command in which he served until the end of the war.
For our part we were what [deleted] what [/deleted] was described as a headless crew. Due to be posted to a holding unit the following day I was having
[page break]
12
my hair cut in the mess [deleted word] when Bill Jones came in to tell me I was on the battle order that night. The crew’s upper gunner was either sick or dead – I never enquired. I attended the briefing, which was, as I recall to an oil refinery, and as the hour grew near kitted up and given [inserted] a [/inserted] “wakey wakey” pill.
Out on dispersal we [inserted] were bombed up [/inserted] ran up the engines, and ready for take off, when one or more very lights[?] went up from the control tower and the op was scrubbed.
With a new skipper he ended the war without incident, so this lengthy account [inserted] is [/inserted] as I have told the producers, [inserted] This account has never been published or broadcast. [/inserted] not one of “derring do” we were never the less ready to take part, [deleted] perhaps with [/deleted] hopefully with our survival, which enabled us to arrange a reunion of the remaining five of us in 1999 meeting for the first time for 54 years
[page break]
13
After the war had come to an end we flew to Pomigliano, near Naples to bring back soldiers for demob or going on leave.
Then with [inserted] the [/inserted] Independence of India looming we flew to Salbani in Bengal, from where we later bombed up with 500lb bombs at Nagpur enroute to Karachi. I have no idea why were[sic] armed thus, each of us being provided with 38 calibre revolvers.
Home in Britain I was finally made redundant. [deleted] stationed on [/deleted] Billeted in a café in Belfast[?] I was designated “Embarkation Assistant” collecting boarding cards from Waafs and sick airmen sailing on the “Ulster Monarch” or the “Ulster Prince” to Heysham in Lancashire. Fit airmen were obliged to go north to Larne for the crossing to Stranraer.
Finally (and I know you will be glad to learn this) I was transferred to a maintenance unit
[page break]
14
at Attlebridge, Norfolk, where I came face to face with the enemy. German POWs were employed to pick up freight from the railway stations and I sat beside the German driver with others behind.
Surely this is the end I hear you say, and indeed it was. Kitted out in suit, raincoat, and trilby, I returned home for three weeks leave before coming to grips with commerce.
As the old lady said as she breathed her last “It’s all been most interesting”.
John H Joyner (Flight Sergeant 1812689)
Total reading time 12 minutes
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
An account of John Joyner's time in the RAF
Description
An account of the resource
Records his time in the Air Training Corps before joining the RAF, his training as an air gunner and his first operation.
Post war his squadron took part in the repatriation of Army personnel from Italy and his unit was in India at around the time it became independent.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Joyner
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Fourteen handwritten pages
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BJoynerJHJoynerJHv1
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
Italy
Pakistan
Italy--Naples
Pakistan--Karachi
Northern Ireland--Belfast
Germany--Saarbrücken
Germany
Great Britain
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sue Smith
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1940
1945
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
Anson
crewing up
Flying Training School
Fw 190
Harvard
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Operation Dodge (1945)
RAF St Athan
RAF Stormy Down
RAF Upper Heyford
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
Window
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/933/31439/ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0001.1.jpg
b71aecbab1aa4b6f1e2ab3076bef5a05
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/933/31439/ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0002.1.jpg
d668296dd71f3b7e6ee75c00e48ef16d
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/933/31439/ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0003.1.jpg
f4af893033b4766f033dc8137c1be17d
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/933/31439/ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0004.1.jpg
099ec3b7c3b0aa574eb975a1dd885812
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lord, Billy
W C J Lord
Description
An account of the resource
50 items. An oral history interview with Eunice Burley and Leonard Bennett, about Eunice Burley's uncle, Billy Lord (137385, Royal Air Force), an <a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2010">album</a>, correspondence and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 619 Squadron until he was killed 3 January 1944. <br /><br />Additional information on William Charles John is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/114242/">IBCC Losses Database.</a> <br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Eunice Burley and Len Bennett and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-06-18
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Lord, WCJ
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
137385
P/O LORD. W.C.J.
OFFICERS MESS.
UPPER HEYFORD.
OXON.
17-3-43,
Dear Sis,
I suppose I had better drop you a line, before I get a stinking letter from you on how much you enjoy my let-ters. So here it is.
Well dear have you got over your flu O.K. now. I hope so. You are probably binding away back at work by now, and I dont [sic] envy you
For myself I am
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
not doing too bad.
I have palled up with a Squadron Leader Pilot, and I am going in his crew, he has bags of flying experience and I should be as safe as houses with. - Well you know how safe houses are nowadays.
Seriously though he’s a decent chap and I should do alright with him. He may bring me up to Shirley in his car soon and you can meet him.
By the way Lynne do you think you could ask Albert if he would
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
see us. OK.
You know what I mean dont [sic] you, would you ask him if he could manage about 15 galls, of course I would see that he got treated O.K.
Would you write & let me know honey cos we couldn’t come all the way unless we were sure.
Have you heard any more from Stanley yet dear? Whats the gen from the firm. Any news about our next bonus, I want it to be at least 100% this time.
[page break]
4
I haven’t heard from air ministry yet about my cash, but as soon as I hear from the bank Ill give you the O.K.
Give my kind regards to Mr & Mrs Bennett. and also to all your friends
Ta Ta for now.
Your bruvver
Bill.
xxxxx
xxxxx
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Bill Lord to his Sister
Description
An account of the resource
He asks Lynne if she has recovered from her flu, explains he has joined a crew with a very experienced pilot, he asks her to arrange beer if his pilot comes to visit her, he asks about Stanley and mentions his pay rise.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bill Lord
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-03-17
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Four handwritten sheets
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0001, ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0002, ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0003, ELordWCJBennettLR430317-0004
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Croydon
England--Oxfordshire
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Steve Christian
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-03-17
aircrew
RAF Upper Heyford
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/774/30953/MWoolfAS157533-170629-05.2.jpg
44675a0c06cb6169015f0e2f4d179c14
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Woolf, Arthur Sidney
A S Woolf
Description
An account of the resource
23 items. An oral history interview with Flying Officer Arthur Woolf (1922 - 2021, 1579552, 157533 Royal Air Force) his log book, a memoir, correspondence, documents, a newspaper cutting and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 630 Squadron and became a member of the Guinea Pig Club.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Arthur Woolf and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-06-29
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Woolf, AS
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[royal crest]
[underlined] RECORD OF SERVICE OF FLYING OFFICER ARTHUR SIDNEY WOOLF (157533) [/underlined]
[underlined] DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: [/underlined] 7 March 1922, Birmingham.
[underlined] NON-COMMISSIONED SERVICE [/underlined]
Enlisted as No 1579552 Aircraftman 2nd Class/Aircrafthand Wireless Operator Air 13 Oct 41
Remustered Wireless Operator (Group 2) Air 3 Aug 42
Wireless Operator under training [deleted] Air Gunner [/deleted] 22 Mar 43
Temporary Sergeant 30 Aug 43
Remustered Wireless Operator [deleted] Air Gunner [/deleted] 31 Aug 43
Discharged on appointment to temporary commission 8 Nov 43
[underlined] APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS [/underlined]
Granted a commission for the duration of the emergency as Pilot Officer on probation in General Du-ties Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 9 Nov 43
Confirmed in appointment and promoted Flying Officer (war substantive) 9 May 44
Relinquished commission on account of medical unfitness for Air Force service, retains rank of Flying Officer 16 Jan 46
[underlined] POSTINGS [/underlined]
Birmingham 13 Oct 41
Reserve 14 Oct 41
No 3 Recruit Centre PADGATE, LANCS 22 Dec 41
No 10 Signals Recruit Centre BLACKPOOL 30 Dec 41
No 2 Signals School YATESBURY, WILTS 23 Apr 42
[deleted] No 1 Signals Depot [/deleted] (HOME ON LEAVE) 13 Aug 42
Martlesham Heath, NEAR IPSWICH. 26 Aug 42
No 1 Signals School, 16 Mar 43
Aircrew Reception Centre, ST. JOHNS WOOD, LONDON. 22 Mar 43
No 18 Initial Training Wing, BRIDGENORTH 10 Apr 43
No 2 Reserve Squadron, YATESBURY 9 Jun 43
No 10 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit DUMFRIES. 30 Aug 43
No 16 Operational Training Unit BARFORD ST JOHN/UPPER HEYFORD 2 Nov 43
No 51 Base, 23 Feb 44
No 3 Group Armament School, [underlined] Scampton [/underlined] 23 Feb 44
CONVERSION UNIT No. 1654, WIGSLEY. APRIL 44
No. 5 LANCASTER FLYING SCHOOL, SYERSTON. MAY 44
No 630 Squadron, EAST KIRKBY, LINCS. 22 May 44
Missing (flying battle) 25 Jul 44
Previously missing, now safe Date not recorded
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Arthur Woolf record of service
Description
An account of the resource
Details non-commissioned service. appointments and promotions and postings with dates for all.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One page printed document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MWoolfAS157533-170629-05
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--West Midlands
England--Birmingham
England--Lancashire
England--Blackpool
England--Wiltshire
England--Suffolk
England--London
England--Shropshire
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
England--Oxfordshire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Warwickshire
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-10-13
1942-08-02
1943-03-22
1943-08-30
1943-08-31
1943-11-08
1943-11-09
1944-05-09
1946-01-16
1941-10-13
1941-10-14
1941-12-22
1941-12-30
1942-04-23
1942-08-13
1942-08-26
1943-03-16
1943-03-22
1943-04-10
1943-06-09
1943-08-30
1943-11-02
1944-02-23
1944-05-22
1944-07-25
1944-04
1944-05
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Alan Pinchbeck
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
16 OTU
1654 HCU
630 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
Heavy Conversion Unit
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
missing in action
Operational Training Unit
RAF Barford St John
RAF Bridgnorth
RAF Dumfries
RAF East Kirkby
RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Padgate
RAF Scampton
RAF Syerston
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Wigsley
RAF Yatesbury
training
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/774/30939/BWoolfASWoolfASv1.2.pdf
f62f9d2147ca2ccc8cd92af5c543242e
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Woolf, Arthur Sidney
A S Woolf
Description
An account of the resource
23 items. An oral history interview with Flying Officer Arthur Woolf (1922 - 2021, 1579552, 157533 Royal Air Force) his log book, a memoir, correspondence, documents, a newspaper cutting and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 630 Squadron and became a member of the Guinea Pig Club.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Arthur Woolf and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-06-29
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Woolf, AS
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Air Crew Association Badge]
ROYAL AIRFORCE [sic] CAREER & EXPERIENCES IN WORLD WAR TWO.
F/O ARTHUR S. WOOLF.
No. 630 Squadron, No. 5 Group.
BOMBER COMMAND.
[page break]
[photograph]
R.A.F. CAREER AND EXPERIENCES IN WW2.
F/O ARTHUR S. WOOLF.
630 SQUADRON. No.5 GROUP.
[page break]
[Bomber Command Crest]
[5 Group Headquarters Crest] [630 Squadron Crest]
[page break]
R.A.F. CAREER AND EXPERIENCES IN WW2.
F/O ARTHUR S. WOOLF.
As a youngster I was always thrilled by the thought of flying, so volunteered for aircrew and eventually in 1941 reported to Padgate R.A.F. Recruitment Centre at the age of 19. I was very much a home-loving boy from a close-knit family of just four, my older brother being already in the R.A.F. was serving in the Middle East.
I was first posted to Blackpool for 'square bashing', morse code training etc. Then on to Yatesbury in Wiltshire, No.2 Radio School, after which, due apparently to a 'log jam' of trainees (or a cock-up of some sort!) we were all individually posted out to various U.K. R.A.F. stations for "Radio experience". In my case this was to Martlesham Heath, an old pre-war airfield a few miles north of Ipswich on the east coast, where I became one of the station's Signal Section, though I still wore my white flash in my forage cap and was still untrained aircrew. It was here that I 'cadged' my very first and very unofficial flight, it was on one of my off duty days. Of all things it was in an old Walrus aircraft of the Air-Sea Rescue Squadron based there. I was crammed into the tiny space available and we chugged down the East coast just a few feet above the sea. I was thrilled to pieces!.
My second flight, this time semi-official, was in a Hampden on a practice bombing trip to Orford Ness bombing range just off the east coast, when I was supposed to try to fix a u/s radio. My, I was really progressing. From a Walrus to a Hampden! I must have been mad to go anyway near either of them, but where ignorance is bliss.......
After seven or eight months at Martlesham I was posted to the Aircrew Reception Centre at St. Johns Wood, London, much to my disgust. This seemed very much like a backward step in my R.A.F. career, just doing more 'square bashing' in the local streets, but it only lasted a couple of weeks or so, when I was then moved to I.T.W. at Bridgenorth. At the end of this course, at the Passing-Out Parade, it was announced that I had achieved the highest pass marks in all the various subjects ever attained since this course had commenced and I was presented with two hundred cigarettes to mark the occasion. Being a non-smoker at that time my colleagues benefited [sic]!
My next posting was to Yatesbury again, but this time on a more advanced signals course which included flying, officially this time, on air signals training, first in De Haviland Dominies, and later in Proctors. I continued obtaining high marks in virtually all subjects and just prior to the final tests and in the middle of lectures one morning I was told to
R.A.F. Career and Experiences in WW2. Page 1
[page break]
report to the Adjutant. Without being told why, I was questioned by him at length about my family background, my education and further studies, my interests etc., and then dismissed back to normal training with the rest of the squad. At the end of this course and before being posted to A.F.U. at Dumfries in Scotland, we were given our three stripes, although it was stressed that we were still under training and we were not to think that we could go throwing our weight around as "real sergeants"!
The A.F.U. course at Dumfries, where we flew in Ansons, lasted some two months or so and followed by O.T.U. at Upper Heyford, flying in Wellingtons, the faithful old "Wimpeys". It was here that we crewed up and it was done in the following manner. Each category of aircrew was told that they had so many days in which to find a crew, otherwise they would be "appointed" and teamed up with the "leftovers". We all felt that this would be a bit of a scourge and was to be avoided at all costs. In my own case, that evening I got talking to a Navigator type who said that he had just teamed up with the 'Yank' Pilot, Bill Adams who had crossed over from the U.S.A. into Canada to join the R.C.A.F. before the U.S. entered the war. Needless to say I agree to be their Wireless Operator and in no time at all we had a full crew, comprising a 'Yank' Pilot, and a 'Yank' Mid-Upper Gunner who had also crossed into Canada to join the R.C.A.F., a 'Canadian' Bomb Aimer (commissioned), a 'Canadian' Rear-Gunner, and three 'Brits'., one of whom was a 'Welshman' in fact.
Before we had even begun our 'Wimpey' circuits-and-bumps I was, for the second time in my R.A.F. training career, told to report to the Adjutant, where I was told, to my great astonishment, that I had been awarded my Commission. I was given a travel warrant, countless clothing coupons and a 48 hour pass to get home to Birmingham to buy all my Officer requirements, – a very extensive list was provided. For the next few weeks I almost felt like a Blackpool 'sprog' again, walking around in my brand new Pilot Officer uniform, especially in the Officer's Mess, but before too long I became Flying Officer, my uniform got to look more 'seasoned' and I became more used to the required "Officer and Gentleman" code.
After finishing our Upper Heyford O.T.U. course, during which as a crew we became quite 'bonded', possibly due as much to our off-duty time together (i.e. drinking sessions and such) as to our actual flying and training together, we were posted to Scampton.
Here, among much else, I attended courts martial, strictly under instruction I hasten to add!
Page 2
[page break]
Our next move, as a crew, was to Conversion Unit No. 1654 at Wigsley, flying four-engined aircraft for the first time, the dreaded Stirling. We duly experienced here the usual type of problem that seemed to be associated with this aircraft when all flying was cancelled for a few days because of undercarriage problems. This was whilst an Air Ministry modification requirement was incorporated into all the Stations' Aircraft. It was at this time that I learned how to "play the dice" (the game of crap) from my American and Canadian co-trainees and enjoyed quite a slice of beginners luck.
Finally our last posting in training was to No.5 Lancaster Flying School at Syerston for a surprisingly rather brief conversion on to Lanc's., consisting of only sixteen hours flying training in this beautiful aircraft, over a period of two weeks. During this time I did however, on one of our training flights out over the Wash, manage to wangle a "go" in the rear turret for the one and only time and to fire off the guns into the sea.
Then we waited with somewhat bated breath and some excitement to hear which Squadron in No.5 Group we were to go to. This was to be No.630 Squadron at East Kirkby in the fenlands of Lincolnshire, about 14 miles from Boston; we were driven off in a van with all our gear, joking and laughing but all of us I think, wondering what the immediate future held.
We were allocated to 'B' Flight and the first week was spent in settling in and on day and night checks and training flights, during which time Bill Adams, our Pilot, went as "second dickie" on an operational flight. Then came our first "trip", which was to Saumer in central France to bomb an important railway junction, a flight of about 6½ hours. Boy! did that aircrew breakfast in the Mess (with an egg!) taste good after debriefing. It was a good feeling with our first "op" safely under our belt, and our initial fears now faced up to and if not overcome, then at least dealt with.
So we settled into a[deleted]n[/deleted] very busy and very exciting life. We were involved just a few hours before the D-day landings, bombing a heavy coastal battery in a bid to help to weaken the enemy defences against our invading forces.
At the briefing we were given dire warnings not to stray from the unusually circuitous route and we guessed that this was "it", the long awaited invasion of Europe, which was confirmed on awakening the following day.
In our first three weeks of action we did nine operational flights and the last of these, which was to Wesseling, just south of Cologne, to bomb a synthetic oil plant, was the "hairiest". From the time we crossed the Dutch coast to the target and back again we continuously encountered German
Page 3
[page break]
night fighters, searchlights and/or heavy ack-ack, we saw many aircraft going down in flames in the darkness.
Of the thirty or so aircraft despatched from East Kirkby (Nos. 630 & 57 Squadrons) eleven were lost (77 men)!
Our ops. continued, to many varying types of targets. During one of these, on our return journey we were attacked from below by a Junkers 88 being used as a night fighter; although we immediately went into the conventional corkscrew avoiding action, his first gunburst caused some damage to the rear of the aircraft and the rear turret was put completely out of action. We were a sitting duck but either by complete luck or by brilliant shooting, Johnny Keisow, our U.S.A. Mid-Upper Gunner, scored "a Hit" although he was catching only occasional brief glimpses of the JU 88 due to the corkscrew action of our aircraft. The attack on us immediately ceased and the enemy aircraft started pulling away on a long sweep on to a reciprocal course away from us. We were able to resume normal flight and from the astrodome I was able to watch as the JU 88, now with flames coming from it, gradually lost height and after a while disappeared into the cloud-base below. We felt like giving three cheers over the intercom but it was strictly necessary to be particularly alert at this possible vulnerable time in case [inserted] any [/inserted] of the JU 88's "mates" were in the vicinity.
Our 13th op. was a daylight raid on vital bridges and German troop concentrations at Caen, where the Allied ground advance had been seriously held up. It was exciting being able for the first time to see "what was going on" in the lovely dawn sunrise, though again the ack-ack was extremely formidable and I saw a Lanc., flying in alongside us, across the French coast, receive a direct hit and just disintegrate into fragments, and any member of the crew possibly surviving was out of the question. It came as something of a shock, actually seeing the moment of destruction so close at hand, it was a case of "There [inserted] but [/inserted] for the grace of God go I".
The 14th trip was, surprisingly, also a daylight op., this time to an aircraft factory at Thiverney, a few miles north of Paris.
So on to the night of 24/25th July 1944, our 16th op., which was to Stuttgart. All went well until we were approximately over the French/German border when we were suddenly attacked by a night-fighter and suffered very considerable damage, which included the loss of our port inner engine and, not least of all, yours truly. I had been hit in the left hip and buttock and quite soon was losing blood at quite a rate. We were in some trouble and our Pilot quickly decided that we must abort the op., ditch the bombs, then head back, hoping to reach Allied Forces territory in northern France on
Page 4
[page break]
which to crash-land, or to bale out. Soon however, flames began licking from the damaged engine and within a very short time the flames grew and spread rapidly and we were told to bale out. I was by now, not in a very good condition and I remember wondering whether I was going to "make it". I remember virtually nothing of getting out of the aircraft or of my parachute descent but the next thing I knew was coming-to in a field in the dark, with my parachute all around me and in addition to earlier wounds, an absolutely agonising pain in my left thigh.
On hearing voices I shouted and it proved to be a French farming family out looking for survivors of the stricken aircraft. I was carried on a step-ladder which was used as a stretcher, to a barn and there laid on straw. The French lady was extremely caring, constantly bathing my forehead and also feeding me soup.
Sometime after daybreak a French gendarme arrived and after earnest conversation with my "hosts" departed and it was not too long after there was the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside, followed by the appearance of a German soldier in the doorway. My heart sank into my shoes! I was taken in a small truck to a P.O.W. hospital in Nancy, in eastern France, where, I learned much later, I was the first 'Brit' to arrive, the other existing patients being mainly French Colonial troops, many of them originally captured in North Africa.
My first week there is more than a little vague in my mind, during which I was, apparently, somewhat delirious, due to delayed treatment for my broken femur, and probably my other wounds. Later, though still painful, my leg was put in traction by means of weights suspended from cords on pulleys over the end of my bed from a 'pin' through my knee. The resulting agony if anyone as much as brushed by [inserted] the [/inserted] weights was intense! Eventually however, after some weeks, my leg was put into what should have been plaster but was actually more like concrete, and with no padding.
This cast covered my lower torso from the waist and then on down to the ball of my left foot and on drying out became extremely tight around my ankle, I was unable to get the staff even to examine it, so I had to put up with the agony I was in.
Food was very poor, consisting largely of black beans and some sort of macaroni just boiled in water. How I longed for the lovely breakfasts and meals we had in our mess in "Blighty". We did get some Red Cross parcels which were a Godsend.
Then, suddenly, after all sorts of rumours about how near the Allied Forces were, the Germans decided to evacuate the whole hospital to Germany, with the exception of four of us, who they considered were too ill to move. We four were moved down into a cellar below the hospital and a French
Page 5
[page break]
Army doctor and a French Colonial orderly were left to look after us.
One of the other three 'types' was Dickie Richardson, an R.A.F. Wireless Operator, who had been transferred from another hospital, and was very severely burned over much of his body, – he was blind, and had a hand amputated. In spite of all this and being bandaged literally from head to foot he was a wonderful character. He was a Midlander, from Worcester, knew Birmingham, and there was something of a natural affinity between us in the particular circumstances. We spent about 10 days in the cellar, fed by local nuns. Towards the end of that period shell-fire broke out on the town above (at our ceiling level), which was later followed by small-arms fire, and then we could hear tremendous cheering; the Yanks (General Patton's U.S. Third Army) had arrived!
Within a short time a U.S. infantry lieutenant had somehow been directed to us in the cellar. Cigarettes were the first order of the day. Soon after his departure U.S. 'medics' arrived to give us some basic and much needed medical attention.
Within an hour army ambulances had arrived and we were transported to a field hospital, all under canvas and a few miles from Nancy.
Subsequent transfers to other field hospitals again under canvas, took us further west during the next few days but to my dismay 'Dickie' and I became separated and I was quite upset because I somehow felt 'responsible' for him. During these moves, and much to my utter relief, my 'plaster' cast was removed by the U.S. medics, the old one was replaced by a much better quality padded cast, only to reveal two very large gangrenous-like wounds on the instep and heel of my foot, caused by the too-tight cast.
I was eventually flown back from Verdun to an airfield somewhere near Reading. I was the only 'Limey' in the hospital plane, a Dakota, the rest being all U.S. infantry stretcher cases, virtually straight from the front lines. In due course I arrived at R.A.F. Hospital, Wroughton, near Swindon, where I was treated for about two months before being transported to the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead in Sussex, the hospital base of the world famous plastic surgeon, Archibald McIndoe (later knighted), the most impressive and wonderful person I ever met and knew in my whole life. To my surprise and delight I was settled into a bed just next-but-one to 'Dickie' Richardson!
Although by comparison to most of the other patients here, who were all fliers, my medical problems seemed small, as they mostly had all been terribly burned. Even so, the gangrenous matter in my foot had eaten through three of the tendons and I came close to having the foot amputated, but in the end this was avoided and I underwent numerous skin-
Page 6
[page break]
grafting operations and duly qualified as one of Archie McIndoe's (the Boss) Guinea Pigs, a matter of which I am very proud.
My hospital treatment lasted some fifteen months in all. Following this I was medically discharged from the R.A.F. but my Guinea Pig friends have remained my dearest and closest over the ensuing years since 1944 and our Annual Reunions in East Grinstead, lasting for three or four days, are something special, though only about 25% of us still survive, of which some sixty or so are now fit and well enough to attend. 'Dickie' Richardson remained a very wonderful friend and character in spite of his blindness and all his other incapacities until he passed away three years ago in 1997.
Just a few years ago after the end of the war, having through the International Red Cross, traced the whereabouts of the French farming family Dupré, who had found me and looked after me that night in 1944, I wrote to them, sent them parcels, later motored across France with my wife, on route to an Italian holiday, to meet them again and to thank them. I was greeted with flags and bunting strung across from building to building in this so very rural and tiny hamlet of Tramont Lassus in eastern France and though there were some language problems, with the aid of books, paper, arms, hands, my whiskey and their home-made Mirabelle spirit, a great time was had by all! During the day I was taken to the barn in which I had lain and also some distance across the fields etc. was shown the site of our Lanc's final demise, there still, though a little overgrown were the five indentations in the earth of our aircraft's nose and four engines, with small pieces of metal still around, one of which I was able to bring home as a souvenir. I still have it.
Many years later in the mid-1980's I had the irresistible urge to trace my old surviving crew-mates again, our two Gunners, Ross Lough (Canada) and Johnny Keisow (U.S.A.) both having been killed when we were shot down.
What a task it turned out to be and in all took me over three years. My file just grew and grew as I corresponded with all sorts of organisations, associations, groups and individuals in the U.S.A., Canada and the U.K. and finally succeeded as follows:-
Pilot, Bill Adams (U.S.A.): Died in Boston U.S.A in 1979.
Flt/Eng. Trev. Tanner: Although Welsh, settled in Western Canada and just after the war and together with my wife, I visited him on two or three occasions prior to his death in 1998.
Page 7
[page break]
After our 'set-to' in 1944, shortly after bailing out, the above two teamed up and were taken under the wing of a French family, again farmers, and awaited the arrival of the Allied troops pushing east. They eventually reached the U.K. safely.
Bomb Aimer, Eddie Wood ("Woodie") (Canada): Lives in Hamilton, Ontario, and I am in regular touch, having also visited him, in the company of my wife.
Navigator, R.A. ("George") Toogood: lives in Radstock, near Bath, the nearest, yet was the most difficult to trace. We are now in regular touch and meet once or twice a year with our wives.
These two also got together after safely bailing out and undertook the very daunting and sometimes dangerous walk to neutral Switzerland, where they were interned, in reasonable conditions, until they were repatriated to the U.K.
So to the present and our autumn years. My wife and I live quietly and contentedly. I am Member (No. 1367) of the Aircrew Association, Solihull Branch, whose monthly meetings I attend as often as possible and at whose request I have put my memories on paper.
Page 8
[page break]
[photograph]
A/C Arthur Woolf age 19 years in 1941
[photograph]
Flying Officer A.S. Woolf recovering in an R.A.F. hospital in the West Country. November 1944.
[page break]
[photograph]
Photograph taken in the 1950's at Tramont Lassus, Eastern France with the French family Dupré, my 'saviours' on 24/25th July 1944.
From left to right
Rose, Myself, Charles, Henri with Mère in front.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Flying Officer Arthur S Woolf - RAF career and experiences in WW2
Description
An account of the resource
First page has head and shoulders portrait of Arthur Woolf wearing uniform tunic with half brevet, medal ribbons and peaked cap. Next page has badges for Bomber Command, 5 Group and 630 Squadron.
Covers joining the RAF at age 19 and training at Blackpool, Yatesbury as radio operator and subsequently at Martlesham and Bridgnorth. Crewing up at RAF Upper Heyford while on OTU flying Wellington. This was followed by four engine training on Stirling then Lancaster before posting to 630 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby. Describes operations mentioning types of target, losses, attack by Ju-88. Continues with account of daylight operation to Caen and later Paris. Describes operation to Stuttgart in July 1944 when they were attacked by night fighter and badly damaged as well as he being injured. After aborting the operation fire forced them to bale out. Continues with account of his injuries, capture, transfer to and experiences at POW hospital near Nancy. Describes liberation by American forces and being flown back to England and then to RAF Hospital. Concludes with account of 15 month hospital treatment, discharge from the RAF, membership of the Guinea Pig Club and trying to trace members of his crew in the mid 1980s. At the end photographs of Arthur Woolf, of him in hospital and of the French family who helped him after he was shot down and injured.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
A S Woolf
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Thirteen page printed document with b/w and colour photographs
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Photograph
Text. Memoir
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BWoolfASWoolfASv1
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
United States Army
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lancashire
England--Blackpool
England--Shropshire
England--Suffolk
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Lincolnshire
Germany
Germany--Cologne
France
France--Caen
France--Paris
Germany--Stuttgart
France
France--Nancy
France--Verdun
England--Berkshire
England--Reading
France--Meurthe-et-Moselle
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1941
1944-11
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Babs Nichols
5 Group
630 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
Anson
bale out
bombing
C-47
crewing up
Dominie
Guinea Pig Club
Hampden
Heavy Conversion Unit
Initial Training Wing
Ju 88
killed in action
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
McIndoe, Archibald (1900-1960)
military discipline
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
prisoner of war
Proctor
promotion
RAF Bridgnorth
RAF Dumfries
RAF East Kirkby
RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Scampton
RAF Syerston
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Wigsley
RAF Wroughton
RAF Yatesbury
shot down
Stirling
training
Walrus
Wellington
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1505/28858/SDaviesLA1581024v10007.2.pdf
efdd956e8f0ca559504f18f9ad4afe07
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Davies, Leslie and Jack
Leslie Alfred Davies
L A Davies
John Richard Davies
J R Davies
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-04-28
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Davies, LA-JR
Description
An account of the resource
49 items. Collection concerns Leslie Alfred Davies (1922-1996, 1581024 Royal Air Force) and his brother John Richard Davies ( - 1944, 1580941). Leslie served as a Lancaster navigator on of 50 Squadron completing his tour of 30 operations in March 1945. John served a Lancaster bomb aimer on 166 Squadron He was killed in action 3 August 1944. Collection consists of Leslie's crew's individual logbooks and biographies, operational histories, photographs of people, aircraft and a grave, documents and correspondence. <br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Murray Davies and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. <br /><br />Additional information on John Richard Davies is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/105795/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Flight Sergeant G Jarmy's bomb aimer log book
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SDaviesLA1581024v10007
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending review
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Description
An account of the resource
Flying log book for G Jarmey, bomb aimer, covering the period from 29 August 1943 to 8 July 1945. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RCAF Fingal, RCAF London, RAF Moreton Valance, RAF Husbands Bosworth, RAF Wigsley, RAF Syerston, RAF Skellingthorpe and RAF Upper Heyford. Aircraft flown in were Anson, Bolingbroke, Wellington, Stirling, Lancaster and Oxford. He flew a total of 32 operations with 50 Squadron, 6 daylight and 26 night. Targets were Wilhelmshaven, Bremen, Flushing, Nuremberg, Dusseldorf, Mitteland Canal, Harburg, Duren, Dortmund-Ems Canal, Munich, Heilbronn, Gdynia, Politz, Houffalize, Royan, Merseburg, Karlsruhe, Dresden, and Bohlen. His pilot on operations was Flight Lieutenant Jones. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1944-10-05
1944-10-06
1944-10-07
1944-10-11
1944-10-19
1944-10-20
1944-11-02
1944-11-03
1944-11-06
1944-11-07
1944-11-11
1944-11-12
1944-11-16
1944-11-21
1944-11-22
1944-11-26
1944-11-27
1944-12-04
1944-12-05
1944-12-17
1944-12-18
1944-12-19
1944-12-21
1944-12-22
1944-12-30
1944-12-31
1945-01-01
1945-01-02
1945-01-04
1945-01-05
1945-01-07
1945-01-08
1945-01-13
1945-01-14
1945-01-15
1945-02-02
1945-02-03
1945-02-08
1945-02-09
1945-02-13
1945-02-14
1945-02-19
1945-02-20
1945-02-21
1945-02-22
1945-02-24
1945-03-05
1945-03-06
1945-03-07
1945-03-08
1945-03-20
1945-03-21
1945-03-22
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Poland
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Belgium--Houffalize
England--Gloucestershire
England--Leicestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Oxfordshire
France--Royan
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal
Germany--Dresden
Germany--Düren (Cologne)
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Harburg (Landkreis)
Germany--Heilbronn
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Leipzig Region
Germany--Merseburg
Germany--Mittelland Canal
Germany--Munich
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Netherlands--Vlissingen
Ontario--London
Ontario--Toronto Region
Poland--Gdynia
Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)
Ontario
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Fighter Command
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
14 OTU
16 OTU
1654 HCU
50 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
Air Observers School
aircrew
Anson
Bolingbroke
bomb aimer
bombing
Bombing and Gunnery School
bombing of Dresden (13 - 15 February 1945)
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
RAF Husbands Bosworth
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Syerston
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Wigsley
RCAF Fingal
Stirling
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1436/28604/LWallaceCM413159v1.1.pdf
64199d84e11bf0577a3ba92ddbf4168c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wallace, Colin
C M Wallace
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-08-29
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Wallace, CM
Description
An account of the resource
One item. Colin Wallace DFM flew operations as a pilot with 467 Squadron. The collection contains his log book.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jude Mathew Taylor and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colin Wallace's Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot's flying log book
Description
An account of the resource
C M Wallace’s Flying Log Book as pilot covering the period from 8 July 1941 to 20 January 1945. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as pilot. He was stationed at RNZAF Whenuapai (4 EFTS), RCAF Saskatoon (4 SFTS), RAF Little Rissington (6 PAFU), RAF Docking (1525 BAT Flight), RAF Kinloss (19 OTU), RAF Wigsley (1654 HCU), RAF Bottesford and RAF Waddington (467 RAAF Squadron), RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Barford St John (16 OTU) and RAF Lulsgate Bottom (3 FIS). Aircraft flown in were Tiger Moth, Crane, Oxford, Whitley, Manchester, Lancaster and Wellington. Targets were Lorient, Nuremburg, Gironde (mining), Denmark (mining), St Nazaire, Essen, Bochum, Oberhausen, Cologne, Turin, Hamburg, Milan, Berlin, Munchen-Gladbach, Munster, Kassel, Stuttgart and Hannover, He flew 28 operations (including one early return) with 467 (RAAF) Squadron. His pilots for his first 'second dickie' operations were Flight Lieutenant McKenzie and Flight Lieutenant Theile DSC DSO.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LWallaceCM413159v1
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1943-02-13
1943-02-14
1943-03-08
1943-03-09
1943-03-11
1943-03-12
1943-03-13
1943-03-14
1943-03-22
1943-03-23
1943-05-27
1943-05-28
1943-06-11
1943-06-12
1943-06-13
1943-06-14
1943-06-15
1943-06-28
1943-06-29
1943-07-03
1943-07-04
1943-07-08
1943-07-09
1943-07-12
1943-07-13
1943-07-23
1943-07-24
1943-07-29
1943-07-30
1943-08-15
1943-08-16
1943-08-23
1943-08-24
1943-08-30
1943-08-31
1943-09-01
1943-09-03
1943-09-04
1943-09-06
1943-09-07
1943-10-02
1943-10-03
1943-10-04
1943-10-07
1943-10-08
1943-10-18
1943-10-19
1943-11-18
1943-11-19
1943-11-23
1943-11-24
1943-11-26
1943-11-27
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Canada
Denmark
France
Germany
Great Britain
Italy
New Zealand
England--Lincolnshire
England--Norfolk
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Somerset
France--Lorient
France--Saint-Nazaire
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Essen
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Kassel
Germany--Mönchengladbach
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Germany--Stuttgart
Italy--Milan
Italy--Turin
New Zealand--Waitemata Harbour
Saskatchewan--Saskatoon
Scotland--Moray
Saskatchewan
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Pauillac (Gironde)
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
16 OTU
1654 HCU
19 OTU
467 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Medal
Flying Training School
forced landing
Heavy Conversion Unit
Ju 88
Lancaster
Lancaster Mk 1
Lancaster Mk 3
Manchester
Me 109
mine laying
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Barford St John
RAF Bottesford
RAF Kinloss
RAF Little Rissington
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Waddington
RAF Wigsley
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
Whitley
Window
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1543/28505/MTansleyEH149542-161027-01.2.pdf
2a9403f9b44515fc302cb3426ee646da
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Tansley, Ernest Henry
E H Tansley
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-09-22
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Tansley, EH
Description
An account of the resource
98 items. <br />The collection concerns Pilot Officer Ernest Henry Tansley (1914 - 1943, 149542 Royal Air Force). He flew operations as a pilot with 57 Squadron and was killed 2 December 1943. Collection consists of photographs, letters, memoires, biographies, accounts of operations, logbook extracts and official/personal documents.<br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Anne Doward and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. <br />Additional information on Ernest Tansley is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/122894/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[underlined]COMBAT REPORT[/underlined]
Lancaster x (EO. 655) of 57 Squadron over target on night 22/23rd September 1943 2142 hours at 18,000 feet.
No moon, coned in about 25 searchlights over target, no other unusual phenomena.
Monica gave warning of enemy aircraft just after bombs had been dropped and Lancaster
was commencing to carry out banking search again. As enemy aircraft (identified as JU.88) came in to attack, searchlights went out. M.U. was first to see E/ A on port quarter up approximately 300 yards. M.U. and R.G. simultaneously opened fire (firing 200 rds.) and hits were observed. E/A returned fire causing damage to Lancaster. E/A dropped starboard wing and dived to starboard leaving a smoke trail behind. When E/A was directly below Lancaster, flame was seen to emerge from starboard engine, but it was impossible to observe if E/A crashed, as another E/A then came in to attack from starboard quarter up. E/A (also identified as JU.88) came into attack at 600 yards
range and R.G. opened fire (firing 50 rounds), but hits were not observed. E/A did not return fire.
R.G. ordered the pilot to turn to starboard and dive, E/A broke away to starboard and was not seen again.
First E/A definitely claimed as destroyed.
M.U. could not get his guns to bear on second E/A.
Damage to Lancaster - Engine sub-frame Cat AC.
R.G. Sgt. MOAD - No. 3 B & G. S. McDONALD, MANITOBA. 16 O.T.U. UPPER HEYFORD, 1661 CON. UNIT, WINTHORPE
M.U. Sgt. LEWIS 24 CAO.s., MOFFIT, RHODESIA, 16 O.T.U. UPPER HEYFORD, 1661 CON. UNIT, WINTHORPE
Signed
[underlined]Gunnery Leader, No. 57 Squadron.[/underlined]
Between them I have managed to build up the following picture of this much-loved young man:-
PILOT OFFICER DOUGLAS PARK, 162548 (VR) NAVIGATOR
Douglas was 20 years old and the fourth of six children born to Sarah Hay ton and Joseph Deakin Park, who lived in Hull, Yorkshire. Charles, Hester and Mabel came before Douglas who was born on the 26th of August 1923, and then followed Dennis and Betty.
He attended Mersey Street School and, after gaining a Scholarship, went on to Riley High School. On leaving, he became an apprentice to Rose, Downs and Thompsons, where he stayed until January 1942 when, at the age of eighteen, he joined the Royal Air Force. After spending his first few weeks at No.1 Aircrew Reception Centre in St John's Wood, he then underwent his navigator's training in Paignton, Devon. In March 1943, now Sergeant 1435432 he would then have met up with the rest of the crew at the Operational Training Unit.
Confirmation of his appointment to Pilot Officer was sent to his family after his death.
The Park's were a lovely family who took young Mary Tock to their hearts and she always went to stay with them when Doug was on leave. By this time, they had moved a short distance out of town to Beverley, to try and avoid some of the bombing.
Douglas was a good friend of the mid-upper gunner, Roy Lewis and was best man at his wedding in July 1943.
As the navigator, it was Douglas's duty to keep the pilot informed of their position throughout the flight and to make sure the Lancaster was on course for the target. Once on the bombing run, it was then up
to the bomb aimer to take over until the bombs were dropped. Douglas would then have to plot the course for home. not an easy task when you think of everything that would be going on around him.
Douglas now rests 1n the Berlin War Cemetery. Plot 8 (F7).
[page break]
[underlined]WIRELESS OPERATOR[underlined
The next person I struck lucky with was Ivor Groves, the young wireless operator. I had been told that the best way to trace relatives of the crew was to write letters to them all and send them to the Ministry of Defence, asking if they would forward them on to the last known addresses of the next-of-kin. As these addresses would probably be over 50 years old. it seemed unlikely that I would have any replies, I sent them off and once again waited patiently to see if there was any response.
After about two months, all but one of my letters had been returned marked "not known", "incorrect address". etc. Several more weeks went by and then a letter arrived from Birmingham.
There was still one family living in the old road who remembered the Groves' and, by a stroke of luck. my letter was brought to their notice. These kind people took it upon themselves to try to track down any remaining relatives and, by scouring the telephone directories, they found Dennis Groves. who is one of Ivor's brothers.
I had my doubts about trying to trace relatives by letter, because it could obviously be very distressing to suddenly find a stranger enquiring about a lost member of your family. I realised that it was unlikely that a parent would still be living and I knew I had to rely on there being a brother or sister, or some other younger relative.
I was fortunate with Dennis because he sent me a very friendly reply and he was and still is quite happy to write to me. Once again we exchanged photographs and he also sent me a copy of Ivor's log book and a video about East Kirkby airfield. It was from Ivor's log that I discovered they had shot down a JU8S on a raid to Hannover on the 22nd of September 1943.
SERGEANT IVOR FRANCIS GROVES, 1576028 (VR), WIRELESS OPERATOR
Ivor was 20 years old, born on the 7th of June 1923 and was the second of four sons born to Florence and Harry, who lived in Greet, near Birmingham. His father was an ex-regular soldier of the First World War, and all four sons joined the forces, two in the Army and two in the Royal Air Force.
Ivor attended the Golden Hillock Road School. Sparkbrook. where he enjoyed playing football in the school 1st Eleven. He left there in 1937 and started work for the well known Cadbury Bros., in Bournville, where he also played football for the Bournville Youth Club. He was a member of both the ATC and Home Guard before joining the R.A.F. in 1941.
[page break]
He was a very brave and caring young lad and on one particularly bad night during a Blitz on Birmingham, he helped to dig out two men who were trapped under the rubble. A bomb had destroyed several of the neighbouring houses and all around there were fires that lit up the streets. Fortunately, most of the residents had taken shelter, but two men had been buried under the fallen buildings. One of these was Rolly, a well known local character who was a great favourite with the youngsters for his story-telling.
Ivor, first on the scene, was quickly joined by his father and several other people, who managed to get the first man out. They were just about to start digging again for Rolly, when some of the German 'planes that had been shooting up barrage balloons, suddenly turned their guns on the streets. Everyone scattered except for Ivor, who could hear Rolly calling from under the rubble. He shouted out for the
others to come back and help, but by the time they had returned and managed to reach the body, it was sadly too late.
Needless to say, this upset young Ivor very much and shortly after this occurred, he applied to join the aircrew in the Royal Air Force. Although it had been something he had intended to do, his brothers are
quite sure that this incident" speeded up his decision.
After initial training at Blackpool, Ivor went on to Hereford and joined the No.S Entry Air Crew at No.4 Signals School. Here he took a refresher course spending from October to December 1942 flying in both
the Dominie and the Proctor, before progressing to Course No.98 at No.S Air Gunnery School, Evanton for a month, from January to February 1943. Here, the aircraft was the Botha, and he finished the course with flying colours, passing out with excellent exam results. In the March, he met up with my father at the Operational Training Unit in Upper Heyford, and they stayed together from then on.
As the wireless operator, Ivor would have been down in the fuselage of the Lancaster behind the pilot and flight engineer, and also the navigator. This meant he could see very little of what was going on around him, as he was mostly in the dark and had to rely on anything he could hear over the intercom from his fellow crew members. On the bombing-run. he would keep watch from the astrodome, but apart from
that. he would be busy listening out for broadcasts from his radio set. He would be particularly pleased when he heard the welcome call-sign 'Silksheen', which would let him know they were nearly 'home' when returning, weary and shaken, after long, dangerous operations. As Ivor had also received training as an air gunner, he would have been expected to take over if one of the regular gunners was injured.
Now at peace, Ivor rests in the Berlin War Cemetery, Plot 8 (Fl).
[page break]
REAR GUNNER
I wasn't sure how to go about tracing Harold Moad, the rear gunner, as he was a Canadian. The only clue you have to the where-abouts of any crew member, is solely the information contained in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records. From these, I knew his parents' names and their last known place of residence which was in Minnedosa. Canada.
I put off trying to trace his relatives for a while, because I didn't think I would meet with much success, but when I was failing to find relatives in England for the other crew members, I thought I might as well give it a try.
First of all. I wrote off to the National Archives of Canada. and after a wait of six months or so, received a reply saying they were unable to help me. Off went another letter, this time I simply addressed it to the Mayor of Minnedosa and within two to three weeks I received a reply - no not from the Mayor. but from a lady who is married to Harold’s brother Hubert. The mayor had passed my letter on to them and she had been kind enough to reply to me, after a couple of letters, I had a photograph of Harold and some information about the family.
FLIGHT SERGEANT HAROLD ALEXANDER MOAD R134973, RCAF. REAR GUNNER
Harold was aged 23 and was born in 1920 in Clanwilliam. Manitoba, a small town about nine and a half miles from Minnedosa. His parents, John and Ethel Moad were farmers and had nine children, four sons and five daughters. Another of the sons, Calvin. was also serving in England. in the Royal Air Force like his brother Harold. but he was shot down and taken a prisoner of war. He was held captive for three years
before finally being released, and sadly died just two years after returning home.
Harold enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and after initial training was sent to No.3 Bombing and Gunnery school at Macdonald in Manitoba in September 1942. He stayed there for almost three months learning about Morse-code. map-reading, aircraft recognition etc and. of course. target practice using rifles and Browning machine guns both on the ground and in the air.
In December 1942 he graduated as an air gunner and then had a spell of embarkation leave before being sent to England in January 1943. After spending a few weeks at a Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth. he found himself at 16 OTU in Upper Heyford where he joined up with my father.
He was a very important member of the crew because it would be his responsibility. when under attack, to relay to the pilot instructions
[page break]
for evading enemy fighters. Harold's position in the Lancaster as a rear gunner. which kept him apart from the rest of the crew, must have been the loneliest place in the aircraft.
One of the many small lakes in the North of Manitoba has been named 'Moad Lake', in his memory.
Harold now rests in the Berlin War Cemetery. Plot 8 (F6).
[page break]
BOMB AIMER
Despite all my efforts to trace the relatives of the remainder of the crew, I had been unsuccessful. Letters to the MOD and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission had turned up no useful information, nor had notices in the Bomber Command Newsletters, 57 Squadron Newsletter, advertising on Channel 4 Teletext 'Service Pals' section, or in the RAFA or Air Crew Association magazines.
I knew the names of Ernest Patrick's parents and also the area of London in which they had lived 50 years ago, so I thought I would try a letter in a local newspaper in case someone recognised the name. I wrote off to a publication in Enfield and, 10 and behold, a few weeks later I received a letter from Ernest's brother, Alan.
It was a lucky find because it wasn't a newspaper that Alan himself bought, but his neighbour saw the letter asking for help in tracing relatives of the Patrick family and she popped next door and showed him.
He was overjoyed that someone was trying to tra.ck down his family in order to pass on photographs of the graves in Berlin, as well as other relevant information, and in return I have learned a little about his
older brother.
PILOT OFFICER ERNEST HAROLD PATRICK, 162550 (VR), EOMB AIMER
Ernest was 25 years old and was the eldest of two sons born to Juan and Mabel Patrick in Stamford Hill, N16, his birthday being on the 23rd of May 1918. He attended St John's School in North London, later
followed by a Technical College, and ~'las a member of the local Scout Troop.
He started working for his father in the engineering trade and later took up employment in a munitions factory in Gloucester, before volunteering for the RAF. Ernest was selected as air crew, and attended
No.1. Air Crew Reception Centre in London, closely followed by 11 ITW in Scarborough. From there he went on to No.6 Elementary Flying Training School at Sywell, AC & W in Brighton, and then P & C at Padgate.
After this, he was shipped out to South Africa, starting off at No.7S Air School in Littelton. By February 1942, Ernest was at No.47 Air School in Queenstown, undergoing training as a bomb aimer/navigator,
flying in both Oxfords and Ansons. He was taken off his first course owing to appendicitis, but on the 4th of November 1942, successfully passed the No.23 Navigation Course. A few days were then spent at
[page break]
Air School in Port Alfred, before going to IFTC in Pollswoar and then shipping home to No.7 PRC In Harrogate, as Sergeant 1431075. Confirmation of Ernest's appointment to Pilot Officer came through after he was reported missing.
March 1943, found Ernest at No.16 OTU in Upper Heyford, but before joining up with my father, he spent a few days of map-reading whilst flying in Ansons and then a couple of weeks high-level bombing. He also spent fourteen and a half hours Link-Trainer flying from the 5th of April to the 14th of May.
Besides manning the front gun turret, Ernest was responsible for directing the pilot when they were on their bombing-run, to ensure that the aircraft was over the target before he released the bombs. You needed nerves of steel while this was going on because a straight and level run was needed to ensure accuracy, so 'corkscrewing' and other evasive action was out of the question. There was also the interminable wait over the target after the bombs were dropped whilst waiting for the photoflash to go off. which would record the outcome of the bombing.
Ernest is laid to rest in the Berlin War Cemetery, Plot 8 (F8).
[page break]
MID-UPPER GUNNER
I must admit to shedding a few tears when I first made contact with Moya, the young wife of Roy Lewis, the mid-upper gunner.
There was no record of Ray's family or home town anywhere that I could find, but luckily Mary. the navigator's fiancée, remembered the name of Roy's wife and that they had been living in Sale. Once again, it was by placing a letter in a local newspaper of this last known town that I was able to trace her, but I found it most upsetting to learn that this young couple were only just starting out on their life together, when it was so abruptly destroyed, just four short months after their marriage.
After several letters and phone calls, and by exchanging photographs, I can now tell you a little about this young man.
PILOT OFFICER ROY ARTHUR LEWIS 161699 (VR) lHD-UPPER GUNNER
Roy was born in January 1922 in Eastleigh, Hampshire, the only son of WaIter Benjamin and Elsie Lewis. He attended Peter Symonds School in Winchester until 1937, when his father moved north to become the manager for the Mode Wheel Workshop, for the Manchester Ship Canal. Here, Ray then went to the Chorlton Grammar School where he enjoyed playing rugby. On leaving school, he went to the Ship Canal as a garage mechanic apprentice.
Moya first saw Roy when on a church parade with the Scouts. She was a 'Ranger' and Roy was a 'Rover', It was at this same church, St. Mary's, that they were to marry on the 31st of July 1943.
Early in 1942, Ray enlisted in the Royal Air Force and after his preliminary training in the UK, he was then sent overseas to Bulawayo in Rhodesia where he underwent his gunnery training, returning home in April 1943. In the June, at 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit, Winthorpe, as Sergeant 1501109, Roy would have joined the other members of the crew and started flying in the four-engined 'heavies' for the first time.
Roy's appointment to Pilot Officer was confirmed after his death.
As in the case of the rear gunner, Roy would have had the difficult task of defending the Lancaster against attacks by German fighters when they were flying on operations.
Roy is now at rest alongside his companions in the Berlin War Cemetery, Plot 8 (F4).
[page break]
FLIGHT ENGINEER
Again, it was by advertising in a local newspaper that I made contact with a relative of Leonard Brown, the young flight engineer.
Mrs Baker is still living in Bermondsey and saw my letter in the 'Southwark and Bermondsey News' asking for help in tracing the Brown family who were known to have been living there in the mid 1940's. She wrote to tell me that she was the niece of Auntie Nell and Uncle Charlie, thereby making her Lennie's cousin. At one time their maternal grandmother lived next door to her family in Bush Road.
Mrs Baker didn't see a lot of Lennie during the war because she was in Scotland training to be a nurse, but she well remembers when he was killed because she lost her own youngest brother in the same month. He was serving in the Navy and was killed on the 21st of December at the age of 21.
SERGEANT LEONARD CHARLES BROWN 1615648 (VR) FLIGHT ENGINEER
Leonard was 20 years old and was the only son of William Charles and Ellen Brown who lived in Bermondsey, London.
Unfortunately, this young man would not have been well known to the other members of the crew as this was his first operation with them, He would normally be seated next to the pilot in the cockpit, and would assist him, particularly at take-off and landing. Being the engineer, he would know the workings of the Lancaster probably better than any of the others and would keep a general eye on the various instruments and gauges to ensure that all was well with the aircraft.
Leonard is now laid to rest in the Berlin War Cemetery Plot 8 (F3).
I am afraid I was unable to obtain a photograph of Leonard.
[page break]
THE SECOND PILOT
My final success was to find someone related to Jack Dalton, who was flying with the crew as a second pilot on the 2nd of December.
I didn't think there would be any chance at all of discovering much about this young man because he had only been on the squadron for three days and this was his very first flight with the crew. None of them
would have got to know him very well and there was no published record of any of his family or even what part of the country he came tram.
None of my previous methods of advertising had brought forth any news about him and I couldn't place a letter in a newspaper without knowing a town in which the family had lived. I couldn't give up
without a fight though, and after much perseverance, and finally a little gentle persuasion, I managed to discover his father's name and home town of 50 years ago. I immediately wrote off to the local
newspaper, and within days I received a phone call from Mrs Whalley. She turned out to be Jack's cousin as her father and Jack's mother were brother and sister.
PILOT OFFICER JACK PROCTER DALTON 161782 (VR) SECOND PILOT
Jack was born on the 26th of February 1921 and he and his sister Jean, were the children of Arthur Rushton and Mabel who lived in Burnley, Lancashire. He attended a private school before going on to
the local grammar school in Burnley and when he left, he went to work for his father who was a well-known local businessman and the owner of two Men's Outfitters. One of the shops was situated in Burnley and the other in Padiham, then in 1938 he expanded into the mail-order business as well, specialising in outsize clothing for men.
Jack worked in the mail-order firm until he enlisted in 1941 and after successfully completing his pilot training, went on No.61 Course at 16 OTU, Upper Heyford as Sergeant Pilot 1088500. He then finished
off at a Heavy Conversion Unit before being posted to 57 Squadron stationed at East Kirkby, on the 29th of November 1943. Whilst at Upper Heyford, Jack spent several hours flying with Roland Hammersley DFM, a wireless operator who also went on to fly with 57 Squadron.
The news of Jack's appointment to Pilot Officer. was confirmed to his family after his death.
This is another tragic story of a young pilot who never got to fly on an operation with his own crew, as was so often the case. An experienced 'safe crew', nearing the end of their own tour. would be asked to take a young 'second dickie' on a raid with them so that he could experience what it was like. but in too many instances these crews didn't make it back to Base. It must have been very difficult in the
[page break]
confined space of the cockpit to have an extra person there, and on the night Jack flew with my father, he already had a new flight engineer. Leonard Brown, who was on his first operation with them as well.
Jack is laid to rest along with the other members of the crew in the Berlin War Cemetery, Plot 8 (F5).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Combat report and biographies of Ernest Tansley's crew
Description
An account of the resource
About Lancaster (ED655) of 57 Squadron over target 22/23 September 1943. Report on engagement on two enemy night fighters by mid-upper and rear gunners. First enemy aircraft claimed as destroyed. Damage to Lancaster engine sub-frame. Continues with efforts to trace families and biographies of all the rest of Ernest Tansley's crew including : Douglas Park (navigator), Ivor Groves (wireless operator), Harold Moad RCAF) (rear gunner), Ernest Patrick (bomb aimer), Roy Lewis (mid-upper gunner), Leonard Brown (flight engineer) and Jack Dalton (second pilot). Covers background, training character and where they were buried.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Twelve page printed document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MTansleyEH149542-161027-01
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Canadian Air Force
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-09-22
1943-09-23
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Yorkshire
England--Hull
England--West Midlands
England--Birmingham
Canada
Manitoba--Brandon Region
England--London
England--Hampshire
England--Eastleigh
England--London
England--Lancashire
England--Burnley
England--Warwickshire
Manitoba
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
16 OTU
1661 HCU
57 Squadron
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
bomb aimer
Bombing and Gunnery School
Botha
crewing up
Dominie
final resting place
flight engineer
Heavy Conversion Unit
Ju 88
Lancaster
navigator
Operational Training Unit
Proctor
RAF Evanton
RAF Padgate
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Winthorpe
training
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1543/28488/BDowardATansleyEHv3.1.pdf
7ee1a6ee87c18b7758195aeb66f26dc7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Tansley, Ernest Henry
E H Tansley
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-09-22
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Tansley, EH
Description
An account of the resource
98 items. <br />The collection concerns Pilot Officer Ernest Henry Tansley (1914 - 1943, 149542 Royal Air Force). He flew operations as a pilot with 57 Squadron and was killed 2 December 1943. Collection consists of photographs, letters, memoires, biographies, accounts of operations, logbook extracts and official/personal documents.<br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Anne Doward and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. <br />Additional information on Ernest Tansley is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/122894/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Pilot Officer Ernest Henry Tansley 149542 VR
Ernest Henry Tansley was born on 22 January 1914, West Ham, Essex. The middle son of Albert Edward and Mary Ann Tansley. Brothers - Albert Edward 1911 - 1992 and Frederick George 1915 - 2001. Ernest married Irene Florence England on 30 November 1935, in Thundersley, Essex. She was the daughter of Herbert Percy and Elizabeth Charlotte England, born on 24 July 1915, Thundersley. Children - Peter John 1936 - 2001, Anne Elizabeth 1940, Robert Ernest 1944. Ernest started work as a clerk for a Shipping Agency in London, later as a Foreman Stevedore at King George V Docks in London. When war broke out, he was one of the many dock workers who were transferred to Gourock Docks in Scotland. Being in a reserved occupation, Ernest was not required to enlist but he did so, at Edinburgh, on the 19th March 1941 to join the RAF. As a Volunteer Reservist, he was put on the reserve list and was eventually called up at the beginning of August. 4 August 1941 - joined No 1 Air Crew Reception Centre at St. John's Wood, London. 23 August 1941 - now as AC2 1345042, he moved to No. 4 Initial Training Wing at Paignton, Devon where he spent about eight weeks. 17 October 1941 - now an LAC he went to No. 18 Elementary Flying Training School at Fairoaks, Surrey. This was one of 12 schools controlled by 50 Group Pool and Ernest would have learnt to fly the Tiger Moth. After a short spell which included some embarkation leave, he arrived at Heaton Park Holding Centre in Manchester, awaiting news of his overseas posting to America. 21 November 1941 - Ernest's journey began by returning to Gourock Docks where he had previously worked and boarding the waiting troop ship which would take him to Canada to train under the Arnold Scheme. Firstly they disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia and then journeyed onwards to the Royal Canadian Airforce Station at Moncton, New Brunswick. 2 December 1941 is when they arrived at Moncton. 18 December 1941 - the long journey south had been made to Maxwell Field Airforce Base in Alabama where he stayed for about a month. 11 Jan 1942 - arrival at Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida where he learnt to fly the Boeing Stearman bi-plane. This was the first of three flying schools for Primary, Basic and Advanced training. 29 March 1942 - arrival at Cochran Field, Macon, Georgia for the Basic training course. This was a U.S. Army Airforce School run along the very strict West Point system. Here Ernest would learn to fly the Vultee Valiant BT 13A mono plane. Because Ernest had been hospitalised on two occasions with the measles and then a septic arm, he was required to repeat the whole six week course.
[page break]
5 July 1942 - this was the final Advanced training course at Moody Field, near Valdosta where they had the AT-6 Harvard and the twin-engined Curtiss AT-9 and Cessna AT-17. He graduated from here on 6 September 1942 when he received the coveted USAAC silver wings. As he was chosen to train as a Bomber pilot, he was to be sent back to the UK. He journeyed back to Moncton in Canada to receive his RAF wings and to await a ship for home. After several weeks wait, Ernest boarded the "Stirling Castle" and arrived back at Gourock Docks on 7th October 1942. Now a Sergeant Pilot, he was sent to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth and was able to meet up with his wife whom he hadn't seen for over a year. 3 November 1942 - now at Windrush in Oxfordshire, the home of No. 6 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit where he was trained to fly the twin-engined Airspeed Oxford. During Christmas week he was sent on a B.A.T. course at Bramcote near Birmingham to fly Fairey Battle aircraft. 2 March 1943 - left Windrush for No. 16 Operational Training Unit at Upper Heyford, still in Oxfordshire. On No.51 course he would have learned to fly his first twin-engined heavy aircraft, the Vickers Armstrong Wellington. Stationed here for about 12 weeks, Ernest would now have chosen the other members needed for his crew. After two weeks leave, this new crew met up on 28th May at 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit, Winthorpe in Nottinghamshire. This is where the Manchester, Sterling and Lancaster aircraft were based. The crew were in 'C' flight which was attached to R.A.F. Scampton in Lincolnshire. Their last training flight ended here on the 5th July and Ernest and crew were posted to 57 Squadron at Scampton on the 7th July 1943 after two long years of training. 12th July 1943 - this was Ernest's first taste of going on Ops as he accompanied Lieutenant Jack Russell, an American pilot, on a raid to Turin. He was flying as a second pilot and was allowed to fly the Lancaster, ED 655 on the homeward flight until they reached England. Landed at 08:49 on the 13th. 24th July 1943 - this was the first time Ernest experienced an operation with his own crew, flying in ED 655. It was the first of four raids on Hamburg code-named 'Operation Gomorrah'. 25th July 1943 - target Essen in the Ruhr. Take off 9:49pm, back at Base about 2am. ED 655 27th July 1943 - Hamburg again, taking off at 11pm and one of four planes landing back at Dunholme Lodge 4:20 am. ED655. 9th August 1943 - target Mannheim. Take-off 23:28 safely back at Base 05:32 on the 10th. ED655. 10th August 1943 - target Nuremberg. Take-off at 10pm returning at 05:35 on the 11th. This time flying in W4797. 12th August 1943 - target Milan, an eight and a half hour trip flying in W5008.
[page break]
15th August 1943 - back in ED655 the target was Milan again. They lifted off just before 20:30 and touched down 4:30 on the 16th. 17th August 1943 - this was the important raid on Peenemunde to attempt to destroy the experimental rocket site. No.5 Group, to which 57 squadron belonged, would be in the last wave with No.6 Group and would be in most danger as they would be flying time-and-distance bombing in bright moonlight. A total of 596 bombers took off; forty were shot down with a loss of 288 aircrew plus two more from Mosquitos. 245 of these young men were killed and 45 taken P.O.W. 5 and 6 Groups. as expected, suffered the most casualties losing six times as many men as the other groups. Taking off in ED 655 just before 10pm they returned safely to Scampton at 04:14 on the 18th. 22nd August 1943 - Leverkusen was the target this time. Take-off was at 9:35pm returning 4 hours and 50 mins later. 23rd August 1943 - after a short sleep, Ernest found they were on Battle Orders again that evening. This time the target was Berlin, his first time to the "Big City". Take-off was at 20:35, landing back at Scampton at 4am on the 24th. W4948 'S' - Sugar. 27th August 1943 - again in W4948 'S', target Nuremberg. Take-off shortly after 9pm landing back at Dunholme Lodge about 4am. It was at this time that the squadrons based at Scampton were moved in order that concrete runways could be laid down to replace the existing grass. 57 went to the newly built airfield called East Kirkby. On the 29th of August 1943, Ernest made the short flight in ED655 to their new home. 12th September 1943 - on this date Ernest returned to Scampton to attend Course No.1 for Newly Commissioned Pilots and back at East Kirkby, as it was the moon period when no operations were ordered, all aircrew personnel underwent a week long training programme. 22nd September 1943 - Hanover was the target and ED 655 took off at 19:08. They returned to base shortly after midnight, after having shot down a JU 88 and scaring off a second one. 27th September 1943 - Hanover was the target once again and in JA 872, take-off was at 7:45 pm and on the return, landed at Mepal at 01:25, because of bad weather. 28th September 1943 - the short flight was made back from Mepal. 29th September 1943 - set off to bomb Bochum but did not reach the main target. Returned three and a half hours later after bombing the last resort target ...Texel airfield. JA 872. 3rd October 1943 - the target was Kassel. Take off was at 6:45 in the evening and the crew returned safely five and a half hours later. ED 994 was used this time. 7th October 1943 - the target was Stuttgart and take off time was 8:19 in the evening in ED655. Returning at 3:35 on the morning of the 8th, there was another operation lined up for that night. 8th October - this was to Hanover in ED655 again. Taking off at 22:47, they returned safely to East Kirkby at 3:41 on the morning of the 9th.
[page break]
It was the 18th of October until another raid took place because it had been the moon period when no operations were carried out. The crew were on home leave during this time and Ernest had been taken ill. 3rd November 1943 - was the first operation of the month and the crew found themselves in possession of a new Mk. 111 Lancaster, JB 529 DX-W. The target was Dusseldorf and take-off from East Kirkby was 17:06, returning back at base at 21:24. 10th November 1943 - this time to bomb a railway junction set amongst the mountains in Modane. Take-off in JB 529was shortly after 9pm. 14th November 1943 - this was to be a dinghy search in JB 485 accompanied by one other aircraft. The search was for an American crew who had ditched in the sea but was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. After a three and a half hours search they were diverted to Manby, a gunnery training school as East Kirkby was fog bound. Returned to East Kirkby the following day. 18th November 1943 - this operation was to Berlin, the start of what was to be known as "The Battle of Berlin". JB 529 now bearing code letter DX-P took off at 17:25. This was a long eight hour trip. 26th November 1943 - this was to Berlin again and P-Peter took off at 5:10 pm. On return, they were diverted to Pocklington owing to bad weather at East Kirkby. They returned to East Kirkby two days later. Ernest wasn't needed to fly on another Op. until December. 2nd DECEMBER 1943. What a sad day this turned out to be.... Battle Orders once again showed the target to be Berlin. Ernest in JB 529 DX-P, and with an extra crew member on his first trip as a second pilot, was one of the first to take off at 16:19 and his estimated time of arrival should have made him the third to reach the target. Unfortunately, the aircraft met with unexpected winds en-route differing so much from those forecast that many planes were blown completely off course, ending up many miles off target. 650 aircraft should have been on this 'Maximum Effort' raid but 200 Halifaxes were withdrawn because of fog over their airfields in Yorkshire. After take-off, nearly a tenth of the remaining planes had to turn back when they encountered severe icing, technical problems or suffered crew sickness. This left just 415 to continue with the mission. Because the bomber stream was late arriving and was very scattered because the strong winds had blown them off course, there were many fighters waiting to pick them off. 'P' for Peter was shot down by a night-fighter at approximately 23:00 hours German time, over the small town of Trebbin about 25 miles south of Berlin. All eight crew were lost, even though Ernest stayed in his beloved Lancaster until the end trying to avoid a small row of houses and hoping his crew would have time to bail out. Although the houses were saved as Ernest managed to land in an adjacent field, the rear gunner had been shot and was still in the turret. Only one crew member had managed to open his parachute and Ernest, of course, was still in his seat.
[page break]
A gentleman who had witnessed the combat said that despite the loss of two thirds of the wing and engines, the flames emanating from the front of the aircraft and other serious damage to the fuselage caused by the explosion, the pilot was still clearly flying his crippled Lancaster in an effort to land in a nearby field. In his words “It was an aeronautical miracle”. A very sad end for eight young heroes who will always be remembered with pride.
[page break]
[underlined]COMBAT REPORT [/underlined]
Lancaster x (ED. 655) of 57 Squadron over target on night 22/23rd September 1943 2142 hours at 18,000 feet. No moon, coned in about 25 searchlights over target, no other unusual phenomena. Monica gave warning of enemy aircraft just after bombs had been dropped and Lancaster was commencing to carry out banking search again. As enemy aircraft (identified as JU.88) came in to attack, searchlights went out. M.U. was first to see E/A on port quarter up approximately 300 yards. M.U. and R.G. simultaneously opened fire (firing 200 rds.) and hits were observed. E/A returned fire causing damage to Lancaster. E/A dropped starboard wing and dived to starboard leaving a smoke trail behind. When E/A was directly below Lancaster, flame was seen to emerge from starboard engine, but it was impossible to observe if E/A crashed, as another E/A then came in to attack from starboard quarter up. E/A (also identified as JU.88) came into attack at 600 yards range and R.G. opened fire (firing 50 rounds), but hits were not observed. E/A did not return fire. R.G. ordered the pilot to turn to starboard and dive, E/A broke away to starboard and was not seen again.
First E/A definitely claimed as destroyed.
M.U. could not get his guns to bear on second E/A.
Damage to Lancaster – Engine sub-frame Cat AC.
R.G. Sgt. MOAD – No. 3 B & G. S. McDONALD, MANITOBA. 16 O.T.U. UPPER HEYFORD, 1661 CON. UNIT, WINTHORPE
M.U. Sgt. LEWIS 24 C.A.O.S., MOFFIT, RHODESIA, 16 O.T.U. UPPER HEYFORD, 1661 CON. UNIT, WINTHORPE
Signed
[underlined]Gunrary Leadrer, No. 57 Squadron.[/underlined]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Pilot Officer Ernest Henry Tansley 149542 VR biography
Description
An account of the resource
Covers background, marriage, civilian occupation and family. Followed by service history including basic and flying training in England and the United States and then advanced flying training and operational conversion back home. Posted to 57 Squadron at RAF Scampton. List his operations from 12 July 1943 up until 2nd December 1943 when he was shot down and killed. Describes his last operation to Berlin. Concludes with a combat report from 57 Squadron on 22/23 September 1943 on Lancaster ED 655 which was attacked by night fighters gunners engaged fighters..
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Five page printed document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BDowardATansleyEHv3
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Essex
England--Thundersley
England--London
Scotland--Edinburgh
England--Devon
England--Paignton
England--Surrey
Canada
Nova Scotia--Halifax
New Brunswick--Moncton
United States
Alabama--Montgomery
Florida--Arcadia
Georgia--Macon
Georgia--Valdosta
England--Dorset
England--Bournemouth
England--Oxfordshire
England--West Midlands
England--Birmingham
England--Nottinghamshire
Italy
Italy--Turin
Germany
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Essen
England--Lincolnshire
Germany--Mannheim
Germany--Nuremberg
Italy--Milan
Germany--Peenemünde
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Germany--Leverkusen
Germany--Berlin
England--Cambridgeshire
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Kassel
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Düsseldorf
France
France--Modane
England--Yorkshire
Germany--Trebbin
Germany--Hannover
Florida
Alabama
Georgia
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Hampshire
England--Warwickshire
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1914-01-22
1935-11-30
1941-03-19
1941-08-04
1941-10-17
1941-11-21
1941-12-02
1941-12-18
1942-01-11
1942-03-29
1942-07-05
1942-10-07
1942-11-03
1943-03-02
1943-05-28
1943-07-05
1943-07-07
1943-07-12
1943-07-24
1943-07-25
1943-07-27
1943-08-09
1943-08-10
1943-08-12
1943-08-15
1943-08-17
1943-08-22
1943-08-23
1943-08-27
1943-08-29
1943-09-12
1943-09-22
1943-09-27
1943-09-28
1943-09-29
1943-10-03
1943-10-07
1943-10-08
1943-10-18
1943-11-03
1943-11-10
1943-11-14
1943-11-18
1943-11-26
1943-12-02
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
16 OTU
1661 HCU
5 Group
57 Squadron
6 Group
air gunner
aircrew
Battle
bombing
bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943)
bombing of Kassel (22/23 October 1943)
Bombing of Peenemünde (17/18 August 1943)
Harvard
Heavy Conversion Unit
Ju 88
killed in action
Lancaster
Lancaster Mk 3
Manchester
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Bramcote
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF East Kirkby
RAF Mepal
RAF Paignton
RAF Pocklington
RAF Scampton
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Windrush
RAF Winthorpe
recruitment
shot down
Stearman
Stirling
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1414/28279/LWareingR86325v2.1.pdf
9d3140532497d80be26a8f60fae31949
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wareing, Robert
R Wareing
Description
An account of the resource
258 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Robert Wareing DFC* (86325 Royal Air Force) and contains his flying logbooks, prisoner of war log book, memoirs, photographs, extensive personal and official correspondence, official documents, pilots/handling notes, decorations, mementos, uniform badges and buttons. He flew operations as a pilot with 106 Squadron. After a period of instructing he returned to operations on 582 Squadron but was shot down and became a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Andrew Wareing and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-05
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Wareing, R
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LWareingR86325v2
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending review
Description
An account of the resource
Pilots flying log book two for R Wareing, covering the period from 17 February 1942 to 25 November 1943. Detailing his Instructor duties and flying training. He was stationed at RAF Cottesmore, RAF Market Harborough, RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Desborough. Aircraft flown in were Oxford, Anson, Hampden, Wellington, Lancaster and Proctor. Carried out 1 night operation and 3 Air/Sea Rescue searches.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Leicestershire
England--Northamptonshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Rutland
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
1943
1942-06-25
1942-06-26
1943-01-20
1943-03-11
1943-06-14
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
Title
A name given to the resource
Robert Wareing pilot's flying log book. Two
14 OTU
16 OTU
84 OTU
air sea rescue
aircrew
Anson
Flying Training School
Hampden
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
Proctor
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Desborough
RAF Market Harborough
RAF Upper Heyford
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1414/28278/LWareingR86325v1.1.pdf
33c5516a40b8c9e4bcb3b70d7946bc78
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wareing, Robert
R Wareing
Description
An account of the resource
258 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Robert Wareing DFC* (86325 Royal Air Force) and contains his flying logbooks, prisoner of war log book, memoirs, photographs, extensive personal and official correspondence, official documents, pilots/handling notes, decorations, mementos, uniform badges and buttons. He flew operations as a pilot with 106 Squadron. After a period of instructing he returned to operations on 582 Squadron but was shot down and became a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Andrew Wareing and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-05
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Wareing, R
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LWareingR86325v1
Description
An account of the resource
Pilots flying log book one for R Wareing, covering the period from 26 February 1939 to 16 February 1942. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Waltham (aka RAF Grimsby), RAF Bexhill, RAF Prestwick, RAF Sealand, RAF Finningley, RAF Coningsby, RAF Upper Heyford, RAF Cottesmore and RAF Upavon. Aircraft flown in were Magister, Tiger Moth, Oxford, Anson, Hampden, Hereford, Blenheim and Whitley. He flew a total of 29 night operations with 106 squadron. Targets were Brest, Elbe, Lorient, Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, Berlin, Cologne, Mannheim, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Duisburg, Soest and Vegesack.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
England--Sussex
England--Lincolnshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Rutland
England--Wiltshire
England--Yorkshire
France--Brest
France--Lorient
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Cuxhaven
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Mannheim
Germany--Soest
Scotland--South Ayrshire
Wales--Flintshire
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939
1940
1941
1942
1940-12-08
1940-12-10
1940-12-15
1940-12-16
1940-12-19
1940-12-22
1940-12-23
1940-12-29
1941-01-03
1941-01-05
1941-01-09
1941-01-10
1941-01-12
1941-01-13
1941-02-04
1941-02-05
1941-03-12
1941-03-13
1941-03-17
1941-03-18
1941-03-20
1941-03-21
1941-03-29
1941-04-04
1941-04-05
1941-04-07
1941-04-08
1941-04-17
1941-04-18
1941-04-20
1941-04-21
1941-04-23
1941-04-24
1941-04-26
1941-04-27
1941-04-29
1941-04-30
1941-05-04
1941-05-05
1941-05-15
1941-05-18
1941-05-19
1941-05-23
1941-05-24
1941-05-26
1941-05-27
1941-06-02
1941-06-03
1941-06-11
1941-06-12
1941-06-13
1941-06-15
1941-06-16
1941-06-19
1941-06-20
1941-06-21
1941-06-22
1941-06-27
1941-06-28
1941-07-24
1941-08-07
1941-08-08
1941-08-16
1941-08-17
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
Title
A name given to the resource
Robert Wareing pilot's flying log book. One
106 Squadron
14 OTU
16 OTU
aircrew
Anson
Blenheim
bombing
Flying Training School
Hampden
Initial Training Wing
Magister
mine laying
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Coningsby
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Finningley
RAF Grimsby
RAF Prestwick
RAF Sealand
RAF Upavon
RAF Upper Heyford
Tiger Moth
training
Whitley
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1414/27927/MWareingR86325-161005-240001.2.jpg
26609f30631eaa2bfb4fc104f5dce317
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1414/27927/MWareingR86325-161005-240002.2.jpg
be566dd098e171422a526e81b1ce84bd
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wareing, Robert
R Wareing
Description
An account of the resource
258 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Robert Wareing DFC* (86325 Royal Air Force) and contains his flying logbooks, prisoner of war log book, memoirs, photographs, extensive personal and official correspondence, official documents, pilots/handling notes, decorations, mementos, uniform badges and buttons. He flew operations as a pilot with 106 Squadron. After a period of instructing he returned to operations on 582 Squadron but was shot down and became a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Andrew Wareing and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-05
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Wareing, R
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Notes on Bomber Command
Description
An account of the resource
Mentions formation of Pathfinder force. Gee, pulse phasing radar, new compasses. Continues with short note of H2S, OBOE. Lists locations and RAF stations.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page handwritten document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MWareingR86325-161005-24
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Cheshire
England--Yorkshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Rutland
England--Grimsby
England--Chester
Scotland--Perth
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-02-23
1941-09
1941-09-16
1943-08-02
1944-04-01
1941-08-08
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
106 Squadron
582 Squadron
Bennett, Donald Clifford Tyndall (1910-1986)
Gee
H2S
Oboe
Pathfinders
radar
RAF Coningsby
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Finningley
RAF Little Staughton
RAF Upper Heyford
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1490/27597/LMitchellJEF550261v1.2.pdf
12af30c01e71c2c6bb7e257155d97e84
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mitchell, Mitch
John Ernest Francis Mitchell
J E F Mitchell
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-02-27
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Mitchell, JEF
Description
An account of the resource
59 items. Flight Lieutenant John Ernest Francis 'Mitch' Mitchell. Joined the RAF as a boy entrant in 1934 and trained as a wireless operator. Flew on Vickers Virginia, Handley Page Heyford and Whitley before the war. Completed an operational tour on Whitley 1939-41. After being rested he flew a second tour of operations as a wireless operator with 207 Squadron before retraining as a pilot post war. Collection contains his flying logbooks, memoires of his air force career and first operations, lists of his operations, correspondence and photographs.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by C A Wood and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LMitchellJEF550261v1
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending review
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Description
An account of the resource
L Mitchell’s air gunner’s flying log book covering the period from 1 July 1936 to 17 September 1941. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as air gunner. He was stationed at Upper Heyford, Driffield, Boscombe Down and Linton-on-Ouse (58 Squadron), RAF Acklington (2 AOS) and RAF Kinloss (19 OTU). Aircraft flown in were Virginia, Anson, Whitley and Hind. Targets were Ruhr, Kiel, Germany, Oslo, Stavanger, Maastrich, France, Italy and convoy patrols. He flew twelve convoy patrols and thirteen night operations with 58 Squadron. His pilots on operations were Flight Lieutenant O'Niell, Flying Officer Espley, Flight Sergeant Moore, Flying Officer Russell, Flying Officer Cribb, Flying Officer Rail, Pilot Officer Pyke, Sergeant Terreneau, Sergeant Cornish, and Pilot Officer Clements.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
England--Northumberland
England--Oxfordshire
England--Wiltshire
England--Yorkshire
Germany--Kiel
Netherlands--Maastricht
Norway--Oslo
Norway--Stavanger
Scotland--Moray Firth
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1939-09-03
1939-09-04
1939-10-12
1939-10-16
1939-11-08
1939-12-04
1939-12-17
1939-12-30
1940-01-13
1940-01-17
1940-01-23
1940-04-17
1940-04-18
1940-04-30
1940-05-01
1940-05-13
1940-05-14
1940-05-15
1940-05-16
1940-05-19
1940-05-20
1940-05-21
1940-05-22
1940-05-23
1940-05-24
1940-06-01
1940-06-02
1940-06-03
1940-06-04
1940-06-04
1940-06-05
1940-06-07
1940-06-08
1940-06-09
1940-06-10
1940-06-11
1940-06-12
1940-06-13
1940-06-14
1940-06-15
1940-06-17
1940-06-18
1940-06-19
1940-06-20
1940-06-21
1940-06-26
1940-06-27
1940-06-28
1940-06-29
1940-07-07
1940-07-08
Title
A name given to the resource
John Mitchell's flying log book. One
19 OTU
58 Squadron
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
Air Observers School
aircrew
Anson
bombing
crash
forced landing
Operational Training Unit
RAF Boscombe Down
RAF Driffield
RAF Kinloss
RAF Linton on Ouse
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF West Freugh
training
Whitley
wireless operator / air gunner
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1490/27529/BMitchellJEFMitchellJEFv2.2.pdf
79ab91df3c1f13c17172b651be8ac4d9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mitchell, Mitch
John Ernest Francis Mitchell
J E F Mitchell
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-02-27
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Mitchell, JEF
Description
An account of the resource
59 items. Flight Lieutenant John Ernest Francis 'Mitch' Mitchell. Joined the RAF as a boy entrant in 1934 and trained as a wireless operator. Flew on Vickers Virginia, Handley Page Heyford and Whitley before the war. Completed an operational tour on Whitley 1939-41. After being rested he flew a second tour of operations as a wireless operator with 207 Squadron before retraining as a pilot post war. Collection contains his flying logbooks, memoires of his air force career and first operations, lists of his operations, correspondence and photographs.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by C A Wood and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Seeding the Storm
Squadron Leader John Ernest Francis Mitchell, DFC, wireless operator/air gunner, then pilot.
I had never known our headmaster at Eye Grammar to be taken aback. But when he asked at my leaving interview what I intended to do and I replied without hesitation, “I want to fly, sir”, it seemed to floor him. Possibly he had expected me to say something about Oxford or Cambridge , after all I’d been no slouch under his tutelage. And that might not have been so bad. What I had no intention of doing, though, was getting involved with the land.
The desire to fly, on the other hand was something that had become ever more compelling. What we tended to see in Norfolk were airships. But I knew all about the record breakers and their machines, but far more about the wartime aces of the RFC – the Royal Flying Corps – about McCudden, Mannock, Bishop, and to me, the greatest of them all, Albert Ball. And war fliers rather than civilian, for even in 1934 it was clear to those with eyes to see that another conflict was brewing.
I even knew the qualities needed in an aspirant war flier: ‘not exceptional, a good general education, a mechanical background advantageous, a fair working knowledge of maths and the application of simple formulae; more than keen to learn’. Apart from the ‘not exceptional’ – the very idea! – I more than fitted the bill.
The ensuing discussion went on for some time, but even then the Head was not happy.
“Think about it for a day or so, Mitchell”, he bade, “then come back and see me again”.
I dutifully did so. When, having satisfied himself that I was determined to pursue a flying career, he sent a recommendation to the local education committee
+”. As a consequence, just weeks later, a letter – railway warrant enclosed – invited me to present myself at Victor House, Kingsway, in London.
The interviewers surprised me! I had expected them to be knowledgeable about aeroplanes. Instead they seemed to inhabit some intellectual level, way above such things. Eventually, however, they descended from their Olympian heights to deliver their verdict.
At seventeen I was too young to become a pilot. Only here, as my face fell, they descended even further, to assure me that age was the only bar. Meanwhile, I could be taken on as either a wireless operator or an air gunner. Stifling my disappointment, I opted for the former and a short time later reported to the Electrical and Wireless School at RAF Cranwell, near Sleaford in Lincolnshire, where I was rigged out from cap to puttees, not forgetting boots that were initially reluctant to take the least shine, to begin my training.
It was clear that the government was among those with eyes to see, for some months before it had decided upon a vast expansion of the RAF. This meant the building of new airfields and the creation of new squadrons. It also meant a full-scale recruiting drive. And so it was that on 10 October 1934 I joined a Boy Entrant intake, doubled that year to nearly 600 for a nominal twelve months’ course.
We were not the only trainees accommodated in the double-storied blocks of Cranwell’s East Camp. There were also signals officers on short courses and air gunners who, after twelve weeks of instruction, were to take on an additional wireless-operating role. And there were Aircraft Apprentices, their entry too swelled to some 600.
The latter were boys like ourselves, from fifteen plus to eighteen who, also like us, wore the distinctive spoked-wheel arm badge. Only they had gained entry by competitive examination rather than education-committee recommendation, their three-year course qualifying them to maintain the RAF’s communication equipment – as opposed to operating it, as was our destiny.
And then, of course, just across the road, but infinitely remote from East Camp, was the gleaming new Royal Air force College where future leaders of the King’s Air Force studied in hallowed halls.
Our year-long course was packed full as we poured over wireless theory, disembowelled sets in workshops, achieved a mirror surface on those recalcitrant boots before strutting our stuff on the parade ground, and between times continued our studies in English, maths, general subjects and History of the Service –one Albert Ball’s machine guns was enshrined in a barrack- block hallway!
We tapped away at morse keys, strained into headsets, memorised the most frequently used of the Q and Z brevity codes – necessary with morse mssages being so protracted – and even got the feel of airborne operating in the Wireless School’s Wallaces, Wapitis and Valentias.
Off duty, sports were highly rated, and I was able to indulge myself to the full in those which interested me. With the compulsory boxing bout over I shunned anything further in that line, similarly soccer and rugby, but was to the fore in cricket and tennis. Where golf and croquet were concerned, however, I found myself pretty much a loner.
We finished the course on 12 July 1935, and, having found no difficulty in learning to send and receive morse at 20 words a minute and having been comfortable enough in my airborne sessions, I was able to replace the Boy-service wheel with the Signal’s arm badge, a hand clasping three , electrical flashes.
On passing out my posting was to No. 58 squadron at Worthy Down, near Winchester, a major bomber station which was to achieve singular distinction some years later when its Naval tenants, having re-christened it HMS Kestrel, the traitor William Joyce, Lord Haw Haw, announced that it had been bombed and sunk.
When I joined the squadron was operating Vickers Virginias, twin-engined biplane bombers which
even to my eager eyes appeared distinctly venerable. Nor was the wireless equipment any more youthful. This was the transmitter-receiver combination known as the T21083/R1082. Unfortunately it was not only unreliable but difficult to operate, even altering frequency requiring a coil change in both transmitter and receiver
One everyday problem was that to get any range at all we had to trail a wire aerial from beneath the aircraft, remembering to retract it before landing for fear of garrotting some groundling.
Except that the pilot would get engrossed in his own concerns and forget to advise when he was about to set down. Either that or, with the intercommunication system being so poor, his advisory wouldn’t get through, leaving me to bawl ‘ You’ve lost my bloody trailing aerial again’ even though my bloke was an officer.
Just the same, I counted myself luckier than a gunner colleague who felt a pattering on his helmet. On turning he got a face full of pee, his desperate pilot, far forward of him ,having stood on his seat to relieve himself into the air rush.
To a large extent then we were all learning, pilots and crew members alike. Although I doubt this showed when we flew our Virginias in tight formation over the packed stands of the Hendon Air Display. In reality, however, it became more the case a few months later when we began receiving the Handley Page Heyford, held to be very speedy, and the last word in design, with all-round protection that included a dustbin-like turret which could be lowered from the ventral –belly – position.
What the new aircraft brought with it, however, was a stepping-up of the flying task, with more and more long-range navigational exercises and bombing and air-firing by both day and night, the communications side of all these being my pigeon.
It quickly became evident too that , although trained as a dedicated wireless operator, I was still expected to fill in as a gunner: not the first evidence of the way the Service was being strained by the expansion.
For expansion necessarily meant a dilution of the experience embodied in both training school and squadron, with much of the training being left to the squadrons. And as these, in turn, lost their most capable men on posting –either to command or to bolster up new units – so their own experience level dropped. For example, new boy though I was, even I could tell that to have so many prangs – minor though most were – was not the way things should be. So many, indeed, that we never bothered logging them.
I was not in a position to know, of course, but not long after this the new chief of Bomber Command, the C-in-C, Air Chief Marshall Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, would stir resentment in the very highest echelons by reporting upwards even more fundamental shortcomings.
Foremost among these was the lack of a definite policy regarding the crewing of aircraft, only pilots being considered full-time fliers. Observers and gunners, the other two categories of flier, were drawn from volunteer airmen, highly qualified tradesmen who, after a flying duty, would pocket their one or two shillings a day flying pay and return to their workshops. True, there were already moves afoot to employ full-time gunners, but like those we had trained alongside, these were then to double as wireless operators. Indeed, it was to be 1942 before gunnery and signals were to become completely divorced.
Blissfully ignorant then of the true state of things, what we all knew was that, just like the war, newer and longer-range aircraft were only just over the horizon. And with that in mind we did not complain when pushed yet harder.
What did not improve, and totally disrupted continuity, was the number of times they had us upping sticks: another thing the Commander was to comment upon! Our first uprooting came on 13 May 1936, when we relocated to Upper Heyford, near Bicester in Oxfordshire. At least, though, this heralded the arrival of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, the monoplane bomber which, through Marks One to Five, was to see us well into the war. Even so, it has to be admitted that Whitley crews suffered a fair amount of ribbing because of the aircraft’s characteristic nose-down ‘sit’ which was especially pronounced at high speed. But by and large we were happy with it.
True to form, however, my current bloke, a flight lieutenant at that, cost me four teeth on our first landing as the undercarriage, only half-extended, folded beneath us. I suppose he was busy congratulating himself on having remembered that he now had retractable wheels – many pilots didn’t remember. But as the blood streamed from my mouth all he could offer was ‘I didn’t realise the selector had to go so far’.
From the wireless operator’s standpoint the major benefit brought by the Whitley was its state-of-the-art Marconi radio installation, the transmitter/receiver combination known as T1154/R1155, a vastly more flexible equipment than those we had struggled with before. It still incorporated a trailing aerial, but otherwise it was far more sophisticated than previous gear, although the gaily coloured knobs of its transmitter belied its complexity.
Certainly my dedicated training came into its own and ‘Send for Mitch’ became the cry of the day, so that, although still a newish-joiner, I found myself acting as what I would soon become, the squadron’s signals leader.
Upper Heyford, however, afforded us only a breathing space, for by the end of August 1936 we had moved again, this time to Driffield, near Bridlington, in Yorkshire. And in February 1937 we were off down south once more, to Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.
Here we did settle to some extent, although there was a bombing detachment at Aldergrove, in Northern Ireland, where we were permitted to drop live bombs into Loch Neagh, followed by a stint which took us to Pocklington to the east of York at West Freugh, near Stranraer, for gunnery. On that detachment, having done a gunnery course at Catfoss, near Hornsea, I was able to exercise my new found skills from all our gun positions, front, dorsal (top of fuselage) and the ventral dustbin of our Mark Threes, firing 300 rounds from each, largely at sea markers. Another gunnery detachment took us to Pocklington, to the east of York. But on 20 June 1939 we moved north again, this time to Linton-on-Ouse, in Yorkshire.
Such detachments gave us a flavour of what our war might be. But the results were not always that comforting. My gunnery scores were consistently deemed satisfactory. But we did hear that whereas the previous year’s averages for air firing had been an acceptable 20%, this year, with fewer experienced instructors in the schools and competent gunners spread more thinly on the squadrons, averages were running closer to 0%.
Equally concerning, we had noticed that even when we were permitted to drop live bombs – for there always seemed to be some rare wild bird or other which took precedence, or some influential landowner - a high proportion proved to be duds, or at best ineffectual. In lieu of the real thing, however, we dropped practice bombs, or trained on the camera obscura.
This was an optical training aid which had us fly towards a building – identified by a flare at night – with a large hole cut in its roof. A lens would then project the approaching aircraft’s image onto a table where instructors would assess the accuracy of the run-in. At his calculated release point the pilot would press the button, when either coloured smoke or a parachute flare by night would enable the wind effect to be calculated and the likely striking point ascertained.
Other noteworthy exercises we flew at this time involved dropping very powerful flares, the forerunner, as we were later to realise, of the Pathfinders’ target markers. Arguably even more significant was the detailing of a squadron aircraft to patrol near the BBC’s Daventry aerial, a perambulatory sortie that led directly to the development of radar.
We were great moaners, of course. But even where the unsettling moves were concerned we conceded that some were dictated by extra construction work, most of our roosts having come into being under the expansion programme. For essentially, while we noticed shortcomings, we saw it as our part to master the equipment we’d been given and leave others to worry about the rest.
Even so, though one might push shortcomings from the mind, the international situation could no longer be ignored. More particularly when, on 1 September 1939, Hitler’s forces attacked Poland which, to the surprise of many, turned out to be our ally. But nobody on the squadron was surprised when, next day, we were dispatched to Leconfield, near Yorkshire’s east coast and so that much nearer Hitler’s Reich.
At 1115 hours on 3 September 1939 we listened to Chamberlain’s fateful broadcast, and as darkness fell ours was among ten Whitleys laden with propaganda leaflets which got airborne for Germany, my log book recording that the ‘Anti Nazi War’ had begun.
On that first operational sortie I was flying with my regular pilot, Flying Officer ‘Peggy’ O’Neill, aboard a familiar Whitley, K8969. Even so it was the most surreal of experiences to be droning over a blacked-out Germany where millions of people were both ready, and willing, to kill us. Not only that, but to be doing so carrying nothing more lethal than propaganda leaflets. And leaflets intended to do what – destroy the resolve of a nation already cock-a-hoop over its Polish blitzkrieg?
We could not know that Churchill had only grudgingly conceded that leaflets just might raise Germany to a ‘higher morality’. Or that our future leader, ‘Bomber’ Harris, would declare that the only thing such ‘idiotic and childish pamphlets’ accomplished was to satisfy a requirement for toilet paper. Again, though, our job was to drop leaflets. So on we droned.
The route was to be wide-ranging across the Ruhr, specifically targeting both Essen and Dusseldorf before overflying the Maginot Line and turning for home. I suppose, at a certain level, we were on edge the whole seven and a half hours we were airborne, but training sustained us. Then, too, besides feeding our leaflets from the dustbin turret, we had set other tasks.
These included assessing the effectiveness of the German black-out. Was it broken by any well-lit areas, which would, therefore, be dummy towns? Additionally, were the airfields active? What road, rail or waterborne movements did we notice? Were searchlights evident? And was there any anti-aircraft fire? In fact, the latter question led to an animated on-board discussion. Until we concluded that what we had seen was some transient light flashing on low cloud. And just as well, for when we eventually got back to base this was a point they really grilled us on.
Once more, of course, we were not to know that Higher Authority had accepted that the RAF was not yet up to bombing by either day or night, any lingering doubt being dispelled by the losses early raiders sustained. That, as a consequence, our nocturnal paper delivery was now being pragmatically viewed as a means of building up an expertise in long-range navigation that might eventually allow Bomber Command to achieve most of its war aims through precision attacks by night.
Certainly, a little later, we all heard the broadcast Harris made, warning the Nazis of ‘a cloud on their horizon’… presently no bigger than a band’s width, which would break as a storm over Germany’. And hearing it we realised that we, of course, were that cloud, the seeders of that storm, the attendant fosterers of its fury.
Unfortunately, the Whitley soon proved unsuitable to the task. Early evidence of this being supplied on that first foray when, having crossed the Maginot Line, an engine faltered, committing us to a descent. Fortunately, although there was a pre-dawn mist, Peggy was able to put us down near Amiens. Nobody was hurt, but the aircraft was in a sad state. And so our first op finished in a French field, with a civil Dragon Rapide biplane being sent to pick us up and return us, initially to Harwell, near Oxford, from where we were recovered to Linton.
The Whitley’s engine trouble proved to be symptomatic, and although the squadron was tasked with leaflet drops for a few more days, there were so many problems, not least the dustbin turrets freezing in the lowered position – they could provide belly defence when needed but caused enormous drag whenever extended – that at the end of October 1939 we were reassigned to cover the English and Bristol Channels, and the Irish Sea, as convoy escorts.
This tasked diversion finished in early May 1940, when we moved back to Boscombe Down, by which time I had flown 12 patrols and a further 53 operational hours. More significantly, we had also received Mark Five Whitleys which, newly powered with the more dependable Rolls Royce Merlin Ten engines, finally enabled our crew to feature on the bombing battle order.
Ops then followed in quick succession. Initially we raided objectives in Norway, bombing Oslo aerodrome on 17 May 1940 and landing after a 9 hour 15 minute flight. Results, however, were said to be disappointing, the target having to be revisited the next night. After that we attacked Stavanger, a seven hour forty minute flight. And what fraught trips these were, often wave-hopping following a snaking fjord with cliffs disappearing into the darkness above. But again, training paid off, and we doggedly pressed on through to our objectives, although from the outset we had little faith in the outcome of the expeditionary venture itself.
Then too, the phoney war was over and events to the west were moving swiftly. So it was that we faced about, being tasked to bomb the Albert Canal bridges at Maastricht – a day after the debacle of the Fairey Battles, and the suicidal gaining of two VC’s – before passing on to raid a bridge at Eindhoven and then Schiphol aerodrome.
Following that we switched to the Ruhr, to Gelsenkirchen and Dusseldorf, returning after a night or two, this time pairing Gelsenkirchen with Duisberg, each sortie taking between six and seven hours. Only now, in an unsettling taste of things to come, I was obliged to record ‘Heavy ack-ack’.
At this juncture I should, perhaps, mention that the contemporary entries in my flying log book do not specify the actual targets, but only ‘Operations Norway’, ‘Operations France’ and ‘Operations Germany’. RAF crews, of course, are always restricted in this field, log books being official documents and scrutinised monthly by flight commanders. At that particular period, though, there was an extra dimension. For invasion was very much on the cards. ‘You don’t want some Gestapo thug reading that you bombed his Auntie Olga in Berlin’, we were told, ‘so just make it ‘Operations Germany’. Which we did.
Even so, an incorrigible rebel, I kept a separate record of those early ops, entering the actual targets later in the war.
As the Germans advanced, so we were reassigned to the interdiction bombing of roads and railways. On 21 May 1940, for example, we attacked the rail junction at Julich, dropping 4,000 pounds of bombs and coming away satisfied that we’d significantly disrupted communications, although achieving nothing like the destruction of a few years later.
We also returned the Ruhr, to Hamm, and again to Essen, dropping 10,000 and 14,000 pounds of bombs respectively.
After that, as the Battle of France intensified, we visited more and more French targets, bombing railways, roads and convoys at La Capelle, Amiens and finally Abbeville. The situation was often fluid and on at least one occasion I received a timely recall signal which stopped us bombing our own troops.
And on 11 June 1940 we did a special flight – purpose unspecified – to Guernsey, spending the night there before returning to Linton. To learn two days later that the decision had been made to give up the Channel Islands without a fight!
France itself fell on 26 June 1940, after which we switched to German targets once again. Notably a seven hour op to the Kiel Canal when I flew with a different crew, piloted by a Flight Lieutenant Thompson, on a sortie which moved me enough to declare in my log book, ‘Hell’ova Night’.
An outing that did not receive a similar accolade – though why I cannot recall – was the next one I flew with Peggy O’Neill. We successfully raided a factory in Turin, but on returning over the Alps flew into rougher weather than any of us could have imagined. There was so much snow, ice and turbulence that the engines started playing up, one temporarily cutting out altogether. Our co-pilot wanted to abandon, but Peggy gamely soldiered on, somehow retaining control of the machine and eventually winning clear. But what a trip that was! Possibly too traumatic for me to face entering anything but ‘Operations Italy’.
By now ops had become a way of life. With fear as its natural concomitant, for cringe down though we must as flak and bullets tore through the airframe, fear had to be lived with. Indeed, we received a master class on the subject from one particularly persistent fighter. Pass after pass he made, riddling us on each, with Peggy desperately sacrificing height for any speed we could muster. ‘He’s determined to get us’, he gritted, as the wavetops prevented further descent. Only abruptly the attacks stopped. For a while, communally holding our breath, we watched the fighter holding off. Then, finally, concluding that he had run out of ammunition, we scurried for home, well aware that it had been our narrowest squeak yet!
Such things were wearing. But they had to be borne. For back then there were no set tours of operations. The squadron bosses, though, knew the score. And on 1 July 1941 I was posted away, off ops, to No. 19 Operational Training Unit, at Kinloss, near Inverness.
Since January 1940 all gunners had become full-time aircrew and, in theory at least, sergeants, with the ‘AG’ beret being introduced in the December. So I had become a reluctant wireless operator/air gunner, first a sergeant and then a flight sergeant. The instant aircrew senior-NCO, understandably enough, was not that popular with the regulars. ‘You got promoted pretty swiftly, didn’t you?’ became a common jibe in the sergeant’s mess. But you couldn’t win, for when I received an overnight commission it was to be greeted in the officers’ mess with ‘And where did you spring from?’ As for the commissioning, naturally I’d always known that I was upper-crust material, even so I was disturbed at being summoned by my commanding Officer – not on this occasion, the Head, but the feeling could be similar when you put out as many little blacks as I habitually did. This time the interview was not protracted, just friendly. But still resulted in my travelling to London, only this time to Messrs Gieves and Hawkes of Savile Row, to be fitted for a new and shiny rig. ‘And your bank account, sir? ’ ‘Barclays , has been for years’ An NCO with a bank account! Upper crust, you see! Only there was still that pilot’s course…
At Kinloss the task was to train Whitley crews for No.6 Group using both the main airfield and its satellite at Forres – Balnageith. I was to spend just four months here, and not uneventful months at that, for training had its share of excitement, not least on 3 September 1941 when I was in another crash, this one significant enough to be logged!
In mid-November 1941, however, I was sent to Enniskillen, in Northern Ireland, to deputise for the established station commander. The area was a political hotbed – I had to tote a revolver! – so although the RAF had flying facilities at both Aldergrove and Killadeas and both a maintenance and a group headquarters at St Angelo, the predominant presence was army. As it was, my caretaker duties were not particularly onerous, the mess I frequented at Killadeas was sumptuous and I got myself happily involved with some sailing craft I found on Loch Erne.
This detachment gave me a break from the routine of training, but it was to set a pattern I was to find increasingly irksome as the years went by. I was assured, of course, that each stores check or unit inquiry befitted me just that little bit more for higher command. As it did. So why did I invariably feel ‘joe’d’?
Certainly I had periodically applied to return to ops, my hopes soaring whenever signals arrived requesting aircrew for ‘special duties’. In August 1942 these were for the proposed Pathfinder Force and in early 1943 for what we were eventually to discover was to be No.617 Squadron. However, all such applications were blocked by my immediate boss. ‘They want the best’, he would say. ‘But I do too, Mitch, so you stay’.
Eventually, however, an Air Ministry posting arrived for me and on 20 May 1943 – with every front page screaming ‘Dambusters!’ – I was posted to No. 207 Squadron.
I found the squadron at Langar, near Nottingham, still relieved to be rid of their Avro Manchesters – a disastrous machine – and happily settling with that queen of the skies, the Lancaster.
As signals leader I might have chosen my own captain, but having accepted the first to be programmed with me, Flight Lieutenant Brandon-Tye, I never had cause to regret it. And so, after just four hours of acclimatisation flights, I began my second tour of ops.
Initially we concentrated on the Ruhr, so that in short order I became re-acquainted with Dusseldorf and Bochum, although this time around in the Lancaster, taking about an hour less over such sorties, just over 5 hours. Yet how adversely so much else had changed!
Certainly the defences had really got the hang of things now, with droves of searchlights and seemingly impenetrable box barrages on every run up. Not to mention the radar-guided predicted flak! As for the night-fighters..!
Not that I was surprised – shocked, I’ll allow, but not surprised! – for two years back we’d prowled the night sky alone, whereas now we offered the defences score upon score of targets.
Shortly afterwards, on 20 June 1943, we bombed an industrial objective at Friedrichshafen, on Lake Constance, after which we overflew brilliantly lit Switzerland – a wonderful, fairytale sight! – to set down after nearly ten hours at Blida, on the northern coast of Algeria. And to show no favour to any Axis power, next day we bombed La Spezia, the Italian naval base, the homeward trip taking just nine hours and ten minutes.
After that, though, it was Happy Valley again – the Ruhr – and to Gelsenkitchen, a place I had last visited in May 1940, over two years before, and on successive nights. So perhaps they bore a grudge. For as we ran in we were well and truly caught by flak and then shot up by a whole procession of night-fighters.
Not nice! But the rear gunner, a commissioned lad from another crew, proved to be a good man to have along. As each fighter came in I was able to use the Monica rearward-looking radar to warn him, so that he was not only able to beat them off but, I fancy, to destroy at least one. Just the same, we were so badly shot up that we had to put down in Coltishall.
Though used to dealing with fighter aircraft, Coltishall’s groundcrew chaps pulled their fingers out – when didn’t they! – and patched us up, enabling us to return to Langar later that day. Our Lancaster, ED 627, had certainly done us proud. As for the rear gunner, he received a Distinguished Flying Cross for this spirited defence and would later, flying with his own crew, receive a bar to it for a similar exploit.
There was no such kudos for me, but I was well content with the way Monica had served us. Only I was already aware of whispers and a few months later, when it was actually proven that the Germans were indeed using its pulses to both locate and then home on us, it was hurriedly withdrawn from service.
Back at Langar, however, with ED627 spick and span once more, we were off a-raiding over Munchengladbach. And two nights later it was the Big B, my first trip to Berlin! 7 hours and 35 minutes simply packed with interest. And this would not be my last visit, some taking a whole hour longer than others and so packed with even more interest.
This initial Berlin outing, though, was our swan song from Langar, for in October 1943 we moved to newly-opened Spilsby, near Skegness, in Lincolnshire.
I was back over Berlin again, though, in the New Year, on 15 February 1944, and penetrating even further two nights later when we raided Leipzig, landing back at Spilsby eight hours later.
At this point, however, our tasking was changed and from April 1944 – shades of May 1940! – we were set to pounding communications networks. On 10 April this meant a wide-ranging series of strikes on Tours and Bourges in central France, and on Antwerp. Then, within the next few days, it was St-Valery-on-Caux, followed the next night by Paris.
It was clear to everyone that things were hotting up. Only at this point the boss handed me a signal. I knew what it was. But there was nothing to be said. For by now I had flown 830 hours by day and 439 by night, the majority of the latter being operational. I had also completed 66 ops – over two tours’ worth – and counting OUT callouts, 15 operational maritime patrols. Further, on 18 January 1944, I had been gazetted with the Distinguished Flying Cross. But alongside all this
I had also been part of a squadron which, by the war’s end, would have lost 154 of its crews; at the very least 1,232 men.
Even so I would love to have flown on D-Day, but it was not to be, and somewhat sadly shelving my flying log book for a while, I dutifully departed, on posting, to No. 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit at Winthorpe, near Newark, in Nottinghamshire.
Neither of my operational tours had been all work and unremitting dicing with death, of course. There had been periodic leaves. And in off-duty times there had been favourite pubs, the Flying Horse and the Black Boy in Nottingham coming to mind. Then, too, there had been sport. Lashings of it. Except that wheneve called upon to fill a soccer or rugger slot I’d unfailingly responded ‘Not likely, they’re too bloody dangerous’.
Only suddenly, it was all over. And between June and August 1945 I was able to fly on three ‘Cook’s Tours’, taking in, among other old haunts, Hamm, Duisberg, Wesel, Munster and Dusseldorf. It was not a case of gloating. On the other hand, both outbound and inbound we would overfly so many of our own towns blitzed unmercifully in those dark days when the Germans were riding high, when they had derided our leaflets and refused to adopt Churchill’s ‘higher morality’!
Though the Service was shedding personnel wholesale, my continuance seemed to be taken as read, and on 16 December 1946, after a spell with No.1363 Heavy Conversion Unit at North Luffenham, near Oakham in Rutland, I moved on to No 91 Group Headquarters as a staff signals officer.
The headquarters was situated at Morton Hall – nowadays a women’s prison - very close to RAF Swinderby, in Lincolnshire, my two-year stay giving me a deeper appreciation of the way the Service was run. But a headquarters was ideal too for getting things done, and as my tenure drew to a close, I resurrected the matter of my pilot’s course. I was certainly not too young any more, not after 14 years and a world war. So on 9 august 1948 I gleefully reported as a pupil pilot to No.6 Flying Training School at Ternhill, near Market Drayton, Shropshire.
I suppose maturity – in 1946 I’d met and married Joan – and a wealth of experience, allowed me to approach pilot training without fear of failure. And it clearly paid off. Starting on the delightful Tiger Moth biplane I completed my course on the American Harvard, an excellent advanced trainer, being very demanding and only too ready to take control.
And so, having begun my aircrew career with a wireless-operator’s arm flash, reluctantly enough supplementing this in late 1939 with an air gunner’s ‘AG’ brevet; readily swapped in its turn, in January 1944, for a dedicated signaller’s ‘S’ brevet; my chest finally bore the full wings so proudly worn in those old photographs by Bishop, Madden, McCudden and Ball!
The operational phase of my pilot training saw me back on Lancasters, this time at RAF St. Mawgan, Coastal Command’s training station near Newquay in Cornwall, where I was also checked out on the Avro Shackleton. This was a spectacular aeroplane – a great, grey-painted roaring machine outside, but with an interior hushed by jet-black drapes – which was eventually able to patrol for up to 21 hours. In every respect a far cry from the Virginia and Whitley! But aeroplanes are aeroplanes are aeroplanes. And for all that I held an above-average rating it was not that long before I was clambering out of a Shackleton whose tailwheel had collapsed after landing!
But aviation has a multitude of tricks. So that, on joining my first maritime unit, No. 2 Squadron at Aldergrove it was to find that, alongside the ~Shackleton, they were operating the Handley Page Hastings, essentially a transport and notoriously ungainly. As a new joiner I was to start off on these as a second pilot, which, at that time, meant raising and lowering the flaps – and watching. Once I had built up enough hours on type, only then would I be checked out on landing the beast. And I say advisedly, for I had watched pilots on their first landings skidding sideways, shredding tyres and even sliding off the runway.
As it was, my first Hastings sortie involved flying at 18,000 feet for some considerable time. Halfway through, however, my captain fell ill and passed out. And suddenly there were eyes on me from every corner. In the end, though, it worked out well, even to landing away to expedite medical aid, with my squadron commander recommending me for an Air Force Cross, although having to settle for a green endorsement.
Our bread-and-butter task at both St Mawgan and Aldergrove was to exhaustively patrol the Atlantic. But in July 1954, after a spell back at St Mawgan – by then the School of Maritime Reconnaissance – and six months on No. 220 squadron at nearby St Eval - I was posted overseas to No. 224 Squadron in Gibraltar. And what a tour it was! No longer just the Atlantic, but flights ranging through Ceylon, India, Iraq, Libya and both Madeira and the Azores. Except that in October 1957 it was back to freezing-cold Britain - with a decision to be made!
It was clear that the RAF had an interest in me and, indeed, even as I pursued my internal debate they sent me to Worksop, to No. 4 Flying Training School, for a jet familiarisation course. Twenty hours on the single-engined, twin-boomed Vampire. What a mind-blowing experience from the simplistic engine control to the swiftness – and unbelievable smoothness – of jet flight. Flight, moreover, with never, ever a mag drop!
A great interlude! But still my problem nagged. I was well aware that I had suffered a sea change. Possibly from seeing so much of it. For although further advancement in the RAF and even a new career in Civil Aviation offered, neither attracted.
In part, it was the ground jobs, the rationale for which remained the same; indeed, more so since I had become a squadron leader. For as I was a senior officer the RAF was primarily interested in my command and administrative abilities, not my flying skills. Yet being hived off to an admin job had always made me feel put upon.
Of far greater moment, though, Joan and I had never had the opportunity of setting up a real home together - and that really weighted. But – to give up flying…..?
Then again, since 1934 I had flown 1,400 hours as crew, a good proportion of it on wartime operations, and 1,600 hours as a pilot, almost all on operational patrols. Only….wasn’t I true that for some time now the zest had gone?
And that, when it finally found expression, I recognized as the crux. Accordingly, on 4 November 1957, I submitted my resignation.
Getting used to civilian life took some time. Eventually, however, unable to find a niche at any level I found acceptable, I sought advice from a golfing acquaintance who persuaded me to try my hand at vehicle sales. Initially this meant my matching commercial and agricultural vehicles to the needs of prospective customers. And it all went very well, so that within a matter of months I had developed a lucrative, countrywide chain of client contacts. Only to remain fundamentally unsettled. Until I confessed to my boss that I didn’t like my image as a flash-Harry car salesman. He was enormously amused. Yet puzzled also.
‘But ‘ he reasoned, ‘everything hinges on the company sales director.’
Company Sales Director! Ah! Suddenly all doubt vanished. Indeed, I rather think my golf improved too!
Above all, I finally had a real family home. - essentially for the first time since meeting Joan, back in Nottingham in 1946 (Joan Ball, as she had been then). Her father was Cyril Ball, a former RFC-cum-RAF pilot and brother of my boyhood hero, Albert Ball, VC.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Seeding the Storm
Description
An account of the resource
Account of John Mitchell's career in the Royal Air Force from Oct 1934 until November 1957. Writes of his early ambitions to fly, and joining the RAF as a wireless operator. Describes his training and early postings to Worthy Down on Vickers Virginia. Mentions difficulties of using early wireless sets and of lack of policy on aircraft crewing. Continues with describing his time on Whitley, having to qualify as an air gunner and comments on his first tour of operation in bomber command at the beginning of the war. Mentions flying from several bases and various targets up until the fall of France. Writes of career after completing his first tour in November 1941. He was posted as signals leader for his second tour on Lancaster and he goes on to describe operations from June 1943. Mentions doing three post war cook's tours and goes on to describe his career after the war when he retrained as a pilot.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J E F Mitchel
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Sixteen page printed document with tree b/w photographs
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BMitchellJEFMitchellJEFv2
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Hampshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Yorkshire
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
England--Hampshire
England--Winchester
England--Wiltshire
Norway
Norway--Oslo
Germany
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Jülich
Germany--Essen
France
France--La Capelle-en-Thiérache
France--Amiens
France--Abbeville
Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Guernsey
Italy
Scotland--Moray
Northern Ireland--Enniskillen
England--Nottingham
Germany--Friedrichshafen
Germany--Berlin
England--Rutland
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)
England--Shropshire
Gibraltar
Italy--Turin
Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)
England--Cornwall (County)
Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Channel Islands
Great Britain
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Nottinghamshire
Northern Ireland--Antrim (County)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1934-10-10
1935-07-12
1936-05-13
1939-09-03
1940-05-17
1940-05-21
1940-06-26
1940-06-11
1941-07-01
1943-05-20
1943-06-20
1944-01-18
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
19 OTU
207 Squadron
220 Squadron
58 Squadron
6 Group
air gunner
aircrew
animal
anti-aircraft fire
Cook’s tour
Distinguished Flying Cross
fear
Harvard
Lancaster
Morse-keyed wireless telegraphy
Operational Training Unit
pilot
promotion
RAF Boscombe Down
RAF Driffield
RAF Kinloss
RAF Langar
RAF Morton Hall
RAF North Luffenham
RAF Pocklington
RAF Spilsby
RAF St Eval
RAF St Mawgan
RAF Ternhill
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF West Freugh
RAF Winthorpe
RAF Worthy Down
Shackleton
sport
Tiger Moth
training
Whitley
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1301/27450/LKnoxT1823036v1.2.pdf
944129a62f8bcdd9828737ba81c187e5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Knox, Tommy
Thomas Knox
T Knox
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with Warrant Officer Tommy Knox (1925 - 2020, 1823036 Royal Air Force) his log book and a physical training certificate. He completed 40 operations: 22 with 149 Squadron, mostly low-level supply drops to the Maquis in France, and the rest on Radio Counter Measures duties with 199 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Tommy Knox and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2019-06-26
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Knox, T
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
T Knox’s flying log book for flight engineers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LKnoxT1823036v1
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Middle East
Netherlands
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Atlantic Ocean--Kiel Bay
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Belgium--Brussels
England--Cheshire
England--Norfolk
England--Oxfordshire
England--Shropshire
England--Suffolk
England--Yorkshire
Europe--Frisian Islands
France--Brest
France--Laon
France--Lille
Germany--Koblenz
Germany--Mönchengladbach
France--Livet-et-Gavet
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Saint-Malo
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Saarbrücken
France--Strasbourg
Germany--Sylt
Germany--Trier
Germany--Wiesbaden
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Middle East--Palestine
Netherlands--IJssel Lake
Wales--Flintshire
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1945
1946
1947
1944-03-31
1944-04-05
1944-04-06
1944-04-09
1944-04-10
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-04-30
1944-05-01
1944-05-05
1944-05-06
1944-05-07
1944-05-08
1944-05-09
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-28
1944-05-29
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-17
1944-06-18
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-04
1944-07-05
1944-07-06
1944-07-10
1944-07-11
1944-07-17
1944-08-02
1944-09-11
1944-09-12
1944-09-13
1944-09-14
1944-09-15
1944-09-16
1944-09-18
1944-09-23
1944-09-24
1944-09-25
1944-09-26
1944-09-27
1944-09-28
1944-09-29
1944-10-05
1944-10-06
1944-10-19
1944-10-20
1944-10-21
1944-10-29
1944-10-30
1944-10-31
1944-11-01
1944-11-04
1944-11-10
1944-11-11
Description
An account of the resource
Flying log book for flight engineers for T Knox, covering the period from 30 January 1944 to 17 January 1947. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war duties as a parachute instructor. He was stationed at RAF Stradishall, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Methwold, RAF North Creake, RAF Finningly, RAF Sealand, RAF Ringway, RAF Cosford, RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Aqir. Aircraft flown in were, Stirling, Halifax, Lancaster, Dakota and Horsa Glider. He flew a total of 40 operations, 21 with 149 Squadron, 2 daylight and 19 night time operations, of which 9 were special operations to France, and 19 night time operations with 199 Squadron carrying out radio counter measure support of bombing operations. Targets were, Lille, Laon, Kiel Bay, Frisian Islands, St Malo, Brest, Pas de Calais, North Sea, Brussels, Saarbrucken, Sylt, Wilhelmshaven, Mönchengladbach, Koblenz, Zuider Sea, Trier, Strasbourg, Duisberg, Wiesbaden, Gavet and Munster. His pilots on operations were Flight Lieutenant Coventry and Flight Sergeant Millar. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
149 Squadron
1657 HCU
199 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
C-47
flight engineer
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
Horsa
Lancaster
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Aqir
RAF Cosford
RAF Finningley
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Methwold
RAF North Creake
RAF Ringway
RAF Sealand
RAF Stradishall
RAF Upper Heyford
Stirling
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/607/26325/LMaywoodRM1623169v2.1.pdf
5b92814ba444c0b862e57eaf42f615f4
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Maywood, Dick
Richard M Maywood
R M Maywood
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Maywood, RM
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with Warrant Officer Richard 'Dick' Maywood (1923 -2016, 1623169 Royal Air Force), his log book and a certificate. He flew operations as a navigator with 608 and 692 Squadrons.
The collection was catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-11-09
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Dick Maywood’s Royal Canadian Air Force flying log book for aircrew other than pilot
Description
An account of the resource
Royal Canadian Air Force flying log book for aircrew other than pilot for R M Maywood, navigator, covering the period from 31 December 1943 to 25 September 1946. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war flying. He was stationed at RCAF Mountain View, RCAF Charlottetown, RAF Kingstown, RAF Cliffe Pypard, RAF Wigtown, RAF Upper Heyford, RAF Barford-st-John, RAF Downham Market and RAF Gransden Lodge. Aircraft flown in were, Bolingbroke, Anson, Tiger Moth DH82a, Oxford and Mosquito. He flew one night operation with 608 squadron and completed his post war flying with 692 squadron. Target was Eggebeck. His pilot on operations was Warrant Officer Johnson.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LMaywoodRM1623169v2
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Canada
Germany
Great Britain
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Cumbria
England--Norfolk
England--Oxfordshire
England--Wiltshire
Germany--Schleswig-Flensburg
Ontario--Belleville
Prince Edward Island--Charlottetown
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Ontario--Belleville
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1946
1945-04-26
1945-06-09
1945-07-03
16 OTU
608 Squadron
692 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
Air Observers School
aircrew
Anson
Bolingbroke
bombing
Bombing and Gunnery School
Cook’s tour
Flying Training School
Mosquito
navigator
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
RAF Barford St John
RAF Clyffe Pypard
RAF Downham Market
RAF Gransden Lodge
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Wigtown
Tiger Moth
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1385/25806/SBakerDA19210428v20036.2.jpg
efbca884d28f6bda1e4165ad294e6353
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Baker, Donald Arthur
D A Baker
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-11-13
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Baker, DA
Description
An account of the resource
187 items. Donald Arthur Baker (b. 1921) travelled from Southern Rhodesia to England in 1940 to join the Royal Air Force. Trained as a pilot in 1941 he was operational with 144 Squadron at RAF North Luffenham flying Hampdens. He was shot down on 5 November 1941 and remained a prisoner of war mostly in Stalag Luft 3 until 1945. He return to farm in Southern Rhodesia after the war. The collection contains letters to his mother throughout the war as well as other correspondence and documents including his prisoner of war log with photographs and notes.
The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by June Baker Maree and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Permission granted for commercial projects
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Item separator card
Description
An account of the resource
Green card 'July 1941 Heyford'.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941-07
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Handwritten card
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SBakerDA19210428v20036
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Oxfordshire
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-07
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
RAF Upper Heyford
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1582/25785/MBowerFG1575473-200123-08.1.jpg
ab493097d4eb95f681a140fb834c0d31
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bower, Frank Geoffrey
F G Bower
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-01-23
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Bower, FG
Description
An account of the resource
39 items. The collection concerns Frank Geoffrey Bower (1575473 Royal Air Force). It contains his log book, photographs and documents as well as a photograph album of his time training in Miami, Florida. He trained as a navigator and was killed when his Wellington crashed 4 April 1943.<br /><br />The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by David Slack and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Frank Bower is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/102362/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Memo for Mr BOWER.
The Station Commander at Hucknall has been through to Heyford and has learned that your son is one of twelve killed. The station commander Hayford is in receipt of your telegram, but has had some difficulty in deeling [sic] with this matter. He will send you a wire this afternoon giving you the exact time of arrival at Hucknall but I was told to pass on this information. It will not be until Friday morning early, or sometime during Friday when the body reaches Hucknall. They are teribly [sic] sorry to have caused you any inconvenience, but owing to there being eleven others with your boy, it is understandable that they have had some trouble.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Memo for Mr Bower
Description
An account of the resource
The memo refers to F G Bower's body which is being transported to Hucknall by train.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-04
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MBowerFG1575473-200123-08
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Oxfordshire
England--Hucknall
England--Nottinghamshire
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-04
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
aircrew
killed in action
RAF Upper Heyford
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1582/25784/MBowerFG1575473-200123-07.2.jpg
c11c7b6f05e94bf28ea7138df0a79b63
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bower, Frank Geoffrey
F G Bower
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-01-23
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Bower, FG
Description
An account of the resource
39 items. The collection concerns Frank Geoffrey Bower (1575473 Royal Air Force). It contains his log book, photographs and documents as well as a photograph album of his time training in Miami, Florida. He trained as a navigator and was killed when his Wellington crashed 4 April 1943.<br /><br />The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by David Slack and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Frank Bower is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/102362/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Telegram
Description
An account of the resource
A telegram with the words 'Can be made RAF Upper Heyford'
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-04-04
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MBowerFG1575473-200123-07
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Oxfordshire
England--Nottingham
England--Nottinghamshire
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-04-04
RAF Upper Heyford
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1582/25783/ESutherlandJBowerHA430422.1.jpg
8761bbef21e825884a57e7c18b132907
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bower, Frank Geoffrey
F G Bower
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-01-23
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Bower, FG
Description
An account of the resource
39 items. The collection concerns Frank Geoffrey Bower (1575473 Royal Air Force). It contains his log book, photographs and documents as well as a photograph album of his time training in Miami, Florida. He trained as a navigator and was killed when his Wellington crashed 4 April 1943.<br /><br />The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by David Slack and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Frank Bower is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/102362/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
R.A.F. Station,
Upper Heyford,
Oxon.
22nd April 1943.
Ref: 482/267/P.1.
Dear Mr. Bower,
I am sure you would like to know what is happening to your late son’s personal effects. These have been forwarded to The Central Depository, R.A.F., Colnbrook, Slough, Bucks, who will be writing to you in due course.
His Post Office Savings Book and correspondence regarding his financial affairs have been sent to The Under Secretary of State, Air Ministry (Accts 13), Whittington Road, Worcester, so if you have any queries regarding his financial affairs, will you please communicate direct with that address.
In the meantime, if there is anything more I can do to help, please do not hesitate to write me.
Yours faithfully,
[signature]
[inserted] [underlined] For [/underlined] [/inserted] Group Captain, Commanding,
[underlined] R.A.F. Station, Upper Heyford. [/underlined]
Mr. H.A. Bower,
27, Annesley Road,
Hucknall,
[underlined] NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. [/underlined]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Mr H A Bower
Description
An account of the resource
The letter refers to his son's personal effects.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Group Captain, Commanding, RAF Upper Heyford
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-04-22
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ESutherlandJBowerHA430422
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Oxfordshire
England--Hucknall
England--Nottinghamshire
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-04-22
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
aircrew
killed in action
RAF Upper Heyford
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1582/25782/ESaundersHWBowerHA430406.2.jpg
96fe1a0c22df6a5b14466b079b07be04
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bower, Frank Geoffrey
F G Bower
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-01-23
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Bower, FG
Description
An account of the resource
39 items. The collection concerns Frank Geoffrey Bower (1575473 Royal Air Force). It contains his log book, photographs and documents as well as a photograph album of his time training in Miami, Florida. He trained as a navigator and was killed when his Wellington crashed 4 April 1943.<br /><br />The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by David Slack and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Frank Bower is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/102362/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
RECORD OFFICE,
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
GLOUCESTER.
Telephone No: SPRINGWELL (GLOUCESTER) 2204
Telegraphic Address:
RECORDS TELEX, GLOUCESTER.
Any communications on the subject of this letter should be addressed to:-
AIR OFFICER i/c RECORDS,
Address as opposite.
and the following number quoted:-
Your Ref: C7/1575473
Date 6th April 1943
Dear Sir,
It is my painful duty to confirm the death of your son No. 1575473 Sergeant Frank Geoffrey BOWER, of No. 16 Operational Training Unit, Royal Air Force, who was killed at 12.3 a.m. on the 4th April 1943 as the result of an aircraft accident at Otmoor.
The Air Council desire me to express their sympathy and deep regret at your son’s death in his Country’s service.
I am,
Dear Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
[signature]
[inserted] for [/inserted] Air Commodore,
Air Officer i/c Records,
ROYAL AIR FORCE.
H.A. Bower Esq.,
27 Annesley Road,
HUCKNALL,
Nottingham.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Mr HA Bower
Description
An account of the resource
The letter informs Mr Bower that his son has been killed in an aircraft accident.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-04-06
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten letter
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ESaundersHWBowerHA430406
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Oxfordshire
England--Hucknall
England--Ot Moor
England--Nottinghamshire
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-04-04
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
16 OTU
aircrew
killed in action
Operational Training Unit
RAF Upper Heyford
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1582/25781/EOCRAFUpHeyfordBowerHA430510.1.jpg
c154c29ae9f1ee188556839f58fbcde5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bower, Frank Geoffrey
F G Bower
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-01-23
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Bower, FG
Description
An account of the resource
39 items. The collection concerns Frank Geoffrey Bower (1575473 Royal Air Force). It contains his log book, photographs and documents as well as a photograph album of his time training in Miami, Florida. He trained as a navigator and was killed when his Wellington crashed 4 April 1943.<br /><br />The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by David Slack and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Frank Bower is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/102362/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
R.A.F. Station,
Upper Heyford,
Oxon.
10th May 1943.
Ref: 482/267/P.1.
Dear Mr. Bower,
I thought perhaps you would like to have your late son’s R.A.F. Badges and Stripes. I have had these mounted and am enclosing same herewith.
If I can be of any further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to let me know.
{signature]
Group Captain, Commanding,
[underlined] R.A.F. Station, Upper Heyford. [/underlined]
Mr. H. A. Bower,
27, Annesley Road,
Hucknall,
[underlined] NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. [/underlined]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Mr H A Bower
Description
An account of the resource
The letter is attached to F G Bower's RAF badges and stripes.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Group Captain, Commanding, RAF Upper Heyford
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-05-10
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typewritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EOCRAFUpHeyfordBowerHA430510
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Oxfordshire
England--Hucknall
England--Nottinghamshire
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-05-10
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
aircrew
killed in action
RAF Upper Heyford