Susanne Pescott]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Second generation]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Paris]]> 1944-02]]> 1944-05-07]]> 1944-08]]> He tells of his training at Halton, and describes the different trades and his exams to become an Leading Aircraftsman 1st Class, where he was then transferred to a Repair and Inspection Unit (R&I) working on Spitfire engines.
Charles then went to India via the Suez Canal and then on to Ceylon to 121 Repair and Salvage Unit, looking after 2 squadrons of Beaufighters and 1 squadron of Spitfires, but he says that because he was an apprentice, he could turn his hand to anything.
He was posted to instruct at a Motor Transport Unit, and spent time learning about the maintenance of other equipment including diesel engines.
Charles was posted to 109 Maintenance Unit, repairing Merlin engines, however at this time the V Bombers were coming into service. He trained as a Crew Chief and after passing these exams he was assigned to the Avro Vulcan XA908, at RAF Waddington.
Charles related the stories of the work he did when the Vulcan had hydraulic failure at Goose Green, the bombing competition in Florida where the aircraft suffered broken bomb bay doors and a cracked bomb aimers window, and the trip home from Bermuda with no fuel in one tank and a broken bogie beam.
]]>
Mick Jeffery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]>
Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Juvincourt-et-Damary]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Heather Hughes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> CC BY-NC 4.0 International license]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Navy]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincoln]]> 1939-09]]> 1944]]> 1945-05-08]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Christine Kavanagh]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> France--Pargny-sur-Saulx]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> Mark Hunt]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Belgium]]> Great Britain]]> Belgium--Spa]]> 1944-11-02]]> Heather Hughes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> Zimbabwe]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> John Horsburgh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Brest]]> France--Calais]]> New South Wales]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> John Horsburgh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> Egypt--Suez Canal]]> North Africa]]> Egypt]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Czech Republic]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> New South Wales]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> California--San Francisco]]> United States]]> California]]> Alberta]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> ]]> Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincoln]]> 1939]]> 1941]]> Cathie Hewitt]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1941-05-09]]> Liz describes her work on the switchboard, the shifts and accommodation, as well as her social life. Her highlights were the Australians at RAF Waddington and the film unit operating from there.
After pressure from her father, Liz had to leave in May 1946, and went on to have a successful and varied career.
]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Dawn Studd]]> Cathie Hewitt]]> Sally Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]>
At the age of 16, Eric had an apprenticeship as an indentured apprentice marine engineer at Liverpool docks, however wanted to serve, however he was classed as being in a reserved occupation, so therefore could only volunteer as aircrew.
Eric flew Avro Ansons, Vickers Wellingtons, before moving on to Short Stirlings with 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Wigsley where he trained as a rear gunner. He then flew Avro Lancasters with 463 RAAF Squadron at Waddington.
He flew missions to France, Nuremburg, Dortmund-Ems canal, Brunswick and targets in the Ruhr. Eric was shot down on 6 November 1944 and was taken prisoner of war, and he tells of his escape from the camp when it was liberated by the Russian forces.
After returning to the United Kingdom, Eric ran the Prisoner of War Camps, before leaving the Royal Air Force and joining the 40th Kings Royal Tank Regiment, and served 6 years as a Troop Commander.
Eric left the Army in 1956 and worked for his father as a salesman in the motor car industry. He started his own business and by the rime he retired, he had built up four businesses which he ran for approximately 30 years.]]>
Brian Wright]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> British Army]]> Great Britain]]> England--Merseyside]]> England--Cheshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Northern Ireland--Down (County)]]> England--Liverpool]]> France]]> Germany]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Italy--La Spezia]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> Frank joined 115 Squadron at RAF Witchford, where his crew was formed and flew in Lancaster Mk 2. His first tour consisted of 30 trips, although they only completed 29 because of a change of pilots. He then joined 7 Squadron, part of the Pathfinder Force. He trained at the Pathfinder Training Unit and went to RAF Oakington where they were twice Master Bombers. After his tour, Frank was posted to the Radar Research Establishment at RAF Defford as station navigation officer. It involved several different aircraft and flights (bomber, coastal, naval). He describes several of the interesting people he flew with and the work on Doppler navigation. Frank was subsequently sent to the Pathfinder Training Unit as an instructor and recounts a flight with Air Vice Marshal Bennett, investigating blue target indicator bombs.
After Frank was demobilised, he worked initially as an air traffic control officer before accepting a permanent commission into the RAF. Frank goes on to describe his post-war RAF activities.
Squadron Leader Frank Leatherdale was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work in Pathfinders.]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Worcestershire]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Calgary]]>
Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> British Columbia--Vancouver Island]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> New South Wales]]> Patricia Selby]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jennie Mitchell]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Northumberland]]> Helen Durham]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1944]]> Annie Moody]]> Gary Rushbrooke]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Carmel Dammes]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Rutland]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]>
RAF Waddington, Middle East, County Down, Wellington, flare path, gooseneck flare, 44 Squadron, Broomfield Hospital, Operation Manna, Vaassen, 15 Squadron, Stirling, 12 Squadron, RAF Wickenby]]>
Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Northern Ireland]]> Mediterranean Sea]]> Middle East]]> Northern Ireland--Down (County)]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Great Britain]]> Great Britain]]> 1943]]>
Malcolm Young]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Linda Saunders]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1943]]> Michael Sheehan]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1947]]> Nigel Moore]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> 1942]]> Tom Ozel]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Christine Kavanagh]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]>