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Flying Officer Arthur S Woolf - RAF career and experiences in WW2
The book contains a head and shoulders portrait of Arthur Woolf wearing uniform tunic with half brevet, medal ribbons and peaked cap. It also contains badges for Bomber Command, 5 Group and 630 Squadron. The account covers the period from him joining…
Commissioning form
Commissioning of airman GD branch - information on employment as pilot and hours flown.
Alan McInnes memoir
An autobiography of Alan's time as a prisoner of war. He talks about his training with his, mainly, Australian crew. He describes the night they were shot down over Germany. He describes their capture, mistreatment and interrogations at various…
Interview with Eric Evans
Eric Evans was born in 1923 in Liverpool and was 16 years old when war broke out. He served in the Royal Air Force, serving with 463 RAAF Squadron, starting from the rank of sergeant and rising to a warrant officer on leaving the service, before…
Interview with Alexander Lamb. One
Alexander Lamb grew up in Scotland and worked in the civil service before he joined the Royal Air Force. He flew five operations as an air gunner with 15 Squadron.
Interview with Gilbert Gray
Gilbert Gray grew up in Dunfermline, joined the Air Training Corps before enlisting in the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer in 1940, aged 18 years. He trained at RAF St Athan in Wales, graduated as a sergeant and was posted onto Lancasters. He…
Interview with Cyril Abbotts
Cyril Abbotts volunteered for the Royal Air Force while he was an engineering apprentice with W T Avery at Smethwick. After his reception and basic training at Lord’s Cricket Ground, he trained as a pilot at RAF Bowden and Moose Jaw in Canada. On…
Interview with John Firth
John was called up aged 18 and went to Padgate. He comleted a flight mechanics course at RAF Locking, followed by a Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne. He was posted to a flight engineers’ course at RAF St Athan. John joined up with his crew at RAF…
Interview with Rachel and John Gill
Peter Hazeldene lived in Wales and joined the RAF when he saw a poster encouraging people to see the world from a different perspective. He trained as a wireless operator and, during training, suspected a couple of incidents of sabotage on the base.…
Interview with Maurice William Marriott
Having been nterested in aircraft through the Air Training Corps, Maurice joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and went to RAF Cardington. In July 1943 he went to the Air Crew Reception Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground, followed by 17 Initial Training…
Interview with Joseph Henry Cook
Having completed school and moved on to work at 20th Century Fox Films, Joe worked as a fire watcher at the beginning of the war, before joining the Royal Air Force. He states that he did so because he always wanted to fly and did not want to join…
Interview with Jeff Gray
Jeff Gray was a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He trained to fly in Texas and completed 30 operations as a pilot with 61 Squadron. After leaving the RAF he worked for BOAC flying Yorks and VC10s.
Interview with Bert Mason
Bert Mason was born in Germany and worked in light engineering and driving ambulances before joining the RAF in 1942. He started training as a navigator then joined a crew and became an air gunner on 195 Squadron at RAF Wratting Common. He tells of…
Interview with Ken Fawcett
Ken Fawcett worked for the Post Office and served in the Home Guard for two and a half years, having signed up at 16. He joined the Royal Air Force at Lords Cricket Ground in September 1943. He initially requested pilot training but, realising the…
Interview with Maureen and Sidney Stevens
Sidney was inspired to join The Air Force when he was working as an Air Raid Precaution Warden and his own home was bombed on one occasion. The house next door was also destroyed and the lady who had offered him a cup of tea only hours earlier died.…
Interview with Horace Burchett
Horace Burchett joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, rising to the rank of Flight Engineer, serving in an all Australian Squadron at 1654 Conversion Unit in Wiglsely in Northamptonshire. Posted to 463 Squadron at Waddington, still with the…
Interview with Frederic James Richardson
Fred signed up for the Royal Air Force as a pilot at RAF Cardington. After RAF Bournemouth, he went to the Aircraft Receiving Centre in London and, subsequently, to Canada. He trained at the No. 1 British Flying Training School in Texas on Stearmans,…
Pete Perry - Ron's rogues gallery
Pete describes joining the RAF, his early training, and his journey across the Atlantic to Canada for pilot training, which he details, before his return to the United Kingdom. He tells of operations on 106 Squadron, award of DFC, tour as instructor…
R W Slaughter’s Royal Canadian Air Force Flying Log Book for Aircrew other than Pilot
R W Slaughter’s Flying Log Book detailing operations and training flown as Air Gunner covering the period 15 October 1942 to 17 August 1943. He was stationed at RCAF MacDonald (3 Bombing & Gunnery School), RAF Upper Heyford (16 OTU), RAF Wigsley…
Commissioning letter to AOC 5 Group
Letter informing AOC 5 Group that Sgt William Roy Peter Perry was commissioned in rank of pilot officer. Issues new service number.
Harry Parkins' flight engineer log book
The log book covers the training and operational career Sergeant Harry Parkins from 20 December 1943 to March 1954. He flew in Stirling, Lancaster, Anson, C-47, Lancastrian, Valetta, Lincoln. Harry Parkins flew 47 operations - 30 night operations and…
Reg Woolgar's observer's and air gunner's flying log book
Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Flight Lieutenant Reg Woolgar from 29 November 1940 to 21 July 1947. Detailing training schedule, instructional duties and operations flown. Served at RAF Yatesbury, RAF West Freugh, RAF Upper Heyford,…
Derrick Allen's flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers
Navigator’s, air bomber’s, air gunner’s and flight engineer’s flying log book for Flight Sergeant Derrick Allen air gunner, covering the period from 11 February 1944 to 25 April 1945. Detailing training and operations flown. He was stationed…
John Casey's flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners and flight engineers
Navigators, air bombers, air gunners and flight engineers flying log book for Sergeant John Casey from 26 February 1944 to 8 October 1945. Detailing training schedule and operations flown. Served at 7 Air Gunnery School followed by training at 29…
Sydney Grimes' observer's and air gunner's flying log book
Royal Air Force observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Sydney Grimes, wireless operator, covering the period from 2 July 1942 to 22 August 1945. Detailing training, operations flown, instructional duties and post war flying. He was stationed…