Browse Items (114 total)
Sort by:
Five WAAFs
Five WAAFs, Beattie Hayman, Kathleen Selby, Kath Lewin, Vi Dodd, Jean Murdoch standing in a row, full length, trees fields and hedges in the background.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor.
Flight Lieutenant Jamie Barr DFC
A biography of Jamie's time in the RAF.
Harold Blow’s pilots flying log book
Pilots flying log book for Harold Blow, covering the period from 22 January 1942 to 30 May 1946 and from 10 July 1949 to 20 May 1954, detailing his flying training, operations flown, instructor duties and post war duties with 616 Squadron. He was…
Harold Kirby’s flight engineers log book
Flight engineers log book (Copy) for H Kirby covering the period from 26 April 1944 to 24 May 1945. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at RAF Winthorpe, RAF Syerston, RAF Waddington and RAF Coningsby. Aircraft flown…
Hedley Madgett RAF Diary 1943
Entries start at home and then cover posting to RAF Waddington and Winthorpe, medical boards and leaves. Posted to 61 Squadron at RAF Syerston on 10 March 1942. Covers first 18 operations starting 22 March and ending 12 June 1943. Targets include…
Interview with Alan George Buxton
Alan was born in Parramatta, Sydney, in Australia. After going to the Middle East with the army, he returned to Australia, when Japan entered the war, and transferred to the RAF in November 1942. Alan was posted to Bradfield Park for training and…
Interview with Alan Payne
Alan Payne was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. He volunteered for aircrew with the Royal Air Force and, after initial training, was sent to South Africa where he trained as an observer. When he returned to the UK, he was allocated the role of bomb…
Interview with Alan Pugh
Alan was born in Western Victoria in Australia. After two years in the Air Training Corps, he applied to the Royal Australian Air Force, and was selected to go to Somers No. 2 Initial Training School on No. 46 course. Alan chose to be a navigator/air…
Interview with Alexander Charles Gilbert
Alexander Gilbert, DFC, joined the Royal Air Force in November 1940, and started service on the 7 April 1941. He had a long and varied career in the RAF, rising to the rank of Squadron Leader. On call up, he was trained as a Flight Engineer Air…
Interview with Carolyn Pritchard
Carolyn's father, Arthur, joined the Royal Air Force on his 18th birthday. Following his training as a flight engineer, was posted to RAF Winthorpe. He was allocated to a crew consisting entirely of Australians. In February 1944 the crew were posted…
Interview with Clifford Watson. One
Clifford Watson, initially, wanted to join the navy because of a high demand in pilots. After being rejected, he joined the RAF and was sent to Rhodesia for pilot training, but then re-mustered to become an air gunner. He flew 76 operations in total.…
Interview with Edward Allan McDonald
Allan McDonald was born in Hull and worked as an apprentice electrician before joining the Air Force. He passed the exams to become aircrew and trained as an air gunner. During training, his aircraft crash landed and he was soaked in petrol. He flew…
Interview with Fred Young
Fred Young volunteered for the Royal Air Force at 17 and flew operations as a flight engineer with 57 Squadron from RAF East Kirkby. He recounts his experiences on several operations including Berlin, Magdeburg, Leipzig, Essen, Munich, Dresden, and…
Interview with Harold Kirby. One
Harold Kirby joined the Royal Air Force, encouraged by two friends, but ended up training as a flight mechanic at RAF Halton on medical grounds. Harold became an airframe fitter, volunteered as a flight engineer, passed the physical but was then…
Interview with Henry Townsley
Henry Townsley was born near Workington, left school aged 14 and started work as an apprentice vehicle fitter. After a spell as a junior engineer in the Merchant Navy, in April 1940 he volunteered for the RAF, rather than the Navy as he suffered from…
Interview with Jack Smith
Jack volunteered for the Royal Air Force in September 1940. He went to RAF Padgate and then on to RAF Blackpool, where he trained as a wireless operator. Jack proceeded to a radio school at RAF Compton Bassett and then RAF Bramcote. He was posted to…
Interview with Jamie (Jim) Barr
Jim joined the Royal Air Force after an engineering apprenticeship. He learnt navigation in South Africa at Oudtshoorn, followed by gunnery training at Port Alfred. After Dumfries, he went to an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF North Luffenham…
Interview with Kenneth Cook
Wing Commander Kenneth Cook was born in Randwick, Gloucestershire. Whist at Marlings Grammar School, he joined the Air Training Corps. On the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Air Force and went to America under the Arnold Scheme for pilot…
Interview with Lesley Joseph Loosemoore
Les Loosemore describes his upbringing and employment history in Swansea before joining the war in 1945. He describes the Blitz in Swansea before training to be a mid upper gunner for 61 Squadron. He describes his rather intensive training, including…
Interview with Lindsay Hibbard
Lindsay was born in Murwillumbah, Australia, before moving to Brisbane in 1927. He tells of growing up on the family, and how his eldest brother was killed in Malaya on the Thai Railway, and his older brother returning home to run the farm after his…
Interview with Lionel Horner
Partial transcript of conversation with Lionel Horner. He was on Leeds University Air Squadron at the beginning of the war. Once finished his degree, he was slated to train as a fighter pilot in the United States but, due to lack of space on courses,…
Interview with Lionel Horner
Lionel begins by mentioning he was on Leeds University Air Squadron at beginning of war. Once he finished his degree, he was slated to train as a fighter pilot in the United Sates, but due to lack of space on courses, eventually was trained as a…
Interview with Philip Peel
Mike's son Phillip gives a detailed account of his father's RAF career, using logbook and letters, as well as recalling his father's anecdotes. Mike Peel was a Lancaster pilot and served on two squadrons before becoming a prisoner of war late in…
Interview with Ray Worral
Raymond (Ray) Worral joined the RAF in 1943. Ray completed his initial training in RAF Bridlington and then St Athen for the Flight Engineers' training course and learnt the technicalities of the Lancaster. After being crewed up at Winthorpe, Ray…
Interview with Ron Davies
Ron Davis talks of his joining the RAF and early training at Cardington, Bournemouth and Halton. He trained as a fitter and was posted to RAF Scampton on Hampdens with 49 Squadron. Ron tells many stories of life as groundcrew at RAF Scampton…