Judy Hodgson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Henry returned to the UK and was posted to RAF West Freugh, Scotland, then RAF Abingdon to learn about the differences in flying in European weather. He crewed up at Abingdon before moving to the HCU RAF Stanton Harcourt. On being posted to 4 Group HCU RAF Marston Moor he learnt that he would be flying Halifax aircraft and the final member of his crew joined them. Here they learnt about the Gee navigation system. Once the left this base, they were classed as an operational aircrew.
Henry’s crew was posted to RAF Snaith near Doncaster. He explains how it was a constant race to keep ahead technologically ahead of the German. Henry tells of the operations he went on to Julich, Munster, and six in the Ruhr area (Duisburg etc.). He details the types of target, and the kinds of defences the targets have.
After talking of the losses sustained by Bomber Command during the Second World War, Henry describes his final flight during which the aircraft bombed the target successfully but on it’s return journey was shot down. Henry was the only member of the crew to successfully bail out. He describes the small survival kit that the RAF had issued him with and his evasion the any Germans until he was caught and initially placed in the Luftwaffe’s care. He was sent via Frankfurt to Stalag Luft 7 which was for RAF NCOs at Bankau. After the Russian front drew near to the camp, the POWs were sent to the already overcrowded prison camp of Stalag 3A Luckenwalde. The prisoners were only able to take a few items from Red Cross parcels like blankets, shaving kits, toothbrushes, etc. While they were marching in the bitter winter 1944/45, they often had to stay in farm building, were mainly given soup to eat.
Henry describes life in Stalag 3A, and how he came to be liberated. He was flown to RAF Wing and returned to Reading University to complete his education and become a teacher.
Henry details his post-war life in teaching and with his family.

Claire Campbell]]>
eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> South Africa]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Alps]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]>
Henry describes The Long March from Bankau to Luckenwalde, the cold, the guards and lack of food. They walked for some three weeks to Goldberg and then spent two days in cattle trucks going to Luckenwalde. Anyone who fell was left at the roadside to die of exposure.
Henry refers to the large number of aircrew who lost their lives in Bomber Command and one of Air Marshal Harris’s speeches on the radio.]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Evacuation was never easy from the aircraft, particularly when there was damage to its infrastructure, and there were difficulties removing some of the crew safely. However, due to many drills to this procedure they left the plane in an orderly and pre-arranged fashion. There was also the added complication of any parachute malfunction, fire from other plane enemy/friendly, and anti-aircraft fire from the ground on top of any problems arising from the landing. Landing in an area already ablaze with the very bombs that you were there to drop was also a real concern.
When Henry had to bail out of his Halifax, they aircraft landed in Holland and was buried too deeply to be salvaged.
He describes his journey though Oberursel, Frankfurt to Stalag 7 Bankau, and the march they had to make because the Germans wanted to keep the POWs away from the oncoming Russians. He explains how the POWs survived their time in captivity, particularly after the ‘Great Escape’ from Stalag Luft 3 where fifty were killed. Towards the conclusion of the war, the POWs worried that they too were going to be killed like those of Stalag Luft 3.
The march from Bankau to Luckenwalde took place in the winter of 1944/45. The POWs never knew how far they would be marching each day, what they would be given to eat or where they would sleep. Henry calls modern reconstructions of the march ‘pantomimes’ as they bear little resemblance to the truth. The German guards would threaten to shoot anyone who failed to keep pace with the group, but Henry cannot recall this occurring. Rather those men who fell behind were left to die from exposure to the cold.
The interview concludes with Henry’s post-war life in teaching, his family and what he became involved with once he retired.

Claire Campbell]]>
eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Netherlands]]> Europe--Meuse River]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany]]> 1945]]>
Chris Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Chris Johnson]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Egypt]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Poland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Poland--Żagań]]> 1941]]> Julian Maslin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sue Smith]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Suffolk]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> France]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1942]]> 1942-10]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1944-12]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> Glen Turner]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1943]]> 1944-05]]> 1945-07]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> ]]> Donald Gould]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> United States]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Poland--Opole (Voivodeship)]]> 1939]]> 1942-05]]> 1943]]> 1944-01]]> Jean Macartney]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary. Allocated S Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> New York (State)--New York]]> New York (State)]]> Norman went to 101 Squadron and learnt to fly Lancasters, serving as a bomb aimer. He describes his first operation to Mailly-Le-Camp where over 40 Lancasters, out of 350, were lost.
Norman’s aircraft was shot down over Dortmund with the death of five crew members. He was captured, as were the pilot and navigator. After the Frankfurt Interrogation Centre, they went to a camp in Wetzlar. Norman then went to Stalag Luft 7 at Bankau in Silesia, followed by four months in another camp. The Germans evacuated prisoner of war camps in January 1945 following Russian attacks. Norman marched on a “death march” for three weeks in snow to Luckenwalde, a camp with 20-25,000 men.
Norman escaped with the Americans via Hildesheim and Le Havre before returning to Britain. He was posted to RAF Cosford but could only leave when he had regained weight, which took six months. He finished in February 1946 with the rank of warrant officer.]]>
Mick Jeffery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Canada]]> Nova Scotia]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> France]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-01]]> 1946]]> 1946-02]]>
John Horsburgh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Poland--Żagań]]> 1941]]> 1942-07-17]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> Upon leaving school, and unable to obtain employment in his chosen career, his father arranged a bound apprenticeship with a joiner. Attracted by the glamour of the RAF, when almost eighteen, and without his parent's knowledge, he travelled with a friend to Sheffield and they both enlisted in the RAF. Entry was initially deferred until Ron was at the required age. He describes his route through training, on successful completion of which, his crew joined 578 Squadron. In February 1944, Ron’s aircraft was attacked from behind, killing the rear gunner. With limited control of the aircraft, the remaining crew was forced to evacuate and Ron was immediately captured. Following interrogation, he eventually arrived at Stalag Luft 7. Whilst there he met a fellow prisoner playing a piano accordion. Having learnt to play in his younger days, Ron describes how further instruments were obtained and the formation of a concert party which enabled them to entertain their fellow prisoners. However, they were also required to entertain the German officers which caused some concern to Ron, but they received meals in return. There was a known collaborator amongst the prisoners, and care had to be taken to ensure no loose talk gave away any information. In January 1945, the advancing Russian army forced the evacuation and the prisoners were forced to march to Stalag 3A. This took several weeks in temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius, and improvised sledges were used to pull weak prisoners. Following liberation, Ron returned home to discover his mother was terminally ill. He spent some time on general duties before being discharged and with support from the RAF, was able to complete his apprenticeship. Contact with some of his crew has been maintained in conjunction with 578 Squadron Association, with several visits to the grave of the rear gunner. The site of the crashed Halifax, with the body still in position, was located when civil engineering was carried out in the area. ]]> Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Ian Whapplington]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Worksop]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1939]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> ]]> Ron Merrideth]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> France--Revigny-sur-Ornain]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1944-07]]> 1945-02]]> E W Sanger]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Bradbury]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Poland]]> Poland--Szubin]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> 1943-02-25]]> 1943-04-07]]> 1945-01-28]]> 1945-05]]> He joined the Local Defence Volunteers at first then realised he did not want to become infantry. He did mount road blocks and fire watches. He applied to join the RAF and was accepted. Training was at Blackpool, then Bicester, then Fairoaks.
At Heaton Park he was assessed as a future Navigator and was sent to Canada via New York on the Queen Elizabeth.
Then they were sent by train to Three Rivers, Manitoba via Moncton.
On completion of that stage of the training he came back via Liverpool. Further training was at Lossiemouth then operations at Leconfield. His aircraft engines started losing power on the way to Stuttgart and he bailed out. After some time they were captured by Germans.
They were sent by train to Frankfurt for interrogation then onwards to Stalag Luft VII. As the Russians advanced they were marched to Stalag III. They were eventually helped to escape by the Americans and he ended up in Brussels before being flown to the UK. This section ends with photographs taken during his training.
The Long March.
A document written by a Senior British Officer to the Russian authorities. Food supplies were inadequate and the Russians refused to allow the Americans to release the prisoners.
Report of a Forced March made by Occupants of Stalag Luft 7, Germany.
The report describes in detail the miseries endured by the POWs on a daily basis.]]>
JF Neilson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Blackpool]]> Scotland--Gourock]]> United States]]> New York (State)--New York]]> Canada]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Manitoba]]> England--Liverpool]]> Wales--Anglesey]]> Ireland]]> Atlantic Ocean--Firth of Clyde]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Scotland--Edinburgh]]> France]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Poland]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> England--London]]> Scotland--Airdrie]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Europe--Elbe River]]> Scotland--Stirling (Stirling)]]> Germany]]> New Brunswick]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Joy Reynard ]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Hastings]]> Germany--Barth]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Belgium--Nivelles]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Cyprus--Limassol]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Scotland--Dundee]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Bernau (Brandenburg)]]> Belgium]]> Cyprus]]> England--Sussex]]> Cyprus--Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1945]]> He lists the men who were shot after recapture during the Great Escape.
Included are poems and parodies, a list of their daily rations, an account of the Mass Escape, recipes and small strips of Window dropped by the RAF.]]>
Jim Tyrie]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> deu]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Germany--Barth]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Bernau (Brandenburg)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>
Jim Tyrie]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> deu]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Germany--Barth]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Bernau (Brandenburg)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> David Carter]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1941]]> 1943-04]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1945-01-19]]> Les Arrowsmith]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Les Rutherford]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Alan Pinchbeck]]> Dianne Kinsella]]> Sally Des Forges]]> Jon-Paul Jones]]> Jan Morgan]]> Emily Jennings]]> Laura Morgan]]> Ashley Jacobs]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Artwork]]> Map]]> Photograph]]> Text. Poetry]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Poland--Żagań]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> F Mannion]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Bloomfield]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Worcestershire]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> 1944-06-10]]> 1944-06-28]]> 1944-06-29]]> 1944-07-01]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-21]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-15]]> 1944-09-23]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> 1945-05]]> Susan Carter]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Germany]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Berlin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map]]> Royal Air Force]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Austria]]> Hungary]]> Yugoslavia]]> Slovakia]]> Czech Republic]]>