Browse Items (107 total)

  • Tags: bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944)

BGambleATGambleATv1.pdf
Part 1. "By the Seat of his Pants". Covers from Alan Gamble's years as a schoolboy in Worthing in the late 1930's, up to joining the RAF in 1943, where he trained as a wireless operator in Blackpool. He joined 620 Squadron, which was equipped mainly…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PCampbellKWP1601.jpg
Keith Campbell grew up in New South Wales and joined the Royal Australian Air Force when he was old enough. He flew 35 operations as a bomb aimer with 466 Squadron from RAF Leconfield and RAF Driffield when, on their 31st operation another aircraft…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PTinningH1601.jpg
Herbert joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and was posted, initially, to a communication flight as a fitter. He managed to transfer to aircrew and describes the enlistment process. He went to Somers, then Cootamundra for navigator training…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ARossiterHC150913.mp3
Harry Rossiter grew up in East London but his family moved to Essex, which gave Harry a “ringside view” of the Battle of Britain. He volunteered as a bicycle messenger and tried to join the Royal Navy as a telegraphist. He was encouraged to join…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MOrmerodA[Ser#-DoB]-151001-01.pdf
Daily record from 1 January 1944 to 6 June 1944 relating operations with comments on target, numbers of aircraft, bomb tonnages and losses. Includes period of leave. From 14 January to 6 June there are 30 ticked and numbered operations. Alice Omerod…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PWaughmanR1501.jpg
Rusty describes a mid-air collision during an operation with 101 Squadron. to Hasselt. He describes what it was like prior to a operation and the feelings experienced by the crew, from seeing the battle orders on the notice board, the pre-flight…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AYoungF160720.mp3
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AHarrisHST150909.mp3
Harry ‘Sam’ Harris grew up in Scotland and volunteered for the Air Force. He trained as a navigator in South Africa. On the penultimate day of his training he flew over a multitude of lifeboats bearing the survivors of a torpedoed ship. The next…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ACalvertR151124.mp3
Roger Calvert grew up in Ripon. He joined the Royal Air Force in April 1942 and completed navigation training in Canada. On return to Great Britain, he met up with his pilot, John Thatcher, and they completed 31 operations in Mosquitos with 141…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

APayneAJ150811.mp3
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PWaughmanR1501.jpg
Russell (Rusty) Waughman was born in Shotley Bridge, County Durham. Due to serious poor health as a child, his education was interrupted. He describes his training with the Empire Training School in Canada. He was posted to 101 Squadron which was a…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AAn00202-150907.mp3
The interviewee was born in London and worked for some time as a clerk until joining the Royal Air Force. He did not like the idea of serving in the Army or in the Navy but - as a Londoner - he was keen to take part in the war, having experienced the…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGilbertAC161013.mp3
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…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PDallDKM1601.jpg
David Dall spent his early life in South Africa. He moved to the UK as a child to live with his grandmother and continue his education. He was enthralled by the stories his grandmother told him about the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AStapleyVA160802.mp3
Victor Stapley was born in Ilford in Essex, where he was fond of playing cricket. He left school at 15 and worked at a tobacco company. He then became a shipping manager, a job which involved shipping spaces whilst not having any telephones in his…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PSmithAP1801.jpg
Peter Smith was born in Kent and attended school until he was 14. He started working for a woodwork shop and, when the war began, they started building army huts. In 1941 he joined the Air Cadets. He recalls how one Sunday he and a friend saw an…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v270002.mp3
James Douglas Hudson followed a friend to join the RAF, trained as a navigator and was posted to 101 Squadron at RAF West Raynham. On his final operational flight with the squadron he ran out of fuel and crashed. He was taken prisoner by the Vichy…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AChattertonM160331.mp3
Mike Chatterton grew up on a farm. His father, John Chatterton was a Lancaster pilot during the war, before returning to university and becoming a lecturer, then later becoming a farmer. Mike joined the Royal Air Force from university in the 1970’s…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BCarterDACarterRv1.pdf
Ronald volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in November 1942, aged 17. After basic training, Ronald was selected for gunnery and wireless operator training, becoming a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. He was posted to RAF Waddington to form an…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AGrayCJ151017.mp3
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.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABirchallJW170816.mp3
James Burchill was in the ATC before volunteering for aircrew training. He expected to be deferred but was told he had been chosen for immediate service. On one operation he was injured and, by the time he was ready for operational duties again, he…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MCochraneDH1395422-160412-04.pdf
A handwritten list of Don Cochrane's first tour. It comprises a short paragraph for each of the 29 operations he undertook. Included are four maps with bombs indicating his targets.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EStevensEWilsonJH440409-0001.jpg
Letter to Mrs Wilson from Ellen Stevens, mother of navigator Sergeant J Stevens. She writes that her son had mentioned her husband's skill and experience and the crew had the utmost confidence in him. Hoping they will hear good news and asking her to…

Tags: ; ; ; ;

BCruickshankGCruickshankGv1.pdf
Memoir written in 1956 by Flight Lieutenant Cruickshank. It starts with his early childhood and family life. It includes his early time in RAF after enlisting in December 1938 with first job as balloon operator and then training as an air gunner;…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BCruickshankGCruickshankGv2.pdf
Mentions time as a balloon operator at Felixstowe and then training as an air gunner. First tour on 50 Squadron RAF Swinderby on Manchesters, but had to wait for aircraft to arrive as squadron still flying Hampden when he arrived later transferred to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2