Browse Items (340 total)

  • Tags: briefing

ADerringtonAP150715-02.mp3
Dr Arnold Pearce Derrington grew up in Cornwall and joined the University Air Squadron at Exeter. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and completed training at RAF Ansty, South Africa, RAF West Freugh and RAF Moreton in the Marsh, where he trained…

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AFittP150519.mp3
Peter was born in Norwich. His father was a head gardener and wanted him to follow that occupation and so refused to let him join the RAF. With the advent of war, the situation changed and Peter volunteered at a recruiting station and, after…

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AAn00086-150722.mp3
This interviewee was working at Chatham dockyard before being accepted by the RAF as a mechanic. He then re-mustered as a flight engineer which fulfilled his hopes to be aircrew. While waiting for a place on the training course at St Athan he did…

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AHughesWH151021.mp3
Harry Hughes volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1940 and trained in America, where he was washed out as a pilot and then retrained as a navigator in Canada, flying Ansons and Wellingtons. In 1942, he converted to Halifaxes and flew operations…

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BRobertsRFKittridgeAv1.pdf
Describes enlisting in the aircraft apprentice scheme, recruitment and training. He flew 23 operations, one as wireless operator/air gunner, 12 as navigator/bomb aimer and ten as pilot. Pilots were Squadron Leader Allen, Sergeant Stretton, Pilot…

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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…

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PIronsH1501.jpg
Harry Irons left a tailoring apprenticeship to join the Royal Air Force and trained as a wireless operator but became an air-gunner. He describes the uniform he wore and the unreliability of heated suits. He tells of the invention of scarecrows which…

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MBartlettA[Ser#-DoB]-150520-040001.jpg
Describes events during a mine laying operation in a Stirling to the Gironde River near Bordeaux. Relates how the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire which damaged the tail and an engine as well as wounding the flight engineer. Describes the…

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MHayhurstJM2073102-170725-11.pdf
A booklet with information about the progress of the war. This edition covers RAF Bomber Command activities.

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BBaileyJDBaileyJDv1.pdf
Bill Bailey's wartime memoirs, from enlistment, training in UK and Canada and detail of each of 31 operation in Bomber Command. After completion of his tour he was transferred to Lossiemouth to train Free French aircrew. After successful progress he…

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BFreemanWFreemanWv1.pdf
A detailed account of Bill's time in the RAF, starting with drill at Lords, training at Bridlington and Bridgnorth then RAF Stormy Down. He passed the course and after seven days leave reported to Hixon for crewing up. He discusses training and his…

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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…

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PBellinghamPF1602.jpg
Peter Bellingham worked as a post office engineer before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. He trained in Rhodesia and South Africa and completed a tour of operations as a bomb aimer, dropping supplies with 138 Squadron from RAF Tempsford. He…

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Langford "Joe" Green was born in Wales but moved to Marlow, Buckinghamshire with his family when he was still a child. He worked in a factory from the age of 14 until he joined the Royal Air Force. After training, he flew operations as an air gunner…

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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…

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WardM (Pesaro).jpg
Mary Ward grew up in Bloxham. She joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1940 and was posted to RAF Driffield, on general duties in the officers’ mess. She describes a German daylight attack on RAF Driffield on the 15 August 1940 and the…

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WardM (Pesaro).jpg
Mary Ward joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1940. She served, briefly, at RAF Driffield but mostly at RAF Linton on Ouse. She trained as a cook before being moved to duties as a map officer, where she prepared maps for briefings and…

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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…

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WhittleG.jpg
Squadron Leader Geoffrey Whittle was born in London. After leaving school, at 14 he became an apprentice printer in the family business. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force on the outbreak of the Second World War and trained as a navigator and…

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BNashDCMNashDCMv1.pdf
Born in 1916, Dan spent his early childhood in Kent with his grandmother before moving back to his parents in Fulham. He left school at 16 for a job with the Hudson's Bay Fur Company and met Joyce, his future wife. With the outbreak of war, the…

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AHookerFJ160525.mp3
Fred’s talks about life before being called up for service, including his brother being captured in Hong Kong and becoming a prisoner of the Japanese. Fred joined the Boy Scouts, aged 11, and then the Air Training Corp when it was formed in 1941.…

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AHughesJ171102.mp3
Janet Hughes’ father, Reginald Charles Wilson, volunteered for the RAF in August 1941. In January 1942, he was posted to America under the Arnold training scheme and was later re-mustered to train as a navigator in Canada. After forming a crew at…

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BFraserDKFraserDKv1.pdf
Memoir describing his life and service career in the RAF. He also gives a list of 29 operations he participated in with notes on specific operations, and recounts a brief history of the Lancaster.

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SChattertonJ159568v10004.jpg
Crew lists, briefing times and duty staff for operations on night 13/14 February 1944. There are some pencilled calculation in the margins.

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SChattertonJ159568v10009.jpg
Crew lists, briefing times and duty personnel for operations 30/31 March 1944

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