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Interview with Kenneth Trent
Ken grew up in London and joined the Royal Air Force, as a pilot, on his 18th birthday. After exams and interview at RAF Uxbridge, he went to Number 9 Receiving Wing in RAF Torquay and an Initial Training Wing in Stratford-upon-Avon. He then trained…
Interview with William Edwin Barnett
William Edwin Barnett talks about his experience of living on the edge of RAF Westcott, near Aylesbury. He remembers starting work on a farm at the age of 14 and describes his everyday life and duties. He tells of being conscripted into the Home…
Interview with Joy Colbeck
Joy Colbeck was born in Maidstone, Kent and served within the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the war. Her brother, John, joined the RAF on the 28 April 1943, qualified at as an air gunner in April 1944, before being transferred to an…
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 Raymond George Goss
Raymond Goss lived on the family farm at Westcott before, during and after the construction and occupation of RAF Westcott as 11 Operational Training Unit. One evening a Lancaster collided with a Wellington on the field and both exploded. The Goss…
Interview with William Holmes
William Holmes remembers his time as a pilot in the RAF. He gives a vivid and graphic account of the dramatic crash-landing which left him badly injured and brought him to join the Guinea Pig Club. William remembers various episodes of his…
Interview with Alan Jury
Alan Jury began his career with the RAF as an engineering apprentice at RAF Halton. When he retired from the RAF he joined the Parish Council at his local village and was informed that a Lancaster had crashed in the village in March 1945. After a…
Interview with Edward George Key
Ted Key was a flight engineer. He was born to a large family in London which he remembers coming down from Norfolk to visit. His father was in the Navy as a chief petty officer and away a lot. Ted was in the air defence cadet corps before he joined…
Interview with Evelyn Paine
Two of Evelyn Paine’s three brothers joined the RAF. She discusses the service of her brothers Philip Jenkinson and Peter Raeburn Jenkinson. Philip Jenkinson trained as an air gunner. He was was shot down on his 10th operation and, after evading…
Interview with Jeremy Reade
Jeremy Reade recounts the memories of his father, Charles Sturrock Reade, who was born in Belfast and grew up in Portrush. On leaving school, Charles spent a short time working at a solicitor's office, before joining the Royal Ulster Constabulary as…
Interview with Tim Schneider
Tim Schneider lived at Westcott before, during and after the construction and occupation of RAF Westcott as 11 Operational Training Unit. He tells of feeding the rabbits when he was four years old; leaving school at fourteen to help working on the…
Interview with Timothy Sindall
Timothy Sindall is the son of James Herbert Sindall DSO, whose career as a pilot in the Royal Air Force started in the mid-1930s. Following the discovery of all of James logbooks, personal letters and newspaper cutting, Timothy has put together a…
Interview with Kenneth William Trueman
Kenneth William Trueman volunteered for the RAF and was called up in 1941. After training in South Africa, he served as a navigator with 640 Squadron and speaks of his preference for the Gee navigation aid rather than H2S. His operations included…
Interview with Elizabeth Anne Tyler
Elizabeth Anne Tyler talks about her family’s farmland, its history and when it was purchased by the Air Force for the construction of RAF North Luffenham. She mentions various episodes of wartime life around Edith Weston, as reported by family…
Interview with John Robert Watson
John Robert Watson joined RAF Bomber Command in 1943, volunteering after he witnessed his next-door neighbour's house being destroyed by a bomb. Against his father's wishes, John joined Bomber Command initially as a wireless operator, before…
Interview with Jack Delfosse
Jack was born in London and went to Highgate School where he learnt navigation, Morse code and marching. On leaving he became a medical student but left half- way through the course. He then joined the Royal Air Force and, initially, trained on…
Interview with Thomas Edward Noton
Thomas Edward Noton was born in Greenwich on the 4th of April 1923. Upon leaving school he began a toolmaking apprenticeship, however, before finishing the course, Noton decided to join the Royal Air Force at the age of eighteen. He explains why he…
Interview with James Douglas Hudson
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…
Interview with Richard Moore
Leading Aircraftsman Richard Moore joined up aged 18 and completed his basic training in Lincolnshire. He served as ground crew at RAF Locking, RAF Squires Gate and RAF Wickenby, working on several types of aircraft. He was able to take the controls…
Interview with Basil Fish
Basil Fish volunteered for the RAF in 1941 from Manchester University, where he was a student and a member of the University Air Squadron. He was posted to 617 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa. On one flight his aircraft crashed on return and, although…
Interview with Dennis Kirk. One
Dennis Kirk was born in 1920, in the village of Barkestone in Nottinghamshire, to farming parents. He says that he did not want to be a farmer but when he left school he had to work on the farm. When the war started he wanted to join up but, because…
From Hackney lad to air bomber
Written by his nephew, a narrative of Reg's early life, his participation in student exchanges in Germany, joining the Royal Air force, training, life on the station and the crash in which he died, together with air gunners Sergeant Leslie Johnson…
Note on loss of Kenneth Gill's aircraft
Quote from 'The Dambusters' by Paul Brickhiil '2 days later they went to Arbergn [sic] bridge near Bremen. Flak got a direct hit on Gumbley's (Gill's pilot) aircraft on the runup and he went straight down in flames'.
World War II & Flying Memoirs
Writes of travelling to Scotland before start of the war and then joining the RAF Volunteer Reserve. Continues with account of training in England before going to Lakeland Florida for primary flying training, Cochran field for basic and advanced…
Reminiscences of service in the Royal Air Force - 1937 to 1945
Starts with joining on short service commission and covers in great detail his pilot training activities including a crash landing during a cross country. After wings award moves to trials work, target towing and aircraft ferrying. After a short…