Browse Items (108 total)

  • Tags: crewing up

BHopgoodPMHopgoodPDv1.pdf
The detailed biography begins with government measures at the start of National Service. Philip Hopgood volunteered and enlisted at Padgate, Warrington. He was classified as medically Grade 1. Initial training was at RAF Regent's Park (Lord's Cricket…

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YGeachDG1394781v5.pdf
Fifth and final diary kept by David Geach chronicling his time training and on operations. He writes about his return from Canada on the Queen Elizabeth then his training in England which began with arriving at the Posting Centre in Pannal Ash,…

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AHarrisDR190508.mp3
Donald was born in Acton, London. He stayed at school until he was fourteen and then worked as a tea boy/general help for O. C. Summers, a firm that laid gas mains in Slough. When that job ended, he worked for another ganger in Shepherds Bush. …

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PPattersonGE1901.jpg
Before joining the Royal Air Force on 4 February 1942, Ernie worked as an apprentice joiner. On being called up he went to Blackpool for training, which included Morse code. Following training at different places he then attended the advanced flying…

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PWilkieD1601.jpg
David Wilkie was born in Edinburgh. He volunteered for the RAF and began training as a flight engineer. While training at St Athan he met his future wife, Kathleen. He was posted to 432 Squadron with a Canadian crew. He witnessed the gathering of the…

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PWebbLP1601.jpg
Lacey Peter Webb remembers his role as a flight engineer in the Royal Air Force during the war and flying thirty operations on Halifaxes and two on Lancasters. Retraces his training in various stations, among them St John’s Wood, where he was…

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PWagnerHW1701.jpg
Henry Wolfe Wagner was born in Ireland. The family moved to England when he was young and settled near Reading. Henry attended Reading University for two years joining the University Air Squadron. He then volunteered for the RAF and began training as…

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ATyrellLR150929.mp3
Leonard Ralph Tyrell mentions always being keen on aircraft since he was a boy. Describes various episodes of his career: training in England and Canada, from where he returned with the rank of pilot officer; his first operation to the Dortmund-Ems…

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PHorshamES1602.jpg
Eric Horsham was born in Plumstead, London. He worked initially as a messenger for the Royal Ordnance before following the family footsteps in to the railways. He volunteered for air crew and began training as a flight engineer. He flew operations…

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AStapleyVA160802.mp3

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AStanneyF160212.mp3
Frank Stanney was working on the land before he volunteered for the RAF. After training he flew operations as a wireless operator with 61 Squadron. One day his pilot took off as a twenty year old and returned as a twenty one year old as it was his…

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EWynnIAWynnK[Date]-130002.jpg
States he has moved several times in the last week but he has finally been crewed up. Mentions his captain, Flying Officer Stammers and that his crew seem nice blokes. On the reverse address for Wynn and Son registered plumbers.

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APriestR160720.mp3
Ron Priest worked in accountancy before the war and then served as a rear gunner, flying twenty five operations with 149 Squadron from RAF Lakenheath all on Stirlings. Describes his training in England, Canada and the United States, under the…

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APlenderleithJ151007.mp3
John Plenderleith was in the Air Training Corps before he volunteered to join the RAF. He was posted to 626 Squadron at Wickenby and when the crew were allocated their hut they were surprised to find it was still occupied with another crew’s…

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PParkerE1602.jpg
Eric was born in 1924 in West Derby and volunteered for the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and a half, finally being called up in January 1942 where he became a navigator / bomb aimer on Lancasters. After completing his training in Canada, Eric…

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ANicholsonA150922.mp3
Arthur Nicholson was working in a reserved occupation before he volunteered for aircrew training. After training as a flight engineer he was posted to 51 Squadron based at RAF Snaith. His first operation was to Essen. His aircraft was shot down on a…

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BGoodmanLSGoodmanLSv1.pdf
Begins with his decision to cease his studies and join the Royal Air Force. Covers recruitment activities and life during initial training including employment as ground gunner while waiting for flying training. Describes basic training on Tiger Moth…

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ALastRR151125.mp3
Ronald Last grew up in Dorset and worked as an apprentice for the local Gas and Water company before volunteering for the Air Force. He attended the reception centre at Lord's Cricket Ground and describes the medical tests and inoculations recruits…

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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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PHamptonJ1601.jpg
James Hampton was born in February 1925. He was an apprentice engineer before the war with Laystall Engineering Company and was in a reserved occupation before joining the Royal Air Force in 1943, where he trained as a flight engineer in Bomber…

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ACattyMA180822.mp3
Martin Catty grew up in London and was evacuated to Westward Ho! with his school at the beginning of the war. He completed a short training course at Cambridge University in 1942 and joined Air Force. After training he flew 40 operations as a…

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BPayneRPayneRv1.pdf
A detailed account of Reg Payne's service in the RAF. He starts with a list of 18 RAF bases where he served in his 5 years of service. He was 16 when war was declared but volunteered for the RAF at 17. After tests he was selected for training as a…

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ABarryM180328.mp3
Max was born in Beaufort Victoria and grew up on his parents’ dairy farm. Gaining a scholarship led him to become a student teacher and attend training college. He was called up when he was eighteen and applied to become a reserve in the air force…

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AAn00509-160424.mp3
The interviewee was born in Berlin in 1924, his father being a British Army surgeon who was posted there to treat badly wounded soldiers. He went to school in France then attended boarding school in Hertfordshire. He volunteered for the Royal Air…

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EDexterKIDexterPC430111-0002.jpg
Catches up with family and talks of small financial details. Mention new crew consisting of Cockney, a Scotsman, a Northumberland man and a Yorkshireman.

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