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Interview with Colin Bell
He discusses his eight months in the United States as an instructor and his 50 operations on the Light Night Striking Force, as well as transporting Canadian built Mosquitos to the UK. (Also present was Colin's friend Mark Vickers).
Brief history of George Thomson's RAF career
Brief details covering, volunteering, reporting to aircrew reception centre, training, operations, shot down, prisoner of war
My Bomber Command experience - George Thomson
George recalls his training over 18 months, including crewing up. He goes on to recall his first operation and mentions others involved, and describes being shot down on on 12 September 1944. George then describes evading and his time as a prisoner…
Interview with Leslie Turner
Leslie Turner worked as a pattern maker at Longbridge before he volunteered for the Air Force. He trained as an observer in South Africa and flew 33 operations as a bomb aimer with 10 Squadron.
Letter from Jack Dwyer to his wife
Jack writes that he is likely to be based at his new base for a while. His messing is good and he describes his meals. He has sent chocolate for his kids.
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 receiving his wings award, he moves to trials work, target towing and aircraft…
Ladder to the Lancaster - poem
Ten verse poem. Tells of the route from enlistment to operating a Lancaster. Verses cover initial and flying training, crewing up, operational training flying, leaflet dropping, crew completion and heavy conversion unit, flying Halifax and then to…
To war in a Wimpy - the life and times of Flight Sergeant Ron Williams RAF
Biography of Ron Williams. Contains photographs and scans of documents.
Chapter 1 - early life, enlistment and training.
Chapter 2 - operational training. Describes activities during training OTU including naming his crew and flying out to…
Chapter 1 - early life, enlistment and training.
Chapter 2 - operational training. Describes activities during training OTU including naming his crew and flying out to…
Conversation with Alan Thomsett
Edited transcript. Gives personal details and service history. Enlisted in 1942.Pilot on 1473 Flight and 192 Squadron (100 Group) on Wellingtons. Starts with comments about first posting 1473 Flight which eventually merged with 1474 Flight to become…
Recollections of a flight engineer. Version Two
Will a flight engineer’s brevet on the first page. The recollections of Henry Sturrock of his time flying in the Halifax with No 640 Squadron at RAF Leconfield. He flew his first operation on 12 September 1944 and his last on 2 March 1945, he…
Story of my war
He describes a two year delay in joining the Royal Air Force, due to his reserved occupation making cables for barrage balloons. He covers recruitment and life during initial training, He recalls 'crewing up' with Harry Watkins (P), Doug 'Duggie'…
Crewing up RAF Lichfield
Five airmen photographed during the crewing up selection process.
They are identified in information supplied with the collection as 'L to R Jack Southgate, Colin Thurecht, Stewart Semple (or Sempell), John Waugh, Bill Brown'.
This item was sent…
They are identified in information supplied with the collection as 'L to R Jack Southgate, Colin Thurecht, Stewart Semple (or Sempell), John Waugh, Bill Brown'.
This item was sent…
Lancaster "PO-O" LM583
Two sets of photographs.
#1 is a Lancaster piloted by John Waugh being waved off at Waddington.
#2 is a set of six captioned photographs - crewing up, taking off, the crew leaving Waddington at the end of their tour, the cockpit., a Lancaster in…
#1 is a Lancaster piloted by John Waugh being waved off at Waddington.
#2 is a set of six captioned photographs - crewing up, taking off, the crew leaving Waddington at the end of their tour, the cockpit., a Lancaster in…
A conversation with Jim Lord and John Elliot
Gives brief service background of both. John Elliot tells of crewing up at 83 OTU and comments on crew members and going on to 1667 HCU). John Lord comments the the HCU Halifax were not good aircraft and both then relate a very unfortunate experience…
If Love were all...the story of a Second World War bomber crew
The story of two members of a Lancaster crew from 626 Squadron at RAF Wickenby, their operations together and their final operation over Germany.
Conversation with Jo Lancaster. Part one
Steve Bond explains the purpose of the interiew, that he is gathering information from personnel involved with the Wellington with a view to producing a book on the "Wimpy". Jo starts by talking about his training and Wellington flying. He starts by…
Conversation with Jo Lancaster
Partial transcript of a conversation from minute 21 to minute 45:44 of the oral recording. Starts by describing his training at EFTS and OTU; includes details of crewing up. Posted to 40 Squadron at RAF Wyton & RAF Alconbury on Wellingtons. He…
Flight Sergeant Francis Hickling's service history
Francis Hickling's service history. He trained in Rhodesia as a navigator then returned to UK.
Conversation with Cliff Hobbs
Cliff mentions that he had interviewed his pilot Peter Fotherby, looking for further information about some incidents. He describes volunteering for RAF and training as an air gunner in Ansons. He was posted to Middle East, trained and crewed up at…
To war in a Stirling - the life and times of Flight Lieutenant Stanley Robert Grafton DFC RAFVR
Cover photograph of an airman with half brevet captioned 'Pilot Officer Stan Grafton during debrief at RAF Wratting Common, following the disastrous raid on Berlin on the night of 23/24 August 1943'. Chapter one covers enlistment and training…
Arthur Mace's diary 8th January 1942 to 15th March 1944
A diary kept during Arthur's RAF service.
There is a second diary for 1943 only and its contents are identical to the first diary.
A third diary covers 1944.
There is a second diary for 1943 only and its contents are identical to the first diary.
A third diary covers 1944.
Transcript of conversation with David Fellowes
Discusses crew over photograph taken at RAF Hixon. Went on to describe flying and other activities while at OTU. Brief mention of attending gunnery school and other gunnery training. Recalls their Australian skipper getting permission for them to go…
Conversation with Jim Lord and John Elliot
Transcript of conversation with Jim Lord (pilot) and his wireless operator Jack "Jock" Elliot. The recall crewing up and describe crew while at OTU. They mentions heavy conversion and talk about the comparison between Halifax and Lancaster aircraft.…
Transcript of conversations with Jack Bromfield
Jack talks in detail about joining the RAF, initial induction and training as a wireless operator and air gunner. He crewed up with an otherwise Canadian crew (pilot, navigator, bomb aimer and air gunners) at OTU and describes some of them, as well…
Dan Nash memoir
Born in 1916, Dan spent his early childhood in Kent with his grandmother before moving back to his parents in Fulham. He left school aged 16 to undertake a job with the Hudson's Bay Fur Company, where he met Joyce, his future wife. At the outbreak of…