Browse Items (161 total)
Sort by:
Halifax under Service
A Halifax with several ground crew at work on and around it. Information supplied with the collection states 'CH10434 - Working on a Halifax 23 Jun 43'
Halifax with engines running
Rear quarter view of a Halifax in dispersal with engines running. Top left the nose of another Halifax.
Hampden aircraft and crews
Left page.
Top left - head and shoulders portrait of Sergeant Stephen Dawson wearing tunic with pilot brevet and side cap. Captioned 'Brand new wings, June 40'. Top right - looking down on aircrew wearing flying helmet in the rear gunners position…
Top left - head and shoulders portrait of Sergeant Stephen Dawson wearing tunic with pilot brevet and side cap. Captioned 'Brand new wings, June 40'. Top right - looking down on aircrew wearing flying helmet in the rear gunners position…
Hampdens and Lancasters
Top - air-to-air photograph of two Hampdens in formation. Submitted with description 'Aerial photo of two 106 Sqn Hampdens - ZN-K and ZN-F'.
Bottom - three Lancaster parked on dispersal with another two visible in the distance. Submitted with…
Bottom - three Lancaster parked on dispersal with another two visible in the distance. Submitted with…
Handley Page Hampden No 50 Squadron Lindholme and Swinderby
Left page title 'Handley Page Hampden No 50 Squadron Lindholme and Swinderby, 1941'.
Top - pilot wearing heavy jacket and flying helmet in the opened cockpit of a Hampden. Caption 'Sergeant Pilot'.
Middle - two aircrew and two ground crew…
Top - pilot wearing heavy jacket and flying helmet in the opened cockpit of a Hampden. Caption 'Sergeant Pilot'.
Middle - two aircrew and two ground crew…
I Flew with Nine Wing Commanders
The detailed and wide ranging story of Peter Baxter's service in the RAF from an Airframe Apprentice to Flight Engineer Leader.
Interview with Bernard Charles Mabey
Bernard Mabey was born in London and experienced the Blitz at first hand. He was a member of the Air Training Corps in 1941 before volunteering for the RAF. He trained as an air frame mechanic at RAF Locking. His first posting was RAF Marston Moor…
Interview with Don Watson
Donald Watson was working in the print industry before he joined the Royal Air Force in 1941. After training he served as an armourer with 61 Squadron at RAF Skellingthorpe.
Interview with Harry James
Harry James grew up in Berkshire and after school began training as a plumber. He joined the RAF and carried out thirty three operations as a rear gunner with 166 squadron. He discusses his crew, who were of different nationalities, of how the…
Interview with Kenneth Cook
Wing Commander Kenneth Cook was born in Randwick in Gloucestershire. At Marlings grammar school, he joined the Air Training Corps. On the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Air Force and went to America under the Arnold Scheme for pilot training.…
Interview with Kenneth Locke Brown
Kenneth Locke was born in 1923 and wanted to join the Royal Air Force, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a First World War Pilot.
Between leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, Kenneth worked as a bank clerk, before signing…
Between leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, Kenneth worked as a bank clerk, before signing…
Interview with Percival Robert Court
Percival Robert Court joined the Air Training Corps in March 1941, volunteering for the Royal Air Force at the earliest age of seventeen and a half. Training at RAF Cardington, he became a flight mechanic. He then moved to Skegness to continue into…
Interview with Ron Baker
Ron Baker, originally from Willesden was in the ATC before joining the RAF and trained as a flight mechanic. He was posted to 463 Squadron at Waddington. On one occasion he had to help to remove the body of a gunner who had died during the flight. He…
Interview with Ron Davies
Ron Davis talks of his joining the RAF and early training at Cardington, Bournemouth and Halton. He trained as fitter and was posted to RAF Scampton on Hamden with 49 Squadron. Tells many stories of life as groundcrew at Scampton including his…
Interview with Rusty Waughman. Two
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…
Interview with Ted Mawdsley
Ted grew up in Essex. Before the war he worked for the Marconi Wireless and Telegraph Company. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 and became an instrument mechanic. He was posted to RAF Elsham Wolds in 1942 and overseas the following year. After…
Interview with Vera Willis
Vera Willis volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force because she wanted to be a driver. Her driving career in the RAF involved driving driving aircrew to dispersal.This content is available as embedded video:
Interview with Wanda Szuwalska
Wanda Szuwalska was sixteen years old when Germany invaded Poland. The family was deported to Siberia by the Russian army. They travelled for several weeks to the Arkhangelsk region where Wanda then worked as a logger. When war intensified between…
Interview with William Arthur Coulton
William Coulton was born in Derbyshire and worked as an errand boy for the Co-Op until he joined the Royal Air Force in 1943, aged 18. He trained as a flight mechanic and was posted to 115 Squadron at RAF Witchford where he worked on Lancasters. He…
Jim Eley
Two photographs of Jim.
Photo 1 is submitted with caption; “Self Dec. 1943”.
Photo 2 has Jim standing beside a Lancaster tyre and is submitted with caption; “At 514 Sqdn, Waterbeach.”
Photo 1 is submitted with caption; “Self Dec. 1943”.
Photo 2 has Jim standing beside a Lancaster tyre and is submitted with caption; “At 514 Sqdn, Waterbeach.”
John Walter Gifford Saunders' Service and Release Book
John's Service and Release Book covering the period 2 March 1942 to 26 February 1946.
Lancaster
A side view of a Lancaster on the ground. Behind are access stands.
Lancaster
A front/starboard view of a Lancaster on the ground. On the reverse 'Not the best on the squadron, but nearly as good as. "C" rarin' to go. We took her on one trip. Cedric Peck (Wivenhoe Garage) on the Groundcrew - told mum that I flew HIS a/c. (Had…
Lancaster
Front quarter view of a Lancaster parked on dispersal. Crew are gathered outside rear fuselage door. There is a staging under the port outer wing. In the background another Lancaster.
Lancaster
A side view of a Lancaster parked on a circular pan dispersal. In the distance are three more Lancasters and part of a hangar.