Browse Items (77 total)

  • Tags: ditching

BBarffAColingEFv1.pdf
Time in the RAF including selection as an observer, enrolment at Lord's Cricket Ground, navigational dead reckoning and meteorology training in Eastbourne and Paignton. Time spent on navigational sorties in Grahamstown, South Africa in Ansons and…

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PTomlinR1503.jpg
Ron Tomlin grew up in Birmingham and was an apprentice carpenter before working in a munitions factory. He volunteered for the Air Force at 18, and after training, flew operations as a bomb aimer with 10 Squadron. His aircraft was forced to ditch in…

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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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ALeithJM170112.mp3
James McKenzie Leith was a swimming instructor before he joined the RAF. He trained as a gunner and was posted to 429 Squadron at RAF Leeming. On their first operation their aeroplane was damaged and they attempted an emergency landing but this was…

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BLillieCFLillieCFv1.pdf
Account of the operation to locate a German submarine and shooting down of a United States Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator by a Ju 88 in February 1944. Author is the nose gunner/bomb aimer and describes the operation, attack by fighters, ditching, escape to…

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BSaundersCFSaundersCFv1.pdf
An account by Charles Saunders of his service in the RAF during the war. He served as a mid upper gunner flying in the Halifax with No 102 Squadron at RAF Pocklington and carried out 18 operations. VE day ended his flying career and he was retrained…

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SHarriganD[Ser#-DoB]v320002.mp3
Nelson Nix grew up as a child during the war. His father kept the village shop and was also a special constable and member of the Observer Corps which later became the Royal Observer Corps. The post had access to the Darkie sets which were used to…

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SWatsonC188489v1-1.pdf
A memoir written by Cliff Watson divided into 20 chapters.

The Earliest Years.
Born in Barnoldswick, then in Yorkshire, now in Lancashire in 1922. His father ran a wireless business until 1926. He describes his years at schools and a move to…

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WoolgarR (Pesaro).jpg
Reg Woolgar was born in Hove. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force in December 1939 and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner. He flew Hampdens with 49 Squadron. His aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire on a mine laying operation to Oslo…

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PStonemanMW1801.jpg
Maurice Stoneman was posted to 57 Squadron at RAF East Kirkby as the flight engineer on Lancasters in 1943. He recalls that on returning from operations they used to fly around the Boston Stump and around Lincoln Cathedral before finally landing. In…

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PdiPlacitoLH1701.jpg
Lawrence di Placito served as a second-class coxswain on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches during the Second World War. Henry gives further details of his experiences in rescues, both successful and those with a tragic ending. He also tells of Ealing…

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PGoldbyJL1701.jpg
John Goldby was born in Kent but the family moved to London the year after. He was inspired to join the RAF when a schoolfriend joined and became a Spitfire pilot. John believes that it was a mid-air collision with a night fighter that led to his…

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PCommissoP1601.jpg
An emergency red light, designed to be attached to a life jacket to allow the wearer to be located at night. The light assembly appears to be complete and has signs of wear to the black painted components.

One image shows the item fully assembled.…

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BDunmoreGDunmoreGv1.pdf
A 25 page account of the preparation for, and carrying out of a maximum effort operation against Duisburg by Lancasters of 83 Squadron at RAF Wyton, part of 8 Group Bomber Command. Account provides detailed description of preparations, briefing and…

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PColingE1801.jpg
Eric Coling’s father died when Eric was a child which left his mother to cope on her own economically. Eric and his sister were sent to live in an orphanage but their mother was able to visit monthly. When Eric left the orphanage he began working…

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PDoneK1701.jpg
Ken Done served as a wireless operator on Air Sea Rescue. Upon leaving Battersea Grammar School aged 14, he was employed at Chelsea Town Hall as a junior clerk. When the war started, he discovered he was in a reserved occupation and unable to enlist.…

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AMarshallJ180116.mp3
Jack went to New Zealand in 1937 and became a steward in a gentleman’s club in Napier, where he stayed two years until the war broke out. He joined the Royal Air Force and went to England where he did train at RAF Uxbridge to become an air gunner.…

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LWoolgarRLA139398v1.pdf
Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Flight Lieutenant Reg Woolgar from 29 November 1940 to 21 July 1947. Detailing training schedule, instructional duties and operations flown. Served at RAF Yatesbury, RAF West Freugh, RAF Upper Heyford,…

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MCruickshankG629128-150428-290001.jpg
Procedures for all seven crew positions for ditching stations, exit and order of leaving aircraft, order of boarding dinghies, actions before ditching and action immediately aircraft comes to halt after ditching.

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MFordTA1585520-170411-070001.jpg
Instructions about Lancaster ditching procedure. The actions of all seven members of the crew is described.

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LBrennanJ1210913v1.pdf
Observer's and Air Gunner's Flying log book for J Brennan, wireless operator / air gunner covering the period from 13 November 1942 to 16 November 1945. Detailing his flying training, operations flown, instructing and transport duties. He was…

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LHastieR1821369v1.pdf
Pilot's flying log book for Roy Hastie. It covers his RAF service from 9 December 1940 to 31 March 1946 and then his RAF Auxilliary Service flying to 23 May 1952. Detailing his flying training and operations flown firstly with Coastal Command and…

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LColingEF1481171v1.pdf
Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for Bomb Aimer Eric Frederick Coling from June 1942 to February 1953. Detailing his training schedule, operations flown and post war duties. Served at 44 Air School, South Africa; 16 Operational Training…

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EAdamsHGAdamsBHB[Mo]440509-0001.pdf
Talks about his shock at Terry Cooke being missing on an OTU exercise and discusses what might have happened. He then moves on to discuss his rear gunner (who is married to a woman he knew previously), and a friend Jimmie Bunce, who is now flying…

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PHuntleyR1702.jpg
Ronald Huntley enlisted in the Royal Air Force as a flight mechanic before volunteering to join Air Sea Rescue. Born in Edmonton, London, he represented his school in athletics at Crystal Palace and witnessed its destruction by fire in 1936. After…

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