Browse Items (77 total)

  • Tags: ditching

PWynneH1825.jpg
Helga (00:00-34:00) was born in Kiel in 1926. Her father was a sailor, who then worked at Krupp shipbuilding yard; her mother was a tram driver during the war. None of her brothers were called up, either because of age or disability. Mentions Hitler…

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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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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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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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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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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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ACurtisL90XXXX.mp3
Leslie Curtis describes how, when flying from Gibraltar to Malta, his Wellington (Z8773) experienced engine failure and he was forced to ditch in the Mediterranean Sea. The sole survivor, Leslie was picked up after four days by the destroyer, HMS…

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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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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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PCoxOV2003.jpg
Owen Cox went to a grammar school in York and joined the Home Guard when the war started. At 18 he joined the Royal Air Force, although his parents were not keen. His initial trade was ground wireless operator (Morse), waiting to attend a gunnery…

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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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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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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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PBryanWA1501.jpg
William Bryan reminisces being hit by a German fighter and anti-aircraft fire while mine laying the Kiel Bay. The rest of the tour was a reasonably quiet time, consisting mainly of operations in the run-up of the Normandy campaign. Describes bombing…

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PStonemanWJ1605.jpg
William James Stoneman was posted to RAF Elsham Wolds before Aircrew Reception Centre at RAF Cardington. He chose to become a rear gunner as he did not have to wait. Air gunnery training followed at RAF Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland on Ansons and…

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

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SBrennanJ1210913v20003-0008.pdf
Text for a lecture. Joined RAF as air observer in June 1941. List initial training postings, conversion to Halifax, crewing up and posting to 102 Squadron at RAF Pocklington in May 1943. Describes preparation for operations and lists 6 operations…

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EStevensMTempestRE440513.jpg
Letter confirming that her son, George Robinson, is missing, presumed dead and describing the circumstances surrounding his loss. It is dated 13 May 1944 and carries the reference: "514/C.2051/10/P.1." Most of the text is typed but a handwritten…

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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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EDarbyCAHWellandJ440614.pdf
He has been doing dinghy drill at the Baths in Oxford. Then they went shopping, failed to get a beer because the pubs were sold out and went to see a film.

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SPickfordL551653v10002.jpg
The letter advises that Les has been elected into the Goldfish Club.

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EStubbsRAWoolgarLA420216-0001.jpg
R Stubbs writes from RAF Scampton to Mr Woolgar informing him that his son has been rescued and is at the Royal Naval Hospital in Portsmouth. He advises that he will be granted leave after he has returned to the squadron.

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ECusseOARosserLV411002-0002.jpg
Writes that he was enclosing odds and ends left in his care. Mentions losing colleagues on operations and other operational matters including a ditching with missing crew.

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