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1943 Diary
Mentions anniversary of death of Uncle George December 1942. Daily activities for January and some of February and sporadic entries after that. Writes of going to pictures and walks. Contains some telephone numbers and addresses of friends.
Interview with Bob Porteous
Flight Sergeant Bob Porteous grew up in Australia and after spending time in the bush he joined the Royal Australian Air Force. After training and spending time in the United States, he travelled to Scotland on the Queen Mary. He flew operations as a…
Letter to his wife from Herbert Gray
![EGrayHMGray[Wi]440707.pdf](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/107/1044/EGrayHMGray[Wi]440707.jpg "EGrayHMGray[Wi]440707.pdf")
Begins with slight admonishment over wife’s letter writing regularity and discussion of progress on wife’s health issues. Provides details of 11th operation which involved an extremely long sortie, taking off in daylight and recovering next…
Interview with Mollie Allen
Mollie Allen married John during the war. He was a Lancaster pilot and at one time they shared a home with another pilot and his wife. This was a comfort to Mollie to have another woman who understood what it was like to await news of their husband.…
Interview with Philip Bates
Philip Bates grew up in Lancashire and joined the Royal Air Force in 1940. He served as ground crew with Coastal Command before remustering as aircrew. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 149 Squadron until his aircraft was shot down and he…
The Log
Experiences of the prisoners of war in the Belaria camp of Stalag Luft 3 by Squadron Leader Bryce Cousens. It contains stories, poems and illustrations.
Charles (Dick) Pattisson Pocket Diary 1942
Transcription of day by day account of activities from 19 April 1942 to 3 October 1942. Commences with photograph of Squadron in front of Halifax and of pilots on training course (Pattisson top left), Records daily activities, casualties, losses of…
Eight airmen around a piano
Group of seven airmen around a piano with an eighth airman seated, playing. On the wall five flags. Captioned 'HQ1537'. Some of the airmen have facial burn scaring and two are wearing dark glasses.
Letter from Charles Turner to his mother and family
![ETurnerCFTurnerF[Date]-010001.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/1362/23325/ETurnerCFTurnerF[Date]-010001.jpg "ETurnerCFTurnerF[Date]-010001.jpg")
The letter describes his social life in Port Elizabeth and his upcoming 21st birthday.
Letter from Charles Turner to his Mother and family
In the letter he complains that his mother hasn't written to him, he misses mild beer, tripe and black pudding. He describes going out for drinks with a WAAF and meeting South African air force pilots and more girls, then they all went for dinner and…
Interview with Desmond O'Connell
Desmond O’Connell was born in London in 1919. He followed in his brother’s footsteps by joining the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve in 1939. He went to Cambridge to commence pilot training but half the contingent were transferred to become…
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 Jane Carrington
Jane Carrington joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1942 at the age of 18. She served as a cook, and volunteered to join the band as a drummer. She discusses her time in the kitchens, the menus and the equipment they used.
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 John Ormerod
John Ormerod left school at 14 and worked in the textile industry before he volunteered for RAF. At first he trained as flight mechanic but later remustered to be a flight engineer. He talks about synchronising props and the German speaking eighth…
Interview with Raymond Barrett
Raymond Barnes worked in factories before he joined the RAF. He trained as an engine fitter. He was posted to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Far East. He was servicing Spitfires for 242 Squadron and then Dakotas for 267 Squadron. He was…
Interview with Margaret Saint
Margaret Saint was employed by Airworks Limited as a civilian office worker throughout the Second World War, and met her future husband, Trevor, an air gunner, who she married in June 1945. Daughter of a Welsh miner, the family moved to the Cotswolds…
Interview with Clifford Watson. One
Clifford Watson at first wanted to join the navy because of a high demand in pilots. After being rejected, he joined the RAF and was sent to Rhodesia for pilot training, but then remustered to become an air gunner. He flew seventy-six ops in total.…
Interview with Margaret Sinclair Longmate
Margaret Longmate from Edinburgh came from a family with long links to the RAF. Her uncle had been in the Flying Corps in the First World War and various other friends and family joined the service during the Second World War. Therefore, it seemed…
Interview with Thomas Edward Noton
Thomas Edward Noton was born in Greenwich on the 4th of April 1923. Upon leaving school he began a toolmaking apprenticeship, however, before finishing the course, Noton decided to join the Royal Air Force at the age of eighteen. He explains why he…
Interview with Tony Dyer
Tony Dyer was a three or four year old child when his grandfather took him to the cinema in Reading on the 10th of February 1943. As Tony was ironically watching the animation of a bomber and a tank on the Pathé News segment a bomb hit the nearby…
Letter from Donald Baker to his mother
Writes that he is still doing operational training on the Hampden which he describes as safe. Mentions visiting Bicester which is closer that Oxford but has two picture houses. Writes of different terminology between English and Rhodesians. Mentions…
Letter from Donald Baker to his mother
Reports that he had now received most of her letters to 19 April as well as other mail which was taking between two to four and a half months to arrive. Writes about a recent variety show and a cricket match in which he played. Mentions also playing…
Letter from Donald Baker to his mother
Reports arrival of latest letters. Discusses post war prospects, says Kenya idea lapsed but glad he could work at father's farm. Was glad that an offer had been made which he accepted. Mentions arrival of clothing parcel and lists content. Mentions…