Browse Items (229 total)
Sort by:
Interview with Roy Maddock-Lyon
Roy Maddock-Lyon was born in Cheshire and when his school was evacuated at the start of the war he began an engineering apprenticeship. He was a part of the Queen’s Messengers, a relief organisation that travelled to bombed cities to take emergency…
Interview with Gordon Mellor. One
Gordon Mellor grew up in London and was interested in aviation. He volunteered for the Air Force and trained as a navigator in Canada. On his return to the UK he and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron. Returning from an operation they were attacked…
Interview with Gordon Mellor. Two
Gordon Mellor grew up in London and was interested in aviation. He volunteered for the Air Force and trained as a navigator in Canada. On his return to the UK he and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds and his first operation was the…
Interview with Gordon Mellor. Three
Gordon Mellor grew up in London and hoped to become a quantity surveyor when he was called up. He volunteered for the Air Force and trained as a navigator in Canada. On his return to the UK he and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds.…
Interview with Gordon Mellor. Four
Gordon Mellor successfully evaded capture when he baled out of his aircraft and landed in Germany. For several days he walked until he managed to make contact with the Belgian resistance and the Comete line who began the process of guiding him home.…
Interview with Eric Hookings
Eric Hookings joined the RAF and served as ground crew at RAF Newton before training as a pilot in America. He was posted to RAF Bruntingthorpe, flying Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancasters with 619 Squadron. During an operation a Me 110 shot down…
Interview with Len McNamara
Len McNamara was born in Bristol in 1924. An apprentice plumber, he joined the Air Training Corps and volunteered for aircrew. Discusses his initial training at various stations, the gunnery course he passed with merit and honours, an escape and…
Interview with Iain Urquhart Robertson
Iain was a National Service air gunner in the 1950s and served with 214 Squadron at RAF Upwood in Huntingdonshire after being called up at the age of 18. Upon completion of training, he flew on Wellingtons and fighter affiliation with Spitfires. He…
Interview with Ray Worral
Raymond (Ray) Worral joined the RAF in 1943. Ray completed his initial training in Bridlington and then St Athen for the Flight Engineers training course and learnt the technicalities of the Lancaster. After being crewed up at Winthorpe, Ray attended…
Kenneth Pope's evasion photographs
Five photographs, three head and shoulders portraits of Kenneth Pope, one right side, one from front one looking half right, in jacket, shirt and tie captioned 'Sgt Pope',
Kenneth Pope and an airman in flying clothing with a trolley accumulator and…
Kenneth Pope and an airman in flying clothing with a trolley accumulator and…
Interview with Andy Andrews
Andy Andrews worked in a gentleman's outfitters shop and volunteered for the Air Force in 1941. He trained at RAF Cardington and Blackpool and after crewing up he flew operations with 10 Squadron from RAF Melbourne. He discusses the members of his…
Interview with Arthur Sidney Woolf
Arthur Woolf was working in an office before he volunteered for the RAF. He was keen on flying and would cycle to Castle Bromwich airfield to watch the aircraft. He was accepted for aircrew training and became a wireless operator. After joining a…
Interview with Bert Turner
Bert Turner was a member of the Air Training Corps before the war. He volunteered for the Air Force and was called up 2 August 1942. After training he became a flight engineer with 196 Squadron. He flew some bombing and mine laying operations before…
France, north Spain, part of Italy and Switzerland
Escape map covering southern France, north Spain, part of Italy and Switzerland. Post-it note 'Photo of rare rice paper escape map RAF WWII'.
Escape compass
Small compass with needle and cardinal headings. Note 'Compass from RAF Escape/Survival kit'.
The responsibilities of a prisoner of war
Instructions and guidance for all rank in the event of capture by the enemy.
List of phrases
List of phrases translated into German, French, Dutch and Spanish to help with evasion.
Interview with Max Barry
Max was born in Beaufort, Victoria and grew up on his parents’ dairy farm. Gaining a scholarship led him to become a student teacher and attend training college. He was called up when he was eighteen and applied to become a reserve in the air…
Interview with David Berrie
David Berrie joined the RAF and served as a wireless operator. He flew six operations with 576 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds. Shares his experience about living on the station with Polish crews. Remembers crashing twice in twenty-four hours and on…
Escape compass
Brass escape compass with crazed glass
Zones of France
A silk evasion map showing France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, North-Western Italy, Southern Holland, Western Germany and North-Eastern Spain. The scale is 1:2,000,000 and it is identified as the Second Edition. There is also an inset showing…
Roy Maddock-Lyon's flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners and flight engineers
Flying log book for navigators, air bombers, air gunners, flight engineers for Roy Maddock-Lyon, flight engineer, covering the period from 12 June 1944 to 2 May 1946. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war flying duties. He was…
Map of Holbaek and letter to Roy Maddock-Lyon's father reporting him missing
Item 1 is a map of Holbaek with the crash site and the location of two bodies and five survivors. It is captioned 'Where the crew and plane landed south of Holbaek.'
Item 2 is a letter to Roy Maddock-Lyon's father confirming that his son is missing.…
Item 2 is a letter to Roy Maddock-Lyon's father confirming that his son is missing.…
German Night Fighter Squadron, The Sorensen family and Ingrid
Photograph 1 is 15 German airmen seated on a flight of steps. The main caption details how the Gruppe was sub-divided and a later caption reads 'German Night Fighter Squadron'.
Photograph 2 is a half length portrait of a man, woman and young girl,…
Photograph 2 is a half length portrait of a man, woman and young girl,…
John Grayshan's body and the Sorensen's farmhouse
Photograph 1 is of three German soldiers standing over John Grayshan's body. Behind is another body, marked by an ink arrow. It is captioned 'German Soldiers looking at Johnny'.
Photograph 2 is a close up of Johnny, captioned 'Johnny'.
Photograph 3…
Photograph 2 is a close up of Johnny, captioned 'Johnny'.
Photograph 3…