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Interview with Harvey Hayward Bawden
Harvey Bawden, from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 at the age of 18. After initial training school and assessment as an air gunner, he was shipped to England via the United States. After crewing…
Interview with Frank Colenso
Frank Colenso grew up in Cornwall and, at the outbreak of the war, was working for a local newspaper. He recalls the return of injured survivors from Dunkirk into Falmouth Bay. He joined the local defence volunteers following the bombing of Falmouth…
Interview with Syd Cooper. One
Sidney Cooper was born in Blackpool and joined the Royal Air Force in 1941. He first served as an engine fitter in Fighter Command before re-mustering as aircrew. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 427 Squadron from RAF Leeming. He later…
Interview with Syd Cooper. Two
Sidney Cooper was born in Blackpool and speaks about his early life there. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1941 and first served as an engine fitter in Fighter Command before re-mustering as aircrew. He flew operations from RAF Leeming as a flight…
Interview with George Crooks
George Crooks was an apprentice electrician before volunteering for the Royal Air Force at the age of 18. After his training, he served as an armourer with 50 Squadron at RAF Swinderby and later RAF Skellingthorpe. He later worked experimenting with…
Interview with Harry James
Harry James grew up in Berkshire and, after school, began training as a plumber. He joined the RAF and completed 33 operations as a rear gunner with 166 squadron. He discusses his crew, of their different nationalities, of how the majority of their…
Interview with Stanley Ernest Jeffrey. One
Stan Jeffrey was a flight mechanic at RAF Pocklington. He discusses the camaraderie between the ground and air crews. He would stick chewing gum to the undercarriage as a good luck charm. Shortly after the end of the war, the ground crew were taken…
Interview with Peter Jones
Peter William Arthur Jones (b. 1954) speaks about his father Thomas John Jones DFC (b. 1921, 1640434 and 184141 Royal Air Force). Peter Jones discovered a memoir written by his father, Thomas Jones, a flight engineer, just after he passed away. Peter…
Interview with Harold Kirby. Two
Harold Kirby grew up in London and worked in accounts before joining the Royal Air Force. He served as a fitter with 460 Squadron at RAF Binbrook before re-mustering as a flight engineer. He flew two tours of operations with 467, 97 and 156…
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 Alan Payne
Alan Payne was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. He volunteered for aircrew with the Royal Air Force and, after initial training, was sent to South Africa where he trained as an observer. When he returned to the UK, he was allocated the role of bomb…
Interview with Douglas Reed
Douglas Reed was working in the Town Clerk's Department, Goole when he volunteered to serve in the RAF. After completing operational training at RAF Peplow he was posted to 166 Squadron at RAF Kirmington. He flew operations over Germany before…
Interview with William Taylor
William Taylor joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 as ground crew. He remustered as an air gunner and flew operations with 103 Squadron from RAF Elsham Wolds, flying Lancasters. His Aircraft was attacked and shot down by a night fighter in July 1944.…
Interview with Herbert Tinning
Herbert joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and was posted, initially, to a communication flight as a fitter. He managed to transfer to aircrew and describes the enlistment process. He went to Somers, then Cootamundra for navigator training…
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 Arthur Spencer
Arthur Spencer joined the Royal Air Force after leaving school. He began pilot training in Florida but then re-mustered as a navigator and trained in Pensacola. He completed two tours of operations as a navigator with 97 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa…
An interesting war
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. Includes details of childhood and growing up. Continues with his joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. Followed by training in England and then posting…
Interview with Thomas Waller
Thomas Waller volunteered for the Royal Air Force and hoped to be a driver. However, he undertook training as an armourer and was based, initially, at the Special Operations Executive 138 Squadron. He was posted to RAF Stradishall, RAF Wyton and RAF…
Refuelling Lancaster R5868 S-Sugar
Shows the front of Lancaster R5868 S-Sugar and inboard engines with bomb doors open. Letter 'S' on the nose, eight full rows of operations symbols, and the quote attributed to Hermann Goering 'No enemy plane will fly over the Reich territory'. One…
Interview with David Fraser
David Fraser enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1939 and trained as a mechanic. He re-mustered as soon as he was able and flew four operations as an air gunner with 115 Squadron, before his aircraft was shot down over Hamburg, in May 1941. He spent…
Ken Hicks statement of Service
![MHicksDK[Ser#-DoB]-151001-05.jpg](https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/square_thumbnails/369/5795/MHicksDK[Ser -DoB]-151001-05.jpg "MHicksDK[Ser#-DoB]-151001-05.jpg")
Personal details with dates, awards, promotions and conduct.
Whitleys at Middleton St George 1941
Page caption: 'Middleton St George 1941'
Photograph 1 is of eight airmen under the nose of a Whitley. Captioned 'Pilot Sgt B. Jones with his Ground Crew, Whitley. A/C.'
Photograph 2 is of a sergeant pilot wearing a flying helmet and pointing to…
Photograph 1 is of eight airmen under the nose of a Whitley. Captioned 'Pilot Sgt B. Jones with his Ground Crew, Whitley. A/C.'
Photograph 2 is of a sergeant pilot wearing a flying helmet and pointing to…
Interview with Douglas Joss
Douglas was born in Aberdeen, the eldest of 5 children. He signed up for the Royal Air Force in October 1938 and trained as a Flight Rigger, becoming a Leading Aircraftsman after training. During his time as a Leading Aircraftsman, he tells of…
Damaged Boston and senior officers
Photograph 1 and 2 are of damage to the rudder of a Boston . It is being inspected by air and ground crew. Captioned 'Boston A/C, 88 Sqd returned from a raid on Transformer and Switching Stn near Orleans, France 3rd Oct 1943.' Captioned 'Air Crew…
342 Lorraine Squadron
Photograph 1 is of a group of French airmen arranged in four rows in front of a Nissen hut. Captioned '342 Sqd Lorraine (Free French) R.A.F. Hartford Bridge.'
Photograph 2 is of a French airman standing in front of a Boston, 'C'. It is named Ville…
Photograph 2 is of a French airman standing in front of a Boston, 'C'. It is named Ville…