Browse Items (102 total)

  • Tags: heavy conversion unit

MLawsonHA19210824-161128-010001.jpg
The story of Homer Lawson from birth in August 1921 to death in September 1975. He trained as a Navigator in Wales and in Scotland before converting to Halifaxes in Yorkshire. He completed 38 operations then returned to Scotland for more training.…

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BHopgoodPMHopgoodPDv1.pdf
The detailed biography begins with government measures at the start of National Service. Philip Hopgood volunteered and enlisted at Padgate, Warrington. He was classified as medically Grade 1. Initial training was at RAF Regent's Park (Lord's Cricket…

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PFellowesD1501.jpg
David Fellowes tells of how he used to build model airplanes and fly them in the fields when he was a boy. The son of an engineer, he first joined the Air Training Corps and then volunteered for the Royal Air Force at the age of 17. Describes his…

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PWatsonC17010035.jpg
Photo 1 is a landing Stirling. On the left is a control van and windsock, annotated 'Winthorpe Conversion Course'.
Photo 2 is three airmen sitting outside a wooden building, annotated 'Blida 1943 April 150 Sqdn Sgt Willoughby (Nav O), Chadderton…

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PBradburyDC17010005.pdf
Item 1 - rear/side view of a Lancaster (JI-N), captioned 'RAF Bottisford [sic] conversion unit to Lancasters Len Thatcher joins our crew as Flight Engineer We have a change of tail gunner'.
Item 2 - an airman sitting on a farming machine.
Item 3 -…

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MWebbLP1876986-190604-020001.jpg
Peter Webb's log for a cross country flight of 1200 miles. Aircraft was Halifax 'RV-C'.

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MWebbLP1876986-190604-010001.jpg
Peter Webb's log for a cross country flight of 856 miles. Aircraft was Halifax 'RV-J'.

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Five Group Newsletter, number 25, August 1944. Includes a foreword by the Air Officer Commanding, and features about sports, engineering , war effort, gunnery, training, equipment, photography, gardening, war savings, second thoughts for pilots,…

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Five Group Newsletter, number 23, June 1944. Includes a foreword by the Air Officer Commanding, and features about gunnery, air bombing, navigation, armament, navigation training, public relations, signals, gardening, equipment, air sea rescue,…

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Five Group Newsletter, number 22, May 1944. Includes a foreword by the Air Officer Commanding, and features about armament, war savings, flying control, engineering, flight engineers, gardening, prisoner of war fund, air bombing, navigation,…

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MBrookerWH[Ser#-DoB]-180402-04.Pdf
William Brooker's service. His crew was transferred from Swinderby Heavy Conversion Unit to 463 Squadron at RAF Waddington.
He names the crew and describes their roles, including the ground crews, details the activities before an operation, and…

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BBrookerWHBrookerWHv1.Pdf
WH Brooker volunteered in June or July 1940. He was called up on 27 February 1941 and trained in Pearce, Western Australia. On transfer to UK there were delays in further training.
Initially he served on Wellingtons at Snaith. He describes…

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Five Group Newsletter, number 21, April 1944. Includes a foreword by the Air Officer Commanding, and features about process of servicing, gardening, navigation, honours and awards, signals / radar, tactics, air bombing, radar / navigation, link…

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Five Group Newsletter, number 20, March 1944. Includes a foreword by the Air Officer Commanding, and features about processes of navigation, signals/radar, photography, gardening, Gee, flying control, H2S, decorations, tactics, flight engineers, war…

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BDudleyCDudleyCv1.pdf
A document written by Jim Allen's navigator. He describes his early training and difficulties when navigating in the UK, Jim Allen's skills, his own behaviour on the aircraft, flying under a bomber shortly before the target, his relief at surviving…

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BAllenJHAllenJHv1.pdf
A Short Personal View of a Bit of History (interview with Jim Allen)
'Based at Burn' Introduction by Jim Allen
One More Chalked Up
A Trip to Remember
Sabotage on 578 Squadron at Burn by Joe Dudley
Memories of 578 Squadron at Burn 1944 by Joe…

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LGoffCC746538v1.pdf
Pilot’s flying log book for Pilot Officer Cyril Charles Goff from 24 February 1942 to 18 October 1943, detailing training schedule and operations flown. Served at RAF Waltham. Aircraft flown were Lancaster and Whitley. He carried out a total of 13…

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BStoreyDPStoreyDPv1.pdf
A memoir of David Storey's service from 27 May 1943 to April 1944. He describes his 32 completed operations as a navigator on Halifaxes and including details of incidents and aircraft losses.

This item was provided, in digital form, by a…

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PWebbLP1601.jpg
Lacey Peter Webb remembers his role as a flight engineer in the Royal Air Force during the war and flying thirty operations on Halifaxes and two on Lancasters. Retraces his training in various stations, among them St John’s Wood, where he was…

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ATyrellLR150929.mp3
Leonard Ralph Tyrell mentions always being keen on aircraft since he was a boy. Describes various episodes of his career: training in England and Canada, from where he returned with the rank of pilot officer; his first operation to the Dortmund-Ems…

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PStevensS-M1601.jpg
Sidney was inspired to join The Air Force when he was working as an Air Raid Precaution Warden and one night his own home was bombed. The house next door was also destroyed and the lady who had offered him a cup of tea only hours earlier died. He…

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APriestR160720.mp3
Ron Priest worked in accountancy before the war and then served as a rear gunner, flying twenty five operations with 149 Squadron from RAF Lakenheath all on Stirlings. Describes his training in England, Canada and the United States, under the…

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AOwenA150603.mp3
Aneurin ‘Taff’ Owen was born neat Dolgellau, near Penmaenpool in Wales, and joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 in 1942. Taff was a farmer’s son and as such was put into a reserved occupation, so some of the areas of the Royal Air Force…

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ANicholsonA150922.mp3
Arthur Nicholson was working in a reserved occupation before he volunteered for aircrew training. After training as a flight engineer he was posted to 51 Squadron based at RAF Snaith. His first operation was to Essen. His aircraft was shot down on a…

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ANeilsonW151116.mp3
William Neilson grew up in Edinburgh. After training as a pilot in Canada and the United States he served as a staff pilot at Number 1 Air Armament School RAF Manby. He discusses low level bombing practice. He was demobbed in 1946 and became a civil…

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