Browse Items (219 total)

  • Tags: incendiary device

AHughesWH151021.mp3
Harry Hughes volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1940 and trained in America, where he was washed out as a pilot and then retrained as a navigator in Canada, flying Ansons and Wellingtons. In 1942, he converted to Halifaxes and flew operations…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BMannAMannAv3.pdf
He reminisces about pre-war and early war days as a schoolboy in Lewisham, recalling events at the beginning of the war. Includes photographs of aircraft and naval ships. He continues with history of events through the war's early years including:…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BMcInnesAMcInnesAv1.pdf
An autobiography of Alan's time as a prisoner of war. He talks about his training with his, mainly, Australian crew. He describes the night they were shot down over Germany. He describes their capture, mistreatment and interrogations at various…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PBencinaA1601.jpg
Angelo Bencina recalls wartime memories in Monfalcone: a cave being modified as a shelter; the descent of bright red and white target indicators at night; a bomb which narrowly missed him but did not explode; Window radio countermeasures being…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PBuvoliA1801.jpg
Alberto Buvoli recalls his wartime childhood in Udine, where he lived in the railway station area. He describes how furniture was moved to a safer place at the onset of the war and explains air raid precautions, such as leaving the windows open and…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PRoseD1601.jpg
David Rose was born in Swanage, Dorset. His father had been in the Medical Corps during the First World War and suffered ill health afterwards. David believed his father had as much reason to be on the War Memorial as his two brothers, who died…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PFilliputtiA16010090.jpg
Men, women and children flee in panic surrounded by fire and destruction. One man falls to the ground near a pylon. Two ships are visible in the background and the nearer of the two has taken a direct hit and exploded in flames. At the top of the…

Tags: ; ; ; ;

PFilliputtiA16010093.jpg
On a clear, moon-lit night, an aircraft with a British roundel bombs a street causing the roofs of buildings on either side to burst into flames. Incendiaries are burning while debris is falling onto the street among small explosions. In the…

Tags: ; ; ;

PBrewsterDG1602.jpg
David was born in 1931 in Sutton on Sea and recalls living in a spartan house with no toilet, lit by gas lights and with a water pump in the garden and his father keeping pigs to augment their income. His descendents had sailed to America in the…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ATophamG151018.mp3
Gordon Topham was born in Salisbury, but his family settled in Norwich, Norfolk and he joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, qualifying as a flight engineer in July 1944. Gordon’s father used to drive steam wagons and was involved with…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

EHopeADHeckendorf[Mo]450820-0001.jpg
The story of events the night Mrs Heckendorf's son was shot down and died.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

MLeeAJP1320246-180714-02.pdf
Arthur John Pugh Lee's memoir of the Battle of Berlin, of being shot down and becoming a prisoner of war. He discusses his role in the de-Nazification trial of Robert Stauch, the Burgomaster of Katzenelnbogen.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

YMaceHA1295485v1 1.pdf
A diary kept during Arthur's RAF service.
There is a second diary for 1943 only and its contents are identical to the first diary.
A third diary covers 1944.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

LLaneEO402057v1.pdf
Royal Australian Air Force flying log book for Ernest 'Cappy' Olaf Lane covering the period 30 April 1940 to 15 October 1944 detailing his training and operations flown. Cappy flew 51 operations, 18 as second pilot to Sergeant Lewis, Sergeant…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BPilbeamAFParkerJJv20001.jpg
A handwritten note by John Joseph Parker's daughter briefly outlining his service as a Flying Officer.

Tags: ; ;

MThomasWH152984-150721-01.pdf
He describes his first interest in the RAF, in 1938. He joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps, and later in 1941 the Air Training Corps. He was called up by the RAF in February 1942, and proceeded through initial training and the Initial Training Wing…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PPayneG1702.jpg
Geoff Payne has his first experience of the Royal Air Force with the Air Training Corps, at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, where he had one of his first experiences of military humour. He joined in 1943 at the age of 17 and a half hoping to become a…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ABatesP151009.mp3
Philip volunteered for the Royal Air Force in May 1940. After a short time in Blackpool, he was posted to RAF Cosford where he volunteered for training as a flight mechanic and then fitter. At 86 Squadron, Coastal Command, flying Beauford torpedo…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

AAn01134-170717.mp3
She tells of her life in Berlin before, during and after the war. She lived with her mother in a block of flats close to the home of her grandparents. Her father died when she was nine years old. During the war she collected shrapnel as souvenirs…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

ACollerAS160803.mp3
Alan Coller joined the Air Training Corps in 1941, eventually joining the Royal Air Force in 1943, aged 18. He was sent to RAF Skegness for his initial training, after which he was transferred to RAF Barnham, near Mildenhall, where he was assigned to…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

PPaineGH1616.jpg
Geoff Paine attended High Wycombe Royal Grammar School and Falmouth Grammar School, joined Air Training Corps and volunteered for the Royal Air Force aged 18. Upon completion of initial training, he was posted to RAF Waltham (100 Squadron) then RAF…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BCameronDCameronDv1.pdf
Writes of travelling to Scotland before start of the war and then joining the RAF Volunteer Reserve. Continues with account of training in England before going to Lakeland Florida for primary flying training, Cochran field for basic and advanced…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

BReattigDWRaettigDWv10001.jpg
Wartime memoir covering Dennis Raettig's training at Blackpool and the posting to 104 Squadron at Royal Air Force Driffield in August 1941. Worked on Wellington aircraft and mentions that Driffield also hosted the blind approach landing flight…

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

NRobertsEJH170712-030001.jpg
A report on raids on Stuttgart and Donges. On the reverse is other news.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ;

NRobertsEJH170712-020001.jpg
A newspaper cutting with reports on USAAF and RAF operations. On the reverse is general news.

Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Output Formats

atom, dc-rdf, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2