Browse Items (125 total)

  • Tags: military ethos

Frost, Bob.jpg
Bob Frost recounts experiencing the London Blitz as a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force and trained at the Air Gunnery School at RAF Evanton, Scotland. He was then posted to the Operational Training Unit at…

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APotterP150914.mp3
Peter Potter was born in Fobbing where his grandfather had three farms in Shell Haven. He ran away from home at age 15 and got a job, before volunteering for aircrew, having falsified his date of birth. He talks about his time in London, visiting…

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PRoyallG1501.jpg
George volunteered to be a pilot but settled for Air Observer. He talks about his selection and training in London and then in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he enjoyed the theatre and how, at Brighton, illness separated him from the rest of the course.…

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AAn00509-160424.mp3
The interviewee was born in Berlin in 1924, his father being a British Army surgeon who was posted there treating badly wounded soldiers. He went to school in France then attended boarding school in Hertfordshire. He volunteered for the Royal Air…

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ATyrellLR150929.mp3
Leonard Ralph Tyrell mentions always being keen on aircraft since he was a boy. He was sent to RAF Syerston near Nottingham for Lancaster Finishing School, and then an advanced flying unit near Wolverhampton, before heading to number 17 OTU at RAF…

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BShattockGFShattockGFv1.jpg
Inspired by a dream of being asked to drive a modern HGV, he compared it with piloting a Stirling.

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SCheshireGL72021v10024.jpg
States he would be pleased to have Stult there but he cannot affect postings. Suggest Stult put in an application for him and crew. He would need to come with his crew as it would be impossible to find him one there.

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SCheshireGL72021v10047.jpg
To Royal Australian Air Force liaison officer at Bomber Command. Writing that Flight Lieutenant D J Shannon desires to continue with operations and does not want to return to Australia. Mentions Shannon's wife is in Royal Air Force serving in same…

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SCheshireGL72021v10057.jpg
To 54 Base Coningsby forwarding the names of two pilots who were anxious to return to operational duties on Mosquito. Squadron Leader C F Campbell DSO, DFC and Flight Lieutenant R T Fleming DFC. Includes operational history.

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PLongTCA1601.jpg
Thomas Charles Arthur Long was born in Quorn, England. He was in the Home Guard and worked at Brush as a draughtsman, also gaining a Higher National Certificate from Loughborough College. He decided to join the RAF, as it was the only way to get out…

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PMayhillRD1901.jpg
Ron Mayhill was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He joined the Air Training Corp in 1941, automatically entered the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1942, trained as a bomb aimer in Canada, and travelled on the Queen Mary to the UK in 1943. While flying…

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MRosserLV745193-190517-05.pdf
Covers general responsibilities, name rank and number, behaviour under interrogation, what the enemy will try to find out, how information is obtained by enemy (sources and methods), do's and don'ts, and rights of a prisoner.

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SCavalierRG1264567v10033-0001.jpg
A card signed by Air Marshal Arthur Coningham, thanking the friends and relatives of the Second Tactical Air Force for sustaining them in their part in the victory in Europe.

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MNealeETH1395951-150731-0140001.jpg
A call from the German Field Marshall Friedrich Paulus to his comrades and to the German people via radio 'Freies Deutschland' while he is a prisoner of war in Russia. After a call for reflection in August 1944 he feels he has to speak again despite…

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MPotterPL1878961-150914-06.pdf
Flying log book excerpts from P L Potter’s log book, covering the period from 3 May 1944 to 17 December 1944. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at RAF Hixon and RAF Wickenby. Aircraft flown in were Wellington and…

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SCheshireGL72021v10062-0001.jpg
A Rhodesian flight engineer, he requests information on how to get posted to Cheshire's squadron. Previous tour on 78 Squadron and currently on 425 Squadron, which is becoming all French Canadian. Happy to drop rank but wished to remain with…

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BYeomanHTYeomanHTv1-01.pdf
Starts with a poem and then a series of stories which together form the memoirs of Harold Yeoman, an officer who served in Bomber Command during the war, initially as a pilot on Wellingtons and then as an Intelligence Officer. He relates his…

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BBrabinHWBrabinHWv1.pdf
Harry joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 25 June 1942 as a wireless operator/air gunner and received his initial training in Australia before going to Canada for his trade training.

He sailed on the SS Johan Van Barneve to San Francisco and…

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ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM400912-0001.jpg
A letter from Harry Redgrave to his wife Jessie. Harry writes in detail about the funeral of two airmen in which he was a pall bearer. He also discusses plans for getting to Southend.

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AMawdsleyT150507.mp3
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…

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BWagnerHWWagnerHWv1-01.pdf
Hand written by Henry, Part 1 covers his early life and time at university. It goes on to cover in some detail his time in the RAF, his time training in South Africa conversion to the Halifax and operations on 51 Squadron. It also covers his time as…

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BDavyHDavyHv1.pdf
Herbert's service life in an autobiography.
He describes training in London, Bridlington, Morpeth and Wymeswold. Later training as a crew was at Castle Donington, Lindholme and Hemswell. He describes in detail his crew, aircraft and operations.…

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AReedD151015.mp3
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…

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PHanksJ1602.jpg
John Hanks joined the RAF and served as an armourer. He describes his role and his duties and tells of his postings at RAF Swinderby and RAF East Kirkby. John gives a graphic and vivid account of an aircraft crash at RAF Swinderby and describes…

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AMooreR160727.mp3
Raymond Moore flew 31 operations as a flight engineer with 408 Squadron. He describes initial training at RAF Skegness and then further training at RAF Cosford, RAF Halton and RAF St Athan. He describes the crewing-up procedure at Eastmoor and the…

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