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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 Benny Goodman. Two
Benny Goodman grew up in London and hoped to become a pilot. He volunteered for the Air Force and was originally posted to RAF Abingdon as a ground gunner before beginning his flying training. After qualifying as a pilot in Canada, he became an…
Interview with Bernard Charles Mabey
Bernard Mabey was born in London and experienced the Blitz at first hand. He was a member of the Air Training Corps in 1941 before volunteering for the RAF. He trained as an air frame mechanic at RAF Locking. His first posting was RAF Marston Moor…
Interview with Percival Robert Court
Percival Robert Court joined the Air Training Corps in March 1941, volunteering for the Royal Air Force at the earliest age of seventeen and a half. Training at RAF Cardington, he became a flight mechanic. He then moved to Skegness to continue into…
Interview with Les Rutherford. Three
Les Rutherford joined the army and was in the 51st Highland Division which formed the rear-guard defence, allowing for the evacuation of Dunkirk. He escaped out to sea on a barn door and was picked up and taken to England by a French trawler. He…
Interview with Margaret Hourigan
Margaret Hourigan grew up in and around Nottingham. Despite holding Labour principles she volunteered for the WAAF’s as soon as War was declared and was called up in January 1940. She Hourigan served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force as a…
Interview with Edward Allan McDonald. Two
Allan McDonald was born in Hull and watched Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus as a child. He worked as an apprentice electrician before joining the Air Force. He served as ground personnel in Northern Ireland until he passed the exams to become aircrew…
Interview with William Joseph Longhurst
William Longhurst served as an engine mechanic through the Second World War. He was a member of the Hackney Wick Air Defence Cadet Corps before volunteering to enlist in the RAF after his seventeenth birthday. Following basic training at Skegness,…
Tribute to a Pathfinder captain
Tribute to Squadron Leader William G Neal Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Flying Cross, Croix de Guerre, 1912-2001. Describes how Don Briggs met and was crewed with Bill Neal’s crew who having completed one tour had been selected for a…
WO Donald Keith Fraser
Memoir describing his life and service career in the RAF. He also gives a list of 29 operations he participated in with notes on specific operations, and recounts a brief history of the Lancaster.
Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
He writes of arrangements for his pending 48 hour leave, flying activities and the weather.
Feltwell village
Top an aerial vertical photograph of a village. Two roads lead in from the left joining a circular road running round the village. Roads lead off top and bottom right.
Middle an aerial inclined photograph of a diamond shaped aircraft dispersal…
Middle an aerial inclined photograph of a diamond shaped aircraft dispersal…
Interview with John Eppel
John Eppel grew up in Australia and joined the Royal Australian Air Force. After training, he completed 30 operations as a navigator with 550 Squadron. He describes initial training in Australia and the journey by sea via the United States, then…
Interview with Frank Colenso
Frank Colenso grew up in Cornwall and worked for a local newspaper and served in the Home Guard before volunteering for the Royal Air Force. After training he served as a flight mechanic and fitter with 83 operational training unit.
Interview with Ron Baker
Ron Baker, originally from Willesden was in the ATC before joining the RAF and trained as a flight mechanic. He was posted to 463 Squadron at Waddington. On one occasion he had to help to remove the body of a gunner who had died during the flight. He…
Caen Carpiquet airfield
On the left an aerial vertical photograph orientated with east at the top. On the left side of an airfield with a single runway 13/31 running from bottom left towards the centre. A perimeter track runs round the airfield. At the top is a square built…
Morlaix airfield
Aerial vertical photograph of open countryside with an airfield marked out on the left side. A perimeter track runs from middle left around the airfield ending at bottom left. There is a loop taxiways from the top right of perimeter track leading to…
Caen-Carpiquet Airfield
Aerial vertical photograph of an airfield. Airfield fills left hand side with runway 13/31 running from bottom to top and a perimeter track running all the way round. The is a square section of buildings off the top left of the airfield and a series…
Caen-Carpiquet Airfield
Aerial vertical photograph showing an airfield. Airfield fills left two thirds with runway running vertically up. Runway 31 is at the bottom with a square area of buildings just outside the perimeter track to the right. There is are complex of…
Caen-Carpiquet, Den Helder, Morlaix and unidentified canal
Top left an aerial vertical photograph of part of Caen-Carpiquet airfield. The runway runs from mid left to top right. The airfield is surrounded by a perimeter track and there is a square built up area at the bottom of the airfield.
Top right an…
Top right an…
Two aircrew on a Lancaster engine
Two aircrew, one kneeling in front wearing a peaked cap, one standing behind on top of a Lancaster engine. Both are wearing battledress. Two propeller blades are visible. In the background a perimeter track and airfield. On the reverse 'F/Lt Evans,…
Wellington HA-A parked on grass
Front quarter view of Wellington parked on grass with taxiway in background.
RAF Skellingthorpe
Map of Birchwood section of Lincoln with runways drawn over. Also indicated are the control tower and parts of perimeter track. Taken from Air Ministry plan ref. 214/45