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One man in his time
Writes of his last operation in a Halifax when his aircraft was shot down and exploded killing all the other members of the crew. Describes journey to camp and being in Frankfurt while it is under bombing attack. Continues with description of life as…
1944/47 WAAF Life and After
Margaret Cuthill's account of her time in the WAAF. At the age of 17 she volunteered for the WAAF and was enrolled as a teleprinter operator. She was sent to Wilmslow for training. After four weeks of drill and physical exercise she was posted to…
The prisoner of war, Vol 2, No. 13, May 1943
Includes: editorial matters; all in a day's work; life in a Japanese prison camp; fun and games; letters they write home; official reports from the camps; group photographs from the camps; how next of kin are helping (including knitting pattern for…
The prisoner of war, Vol 2, No. 15, July 1943
Includes: editorial matters; reading in camp; official reports from the camps (two pages missing); the letters they write home; fun and games, our generous helpers (fund raising at home); group photographs from the camps; news from the far east;…
The prisoner of war, Vol 2, No. 16, August 1943
Includes: editorial matters; music round the camps; official reports from the camps; (two pages missing); letters; how they help funds (fund raising at home); fun and games; news from the far east; parcel points; knitting pattern for 'waistcoat for…
The prisoner of war, Vol 2, No. 25, May 1944
Includes: editors comments; for sailors and seamen (Marlag und Milag Nord camps); official reports from the camps; the letters they write home; groups from the camps; [two pages missing] income tax relief; how they help (fundraising at home);…
The prisoner of war, Vol 3, No. 27, July 1944
Includes: editorial matters; our sketch club; official reports from camps; the letters they write home; pictures of camp life; groups from the camps; exam results; when they come back; the brighter side; parcels greet repatriates; how they help…
The prisoner of war, Vol 3, No. 31, November 1944
Includes: editorial news; the food they like; the brighter side; the letters they write home; official reports from the camps; scenes from camp shows; notes on Oflag Va; how they help (fundraising at home); three men of the spearhead; examination…
The prisoner of war, Vol 3, No. 32, December 1944
Includes: Christmas message from the Princess Royal; editorial matters; speed up at Marseilles (of parcels); [two pages missing] photographs of groups from camps; official reports from camps; the brighter side; the Donoughmore club; news of…
Desert photographs
1. An airman outside a tent with a billy can, captioned '"Pop" Bobby - 104 Sqdn visiting for tea. Ditched in Med after Naples Raid. Drowned'.
2. Airman in shorts digging, captioned 'Making a new home'.
3. Airman standing at the entrance to his…
2. Airman in shorts digging, captioned 'Making a new home'.
3. Airman standing at the entrance to his…
Oil's Well
Discusses in detail an operation to attack the Ploesti oilfields in Romania. At that time he was based in Foggia, Italy. They had an issue with the airframe of the Wellington twisting due to a mismatch in the fuel tanks. On another operation a…
If you can't take a joke...
A detailed account of Ken Thomas's life from his early years at school, through his ground crew technical training followed by his aircrew training, operational tour, short post war service and his civilian career, he revised the account in 2005.
Interview with Ernest James White
James White worked as a wages clerk for the Co-op before volunteering for the Air Force. He had intended to join the navy but he saw some recruits being shouted at so he turned around and crossed the corridor to join the RAF. He had always had an…
Interview with Jim Weston. One
Jim Weston joined the Royal Air Force because he wanted to become a radio mechanic. While training at Blackpool as air gunner wireless operator, he remustered as a pilot. Remembers being posted to 23 Squadron at RAF Little Snoring, where he carried…
Interview with Henry Wolfe Wagner. Two
Henry’s aircraft was shot down when the fuel tank exploded on the starboard wing and came down in Holland. Henry was the only member of the crew to bail out. Their target had been the armament works in Duisburg. Henry drifted across the River…
Interview with Arthur Vickers
Arthur Vickers worked for the Coop before he volunteered for the Air Force. After training he completed an tour of operations as a flight engineer. He discusses life on the station and on operations including a trip when they though they might have…
Interview with Ernie Tillbrook
Ernest Hector Angelo Pedrazzini was the son of an Italian father and an English mother. After the war he changed his name to Tillbrook. Ernie’s father escaped from a prison camp during the First World War and finding his way to Russia and…
Interview with Dennis Swains
In 1936, Dennis went to Dr Challoner’s Grammar School in Amersham, where an Air Training Corps was formed. At seventeen, he got a job with the North British and Mercantile Insurance company. He visited Halton with the Air Training Corps each…
Interview with Walter Raymond Stevenson
Walter Raymond Stevenson volunteered for the RAF as soon as he was eighteen and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner, learning Morse code at RAF Yatesbury. He flew with 'sprog' pilots as they trained and was posted to Number 3 Air Gunnery School…
Interview with Tony Snook
Tony Snook was an air gunner and served on 115 Squadron in the later stages of the Second World War. A member of the school air training corps, he had his first experience of flight when his squadron partook in a summer camp. He describes how an…
Interview with Geoff Rushton
Geoff Rushton worked as a bank clerk before he volunteered for the Air Force. He trained as a navigator in Canada and after crewing up flew 20 operations with 15 Squadron from RAF Mildenhall. He and his crew were then posted to 186 Squadron at RAF…
Interview with David Rose
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 during…
Interview with Hilary Robinson
Hilary Robinson grew up in Yorkshire and volunteered for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She trained as a driver and served at RAF Elsham Wolds and at 1 Group Headquarters at Bawtry Hall. She married and lived on a farm after the war.
Interview with Geoff Packham
Geoff’s father had been in the Royal Flying Corps and Geoff joined the Royal Air Force at RAF Cardington. He was posted to various stations before going to Halifax in Canada to train as a pilot on Tiger Moths and then Oxfords.
On his return, Geoff…
On his return, Geoff…
Interview with Arthur Nicholson
Arthur was released from his reserved occupation as an apprentice engineer to join the Royal Air Force. After St John’s Wood, he underwent some basic training at RAF Bridlington and RAF Usworth before going on an engineering course at RAF St Athan…