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Interview with Derry Derrington
Dr Arnold Pearce Derrington grew up in Cornwall and joined the University Air Squadron at Exeter. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and completed training at RAF Ansty, South Africa, RAF West Freugh and RAF Moreton in the Marsh, where he trained…
Interview with Jim Auton
Jim Auton grew up on Royal Air Force stations and joined the Royal Air Force at 17. He trained as a pilot navigator and bomber at RAF Ansty near Coventry, then in South Africa under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He trained on B-24s at Lidder and,…
Interview with Christoph Wagner Brausewetter
Christoph Wagner Brausewetter (b.1929) recalls the hardships civilians endured inside a shelter, the risks involved and the fact they spent more time there than at home. He maintains that the worst year was 1943, when aircraft were no longer able to…
Interview with Cyril Abbotts
Cyril Abbotts volunteered for the Royal Air Force while he was an engineering apprentice with W T Avery at Smethwick. After his reception and basic training at Lord’s Cricket Ground, he trained as a pilot at RAF Bowden and Moose Jaw in Canada. On…
More war memories. The RAF bombing raids on Revigny
Describes how his aircraft was shot down on an operation to Revigny by an Me 110 night fighter. He baled out. and was captured. After being interrogated he became a prisoner of war. In February 1944, as the Russians advanced, he and his fellow…
Interview with Charlie Darby
Charlie Darby joined the Royal Air Force in September 1943 and describes, in great detail, his training as an air gunner/wireless operator on Wellingtons and Ansons at RAF Bridlington, RAF Bridgnorth, RAF Castle Kennedy, RAF Acaster Malbis and RAF…
Interview with George Haig
George Haigh was already a keen footballer when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force and became a physical training instructor. He was posted to RAF Morecambe, where he provided basic training to new recruits. He discusses the mixed level of…
Interview with Frank Wilcox
Frank Wilcox was born in Wales and worked in aircraft manufacturing. He was later called up and served in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Anzio and became a prisoner of war. When he was released and returned to the UK,…
Interview with Harry Parkins. One
Before the war, Harry Parkins had a variety of positions; he worked in furniture restoration in Hackney, sold bomb-damaged goods in Bethnal Green; worked for an engineering firm in Islington until it was bombed; and, finally, as an invoice and…
Interview with George Anderson
George Anderson was born in County Durham and worked in a grocery shop before he joined the Royal Air Force in 1943. At the end of the war, he flew operations from RAF Ludford Magna, as a wireless operator with 101 Squadron. In 1959 George and his…
Interview with Herbert Adams
Herbert Adams grew up in New South Wales, Australia and joined the Air Training Corps as soon as it was established. He later joined the Royal Australian Air Force and, after training, he completed a tour of operations as a navigator with 467…
Interview with Stephen Granville Bacon
Stephen joined the Royal Air Force in Kingston upon Hull. He wanted to be a pilot but became a mid-air gunner instead. He started at RAF Dalcross where he trained on Boulton Paul Defiant aircraft and went to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby on Lancasters.…
Interview with Eric Reginald Barton
Flying Officer Eric Barton flew operations with Bomber Command. Eric talks about the various aircraft he flew in, and recalls an incident at Banff in Scotland where, following a night exercise, his tyre blew out on landing. He gives an account of an…
Interview with Kenneth Cook
Wing Commander Kenneth Cook was born in Randwick, Gloucestershire. Whist at Marlings Grammar School, he joined the Air Training Corps. On the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Air Force and went to America under the Arnold Scheme for pilot…
Interview with George Eric Cromarty
George Cromarty joined the Royal Air Force as an AC2 and served as ground personnel before training as an air gunner. He flew operations as the rear gunner with 630 Squadron from RAF East Kirby. He discusses what operations and life on a station were…
Interview with Pat Hickton
Pat Hickton was born in New Zealand. His mother passed away when he was young and he spent his childhood in a number of foster and children’s homes until he started working on the railway. He volunteered for the RAF and began training as a rear…
Interview with Johnny Johnson. Two
George ‘Johnny’ Johnson was born in rural Lincolnshire. As a child he won a scholarship to Lord Wandsworth’s Agricultural College in Hampshire. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he volunteered for the Royal Air Force, and was selected…
Interview with Ken Macdonald
Ken had been in the Air Training Corps and enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942. He went to No. 2 Initial Training School at Bradfield Park and then to Marborough where he chose to be a wireless operator/air gunner. They flew on Wackett…
Interview with John McCredie
John successfully negotiated a transfer to the Royal Australian Air Force from the militia. There was an Initial Training School at Somers, followed by elementary flying training at Temora. He flew Oxfords at the Service Flying Training School at…
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 Laurie Woods
Flying Officer Laurie Woods DFC was born in Deloraine, Tasmania, in 1922. He grew up in Tasmania, and at the age of 18, despite being in a reserved occupation, he volunteered for Air Crew in the Royal Australian Air Force. Initially training in…
An interesting war
Memoir of the life of Arthur Spencer. Includes details of childhood and growing up. Continues with his joining the Royal Air Force and his training in the United States as a pilot and then navigator. Followed by training in England and then posting…
Interview with Thomas Waller
Thomas Waller volunteered for the Royal Air Force and hoped to be a driver. However, he undertook training as an armourer and was based, initially, at the Special Operations Executive 138 Squadron. He was posted to RAF Stradishall, RAF Wyton and RAF…
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 Frank Tolley
Frank Tolley was born in 1921 in Tipton and left school at 14, to work as a grocery errand boy. He joined the Royal Air Force at 19 as a ground gunner, and was in at the inception of the Royal Air Force Regiment. After 18 months he volunteered to…