Browse Items (231 total)

  • Tags: searchlight

BNashDCMNashDCMv1.pdf
Born in 1916, Dan spent his early childhood in Kent with his grandmother before moving back to his parents in Fulham. He left school aged 16 to undertake a job with the Hudson's Bay Fur Company, where he met Joyce, his future wife. At the outbreak of…

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YGeachDG1394781v5.pdf
Fifth and final diary kept by David Geach chronicling his time training and on operations. He writes about his return from Canada on the Queen Elizabeth then his training in England which began with arriving at the Posting Centre in Pannal Ash,…

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AGrayCJ151017.mp3
Jeff Gray was a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire when he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He trained to fly in Texas and completed 30 operations as a pilot with 61 Squadron. After leaving the RAF he worked for BOAC flying Yorks and VC10s.

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PMasonAE1801.jpg
Bert Mason was born in Germany and worked in light engineering and driving ambulances before joining the RAF in 1942. He started training as a navigator then joined a crew and became an air gunner on 195 Squadron at RAF Wratting Common. He tells of…

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AOwenA150603.mp3
Aneurin ‘Taff’ Owen was born neat Dolgellau, near Penmaenpool in Wales, and joined the Royal Air Force in 1942, aged 18. Taff was a farmer’s son and, as such, was put into a reserved occupation, so some of the areas of the Royal Air Force were…

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AWhiteEJ161027.mp3
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, when he saw some recruits being shouted at, he turned around and crossed the corridor to join the RAF. He had always had an…

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PHammondBF1901.jpg
Upon volunteering for aircrew, Bert Hammond completed basic training and formed a crew at 26 Operational Training Unit, RAF Wing. He joined 514 Squadron based at RAF Waterbeach and completed 30 operations, before instructing at RAF Manby. Despite…

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PSmithDA1901.jpg
Douglas Smith grew up in Bressingham, Norfolk. He joined the Royal Air Force in October 1940, at the age of 19, and trained as a wireless operator. He joined a crew on Wellingtons at No 10 Operational Training Unit, RAF Abingdon, before converting to…

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PCoxJ1606.jpg
John Cox grew up in Lincolnshire and worked in banking before he joined the Royal Air Force. After training as a pilot in the United States, he served as an instructor for almost three years. He flew 20 operations as a pilot with 626 Squadron, from…

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PBrookM1702.jpg
Maurice grew up Rothwell in Yorkshire, joined the Air Training Corp, and then joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18, after spending time with Cambridge University Air Squadron. He completed his pilot training in Canada before going to the…

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PJonesMH1601.jpg
Mervyn Jones is a miner's son from Wales. His father wanted a different life to that of a miner for his son and the family moved away to Slough where there was plenty of work. Mervyn had always had trouble with his ears and so his father assumed he…

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PLiddlePAF1601.jpg
Peter Liddle was living in Falkirk when he and his twin brother both volunteered for the RAF. Peter became a bomb aimer and was posted to 460 Squadron at RAF Binbrook. He was shot down and, as he was descending by parachute, he could see his burning…

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ADellowJA170617.mp3
James ‘Jim’ Albert Dellow had to register the start of the war he as he was 18 years old. On being asked which service he would prefer, he opted for the Royal Air Force as a pilot. Whilst waiting for his call up, he worked in an insurance office…

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AHackerHA170819.mp3
Harry Hacker first came into contact with aeroplanes at the age of 16, whilst working as an apprentice for Rootes Motor Group who were making Wellington aircraft. He was a member of the Home Guard and, after applying to join the RAF, went for basic…

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ASampsonJ150821.mp3
James Sampson volunteered for the RAF, trained as a navigator and became a specialist on H2S. He survived three write-offs of his aircraft, including once when the wheels had been shot away. His bomb aimer had a very near miss when shrapnel hit the…

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ANicholsonD151002-01.mp3
Don was a Flight Engineer with No 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron in 1944-45 at RAF Dunholme Lodge and later at RAF Spilsby, and completed 31 operations, which he lists. He recounts how, having arrived for the briefing for his first operation, he was grounded…

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BBriggsDWNealeWv1.pdf
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…

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BCochraneDHCochraneDHv1.pdf
A detailed account of when his Lancaster 'Q', ND392, was attacked by an enemy aircraft. He repeatedly travelled the length of the aircraft to assist the air gunners.
The second part describes an operation when a great number of aircraft were lost…

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MCochraneDH1395422-160412-04.pdf
A handwritten list of Don Cochrane's first tour. It comprises a short paragraph for each of the 29 operations he undertook. Included are four maps with bombs indicating his targets.

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BFraserDKFraserDKv1.pdf
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.

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Dairy extracts by Flight Lieutenant Doug Hawker D.F.C., Arthur Dawson's pilot. The extracts record the main points of the crews' operations. Their first operation was to Juvisy on 18 April 1944, their last was to Bordeaux 10 August 1944, when they…

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BScottEWScottEWv1.pdf
The memoir contains details of Eric’s wartime career between 1939-1946. It covers his initial training, elementary flying training and his journey to the US for further training. During this time, he sustained an injury which curtailed his pilot…

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SKingEJ182986v10050.jpg
Three items, Edward's description of the operation against the marshalling yards, he describes the events, flak and conditions over the target. Edwards navigation plot, a newspaper clipping describes the allied air activity including against Louvain.

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SKingEJ182986v10034.jpg
Four items, Edward's description of the operation, comments that their D.R. compass went U/S over their base, lots of searchlights but not so much anti-aircraft fire. Edwards nav plot, the expected H2S plot over Essen. Newspaper cuttings describing…

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BOlenynEOlenynEv1.pdf
An autobiography of Eugeniusz Olenyn's life.
The first part of the memoir talks of the many trials Genek went through both in attempting to rejoin his Polish Air Force unit and, once the Germans overran the country, escape to England.
Ganek…

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