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Interview with Ken Johnson. One
Kenneth Alfred Johnson joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19, after being in a reserved occupation making barrage balloon cables. He trained as an air gunner, serving as a mid-upper gunner. He spent time at the Operational Training Unit, flying…
Interview with Ken Johnson. Two
Ken Johnson was born in Doncaster. At the start of the war the family was living in Sheffield but his father decided to move the family back to Doncaster, to avoid bombing. Ken started work as a joiner and later made cables for barrage balloons.…
Interview with Alma Leedham
Alma Leedham grew up in London and worked for Hawker aircraft on the Hurricane at the start of the war. She later trained as a driver in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and served at RAF Scampton driving tractors taking bombs to the aircraft. Alma…
Interview with Vera Willis
Vera Willis nee Tomlinson volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force because she wanted to be a driver. Her driving career in the RAF involved driving long distances as well as driving aircrew to dispersal. Some crew gave her letters for…
Interview with John Philip Lambourn
John Lambourn joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, after working at Stewart Turners with engines and pumps. He was classed as working in a reserved occupation, but joined the Air Training Corp whilst waiting to sign up for the Royal Air…
Interview with Stuart Stephenson MBE
Stuart was five when war broke out and recalls some of his early memories. In the early 1970s the Lancaster PA474 was flown to RAF Waddington from RAF Henlow, ostensibly to be a gate guardian. In 1973 the Lincolnshire Echo announced that it was to be…
Interview with Lesley Joseph Loosemoore
Les Loosemore describes his upbringing and employment history in Swansea before joining the war in 1945. He describes the Blitz in Swansea before training to be a mid upper gunner for 61 Squadron. He describes his rather intensive training, including…
Interview with Peter Miller
Peter was called up in November 1943 and, after basic training, was sent to RAF Halton to train as a flight mechanic. Whilst there he had several dangerous incidents during small arms training. He was, initially, posted to 527 Squadron, which was …
Interview with Reg Spencer
Wembley born but educated in Essex, Reg Spencer left school in 1939. In 1943, on his 18th birthday, he was called up for National Service. Following initial training at RAF Bridlington he was trained as a wireless operator at No. 2 Radio School at…
Robert Anderson's memoir
Robert Anderson describes his training in Tasmania and Canada, and his tour of operations to targets in France and Germany with 106 Squadron.
Aircrew and Lancaster
Seven airmen standing in front of a Lancaster. In the background a lorry and engine trestles.
Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
He writes of his night flying duties and a taxiing accident.
Waddington
Kenneth Pope and two crew members with a motor vehicle in back ground. Captioned 'Bill Ken Mal'.
An air gunner standing in front of a small tree with a building behind. Captioned 'Mal R. Gun'. Both are captioned 'Waddington Just before a cross…
An air gunner standing in front of a small tree with a building behind. Captioned 'Mal R. Gun'. Both are captioned 'Waddington Just before a cross…
Lancaster and bombs
Three photographs, one captioned 'Bill Maurer W.O.P.' shows him in flying kit, sitting on one of a row of bombs. The second captioned 'Y for Yoke', shows the Lancaster on its dispersal, bomb doors open, group of figures under starboard wing. Third…
Lancaster PO-Y and bombs
Three photographs, one shows a loaded bomb trolley with two ground personnel with four dispersed Lancasters in background. Second shows Lancaster PO-Y on it's dispersal, row of bombs on grass, two dispersed Lancasters in background. Third is a target…
Lancaster PO-Y and runway caravan
Two photographs, one showing starboard side of Lancaster PO-Y, on it's dispersal undergoing servicing. The second showing three aircrew, in uniform smoking with runway caravan and another vehicle in the background.
Interview with Audrey Hazel Baker
Audrey Baker had been married to Gordon, her Bomber Command pilot husband for two years when he was killed in action. Gordon had been serving with 50 Squadron. She immediately joined the WAAF as a driver and was posted to Balloon Command. She drove…
RAF Aqir
Top left - a group of 13 airmen in tropical uniform on the front of a small fabric covered lorry. There is a Nissen hut in the background. Captioned, ’32 Sqdn Boy’s Aqir’.
Top right - three men in tropical uniform. Two have rifles (with…
Top right - three men in tropical uniform. Two have rifles (with…
RAF Ramat David
Top left - a group of six airmen in tropical uniform on the front of a small lorry. There is a white Nissen hut in the background. Captioned ‘Arthur, Len, Gilly, Ken, Bob & Vic Ramat David 1946’. Top right - section of a wooden propeller with…
RAF Ramat David
Top left - five lorries and some buildings. The foreground has a road and rough grass. Captioned ’32 sqdn MT Ramat David’. Top right - in the foreground a white building with aircraft and other buildings behind. Captioned ‘A. &. B. Flight’.…
Four airmen in front of an ambulance
Four airmen leaning against the back of an ambulance. All dressed in desert uniform, two in shorts, one with no top. One smoking. On the reverse caption ‘Vic “Pat” Jock. Ramat David’.
Cairo and Egypt
Top left - three pyramids with the largest on the right. Captioned 'Pyramids of Giza'. Top right - in the centre the Sphinx with two pyramids behind. Captioned 'The Sphinx of Giza with the pyramids of Cheops & Kephern [sic]'. Centre - street scene…
Ramat David
Top left - three buildings in the middle distance with scrub in foreground. Captioned 'A & B Flight'. Top right - a number of buildings in the middle distance with hills in the background. Captioned '32 Squadron Dispersal'. Middle left - in the…
Hadera, Ramat David and Trans Jordan
Top left - 11 men in swimming gear. They are up to their knees in water. Behind are rocks. Captioned ‘Amongst the rocks Hadera’. Top centre - five airmen in desert uniform with long trousers. In the background a building and vehicles. Captioned…
Ein Shemer 1946
Top left - an airman wearing desert uniform with shorts sitting on a motorbike, in the background Nissen huts. Captioned 'On the bike at Ein Shemer'. Top centre - five airmen sitting in a jeep with goal posts in the background. Captioned 'Fred,…