David Carter]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Photograph]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1941]]> 1943-04]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1945-01-19]]> Centre, a group of seven airmen standing under the fuselage of a Lancaster, wearing Mae Wests, annotated from left 'Jack Crawford, Doug Looms, Dave Cook, Tom Dykins, Bert Jackson, Paul Thompson (the family do not think this is Paul - but I'm not so sure - Ed) Stan Jones', labelled 'The Crew in the last days';
Top right, a close up of Jack's head annotated 'Jack Crawford R.I.P';
Bottom left; head and should portrait of a WAAF, annotated 'Edna's passport photograph';
Right centre, an airman wearing flying helmet with goggles, annotated 'Paul Thompson DFC R.I.P';
Bottom right an airman wearing a Mae West annotated 'Dave Cook R.I.P'.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available. ]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>
A group of 13 uniformed airmen arranged in two rows outside an open window in a tile fronted building. Seven are standing all with half caps with six seated in front, including two officers. The individuals are annotated, from the top left 'F/S's Spencer, Runl, Porter, Robertson, Sheperdson, Launder, Podborski' and front left ' Bercuson, Tees, P/O's Rolfe, Wittmack, Sgt's Crawford, Smith'. There are blue X's marked against Robertson, Bercuson, Tees and Wittmack. The image is further annotated 'C Squad WAGs 23.8.43';
A group of 27 men in uniform, 24 wearing training half caps, annotated 'Class 48D - 20 weeks on course', Two individuals are further annotated with an M and four with an X. The group is arranged in two rows, one of 18 standing and 9, seated in front;
Seven airmen in uniform, arranged in two rows. The back row are annotated 'Jack, Bert Jackson, Eric (?)' and the men in front, 'Stan Jones, Tom Dykins ad Dave Cook'. Labelled 'First Crew'.

Second row, from left,
A half portrait of John 'Jack' Crawford in his training half cap;
A man sat in an open topped two seater car with the number 7 on its side;
Jack in uniform, annotated 'In Paisley, Scotland';
Jack, in uniform, ststanding behind two two men and two women, annotated 'With uncle Bob's family in Paisley';
A head and shoulder portrait of Edna Crawford; Jack and Edna, both in uniform, annotated 'The Crawford's honeymoon';
A seated Jack in uniform, showing his warrant officer's badge;
Jack and Edna.

Third row, from left,
annotated 'The crashed Lancaster 29 August 1944';
A group of seven airmen standing under the fuselage of a Lancaster. They are wearing Mae Wests and annotated from left 'Jack Crawford, Doug Looms, Dave Cook, Tom Dykins, Bert Jackson, Paul Thompson (the family do not think this is Paul - but I'm not so sure - Ed) and Stan Jones. Labelled 'The crew in the last days';
A close up of jack's head annotated 'Jack Crawford R.I.P'.

Fourth row, from left;
Annotated 'Edna's passport photograph';
An airman wearing flying helmet with goggles, annotated 'Paul Thompson DFC R.I.P'.

Bottom right an airman wearing a Mae West annotated 'Dave Cook R.I.P'.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available. ]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Renfrewshire]]> Renfrewshire--Paisley]]>
A group of 13 uniformed airmen arranged in two rows outside an open window in a tile fronted building. Seven standing all with half caps and six seated in front, including two officers. The individuals are annotated, from the top left 'F/S's Spencer, Runl, Porter, Roberston, Sheperdson, Launder, Podborski' and front left ' Bercuson, Tees, P/O's Rolfe, Wittmack, Sgt's Crawford and Smith'. There are blue X's marked against Robertson, Bercuson, Tees and Wittmack. The image is further annotated 'C Squad WAGs 23.8.43';

A group of 27 men in uniform, 24 wearing training half caps, Two individuals are annotated with an M and four with an X. The group is arranged in two rows, one of 18 standing and 9, seated in front; Annotated 'Class 48D - 20 weeks on course Missing and fatalities marked by Jack.',

Seven airmen in uniform, arranged in two rows The back row are annotated 'Jack, Bert Jackson, Eric (?)' and the men in front, 'Stan Jones, Tom Dykins ad Dave Cook'. Labelled 'First Crew'.

From bottom left,
A half portrait of John 'Jack' Crawford in his training half cap;
A man sat in an open topped two seater car with the number 7 on its side;
Jack in uniform, annotated 'In Paisley, Scotland';
Jack, in uniform, stood behind two two men and two women, annotated 'With uncle Bob's family in Paisley';
A head and shoulder portrait of Edna Crawford;
Jack and Edna, both in uniform, annotated 'The Crawford's honeymoon';
A seated Jack in uniform, showing his warrant officer's badge;
Jack and Edna.

The page is labelled ' 1943-44'.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Renfrewshire]]> Renfrewshire--Paisley]]> 1943]]> 1943]]>

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> 1943-08-23]]>
Bottom left, a collection of autographs;
Centre left from top, a poem, leave pass, list of alcohol purchases and graduation banquet programme;
Centre right, sketches including King Neptune surrounding a citation;
Top right; leave pass;
Bottom right a permit to purchase liquor.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Calgary]]> New Zealand]]> New Zealand--Rotorua]]> 1943-02-04]]>

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
John 'Jack' Crawford]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Calgary]]> Alberta--Edmonton]]> British Columbia]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> Manitoba]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Nova Scotia]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> Ontario]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> Québec]]> Québec--Montréal]]> Saskatchewan]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Most]]> France]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Darmstadt]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Heilbronn]]> Germany--Hörstel]]> Germany--Kaiserslautern]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Great Britain]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Norway]]> Norway--Trondheim]]> Panama]]> Panama--Panama Canal]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> United States]]> Illinois]]> Illinois--Chicago]]> New York (State)]]> New York (State)--New York]]> 1942-06-11]]> 1942-06-20]]> 1942-06-22]]> 1942-07-14]]> 1942-07-21]]> 1943-03-06]]> 1943-04-02]]> 1943-05-03]]> 1943-12-16]]> 1944-08-30]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-27]]> 1944-09-28]]> 1944-10-05]]> 1944-10-06]]> 1944-10-07]]> 1944-10-11]]> 1944-10-17]]> 1944-10-18]]> 1944-10-19]]> 1944-10-20]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-11-11]]> 1944-11-12]]> 1944-11-22]]> 1944-11-23]]> 1944-11-26]]> 1944-11-27]]> 1944-12-04]]> 1944-12-05]]> 1944-12-10]]> 1944-12-11]]> 1944-12-31]]> 1945-01-03]]> 1945-01-04]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-01-07]]> 1945-01-08]]> 1945-01-16]]> 1945-01-17]]> 1945-02-17]]> 1945-03-01]]> 1945-03-02]]>

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> MCrawfordJ416818-13]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Calgary]]> New Zealand]]> New Zealand--Hamilton]]> 1943-03]]>

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Edna Ruth Crawford-Harris]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hörstel]]> New Zealand]]> New Zealand--Hamilton]]> Canada]]> Alberta]]> Alberta--Calgary]]> Québec]]> Québec--Montréal]]> 1943-03-03]]> 1943-03-04]]>
Having completed their training in the spring of 1944 they crossed to Britain on the New Amsterdam. Due to the quantity of chocolate Rex had consumed on the crossing the medical staff thought that he had an appendicitis and he was admitted to a hospital in Glasgow on arrival at Gourock. The hospital was initially empty so Rex was treated very well but shortly after his arrival the wounded from the D Day invasion started to arrive and Rex was found fit enough to join 223 Squadron at RAF Oulton which were flying the B-24. Rex was not too impressed with the aircraft as they were war weary veterans cast off from the 8th US Army Air Force. Although Rex was trained as a Wireless operator / air gunner he flew all his operations as a wireless operator. Rex remembers that his main duties were to listen out for weather diversions he also remembers that there was a piece of equipment that he had that showed aircraft close to them which was very unreliable, probably Fishpond. In August 1944 223 Squadron became part of 100 Group flying radio countermeasures, jamming the German radar and communications frequencies. Rex relates how the squadron aircraft would sometimes leave the main force bomber stream and head for another potential target dropping Window to divide the fighter defences.
Rex flew 20 operations with his crew and related that on one operation to Berlin they were getting short of fuel so diverted to the crash runway at RAF Manston and the groundcrew told them that they only had enough fuel for two minutes of flight. In February 1945 he developed bronchitis and was grounded by the medical staff. On the next operation that crew were shot down over Germany and all the flight deck crew died the navigator and one of the beam gunners managed to bale out. Rex relates that if he had been on the operation he would have died. He was told by the surviving beam gunner that the second beam gunner never wore his parachute harness on operations and was last seen trying to find his harness.
While he was recuperating his late captain’s brother came to visit the squadron he was flying the C47 transporting equipment to Europe and Rex manage to get himself two flights to Brussels. On his return to flying duties Rex only flew two more operations before the European war ended in May. He comments that his captain for those two flights was a Lord Briscoe.
Rex relates that on one of his leave periods he was walking out in the country and a low flying V-1 passed overhead and the engine stopped and it landed and exploded in a field close by.
Rex did not return to Canada until December 1945 crossing in the Queen Elizabeth. He returned to Toronto married the girl that he was writing to during his time in Great Britain. He worked for a small company manufactured high voltage lighting equipment as a salesman until he retired.
]]>
Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Trevor Hardcastle]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Bahamas]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Bahamas--Nassau]]> England--Kent]]> England--Norfolk]]> Germany--Berlin]]> 1945]]>
Richard Yates]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> France]]> France--Brest]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> France--Boulogne-Billancourt]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Lorient]]> 1940-10-01]]> 1941-02]]> 1941-04]]> 1941-06]]> 1941-08]]> 1941-08-16]]> 1941-11]]> 1941-11-24]]> 1941-11-30]]> 1942-01-06]]> 1942-02]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-13]]> 1942-05-08]]> 1942-06-08]]> Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for David Charles Davies from November 1940 to 24 March 1948 detailing his training, operational and post conflict duties. Training was with No.5 Air Observer's School at RAF Jurby and Operational Training Units at RAF Finningley and RAF Bircotes. Aircraft flown in were, Dominie, Proctor, Blenhiem, Anson, Wellington, Manchester, Oxford, Lancaster, Halifax and Stirling, He flew a total of 59 operations all with 61 Squadron, 11 daylight and 48 night operations. Pilots flown with were Pilot Officer Clarke, Flight Sergeant Turner, Squadron Leader Deas, Flight Officer Foster and Squadron Leader Beard. David flew as bomb aimer in 52 operations, wireless operator/gunner in five and air gunner in two. The operations were to Paris, Lorient, Essen, Cologne, Lübeck, Hamburg, Saarbrücken, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Kassel, Nuremberg, Saarlouis, Karlsruhe, Bremen, Duisburg, Wismar, Aachen, Genoa, Milan, Berlin, Leipzig, Schweinfurt, Stuttgart, Châteauroux, Toulouse, Tours, Brunswick, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Saumur, Cherbourg, St. Pierre du Mont (Landes), Argentan, Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), Caen, Donges, Creil, in the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean and North Sea including anti sub patrols, convoy escort and dinghy search.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> France--Lorient]]> France--Toulouse]]> France--Tours]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Caen]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Saarlouis]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Wismar]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Châteauroux]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Saint-Médard-en-Jalles]]> France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)]]> France--Argentan]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Donges]]> France--Creil]]> Ireland]]> Ireland--Waterford]]> Scotland--Drem]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> 1942-02-24]]> 1942-02-25]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-10]]> 1942-03-11]]> 1942-03-13]]> 1942-03-14]]> 1942-04-28]]> 1942-04-29]]> 1942-04-08]]> 1942-04-09]]> 1942-07-23]]> 1942-07-26]]> 1942-07-29]]> 1942-07-30]]> 1942-07-31]]> 1942-08-01]]> 1942-08-13]]> 1942-08-15]]> 1942-08-18]]> 1942-08-19]]> 1942-08-21]]> 1942-08-24]]> 1942-08-25]]> 1942-08-27]]> 1942-08-28]]> 1942-08-29]]> 1942-09-01]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-03]]> 1942-09-04]]> 1942-09-05]]> 1942-09-06]]> 1942-09-07]]> 1942-09-08]]> 1942-09-09]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]> 1942-09-13]]> 1942-09-14]]> 1942-09-16]]> 1942-09-17]]> 1942-10-01]]> 1942-10-02]]> 1942-10-05]]> 1942-10-06]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-13]]> 1942-10-22]]> 1942-10-23]]> 1942-10-24]]> 1942-11-07]]> 1942-11-08]]> 1942-11-17]]> 1942-11-18]]> 1942-11-20]]> 1942-11-21]]> 1943-05-22]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1943-12-21]]> 1943-12-23]]> 1943-12-24]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-05-06]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-03]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1943-12-23]]> 1943-12-24]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-05-06]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-03]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-03]]> Ivan Ure]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Royal Air Force]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Wales--Colwyn Bay]]> England--London]]> England--Lancing]]> England--Blackpool]]> Scotland--Edzell]]> Scotland--Arbroath]]> England--Whitley Bay]]> Germany]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France]]> France--Le Tréport]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Poland--Świnoujście]]> Poland--Białogard]]> Europe--Elbe River]]> Germany--Lüneburg]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Ivan Ure]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Royal Navy]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Isle of Wight]]> Norway]]> Scotland--Argyllshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Westbourne (West Sussex)]]> England--London]]> England--Hayling Island]]> England--Evenley]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Blackpool]]> Germany]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> Lithuania]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Poland--Białogard]]> Poland--Pyrzyce (Powiat)]]> Germany--Lauenburg]]> Germany--Lüneburg]]> Germany--Rheine]]> England--London]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Ireland]]> Ireland--Dublin]]> Ireland--Cork]]> Austria]]> Austria--Vienna]]> Libya]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Egypt--Jīzah]]> Egypt--Port Said]]> Kuwait]]> Bahrain]]> Iran]]> Iran--Tehran]]> Scotland--Oban]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Hampshire]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Saarlouis]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Wismar]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Châteauroux]]> France--Toulouse]]> France--Tours]]> France--Saint-Médard-en-Jalles]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Cherbourg]]> France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)]]> France--Argentan]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Caen]]> France--Donges]]> France--Creil]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> France--Châteauroux]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> 1942-02-24]]> 1942-02-25]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-10]]> 1942-03-11]]> 1942-03-13]]> 1942-03-14]]> 1942-03-28]]> 1942-03-29]]> 1942-04-08]]> 1942-04-09]]> 1942-07-23]]> 1942-07-26]]> 1942-07-29]]> 1942-07-30]]> 1942-07-31]]> 1942-08-01]]> 1942-08-13]]> 1942-08-15]]> 1942-08-18]]> 1942-08-19]]> 1942-08-21]]> 1942-08-24]]> 1942-08-25]]> 1942-08-27]]> 1942-08-28]]> 1942-08-29]]> 1942-09-01]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-03]]> 1942-09-04]]> 1942-09-06]]> 1942-09-07]]> 1942-09-08]]> 1942-09-09]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]> 1942-09-13]]> 1942-09-14]]> 1942-09-16]]> 1942-09-17]]> 1942-10-01]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1942-10-05]]> 1942-10-06]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-13]]> 1942-10-22]]> 1942-10-23]]> 1942-10-24]]> 1942-11-07]]> 1942-11-08]]> 1942-11-17]]> 1942-11-18]]> 1942-11-20]]> 1942-11-21]]> 1943-05-22]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1943-12-21]]> 1943-12-23]]> 1942-12-24]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-03]]> 1944-06-04]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-03]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Stevenage]]> 1943-02]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> 1943-02]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Stevenage]]> 1943]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> There is a second copy.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> He then went back to Yatesbury for an aircrew wireless operators course then on to Penrhos for an Air Observers and gunners course. From there John went to 10 OTU at Abingdon, while there he flew on one of the 1,000 bomber operations in a Whitley flying from Stanton Harcourt.
Having finished his course John was posted to 10 Squadron at RAF Leeming, still on the Whitley, the squadron converted to the Halifax, John flew in the Halifax II fitted with Merlin engines. The squadron then moved to RAF Melbourne, in Sept/Oct 1942 John’s crew were posted to Leeming to a new squadron No 408 (RCAF) as part of 6 Group.
On an operation to Hamburg 2/3 February 1943 John’s aircraft was badly damaged and the crew baled out, he recounts the difficulties of bailing out from an out of control aircraft. He landed in a tree and evaded capture for three days.
As a prisoner of war, he exchanged identities with a soldier. He was also on one of the long marches from January to April. ]]>
Stevenage Heritage Project]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Trevor Hardcastle]]> Pending OH transcription]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1943-02-02]]> 1943-02-03]]> 1945]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Great Britain. Ministry of Defence]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Retie]]> Belgium--Antwerp]]> 1942-05-31]]>
Fleetwood Chronical]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Fleetwood]]> 1943-08-20]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]>