Description
Object description
Ts memoir (209pp, undated) of his wartime service as a pilot with Bomber Command, describing a pre-war visit to Germany (summer 1938, living with his parents in Norbury, South London, and working in the City of London as a trainee accountant during the Phoney War and the Blitz, during which he joined the LDV (summer 1940) before volunteering for the RAF (spring 1941), his aircrew training at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, and then in Lyttleton, Witbank and Kimberley, South Africa (June 1941 - March 1943), before returning to England (May 1943), his postings to No 11 (Pilot) ATU at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire (June - August 1943), No 30 OTU at RAF Hixon, No 1656 HCU, RAF Lindholme and No 1 Lancaster Flying School at RAF Hemswell (August 1943 - April 1944), his operational postings to No 550 Squadron, RAF North Killingholme, Lincolnshire (May - June 1944), No 12 Squadron, RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire (Jun - August 1944), No 582 (PFF) Squadron, RAF Little Staughton (September - November 1944), his return to No 12 Squadron (November 1944 - January 1945), his posting as an instructor to No 27 OTU, RAF Lichfield (February - June 1945) and No 30 OTU, RAF Moreton-in-the-Marsh (June 1945 - January 1946), with useful details about the Battle of Britain, the impact of the Blitz on South London, during which his home was destroyed (20 October 1940), the arduous journey to South Africa onboard the SS ORMONDE (spring 1942), the South African pilots with whom he trained, flying Tiger Moths, Oxfords, Wellingtons and Halifaxes during training and Lancasters on operations, his wedding (August 1943), the low morale and bureaucracy that he encountered within the RAF at various stages such as the unexplained splitting up of his crew (May 1944) and his wife being wrongly informed on two occasions that he had been killed in action, his commissions as Pilot Officer (February 1944) and then Flying Officer (June 1944), operations over enemy occupied Europe and Germany (May 1944 - January 1945), his elation at finishing his tour of operations, his award of the DFC (January 1945) (although he did not find out for a further year), and his decision to stay in the RAF after the war as an accountant. Also contains eleven contemporaneous photocopied pages from his flying log book.
Content description
Ts memoir (209pp, undated) of his wartime service as a pilot with Bomber Command, describing a pre-war visit to Germany (summer 1938, living with his parents in Norbury, South London, and working in the City of London as a trainee accountant during the Phoney War and the Blitz, during which he joined the LDV (summer 1940) before volunteering for the RAF (spring 1941), his aircrew training at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, and then in Lyttleton, Witbank and Kimberley, South Africa (June 1941 - March 1943), before returning to England (May 1943), his postings to No 11 (Pilot) ATU at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire (June - August 1943), No 30 OTU at RAF Hixon, No 1656 HCU, RAF Lindholme and No 1 Lancaster Flying School at RAF Hemswell (August 1943 - April 1944), his operational postings to No 550 Squadron, RAF North Killingholme, Lincolnshire (May - June 1944), No 12 Squadron, RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire (Jun - August 1944), No 582 (PFF) Squadron, RAF Little Staughton (September - November 1944), his return to No 12 Squadron (November 1944 - January 1945), his posting as an instructor to No 27 OTU, RAF Lichfield (February - June 1945) and No 30 OTU, RAF Moreton-in-the-Marsh (June 1945 - January 1946), with useful details about the Battle of Britain, the impact of the Blitz on South London, during which his home was destroyed (20 October 1940), the arduous journey to South Africa onboard the SS ORMONDE (spring 1942), the South African pilots with whom he trained, flying Tiger Moths, Oxfords, Wellingtons and Halifaxes during training and Lancasters on operations, his wedding (August 1943), the low morale and bureaucracy that he encountered within the RAF at various stages such as the unexplained splitting up of his crew (May 1944) and his wife being wrongly informed on two occasions that he had been killed in action, his commissions as Pilot Officer (February 1944) and then Flying Officer (June 1944), operations over enemy occupied Europe and Germany (May 1944 - January 1945), his elation at finishing his tour of operations, his award of the DFC (January 1945) (although he did not find out for a further year), and his decision to stay in the RAF after the war as an accountant. Also contains eleven contemporaneous photocopied pages from his flying log book.
History note
Cataloguer KM
History note
Catalogue date 2006-04-27