Description
Object description
A collection of papers relating to his service as an NCO with 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (later Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 1935) (1931 – 1942) and as a Sergeant in the Glider Pilot Regiment, Army Air Corps (1942 – 1950) before his return to the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1950 – 1954) as SQMS and later Colour Sergeant, including; service papers including his Attestation form (January 1931), when he joined as a drummer boy; Army Books 64, Regular Army Certificate of Service, details of postings; two RAF Pilot's Flying Log Books (December 1943 – March 1951), following his volunteering for the Glider Pilot Regiment, Army Air Corps, with an entry for his co-piloting a Horsa Glider to Arnhem as part of Operation Market (17 September 1944, 'One Way Only'), and a Dakota (C47) in Korea (January 1951); letters written to Lyons' wife concerning his capture at Arnhem including a ms letter (3pp) written by Lyons' co-pilot, S/Sergeant W B Denholm, describing how he was injured and presumed captured at Arnhem (October 1944), a letter informing her that he was missing, a ms letter (2pp) from his commanding officer (October 1944), and from the Regimental Paymaster (December 1944), notification that he was a Prisoner of War in Stammlager XIB in Germany (December 1944), correspondence from the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem regarding POW correspondence and Next of Kin Parcels; six ms letters/postcards written by Lyons to his wife from Stalag XIB, Fallingbostel (October 1944) and Stalag VIIIC, Sagan (November 1944 – January 1945) giving details of his recovery, playing music and being the music librarian; a Christmas Day Menu (December 1944) with details of cake ingredients and signed by Lyons and two friends; five ms letters including three V Mail letters from No 1 Repatriation Centre France, and Paris following his liberation (April 1945). Together with three exercise books (c.140pp, 1946) containing training notes relating to principles of flight, aircraft maintenance, navigation, air photography, and gliders, a ts Tiger Moth Starting Procedure (1p), a Pilot's Check List for Horsa, Hamilcar and Hadrian Gliders (2pp), a Daily Inspection Airframe guide for Horsa Gliders (3pp), Glider Pilots' Flying Test Marking Sheet (3pp, two copies, October 1947), a Programme for the Glider Pilot Regiment Flying Competition, RAF Station, Booker (5pp, October 1949), five photographs of him in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1943) including his wedding day and a group photograph signed by all those present, seven photographs of him in the Glider Pilot Regiment, including photos of gliders and flying, and a group photograph of No 79 Course, an American Bible Society New Testament presented to him on his liberation by the American Third Army whilst on a forced march (April 1945), a guide to Paris, and a photocopy of an obituary (2pp, 1989), detailing his military career.
Content description
A collection of papers relating to his service as an NCO with 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (later Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 1935) (1931 – 1942) and as a Sergeant in the Glider Pilot Regiment, Army Air Corps (1942 – 1950) before his return to the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1950 – 1954) as SQMS and later Colour Sergeant, including; service papers including his Attestation form (January 1931), when he joined as a drummer boy; Army Books 64, Regular Army Certificate of Service, details of postings; two RAF Pilot's Flying Log Books (December 1943 – March 1951), following his volunteering for the Glider Pilot Regiment, Army Air Corps, with an entry for his co-piloting a Horsa Glider to Arnhem as part of Operation Market (17 September 1944, 'One Way Only'), and a Dakota (C47) in Korea (January 1951); letters written to Lyons' wife concerning his capture at Arnhem including a ms letter (3pp) written by Lyons' co-pilot, S/Sergeant W B Denholm, describing how he was injured and presumed captured at Arnhem (October 1944), a letter informing her that he was missing, a ms letter (2pp) from his commanding officer (October 1944), and from the Regimental Paymaster (December 1944), notification that he was a Prisoner of War in Stammlager XIB in Germany (December 1944), correspondence from the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem regarding POW correspondence and Next of Kin Parcels; six ms letters/postcards written by Lyons to his wife from Stalag XIB, Fallingbostel (October 1944) and Stalag VIIIC, Sagan (November 1944 – January 1945) giving details of his recovery, playing music and being the music librarian; a Christmas Day Menu (December 1944) with details of cake ingredients and signed by Lyons and two friends; five ms letters including three V Mail letters from No 1 Repatriation Centre France, and Paris following his liberation (April 1945). Together with three exercise books (c.140pp, 1946) containing training notes relating to principles of flight, aircraft maintenance, navigation, air photography, and gliders, a ts Tiger Moth Starting Procedure (1p), a Pilot's Check List for Horsa, Hamilcar and Hadrian Gliders (2pp), a Daily Inspection Airframe guide for Horsa Gliders (3pp), Glider Pilots' Flying Test Marking Sheet (3pp, two copies, October 1947), a Programme for the Glider Pilot Regiment Flying Competition, RAF Station, Booker (5pp, October 1949), five photographs of him in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1943) including his wedding day and a group photograph signed by all those present, seven photographs of him in the Glider Pilot Regiment, including photos of gliders and flying, and a group photograph of No 79 Course, an American Bible Society New Testament presented to him on his liberation by the American Third Army whilst on a forced march (April 1945), a guide to Paris, and a photocopy of an obituary (2pp, 1989), detailing his military career.
History note
Cataloguer SJO