A new project, broadcasting short audio and video snippets from extensive recordings with Second World War veterans, made whilst researching, writing, or publishing books.
1939/40
Bomber Command pilot Reg Barker recalls hearing Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s 3rd September 1939 radio broadcast declaring war against Germany, and Reg’s motivations for joining the air force. Reg’s full story features in the book Last Of the Kriegies.
During all my years of research, interviewing veterans, it never ceased to amaze me how little experience some RAF pilots had on Spitfires or Hurricanes before entering battle. Tony Iveson was one such pilot and here’s an excerpt from the interview with Tony recorded during the research for the book ‘Five of the Many’, in which Tony describes his initial training with a Spitfire. (Tony would go on to fly with Bomber Command hence his inclusion in the ‘Many’ book.) Tony had just ten hours of flying Spitfires in his logbook prior to joining an operational squadron.
Spitfire Ace Peter Olver recalls the hard-won experience he gained in October 1940, flying with 603 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. Taken from the telephone interview with Peter, in 2006, during the research and writing of the book Five of the Few (published by Grub Street).
1942
Polish Bomber Command air gunner Jan Stangryciuk Black recalls surviving the crash of his Wellington on 2nd October 1942, during which he would suffer severe burns.
A Halifax bomber, on fire, over enemy territory. Gordon Mellor recalls the night he was shot down in October 1942. I had the pleasure of working with Gordon to publish his book through @FightingHigh ‘ETA – A Bomber Command Navigator Shot Down and on the Run’, which we launched at Duxford. The book not only describes Gordon’s life in Bomber Command but also his evasion via the Comète escape line.
1943
In 2011 I had the opportunity to spend a fascinating couple of hours with Bomber Command pilot Squadron Leader Ian Brownlie DFC. Ian flew Whitleys early in the war and then started a second tour on Halifaxes. In this excerpt Ian describes the fateful night of 17/18 January 1943 when his No. 35 Squadron Halifax was attacked by an enemy nightfighter.
John Bell, who flew 50 ops during the war, describes the unique way in which Bomber Command crews formed. John kindly took up the role of ‘bomb aimer’ in the crew assembled for ‘The Bomber Command Memorial’ book, and, having flown on D-Day, wrote the foreword to ‘D-Day Bomber Command Failed to Return’.
Pathfinder Lancaster pilot Oliver Wells describes his extraordinary survival following a combat with a German nightfighter during the raid to Mönchengladbach on the night of 30/31 August 1943.
1944
Canadian Spitfire Ace Andrew MacKenzie DFC flew with 403 Squadron over the beachheads during the D-Day Normandy campaign of 1944. In this excerpt Andy recalls the day his Spitfire was shot down by friendly fire! From the 2005 interview for the book ‘Victory Fighters’.
John Ellacombe. John talks about his involvement in a low-level raid, flying a Mosquito, directly supporting the Normandy invasion. Recorded when I was writing ‘Five of the Few’.
One of the highest scoring V1 aces, Tempest pilot Bob Cole DFC, recalls some of his experiences countering the flying bombs, including the time he flew through the blast of an exploding doodlebug. From my interview with Bob for the book ‘Victory Fighters’.
1945
Explicit language warning! A couple of anecdotes from Bomber Command navigator Harry Hughes, recorded when writing ‘Five of the Many’, concerning his dour New Zealand pilot Roy Montrowe, when they were both flying Mosquitos with 692 Squadron from RAF Graveley in late 1944/early 1945. Harry mentions the FIDO system, dispersing fog using burning fuel in pipes either side of a runway (Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation), and also the emergency landing airfield at Woodbridge.
Dave Fellowes flew as a rear gunner with Bomber Command during the Second World War, serving with No. 460 (RAAF) Squadron. On 7/8 January 1945, on a raid to Munich, Dave’s Lancaster was involved in a mid-air collision.
Post-War and General
Rupert ‘Tiny Cooling’. A sombre extract from the interview with ‘Tiny’, recorded when I was writing ‘Five of the Many’, reflecting on the bombing war and the effect it had on him. The interview took place five years before the Bomber Command Memorial was unveiled.
I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Igraine Hamilton when we were raising funds for the Bomber Command Memorial. Igraine served on a Bomber Command station during the Second World War and along with her fundraising endeavours she also agreed to feature as one of the WAAF representatives in the ‘The Bomber Command Memorial’ book. Herewith is a short extract from the interview I carried out with Igraine. Prior to becoming a WAAF Igraine had volunteered to help in the burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, assisting plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe with the rehabilitation of patients.