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Interviews with RAF World War 2 air crew.

Early in the 1980’s when our young family were all serving members of the Royal Air Force I came into contact with people who had been in the Service during the Second World War and I rapidly came to realise that these chaps were living history. I found them not only very interesting but also entertaining when they recounted their experiences and saw immediately how important it was to record their unique experiences for generations to come.

One meeting would lead to another until I had built up a considerable library of different narratives from those who regarded the war either as a huge adventure or who had suffered so badly that they were never whole people again, either physically or mentally. One Spitfire pilot told me that he insisted on continuing to be at the sharp end in spite of having suffered serious physical disability and in his words, “he had always played in the first fifteen”.

I have placed a copy of each of these recorded interviews in the sound and film archives at the R.A.F. Museum in Hendon, London so that anyone can have access to them and thus have the opportunity of hearing this record of history from those who were actually there. I hold the copyright, as well as the original tapes, of all of the recordings. I make them available free of charge but where there is commercial advantage to be gained from their use then a fee is to be paid directly to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and I ask to be notified accordingly. Doubtless the Museum staff will suggest a suitable amount depending on the benefit to be gained from their use. I would also be happy to provide copies on cassette, at the sole cost of materials and postage, provided that I get a written undertaking that the copy will not be used for commercial gain.

Below is a list of subjects with a very brief synopsis of the content:

Sqn. Ldr. Ted Hicks C.G.M., D.S.O. Started life in the Service as a balloon operator in London. Selected for aircrew and flew Wellingtons. He was decorated for completing his bombing mission with his crippled Wellington before returning to England safely with his injured crew.

Wng. Cmdr. Ernest Millington D.S.O. Pilot of Lancaster Pathfinder force. Tells how he helped bomb the explosives factory in Bergerac, France.

Sqd.Ldr. Jerry Fray. Spitfire pilot. Flew unarmed, flush riveted Spitfire on photo-reconnaissance. Photographed the “Dams” before and after the Dambusters raid.

Air. Commodore Peter Brothers. Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot.

Flt.Lt. Jim Cobb. Stirling pilot — short interview used as filler in a program.

Paul Horrox Halifax pilot

Bill Harmer Lancaster rear gunner tells of the fear of a rear gunner and when interviewed was still suffering.

Colin Hodgekinson “Hoppy” Hodgekinson flew Spitfires having lost both legs in a flying accident in the Fleet Air Arm. Author of “Best Foot Forward”.

Flt.Lt. Bill Flaxman Speaks highly of the Lancaster bomber and of the Rolls Royce Merlin engines.

Bill Furness Roe Crash landed Hurricanes twice in France and escaped twice by crossing the Pyrenees into Spain.

A.V.M. Norman Bateson Bombed the Gestapo H.Q. in the Hague at low level flying a Mosquito fighter/bomber. The same man bombed the Shell building in Copenhagen; this copy is not in the Museum.

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