Sound Recordings, West Yorkshire

Description

[Collector announcement]; Jack Agar, recorded in the Territorial Army's Churchill Barracks in Leeds, on the 17 February 1981; gives biographical details; talks about the outbreak of World War Two; joining the Air Defence Cadet Corps; Air Crew Selection Board; training as a Wireless Operator Air Gunner in Bridgenorth; describes the gunnery schools and the Wireless Operator Air Gunner schools; describes the training route for an air gunner; crewing up; training in Wellington bombers; the Heavy Conversion Unit; describes the training route for wireless operators; training drills and exercises; first posting in Lincolnshire; training accident; flying in Dakota planes with Transport Command; posted to southern Rhodesia, Air Navigation School (three years); eight weeks in Singapore and Malaya; 1949, based at Middleton St. George (County Durham); Air Gunners' Association (Leeds branch); reasons for joining the Air Force. [Tr. 1] [Collector announcement]; Chris Leeming, recorded at the University of Leeds on the 10 March 1981; gives biographical details; talks about his father's occupations, including work in the Sheffield cutlery industry; CL working as an errand lad in the cutlery trade, in rolling mills; move to Bristol; joins the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in 1938; working at Westland Aircraft Limited in Yeovil; training as an air gunner in the Auxiliaries; called up as a ground gunner, based at Duxford during the Battle of Britain; Despatch Rider on a balloon barrage in Sheffield; retrained as an air gunner; marriage; armouries course in Hereford; crewing up, Downham Market; operating from Chedburgh in 1943 - refers to a log book; CL a mid-upper gunner; raids on the Ruhr; gardening (laying mines); raids on Hamburg; icing up and the effect on the plane; describes a raid [on ?Pina Mundi], plane being hit, baling out; lucky charms when flying (silk handkerchief/stocking, threepenny bit); describes experience on landing, taken prisoner, food rations; transported by rail to Frankfurt; interrogation centre (Dulag Luft); four-day rail journey to Muhlberg Concentration Camp - describes the camp, rations, Red Cross parcels; prisoners' pranks; prisoner of war until May 194(5); release by Russian troops; walking for six weeks to reach the American line. Meeting the American soldiers (thoughts on); delousing; new clothes; destruction of Leipzig; flown to Brussels and then Bicester; delousing, medical, new uniform, fifty pounds, home, double rations; Aircraft Controller at Doncaster; RAF Lyneham; trip to America, taking UNO delegates in a Skymaster plane; lists subsequent trips; leaves RAF in 1947; bus driving in Sheffield; Air Gunners' Association (Leeds branch); joining the Territorial Army on leaving the RAF; comments on the Association; Stalag IV B (i.e. Muhlbert Concentration Camp) reunion in Scotland. [Tr. 2] 5 of 6. Preliminary Interview. Further sound recordings on tapes LAVC/SRE/A600 -A603.

Metadata

Identifier mjhb1kqr
IRN 414654
Class Mark LAVC/SRE/A603
Level Item
Type of Record Archives - ISAD(G)
Peristent Link http://prototype1.library.leeds.ac.uk/mjhb1kqr
Collection(s) Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Category Archive
Parent Record Audiotape Sound Recordings
Date 1981
Size and Medium 1 audiocassette., Duration: 107' 55".

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