The Spirit of Aircrew : The experiences of World War II Aircrews

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 36 Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force aircrew, by the Sydney Region Aircrew Group, 2010.

Wallet 1 of 1 - Wallet consists of a 110 page typed manuscript. The manuscript recounts anecdotes relating to the service of 36 Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force aircrew who served during the Second World War. The anecdotes relate to all aspects of aircrew service covering Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Coastal Command, service on the Australian mainland, South-West Pacific Area, the Middle East and Mediterranean, RAF Training Command, travelling to and from the war, and finally some lighter humorous anecdotes. Each section contains anecdotes and memories of a number of servicemen, each revealing different aspects of their service experience. The section on Bomber Command provides information on: Meeting the chiefs, the bomb aimer's role, the risks involved, Happy Valley, the oil targets, military support, mining operations, attacks on airfields. the seaports, supplying the resistance, the war of deception, photographic reconnaissance, prisoner of war experiences, general purpose targets, the jets, misconceptions, naval targets, and the pathfinder force. The section on Coastal Command provides information about the general service provided, crew conditions in the various theatres of operations, and air-sea rescue. The section on service in Australia details the general training, pilot training, aircrew guard, wireless operator training, crewing up, sabotage, OTU training, coastal patrols, torpedo training, Townsville, ferry flight, Darwin, bombing of Sydney with leaflets, mustard gas, and flying high. The section on the South-West Pacific Area details the experiences of aircrew relating to New Guinea - Lae, Goodenough Island, escort duties, supply drops, survival precautions, military support, the battle of the Bismarck Sea, New Britain, an amazing meeting, ditching, Markham Valley, Finschhafen, over ocean flights, and Kittyhawks at war. The section on the Middle East and Mediterranean details aircrew experiences relating to a disaster in the western desert, El Alamein and the following advance, ground crew contributions, the Sinai Desert, desert conditions and life, and courage in the desert.