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Archival description
Only top-level descriptions RAF, Royal Air Force Memoirs
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BEARNE, AVM Guy (1908-2005)

  • BEARNE
  • Collection
  • [1980]-1985

Copy of detailed memoir, 'From air to chair', covering his RAF career, 1929-1961, including sections on his RAF training, bomber squadron service, 1930-1933, armament training and duties, 1933-1944 and service in Iraq, 1937-1939, Bomber Command, 1939-1940, the Air Ministry, 1940, 1947-1949 and 1954-1956, Malaya, 1946, Joint Services Staff College, 1947, Central Gunnery School, 1949-1951, Rhodesian Air Training Group, 1951-1953 and Technical Training Command, 1956-1961, written in 1985. Copy of chapter of personal family history giving an account of his father, Lt Col Lewis Collinwood Bearne, during the period 1878-1918, including his service in the Boer War and World War One, [1980-1985].

Bearne, Guy, 1908-2005, Air Vice Marshal

BEAUMONT, Gp Capt Stephen Gerald (1910-1997)

  • BEAUMONT
  • Collection
  • [1990]

Typescript extract from unpublished memoir relating to Beaumont's RAF service in World War Two, 1939-1945, including Operation DYNAMO, the evacuation of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) from Dunkirk, France, May-Jun 1940, visits to France by Prime Minister Rt Hon Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, Jun 1940, the Battle of Britain, 1940, and Beaumont's involvement as Deputy Air Officer, Administration, No 84 Group, 2 Tactical Air Force, in the preparations for Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe, 1944, and the North West Europe campaign, 1944-1945.

Beaumont, Stephen Gerald, 1910-1997, Group Captain

CADELL, Air Cdre Colin Simpson (1905-1996)

  • CADELL
  • Collection
  • 1997

Typescript memoir by Cadell, edited by his son Ian V Cadell in 1997, relating to his RAF career, 1925-1945, including details of the establishment of 80 Wing, RAF Countermeasures Unit, 1940, the establishment of the intelligence listening station, Chicksands, Bedfordshire, 1941-1943, and Cadell's role in the development of radar, 1939-1940.

Cadell, Colin Simpson, 1905-1996, Air Commodore

DOUGLAS-SCOTT-MONTAGU, Brig Gen John Walter Edward (1866-1929)

  • DOUGLAS-SCOTT-MONTAGU
  • Collection
  • 1910-1928

Papers relating to aviation and transport, dated 1910-1928, principally comprising papers relating to Joint War Air Committee (Inter-Departmental Committee on the Air Service) chaired by Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, 1916, Committee on the Administration and Command of the Royal Flying Corps, 1916, and Air Boards chaired by Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, 1917, and George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston, [1916]; correspondence, 1915-1916, 1920, notably including correspondence with Herbert Henry Asquith, 1916, Curzon, 1916, Derby, 1916, the Imperial Defence Committee, 1916, the Parliamentary Aviation Committee, and George Sydenham Clarke, 1st Baron Sydenham of Combe, 1916; printed books, pamphlets, memoranda, notes and texts by Douglas-Scott-Montagu and others, 1910-1920, mainly relating to aviation technology, anti-aircraft defence and the organisation of the air services; memoranda, official reports, notes and texts relating to his work as Adviser on Mechanical Transport Services to the Government of India, 1915-1919; manuscript account of service of No 1 Armoured Motor Unit, North West Frontier, India, 1915-1916, by Capt A J Clifton, 68 Durham Light Infantry, 1915-1916, dated 1917, including photographs and preface by Montagu. Other papers relating to his life and career, 1914-1926, dated 1914-[1926], 1948, principally comprising letters relating to his service with 7 Hampshire Regt in Egypt, 1914, and India, 1915; photographs and photographic negatives, 1915-1922, mainly relating to his service in India, 1915-1919. Typescript draft of A strange war. Burma, India and Afghanistan, 1914-1919 (Sutton, Gloucester, 1988), an account of 2/5 Bn, Somerset Light Infantry and 2 Mechanical Transport Company by Chris P Mills, based on the recollections of Col B G L Rendall, the diary of Edward William Ewens and research into the Montagu papers, dated 1987.

Montagu, John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-, 1866-1929, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, Brigadier General

GODDARD, AM Sir Victor (1897-1987)

  • GODDARD
  • Collection
  • 1940

Epic violet', a draft memoir covering his service with the Air Ministry and the BEF, 1939-1940, notably pre-war air intelligence, the 'phoney war' and air reconnaissance in France, Sep 1939-Apr 1940, the German invasion of France, May 1940, and the evacuation of UK troops from Dunkirk, May-June 1940, written in [1957]. 'Skies to Dunkirk', a memoir based on the above draft,published in 1982.

Goddard, Sir Robert Victor, 1897-1987, Knight, Air Marshal

ISMAY, Gen Hastings Lionel (1887-1965)

  • ISMAY
  • Collection
  • 1893-1965

Papers relating to his life and career, 1917-1963, principally comprising official correspondence with Lt Gen M Brocas Burrows, British Military Mission, Moscow, 1944-1945, Gen Mark Wayne Clark, US Army, 1943-1944, 1951-1952, Maj Gen Richard Henry Dewing, UK Army and RAF Liaison Staff, Australia, 1943-1944, Maj Gen Gordon Edward Grimsdale, Military Attaché andhead of Military Mission to Chungking, China, 1942-1943, AF Sir Roger John Brownlow Keyes, Bt, Director of Combined Operations, War Office, 1940-1942, Lt Gen Sir Henry Pownall, South East Asia Command HQ, 1944-1945, Lt Gen Sir Harold Redman, British Joint Staff Mission, Washington DC, 1943-1944, AF Sir James Somerville, Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet, 1943-1947, and Maj Gen Sir Edward Spears, Minister to the Lebanon, 1940-1944, and Lt Gen Albert C Wedemeyer, US Army, Deputy Chief of Staff; South East Asia Command, 1944; personal correspondence with and about FM Lord Alanbrooke, 1946-1947, 1957-1963, FM Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, 1941-1961, and FM Archibald Percival Wavell, Viscount Wavell of Cyrenaica and of Winchester, 1943-1946; official andpersonal correspondence with Dwight David Eisenhower, 1942-1965, and AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, 1943-1954, 1960-1964; correspondence with publishers and colleagues, including Gen Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor; papers relating to India, 1947-1951, including his correspondence as Chief of Staff to Mountbatten, 1947, notes on interviews with Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahomed Ali Jinnah, 1947, letters describing the political situation in India, 1947-1948, and correspondence concerning compensation for Indian Government servants, 1948-1951; correspondence concerning the proposed defence reorganisation, 1955-1963; papers relating to his service as Secretary General, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), 1952-1957, including his official progress reports, 1952-1956; newspaper cuttings, statements to the press and texts of speeches and broadcasts, 1952-1957; papers relating to his memoirs, [1940-1960] including correspondence with publishers, 1960-1961, and colleagues, 1957-1960, notebooks, 1940-1960, and drafts and proofs, [1960]. newspaper cuttings, 1943, 1948, 1951-1952, 1957; texts of speeches, 1943-1958; correspondence relating to operations in Somaliland, 1917-1920; notes and papers relating to his studies at Staff College, Quetta and RAF Staff College, 1922-1924. Papers relating to Rt Hon Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill, 1940-1965, including personal correspondence with Churchill, 1940, 1943-1945, 1947-1964; correspondence relating to Churchill's memoir The Second World War (Cassell, London, 1948-1954), 1946-1956, including correspondence relating to Dieppe Raid, Aug 1942, dated 1950, and galley proofs, [1948-1954]. Printed material, 1941-1945, 1947, 1951, notably including copies of telegrams sent by Winston Churchill as Prime Minister, 1941-1942; minutes of Chiefs of Staff meetings, 1943-1944; minutes of Combined Chiefs of Staff meetings, 1943, 1945.

Ismay, Hastings Lionel, 1887-1965, 1st Baron Ismay of Wormington, General

MOWBRAY, Wg Cdr F J (fl 1939-1996)

  • MOWBRAY, FJ
  • Collection
  • 1996

The Azores expedition: the signals contribution', typescript account of RAF expedition to establish an airbase in the Azores, Oct 1943, written in 1996.

Mowbray, F J, fl 1939-1996, Wing Commander

TULL, Wg Cdr Thomas Stuart (1914-1982)

  • TULL
  • Collection
  • 1940-1983

Papers relating to Tull's service with Air Command, South East Asia, 1943-1944; official correspondence and situation reports and relating to his command of Number 5 RAPWI (Recovered Allied Prisoners of War and Internees) Contact Team based at Ambarawa, Java, 1945-1946, including papers relating to the Japanese Army in Java, Sep-Nov 1945, and papers concerning Indonesian nationalist organisations; papers relating to Tull's memoir entitled 'Mission to Java', written during 1980-1981 and covering his service 1938-1946, edited by his sister in 1983.

Tull, Thomas Stuart, 1914-1982, Wing Commander

WELLS, Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes (1912-1992)

  • WELLS
  • Collection
  • [1931-1932]

Copies of extracts from 'Wells, a family history', produced by Tessa J Harfield, 1988, principally comprising a brief account of the life and RAF career of Sidney McLeod Wells (Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes Wells' brother), 1906-1941, written by Harfield in 1988; transcription of Brig (then Lt) Brian Gordon Wells' account of a big game hunt in Northern Rhodesia, 1931, written in [1931-1932], with his record of service, 1923-1955, dated 1955; transcription of 'My career in the RAF, 1935-1950' written by Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes Wells, written in [1980-1985]. Original manuscript of 'My career in the RAF, 1935-1950'. Photographs relating to Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes Wells' army career, dated [1940-1945] and [1980-1988], notably his internment as a POW, [1940-1945].

Wells, Maurice Clunes, 1912-1992, Wing Commander

WILSON, Gp Capt Hugh Joseph (1908-1990)

  • WILSON, HJ
  • Collection
  • 1928-1990

Papers and photographs relating to Wilson's career, 1928-1990, especially his service as test pilot for British and captured German aircraft, 1937-1945, setting the world air speed record, 1945, and his role as Commandant, Empire Test Pilots' School, 1945-1947, including three flying log books, 1928-1944; typescript copy of unpublished memoir entitled 'Icy calm. Recollections of a wartime test pilot', written in [1972]. One hundred and seventy four official and personal photographs relating to Wilson's career, 1930-[1950], including damaged Bristol Bulldog fighter, crash landed by Wilson, UK, 1931; captured German aircraft Heinkel He111, Junkers Ju88, Messerschmitt Me109, Messerschmitt Me110 and Italian Fiat CR42 [1941-1945]; testing of CAM (Catapult Assisted Merchantman) aircraft launch apparatus and tests on Fairey Fulmar, Blackburn Shark and General Aircraft Hotspur gliders with RATOG (Rocket Assisted Take-Off Gear), 1941-1942; Empire Test Pilots' School students under instruction and in flight, 1945-1947; photographs of De Havilland Mosquito, Avro Lancaster, Hawker Tempest, Supermarine Spitfire, Gloster Meteor and De Havilland Vampire, 1945-1947; prototype of Planet Aircraft Satellite, 1948-1949. Contemporary reports, memoranda and official and personal correspondence, 1937-1990, including typescript memorandum by Wilson entitled 'Pilot's impressions of the [Blackburn] Botha', 1940; typescript report by Wilson entitled 'Observations of fighter requirements', 1940; typescript report by Wilson entitled 'Tactical trials and other observations on the De Havilland E6/41 (known as the DH100 Spider-Crab, later renamed Vampire) with Halford H1 engine', 1944, and Empire Test Pilots' School student's confidential report for Sqn Ldr J G Mann, RAF, Course No 3, 1946; typescript report by Cyril Francis Caunter entitled 'A historical summary of the Royal Aircraft Establishment 1918-1948', 1949; correspondence with potential publishers for Wilson's memoir, 1972-1990. Publications, 1946-1972, including two editions of The Times, 1946 and 1947, edition of The Aeroplane with article on the Empire Test Pilots' School, 1946, and booklet entitled 'Empire Test Pilots' School Personnel Supplement. List of graduates 1943-1972 and present staff' [1972].

Wilson, Hugh Joseph, 1908-1990, Group Captain