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The RAF Veterans Archive

Explore the personal recollections of Royal Air Force veterans.

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An interview with

Tim Elkington

Wing Commander Tim Elkington was firtunate to survive the Second World war as a fighter...

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An interview with

Michel Bourbon-Parme 

Prince Michel de Bourbon-Parme grew up in France and Denmark and at the outbreak of...

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An interview with

Tommy Thomas

Flying Of?cer J.A. ‘Tommy’ Thomas initially trained in 1941/2 as a winch operator on Fairy...

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An interview with

Ruby Marchant

Ruby Marchant worked in the main house at Bletchely Park. Remarkably she only told her...

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An interview with

Marcel Jaurant-Singer

Marcel Jaurent Singer was a Wireless operator and resistance organiser in occupied France.

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An interview with

Yvonne Baseden

Yvonne was a WAAF and a FANY. She had Anglo-French parentage and was bi-lingual which...

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An interview with

Stan Hope

Stan Hope was an RAF evader on the Comète Line. After travelling through Belgium [with...

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An interview with

Gordon Mellor

Gordon Mellor was an RAF Evader. Shot down over Belgium and, aided by members of...

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An interview with

Stanley David

Stanley David completed over 50 operations in the RAF as an Air Gunner between January...

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An interview with

Doreen Galvin

Doreen Galvin lives in Canada but returned to England briefly in 2015. During the war...

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An interview with

Mary Overill

Mary Overill gives a wonderful interview about her life with the WAAF. As a Devonian,...

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An interview with

Tim Elkington

RAF veteran whose service took him from the Battle of Britain to Russia, the Atlantic and India.

Tim Elkington’s interview offers a compelling glimpse into the life of a WW2 Fighter Pilot. He begins by reflecting on his childhood and the circumstances leading to his arrival as a fresh 19-year-old cadet at Cranwell in April 1940. Only three months later he was posted to No. 1 Squadron at Northolt in North London, where he took part in the Battle of Britain. He was astonished by the minimal training he had received, despite the intense combat he was involved in.
On August 16, 1940, he had a harrowing encounter when he was attacked by a German Messerschmitt 109. The ordeal left him recovering for a period, but he eventually moved on to 134 Squadron, which was assigned to support Russian forces. He prepared to sail to Russia on HMS Argus and later trained Russian pilots for the Eastern Front. Elkington's service continued with a stint on a Catapult Aircraft Merchant ship. Out of 35 ships converted to CAM during the war, 12 were sunk. He didn't fly off much, but when he did, he admits 'it was interesting'! His next posting was to 539 Squadron, a Night Fighter unit where he was less enthusiastic about his role. A subsequent transfer to India saw him join a Hurricane Squadron, arriving after the Japanese threat had diminished, thus avoiding major combat. He reflects on a particularly frightening incident involving a forced instrument landing in thick fog. Elkington retired from the RAF in 1975, leaving behind a rich career of varied and intense experiences. Despite the risk and danger he faced, he reflects gratefully on the ability of RAF pilots to manoeuvre and take action when they are shot at and contrasts it to Navy personnel who were often unable to escape the danger around them. Special thanks to Tim and his wife, as well as Patrick Tootal of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, for facilitating this insightful interview.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Frame grab from an oral history interview of a British military veteran
An interview with

Mark Harding

From working in Tesco’s, to joining up and then facing the ultimate challenge of becoming paralysed but still fighting on.

Mark Harding recounts his journey from working at Tesco to enlisting in the army at 19, inspired by his father with the aim of protecting the innocent from bullies wherever they were. He began his military career in the infantry, embracing each challenge without looking back. His service took him to conflict zones such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and ultimately Afghanistan. Mark seized every opportunity to improve his skills, including jungle training in Belize to become a sniper, which proved invaluable during his last two tours.

In 2010, Mark's life dramatically changed when he was shot and paralysed in Afghanistan. Initially treated at Camp Bastion, he was transferred to Selly Oak Hospital and placed in an induced coma. Upon awakening, Mark faced the devastating news that he would never walk again. Refusing to accept this fate, he embarked on a challenging rehabilitation journey, using functional electronic stimulation to aid his recovery.

Mark's determination led him to become the sole disabled member of the GB Dragon Boat racing team, representing his country in international competitions. Additionally, Mark has transformed his experiences into motivational speaking, inspiring and uplifting others with his remarkable story.

Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Michel Bourbon-Parme 

Michel recalls his perilous experiences as a Jedburgh in the Office of Strategic Services, aiding the resistance movement from behind enemy lines

Michel Bourbon-Parme was the son of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Margaret of Denmark and grew up in Paris. With the help of the French counsel, he joined the American Army at Fort Benning Georgia and became a second lieutenant. Michel recalls being asked to join the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) by Bill Casey (who later would become the head of the CIA) and travelling to Washington to an intelligence agency to learn how to use specialist equipment. After three weeks training, he was sent to Milton Hall in England and became part of Operation Jedburgh, an allied special operations group. He was parachuted into occupied France after partnering with another Jedburgh named Tommy Macpherson, forming the team named Quinine. He was the youngest Jedburgh at age seventeen and a half. He joined with the Maquis, who were part of the French resistance to stop the Das Reich division and blew up the Eiffel bridge (made by famed architect Gustave Eiffel) to slow them down. He then stayed behind enemy lines for three months to sabotage the Germans. Michel reflects on the being among the first to liberate his countries forces, the politics of the British, French and American’s working together, and the legacy of important achievements by the Jedburgh’s he was proud to be a part of.
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An interview with

Tommy Thomas

From target towing, to covert missions with 161 Special Duties Squadron, a remarkable journey through RAF military service unfolds.

Determined to become an air gunner, Tommy Thomas began RAF service with General Duties. Assisting in the dangerous task of target towing for Spitfire training, he worked with Fairey Bombers and Lysanders. His hard work paid off; before age 19, he completed air gunner training and joined the 161 Squadron at RAF Tempsford. Initially serving on Halifax aircraft to drop supplies, Tommy was soon transferred to the squadron’s A Flight by Flight Commander Hugh Verity, who recognised his skill with Lysanders. Tommy flew 33 missions in Halifax, Hudson, Lysanders and, once, in a Stirling bomber. Whilst most missions were over France and Europe, some reached as far as North Africa. The most challenging were the night flights, navigating hostile territory by moonlight alone. He recounts fascinating details from his time with 161 Squadron, including mission preparations from RAF Tempsford and Tangmere, and techniques for retrieving mail bags from occupied territory using adapted Lysanders. Although Tommy claims he was “lucky,” his missions included two near-disasters, and he admits flights over the sea were the most unnerving—he always dreaded water. Following D-Day, Tommy took on new responsibilities helping with internees at RAF Tempsford. He concludes his story with a personal memory of his promotion to Flight Officer, which coincided with his father’s Red Cross return. Resolving to notify his mother, interned in a French camp, Tommy recounts a successful—and daring—effort to get a message to her, showing his courage and daring.  
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Marcel Jaurant-Singer

A wireless operator and resistance organiser in occupied France during the build up to the D-Day invasion

Marcel Jaurant-Singer joined the French Resistance in 1941. In 1942, he was sent across the Pyrenees and was transported – with the help of Allied operatives – to England, where he would be trained as a Special Operations Executive (SOE). Upon arrival in England, Marcel was sent to Commando training in Scotland, before returning to England to complete his wireless training at Thame park – he managed all this despite not speaking a word of English. In March 1944, Marcel was parachuted back into France where he quickly established an undercover network. Marcel goes on to recount his life as a wireless operator, outlining the cat and mouse game of avoiding detection by German troops – including the need to cycle up to 60km per day! Marcel’s contact with London in the build up to D-Day resulted in him taking charge of arming and training 350 men to prepare for the invasion. He talks in detail of how they used the existing infrastructure of secret caves and hills from WW1 to carry out these operations. Marcel’s interview ends with a brief discussion of his experience working alongside female SOE agents. This completes a fascinating insight into the structure of secret operations in occupied France and the development of French resistance forces in the build-up to D-Day.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Yvonne Baseden

Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent, Yvonne Baseden, reflects on her covert mission in France, capture, and survival in notorious Ravensbrück.

Yvonne Baseden’s remarkable wartime experience began with her service in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). While working at the Directorate of Allied Air Cooperation and Foreign Liaison, she met Pearl Witherington, who—unknown to Yvonne—was an agent for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). It was this connection that Yvonne believes led to her being recruited by the SOE.  Due to the SOE’s covert nature, Yvonne was officially attached to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), a common practice for female agents during World War II. Bilingual in English and French, she was considered a natural fit for operations in occupied France. Her first mission involved parachuting into France as a wireless operator to assist the French Resistance. However, after successfully completing Operation Cadillac—a major arms drop supporting liberation efforts—her location was compromised. Captured and transferred to Dijon prison, she was interrogated and faced threats of being sent to Gestapo headquarters in Paris. Despite this, Yvonne never revealed her true identity as an English agent, maintaining her cover as a French Resistance fighter.  Instead of being sent to Paris, Yvonne was transferred to Ravensbrück, the largest female-only concentration camp. She recalls the pressure of concealing her SOE status, aware that other female English agents in the camp had been executed. Fortunately, Yvonne was rescued by the Swedish Red Cross in the final days of the war and taken to Malmö, Sweden for recovery before safely returning home. 
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Stan Hope

Stan Hope was captured in 1942 and, despite attempts to escape, was not liberated until May 1945

Stan joined the RAF in July 1940 and was assigned to a reconnaissance unit and returning from a mission his aircraft had engine failure, and he baled out over occupied Belgium. After walking for two days he was able to board a train to Brussels where his ability to speak French helped him. Here he met the Resistance who used the Comète Line to smuggle him to a village near the Spanish border. Here his group was discovered by German troops. Despite being in civilian clothes with false papers he, and his comrades, avoided being shot. They were interrogated quite roughly and he spent four months in solitary confinement. Eventually he was taken to a Gestapo prison and later to a POW camp where he faced further interrogation. Near the end of the war he and his comrades were moved to several different camps before eventually being freed in May 1945.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Gordon Mellor

A Lancaster Bomber Navigator shot down over Belgium remembers escaping to Spain assisted by the Comète Line resistance group

Gordon Mellor was the Navigator in a Lancaster Bomber shot down over Belgium.  He survived and was fortunate to meet members of the Comète Line, who secreted him to Belgium, France and eventually over the Pyrénées and into Spain. He recently discovered that not only had his group been infiltrated by the Germans, but one of his RAF travelling companions was the cousin of Lord Haw Haw. He passed away in January 2018. Please note that not all of Gordon’s interview is currently online. Contact us if you would like to see more.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Stanley David

He was involved in the war from fifteen and became a gunner in the RAF.

At the age of fifteen Stanley left school and became an Air Raid Precautions messenger. When he reached eighteen he volunteered for the RAF. He became a gunner on a bomber and carried out over 50 missions. Once his aircraft was caught by searchlights and received anti-aircraft fire, which they escaped by corkscrew diving 9000 feet. Many of the flights were with 624 Squadron, assigned to Special Operations Executive, dropping agents and supplies into enemy occupied territory. These drops were often at very low altitude and at the maximum of the aircraft range, with barely enough fuel to return home. He realised at the time that many of the agents, several of whom were women, would not survive very long. Looking back Stanley thought that he, and others, were too young and foolish to be scared. He regards his time with the RAF as the most interesting part of his life.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Doreen Galvin

Doreen Galvin remembers her experience as an intelligence officer and photographic interpreter for RAF operations in World War Two.

Doreen Galvin describes that as a young woman she was passionate about maps and photography, thus knew when the war broke out that she must apply for intelligence work - not admin. After being firstly involved in photo interpretation, Doreen was then moved to Bomber Command and finally sent to be an Operations Officer at Tempsford RAF base. Doreen recalls how on arriving at Tempsford she was immediately thrown into work and quickly taken to the map room. She remembers that upon looking at the wall of maps, she realised that she was standing face-to-face with all the locations of the clandestine operations by the RAF during the war. In this role she was responsible for receiving, processing and reporting these locations and objectives to the War Cabinet. In this interview Doreen fondly recalls her contribution to the war, reflecting upon the excitement of working with maps and photo interpretation during the war. Doreen gives an interesting account of the war effort from a different perspective than that of the front line soldier, by both originating from a female viewpoint and also the clandestine operations which were happening back in England.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Mary Overill

From Devon countryside to the Cipher Office: recollections of life in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during World War II.

For Mary Overill, the war offered opportunities for life and work far beyond the bounds of her rural upbringing… although her first posting upon joining the WAAF sent her only 22 miles away to Plymouth! Six months later, Mary was posted to RAF St Eval in Cornwall where she worked with Squadron Leader Shackleton, son of the famous explorer, and she shares her memories of life and work during this time. In 1943, Mary was called to the Air Ministry in London, where she signed the Official Secrets Act and began working at the Cabinet Office Cipher Office (COCO). She vividly recalls operations there, and how regularly she saw Winston Churchill ‘disappearing off somewhere else’ in the building. Mary also shares memories of living in London during the war, navigating the dangers of bombings and experiencing the joy of VE Day. Her stories provide a glimpse into her extraordinary life during wartime, both at the RAF bases of her service and in the heart of London itself.
Photo Gallery icon 1 Photo
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker