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A veteran interview with

Chloe Russell

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Home | Veterans | Chloe Russell

A veteran interview with

Chloe Russell

chloe-russell

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Russell, Chloe. A Veteran Interview with Chloe Russell. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/chloe-russell/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
APA Style:
Russell, C. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Chloe Russell [Interview by Unknown]. Legasee. Retrieved November 15, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/chloe-russell/
Chicago Style:
Russell, Chloe. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Chloe Russell. Interview by Unknown. Legasee. Accessed November 15, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/chloe-russell/
Harvard Style:
Russell, C. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Chloe Russell. [Interviewed by Unknown]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/chloe-russell/ (Accessed: 15 November 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Russell, C. A Veteran Interview with Chloe Russell [Internet]. Interview by Unknown. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2025 Nov 15]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/chloe-russell/
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
An interview with

Frank Ashleigh

Frank Ashleigh: Horsa Glider Pilot, POW, and the Long March from Market Garden

Frank Ashleigh was born in Stepney, London on the 23rd of December, 1924. In this interview he provides a detailed account of his service as a Horsa glider pilot with A Squadron. Following extensive training and some great stories, Frank talks about the 18th September and his role in Operation Market Garden. It's a thrilling account and the start of an amazing chapter of his life. Eventually, he is taken POW and although he admits to being Jewish, says he was treated impeccably. That's despite the long march! After the war he admits to being very anti-german and now puts this down to PTSD. He was a popular and active member of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen. This interview was one of several filmed in partnership with the Airborne Assault museum.
Photo Gallery icon 1 Photo
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Michael Wainwright

Gliding to Greatness

Michael Wainwright served with the RAF during WWII; he fought bravely and valiantly in the Battle of Britain, one of the most frightful chapters of the Second World War, and the first time British forces faced the terrifying Luftwaffe. During the interview, Michael recalls the horrifying moment at which war was announced; he joined the RAF in 1936 at the age of 37 where he trained flying a Hawker Fury. Although, in his early career, Michael flew the notorious Bristol Blenheim, a bomber plane. He was later assigned to 64 squadron where he would take up the cockpit of a spitfire in order to defend the English boats crossing to France. He talks about his friend and leader: sub/Lt. Dawson-Paul who was shot down during the conflict, and taken prisoner by a German patrol boat in the English Channel. As his career continued, Michael made the decision to move to 102 glider OTU and take up the role of an instructor, teaching budding new pilots how to safely glide their planes in the event of being shot down or engine failure - he also teaches them how to defuse situations with angry farmers when landing in their fields.
Photo Gallery icon 1 Photo
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker