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A veteran interview with

Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf

Stamper signs up for Bomber Command.

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About Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf

Stamper decided to join the Royal Air Force after experiencing a biplane land close to his school in Settle Yorkshire. He joined up at RAF Cardington, before being posted overseas to Southern Rhodesia. He returned to East London 48 Air School to train as a bomb aimer, before returning to Rhodesia with 101 Squadron, where he unfortunately caught malaria. After losing his crew whilst in hospital he was posted to 100 Squadron at RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire.

Stamper was stationed in Bulawayo South Africa for desk-based training in the IWT (Initial Training Wing) then at Mount Hampden for navigation and flying training school. He returned to England and went to Whitley Bay for more training, then formed a crew with two others. Their first operation was to sink a large German force off the Dutch coast.  He flew in a Lancaster Bomber explaining how safe it felt compared to other bomber aircraft.

Stamper describes his experiences in the Nuremberg raid where Bomber Command lost ninety-seven out of a force of two hundred and fifty after passing the main route of enemy night fighters. He recalls the Dresden raid targeting railway martialling yards, which resulted in a firestorm.

Stamper later took part in Operation Manna, dropping food parcels to the starving Dutch population, and remembers tying chocolate for the children in his handkerchief. After the war, the crew felt something was missing for them, so they formed the 100 Squadron Association and Stamper became the first treasurer. The Association unveiled a memorial at Holton le Clay near RAF Grimsby with Stamper giving the dedication each reunion.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Vicky Barnes

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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Home | Veterans | Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf

A veteran interview with

Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf

©Legasee

Stamper signs up for Bomber Command.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Metcalf, Joseph. A Veteran Interview with Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/stamper-metcalf/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
APA Style:
Metcalf, J. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/stamper-metcalf/
Chicago Style:
Metcalf, Joseph. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/stamper-metcalf/
Harvard Style:
Metcalf, J. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/stamper-metcalf/ (Accessed: 17 October 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Metcalf, J. A Veteran Interview with Joseph ‘Stamper’ Metcalf [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2026 Oct 17]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/stamper-metcalf/
An interview with

Gwyn Hughes

From RAF flight engineer to Transport Command, where he flew during the Berlin Airlift

Gwyn Lloyd Hughes talks about his life journey from Kragllechan Farm near Ruthin, North Wales, his life in the RAF, and as a pilot, and ends with his later years as a farmer and his return to Wales. Gwyn joined the RAF in early 1944 as a flight engineer, after wanting to be a pilot. He trained with the Air Training Corps, flying Tiger Moths, and served with 77 Squadron, completing operations in Halifax bombers, including missions over France. He shares his experiences of some missions, including experiencing flak and being attacked on two occasions by enemy aircraft. He reflects on the camaraderie with fellow airmen who he calls “all … one family” who would “do anything for each other”; but also reflects on their loss, asking “why do the good blokes always go? Why do the good die young?” After being demobbed in 1948, Gwyn moved to Transport Command, where he flew during the Berlin Airlift. He talks proudly about his role and how the work they did saved lives by delivering essential supplies including food and flour. Finally after the war Gwyn struggled to find work and moved to Zimbabwe for a job with Cable and Wireless. Leaving aviation and engineering behind completely in the 50s, he became a farmer but lost his farm during the political upheaval in the 1990s.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker