RAF Stories

The Battle of Britain was going on right above our heads

We had no machinery. But the kids with a cd player gave me an idea.

You forget how kind people can be

The night they bombed Surrey Docks

When we lose someone we journey through it as a family.

Bullies will not be tolerated.

We are all human beings

Someday we'll have enough food. But if we lose our freedom we'll never get it back

For a long time I called myself a failure

55,000 souls on board

My 21st birthday present was to still be alive

I saw these people as heroes. I didn't think I was worthy

The first transatlantic flight, 14th June 1919

The banter, the camaraderie; you are helping each other through your injuries

We have to thank these men for our freedom and prosperity

The navigators deserve all the praise

I was captain of the aircraft with no operational experience at all

There was no way out for us

The Tirpitz represented a threat to the whole Atlantic Ocean

Well, if you needed to pee...

It was a dark night, low clouds and raining

I was a bit worried about my eyes

You'll have no armour and only two guns. You'll be going after The Tirpitz.

An adventurer who loved to fly

Only four of the crew came back

German were taking potshots at their Lancaster

The Dutch were starving under German occupation

There were things that happened that preyed on the mind

My father was one of the lucky ones

After everything he'd been through, they made him pay for his bike and his uniform

He kept that piece of shrapnel

The tail gunner would chuck bricks out over Germany

The Typhoon became aerial artillery

He kept a model of the Typhoon on his desk

He almost became a member of their crew

They fought for a cause they believed passionately in, and they died for it

One engine, no control panel, rudder pedals hanging in mid air

For the rest of his life he never liked to see bare lightbulbs

If it wasn't for the deep snow, the fall would have killed him

The Germans never knew his true identity

Joan was at the heart of the Battle of Britain

National Service was an opportunity

My wife was lucky to survive

They crashed into the sea off the Dutch coast

A specialist in codes and ciphers

The South China Sea was rife with pirates

I was born a Jew and I wanted to die a Jew

What are the chances of that?

He had never met people like these

Three and a half years of Hell

We tried to live as normal a life as possible

If you try to leave, I'll have you sent to a concentration camp

A horrific time for any Jewish family

Exceptionally determined, exceptionally focused

I was captain of the aircraft with no operational experience at all

Skipper! Quick - dive!

Germany was not a place for Jewish people

303 Squadron wasn't the same after the Battle of Britain

Without the Mulberry D-Day couldn't have gone ahead

It felt as if war was imminent. And we were very scared of that

The Tirpitz represented a threat to the whole Atlantic Ocean

My father changed his name by deed poll

They had never met a Jewish boy before

The bombing had taken its toll. There wasn't much left

The German's acted as if they'd won the war

The worst experience I ever had

My first operation was an absolute flop

Fog was a real bloody nuisance

I was a bit worried about my eyes

The most evil doctrine

What the hell are you doing here? You're a pilot!

It was like someone sticking a knife into me

All the Jewish guys ended up eating bacon

Someday we'll have enough food. But if we lose our freedom we'll never get it back

The MIGs were looking for a reason to shoot us down

The Soviets desperately wanted us out of Berlin

The will to succeed

We slept under the wings

It had been set up to breed a super race

We were doing something with a purpose

The Victors and the Vanquished

They were young, they could dance, they had money

The Russians had cut off everything

Stalin realised he wasn't going to succeed

Your parachutes are frightening the chickens!

My mother always hoped that I'd be able to thank you one day

We unloaded twelve tons in just over three minutes

I was just a kid off the farm, but I'd heard all about the RAF

Nearly seventy people lost their lives

You realise that you've saved peoples' lives

The Germans would steal coal

It was an air controller's nightmare

The first confrontation of The Cold War

The West Berliners were going to be starved out

Stalwart leaders and stout-hearted soldiers

Nobody has that many planes anymore

Tunner learned from the airlift in Southern China

When I arrived The Tirpitz was already rolling over

I'm out of ammunition. I'll see you in Valhalla!

Churchill wanted that ship destroyed

The crew at the airfield had no idea what was going on

We are all human beings

The armchair generals were all phoning us

I was a bit worried about my eyes

I was captain of the aircraft with no operational experience at all

You'll have no armour and only two guns. You'll be going after The Tirpitz.

The navigators deserve all the praise

It was a dark night, low clouds and raining

W1048 sank 92ft to the bottom of a lake

The crew was of absolute importance

We were under attack, but no-one stopped playing cards.

Exposed to the greatest danger, he refused to back down.

I can still see his face as if it was yesterday.

There were death threats. But I'm still here.

I won't let my autism be a disadvantage.

He held fire while the German crew bailed out.

Get up and put your trousers on.

I admitted I was gay. They could have sent me to prison.

Mum's parachute didn't open. She never jumped again.

I saw a sport that was failing.

I was just relieved I could open my eyes.