Bomber Command Veterans interviewed by David Rayvern Allen Part 1

Reference

MCC/AAL/3/190

Date:

2009-09-06

Level of description

item

Extent

1 CD: 51 minutes 52 seconds

Part of

David Rayvern Allen Audio Archive (MCC/AAL/3)

Scope and Content

1 CD, Bomber Command veterans: Alfred Hubermaine. Arthur Smith, cricketer, interviewed by David Rayvern Allen. The CD consists of 1 track.

Track 1: [0:00-0:20] Group chatter and introduction by Rayvern Allen, [0:21-0:48] Hubermaine gives his name, rank and part of his number, [0:49-1:11] Hubermaine talks about when he visited Lord's, [1:12-2:24] Hubermaine talks about arriving at Lord's and the interview process in the pavilion, [2:25-3:30] Hubermaine talks initially forgets where he went for training and remembers it was blackpool and switching from wireless operator to air gunner, [3:31-4:14] Hubermaine doesn't recall watching any cricket whilst based at Lord's with Rayvern Allen telling 2 stories of wartime cricket matches, [4:15-4:39] Hubermaine talks about having a day pass to leave Lord's, [4:40-5:19] Hubermaine talks about the interview procees.

[5:20-5:51] Rayvern Allen asks others to be quiet whilst recording, [5:52-6:35] Arthur Smith gives his name, rank and number, [6:36-7:08] Smith talks about visiting Lord's as 17 year old, [7:09-7:42] Smith talks about the interview process, [7:43-9:01] Smith talks about being billeted at flats on Hall Road and marching to Lord's each day for interview process, [9:02-9:58] Smith talks about visiting Lord's with his father and visiting Hall Road and Lord's 6 weeks prior to recording, [9:59-10:25] Smith says no cricket took place and has no recollections of the ground, [10:26-11:28] Smith talks about being desperate to get into the RAF, his young age at the time, flying sorties over Germany and his engineer training, [11:29-12:06] Smith talks about living in Croydon and enjoying cricket on the radio.

[12:07-12:16] Next veteran makes his way to the microphone, [12:17-12:23] McGilvray gives his name and rank, [12:24-13:15] McGilvray talks about visiting Lord's in 1944 for gas mask tests and having lunch in Regents Park, [13:16-14:17] McGilvray talks about the nature of his missions, doing his training on the Isle of Man, and relaxing at the American Embassey is Regents Park, [14:18-15:18] McGivray talks aboout Len Hutton batting in a match whilst he was at Lord's, [15:19-15:32] McGilvray says he has not been back to Lord's since.

[15:33-16:16] Next veteran makes his way to the microphone and hurts himself in the process, [16:17-17:07] Miller gives his name and confirms Lord's started as a reception centre in 1941 although he never visited it, [17:08-19:29] Miller talks about occasionally visiting Lord's from the mid-1950's and narrowly missing out on watching Godfrey Evans making a century before lunch, [19:30-19:38] Miller confirms not visiting Lord's during the war due to already being in the service.

[19:39-20:01] Next veteran makes his way to the microphone, [20:02-20:25] Goodwin gives his name and rank and says he first visitied Lord's in 1943 as an 18 year old, [20:26-20:46] Goodwin talks about it being his first visit to London from Derbyshire and being billeted in mansion blocks around the ground, [20:47-21:57] Goodwin talks about recruits fainting whilst getting innoculations, [21:58-23:05] Goodwin recalls seeing bomb devastation close to St. Johns Wood, [23:06-23:40] Goodwin talks about marching into the ground and Lord's being a receiving centre for all air crew, [23:41-24:08] Goodwin talks about getting kitted out, being given injections and having FFI inspection (fit for inspection), [24:09-24:37] Goodwin talks about recruits being young and in awe of the ground, [24:38-25:49] Goodwin talks about Lord's being a No.1 reception centre and RAF taking over the playing area, [25:50-27:11] Goodwin talks about eating at the zoo and doing training at swimming baths in Marylebone.

[27:12-27:30] Next veteran comes to the microphone, [27:31-27:38] Younger gives his name and rank, [27:39-29:12] Younger talks about his first visit to Lord's being in 1945 for the victory tests, being Australian and a POW for 3 years, [29:13-29:41] Younger talks about watching the Victory Test at Lord's, [29:42-31:46] Younger talks about doing his air force training with Ross Gregory, [31:47-32:20] Younger talks about knowing Australian Test players due to being in the same club as some of them and also doing their caricatures, [32:21-33:36] Younger talks about illustrating cricket books including one match at Lord's.

[33:37-33:59] Next veteran comes to the microphone, [34:00-34:04] Peacock gives his name and rank, [34:05-34:56] Peacock talks about joining the RAF in 1939 and not visiting Lord's during the war, [34:57-38:40] Peacock talks about staying in the RAF after the war, loving his time within the service and wartime experiences, [38:41-43:17] Peacock talks about not meeting Jim Swanton but knowing about him and escaping from Singapore and hospitilisation, [43:18-43:48] Peacock confirms he didn't have to visit Stoke Mandeville and carrying on flying until 1978.

[43:49-44:08] Next veteran comes to the microphone, [44:09-44:17] Irons gives his name and rank, [44:18-45:02] Irons talks about visiting Lord's in 1941 and how they were no pictures on the walls, [45:03-46:04] Irons talks about training, his first operation and doing 60 sorties during the war, [46:05-47:32] Irons talks about taking part in a low-level daylight raid on Milan and a daylight raid in France, [47:33-49:53] Irons talks about how close he came to being shot down and his bombing raid experiences, [49:54-51:08] Irons talks about becoming an instructor and being shocked by number of crashes by raw recruits, [51:09-51:34] Irons talks about leaving thr RAF in 1946 and never coming back to Lord's, [53:35-51:52] Rayven Allen thanks all the veterans.









A back-up copy of this CD is included.

Associations

David Rayvern Allen
Royal Air Force
Sir Leonard Hutton
Thomas Godfrey Evans
Ross Gerald Gregory
Gamini Goonesena

Subject

World War, 1939-1945, wartime cricket, Lord's Cricket Ground, toilets, Victory Tests, 1945

Conditions governing access

Open

Language

English

Size

1 CD: 51 minutes 52 seconds

Hierarchy browser

• David Rayvern Allen Audio Archive (MCC/AAL/3)
  
  • Bomber Command Veterans interviewed by David Rayvern Allen Part 1 (MCC/AAL/3/190)