---- News, Views & Information
|
Amersham
---- News, Views & Information |
I am very grateful to visitors to this site who have
provided the following pictures for display.
If anyone has any pictures I can display, please email
the web master
The following fascinating pictures have been supplied by Pete Wood. The pictures were taken by his Grandfather, William Veale, he was a free-lance photographer after WW1 and also served as an airborne photographer in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1.
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| An RAF pilot Squadron Leader inspecting the 1411 squadron accompanied by Flying Officer Gibson. This photo was taken on the school playing field. |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| The whole complement of 1411
squadron on a foggy day in 1942. Flying Officer Gibson, (physics
master) is 5th from the left, seated and the school caretaker,
Sergeant Piggott, is second from the right in the same row. Pete
recalls "He was a bit of a tyrant when I was there and would send a
boy home if his school uniform was not "by the book". This happened
to me once!" It would really be good to try and put some names to these faces, if anyone knows anybody, please let me know. |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| 1411 squadron being instructed in the workings of an electric gun turret as was used on Lancasters as well as other bombers of WW2. The sergeant instructor is describing the four 0.303 Browning machine guns that swivelled and fired in unison if the tail gunners hands were not frozen solid by the time he needed to defend the aircraft. Frank Phillipson has further identified the turret as a Boulton-Paul Type E electricaly powered turret. It was actually not used in Lancaster's which had mainly Frazer-Nash hydraulically operated turrets.The Type E was used in Halifaxes and Liberator II's |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| A Warrant Officer instructing the cadets on the operation of the Browning 0.303 airborne machine gun. This photo was taken in the assembly hall at Dr. Challoners. Notice the Honour Rolls on the wall in the background. Frank Phillipson, now from Guildford, has recognised the gun as a Vickers 'K' gas operated 0.303 machine gun |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| Cadets listening to a Morse code message keyed by the Flying Officer instructor. Presumably they were required to say or write down the contents of the message. This photo was taken in the ATC training hut which was adjacent to the tennis courts at Challoners. Later it was used as a projection room when Pete was at Dr. Challoner's 1946-51. |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| A Warrant Officer demonstrating a cathode ray tube as used in early Radar equipment This display was also in the assembly hall / gymnasium and shows some airborne transceivers used in WW2. |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| This photo was taken sometime during WW2 in the field behind King George's Field (where the police station / houses are now). The girls are from the Womens Land Army who did all kinds of agricultural work during WW2. Pete's aunt was one of them, although not pictured here. "She used to say it was very tiring, heavy work but she was glowing with health and vitality during those years". |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| King George V Playing Field behind
Woodside Road. The paper sign reads "MEN AND WOMEN IN THE FORCES JOIN THE BRITISH LEGION NOW" Pete does not recognise anyone except the man leaning on the chair. He was the woodwork master at Dr. Challoners, Mr. Owen. Needless to say, he was always "Taffy Owen" to the boys! |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| William Veale He was a free-lance photographer after WW1 and also served as an airborne photographer in the Royal Flying Corps |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| Not Amersham, but none the less interesting. VE Day parade with forces marching in review with a band through Chesham Broadway. Note the horse trough which was often used by dray horses delivering beer from Chesham Brewery. |
 Picture Courtesy of Pete Wood |
| Again not Amersham, this shot of children playing on the ice on the lake in Chesham Park shows how cold the winter of 1947 was. |
click here for the old picture index
We would be very please to receive other photographs of Amersham, past or present, please email the web master if you can help.
Any additions, corrections, alterations, please email
the web master
Amersham Home Page
This web site is Copyright
and operates a privacy
policy
please also see disclaimer