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Chas Townley

News and thoughts on history, rights of way, community issues

Imperial War Museum Sound Archive Interviews relevant to Brockworth and Hucclecote

ByChas Townley

Sep 2, 2025

The Imperial War Museum has an extensive archive of materials including a sound archive of 34,600 recordings of which 13,175 are available on-line. Cleary within this archive resources specifically related to Brockworth and Hucclecote are limited but the following have been summarised for their local relevance

Leonard Graham Hall (1917-2010)

Flying Officer L G Hall was recruited to join the RAFVR as a metrologist immediately before the Second World War and undertook his training with the Met Office in September 1939 and joined the 912 Barrage Balloon Squadron based at Brockworth in June 1940 and left the unit in December 1940. Information on his time with the unit is limited, nevertheless, it provides information on the role of metrologists within Barrage Balloon Squadrons.

William Palmer (1924-2008)

William Palmer was born in Gloucester and joined the Home Guard whilst working at Gloster Aircraft Company. He describes a number of events at the factory including guarding unexploded bombs and shooting at a German plane with a Lewis Sub-Machine Gun from the roof of the factory. Whilst originally a First World War gun it is recorded as being supplied to Anti Aircraft units of the Home Guard

Peter Holyhead (1925 – 2003)

Peter Holyhead was born in Gloucester and before joining the Army served in the Home Guard, and describes serving in a “fast response unit” and becoming a lance corporal in the year before he transferred to the Army.

Geoffrey William Bone

Geoffrey Bone was an aircraft engineer who worked on the team with Frank Whittle in the development of the British Jet Engine which first flew at Brockworth on 15 May 1941.

Research continuing other people will be added as time goes by

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