Recordings of American servicemen and Norwich soundscapes, made during Second World War by Doug Mallett (MC 376/518)
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Recordings of American servicemen and Norwich soundscapes, made during Second World War by Doug Mallett

1


MC 376/518


1 compact cassette

1944-1992


2nd Air Division Memorial Library/Sound recordings collected by the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library


Doug Mallett, Bob Holcom, Tom Farrell


Parts of the recording have been redacted for sensitivity and rights reasons (0mn 03s 00mn 06s and 09mn 43s to 11mn 14s).

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Description
Recordings of Norwich during the Second World War and interviews of American servicemen, 1944-1945, with an introduction recorded in 1992. Recorded on side A only. [01:25] Introduction to the recordings by Doug Mallett. [01:25-04:33] S/Sgt Bob [Holcorn] talks about arrival in England, 1942, and describes experiences of air raids while at the Sampson and Hercules, Norwich, and on the airbase. Describes boys going out to find bombs and a trolley mission on VE-day [8 May 1945]. [04:39-06:24] Sgt [Tom Farrell; the recording is very indistinct] describing mission and anti-aircraft fire. [06:46-07:49] Capt Tom [Fanner] describing flak coming through bullet proof glass. [08:07-09:07] Counting Liberators with engine sounds in background at 11:30 on 5 July 1944. [09:20-09:39] Describing flight of Liberator overhead. [09:44-11:17] American Forces Network ETO broadcast with Morse code radio signal running in background, trailing the music programme 'Jubilee' and the news headlines. [11:27-13:55] Air-raid all clear, 03:05, 28 June 1944, with comments by DM [played twice]. [14:05-15:05] Formation of Liberators [repeat of 08:07 above]. [15:05-17:37] [Recording unclear] about watching aircraft, with some engine noises including a Mosquito aeroplane. The audio quality of the recordings is quite poor because they were made on an improvised recording machine using 5 inch disks made from x-ray plates. In 1944, Doug Mallett was 21 and a fireman on the railways where he became friendly with several Americans whom he met on the American bomb, fuel and troop trains.