Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1937-1978 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
One file or 0.01m3
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born 1921; aircraft apprentice, RAF Holton, 1937; Aircraftsman Grade 2, RAF Driffield, 1939; posted to No 7 Squadron Hampdens, RAF Finningly, 1939; volunteered to join 210 Squadron, Coastal Command, 1939-1942; Sergeant, 1940; posted to 407 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, 1942; Signals Instructor, South Cerney, 1943; Emergency Commissioned Acting Pilot Officer, Nov 1943; Flying Officer, Jul 1944; Flight Lieutenant, Sept 1944; Squadron Leader and Station Commander, Training Area Flying Control Centre, 1945; Flight Lieutenant, 1948; retired as Squadron Leader, 1973; died 2002.
Archival history
GB 0099 KCLMA Pain 1937-1978 Collection One file or 0.01m3 Pain , Harry , 1921-2002 , Squadron Leader
Born 1921; aircraft apprentice, RAF Holton, 1937; Aircraftsman Grade 2, RAF Driffield, 1939; posted to No 7 Squadron Hampdens, RAF Finningly, 1939; volunteered to join 210 Squadron, Coastal Command, 1939-1942; Sergeant, 1940; posted to 407 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, 1942; Signals Instructor, South Cerney, 1943; Emergency Commissioned Acting Pilot Officer, Nov 1943; Flying Officer, Jul 1944; Flight Lieutenant, Sept 1944; Squadron Leader and Station Commander, Training Area Flying Control Centre, 1945; Flight Lieutenant, 1948; retired as Squadron Leader, 1973; died 2002.
Presented to the Centre by the family, July 2004.
Typescript unpublished memoir of Squadron Leader Harry 'Wacker' Pain, 1937-1978, including descriptions of: training as an Aircraft Apprentice, RAF Halton, 1937; wireless operator training in Wallace and Wapiti biplanes; airborne wireless operator training, RAF Driffield, 1939; working for Special Duties Flight, Coastal Command, as a gunner in long range Sunderland flying boats, 1939-1942, including survivor searches after submarine attacks, escorting convoys, account of destruction of flying boats Cabot and Caribou, Bodo, Norway, Apr 1940, training messenger pigeons, serious injury in crash and subsequent reposting as Signals Instructor, 1942, and retraining as an Air Traffic Control Officer, 1943. Also anecdotes from various postings including Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, 1944-1946; opening a new Area Control Centre in Gibraltar, 1946; RAF Mingaladon, Burma, 1947, and RAF Negombo, Ceylon, 1948; Area Control Centre, RAF Watnall, UK, 1949; RAF Gutersloh, Germany, 1954-1957; Air Traffic Controller at RAF Coningsby, 1957-1959; assisting with the introduction of radar guided systems and the formation of Border Radar in RAF Bishops Court, County Down, Northern Ireland, 1959-1962 and RAF Boulmer, Alnwick, 1962-1964; RAF Paya Lebar, Singapore, 1964-1967; as controller, Northern Radar, RAF Lindholme, 1967-1970; RAF Patrington, Withernsea, 1970-1971; Senior Operations Officer, Border Radar, RAF Boulmer, 1971-1973.
One file.
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form and provision of two forms of identification.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.
English.
No further finding aids.
Compiled by Katharine Higgon. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997. Nov 2007 World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Transport Vehicles Aircraft Military aircraft Equipment Scientific equipment Measuring instruments Radar Military equipment Defences Air defences Communication process Group communication Military communications Higher science education Military education Wars (events) Air traffic control Air traffic Traffic Pain , Harry , 1921-2002 , Squadron Leader RAF , Royal Air Force x Royal Air Force
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Presented to the Centre by the family, July 2004.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Typescript unpublished memoir of Squadron Leader Harry 'Wacker' Pain, 1937-1978, including descriptions of: training as an Aircraft Apprentice, RAF Halton, 1937; wireless operator training in Wallace and Wapiti biplanes; airborne wireless operator training, RAF Driffield, 1939; working for Special Duties Flight, Coastal Command, as a gunner in long range Sunderland flying boats, 1939-1942, including survivor searches after submarine attacks, escorting convoys, account of destruction of flying boats Cabot and Caribou, Bodo, Norway, Apr 1940, training messenger pigeons, serious injury in crash and subsequent reposting as Signals Instructor, 1942, and retraining as an Air Traffic Control Officer, 1943. Also anecdotes from various postings including Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, 1944-1946; opening a new Area Control Centre in Gibraltar, 1946; RAF Mingaladon, Burma, 1947, and RAF Negombo, Ceylon, 1948; Area Control Centre, RAF Watnall, UK, 1949; RAF Gutersloh, Germany, 1954-1957; Air Traffic Controller at RAF Coningsby, 1957-1959; assisting with the introduction of radar guided systems and the formation of Border Radar in RAF Bishops Court, County Down, Northern Ireland, 1959-1962 and RAF Boulmer, Alnwick, 1962-1964; RAF Paya Lebar, Singapore, 1964-1967; as controller, Northern Radar, RAF Lindholme, 1967-1970; RAF Patrington, Withernsea, 1970-1971; Senior Operations Officer, Border Radar, RAF Boulmer, 1971-1973.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
One file.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form and provision of two forms of identification.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
No further finding aids.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Transport
- Vehicles
- Vehicles » Aircraft
- Scientific equipment
- Scientific equipment » Measuring instruments
- Scientific equipment » Measuring instruments » Radar
- Military equipment
- Communication process
- Communication process » Group communication
- Higher science education
- Higher science education » Military education
- Transport » Traffic » Air traffic
- Transport » Traffic
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English