Images of WWII - Jack Burgin’s Photograph Album — Index Part 1

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roger Marsh of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Jack Burgin and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Part 1 - Photo No. 001 to Photo No. 145
Part 2 - Photo No. 146 to Photo No. 263

Introduction
I joined the RAF in May 1940 and was posted overseas in April 1942. All the photographs were taken between then and my demob in June 1946.
I didn't have a camera of my own, there were about 5 cameras between us in the squadron and we shared them. If anyone was able to buy one or two films, perhaps when they were on leave, we shared those too. Sometimes they were developed when one of us went on leave and sometimes we managed to get them developed by our photography section.
Fortunately, after the war, I spent a fair amount of my demob leave putting the photographs in an album and labelling them. The album I used I bought in the bazaar in Cairo before I left.

All of these photographs have been collected together and placed in their own category at: C55342

Photo No. 001 - Bert Ward, Eric Tranfield, George, Jack Burgin & Randy — Taken in a Café Bar about 9 o’clock one evening in Tel Aviv

Photo No. 002 — Squadron Crest

Photo No. 003 — Good shot of Bombry

Photo No. 004 — Another shot of Benny — Dakota

Photo No. 005 — ‘Bum’ boat alongside at Freetown, West Africa

Photo No. 006 — The Playhouse — Durban, South Africa

Photo No. 007 — The Town Hall, Durban, South Africa

Photo No. 008 — The Colosseum, Smith Street, Durban, South Africa

Photo No. 009 — The Town Hall, Durban, South Africa

Photo No. 010 — A country scene of Veldt Transport, Natal, South Africa

Photo No. 011 — Valley of a Thousand Hills, Natal, South Africa

Photo No. 012 — Chai Swindle ‘B’ flight at El Khanka, Delta area.
Left to right Smudge, Newton, Charlie Rutley, Croot, Bowser, Kings, Mousie, Aboul, Tich Hughes & Pullen.

Photo No. 013 — Chai Swindle ‘A’ flight at El Khanka left to right Joe Bratton, Grant, Ernie Dolly, ‘Butch’ Burdery, ‘Macnoxn Nobly’ Hall, Reynolds Abdul in the back ground ‘Split Pin’ Lewis, A.N.Other

Photo No. 014 — Native village at an oasis.

Photo No. 015 — Geoff Crickmer D.F.M. takes a bath

Photo No. 016 — Interior of ‘Bombay’ A/C with Smudge up forward.

Photo No. 017 — ‘Flinty’ Cliff & Jack Burgin at the front door of 81 our tent at El Khanka previous to my departure on detachment at Helio - September 1942

Photo No. 018 — General loading up scene for a trip transport by Bombry

Photo No. 019 — Smudge & Jack Burgin propping up a roving General Grant tank at El Khanka - September 1942. The driver had lost his way and came to ask us where he was.

Photo No. 020 — Bombry dispersed at El Khanka

Photo No. 021 — Bombry bombed up with bombs outside as well as inside.

Photo No. 022 — Members of the Long Range Desert Group (L.R.D.G.) the first commando these particular chaps …

Photo No. 023 — ‘Dhobie Whallao’ by our cookhouse after a hurricane had hit it.

Photo No. 024 — Flinty, Pete & Cliff by the tent at El Khanka — September 1942

Photo No. 025 — Bombry over Henopolis, El Khanka

Photo No. 026 — Bombrys jockeying for position in formation for a flight over Cairo, Egypt. Another load of supplies goes forward.

Photo No. 027 — 240x on 39 at El Khanka

Photo No. 028 — Lofty, Smude & Jack Burgin taking a rest during work on the C/O’s Gladiator at El Khanka

Photo No. 029 — Camp under the palms Delta Area on the road to El Marg

Photo No. 030 — Natives building our wind break at El Khanka

Photo No. 031 — Cement mixing Egyptian style. Six Natives and a shovel, typical of these people, one holds the shovel, five pull on the rope, one pours on the water and so the cement is mixed.

Photo No. 032 — By the irrigation canal in the delta. Date palms on way from El Khanka to El Marg

Photo No. 033 —Jack Greenwood in his glamour suit by the irrigation wheel near Khanka

Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims.

Photo No. 034 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims.

Photo No. 035 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Remains of crashed Hudson at El Khanka dump of petrol tins can be seen in foreground

Photo No. 036 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Funeral — Bearing the coffins

Photo No. 037 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Another shot of crashed Hudson

Photo No. 038 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Hudson crashes whilst taking off from El Khanka to go on detachment a few days previous to the start of the ‘Big Push’ of 1942. It carried a crew of eight five were killed in the kite three got out, two of them died of burns later so there was only one survivor (Paulger) a terrible tragedy.

Photo No. 039 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Entering the cemetery.

Photo No. 040 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Funeral.

Photo No. 041 — Hudson crashes into petrol dump in the act of taking off on a detachment prior to El Alemein. Photographs of the crash and the burial of the victims. Funeral of the poor lads who met their death in the Hudson Heliopolis.

Photo No. 042 — Cairo to Alexandria road

Photo No. 043 — One of the ‘Fox Holes’ at the camp dug out at Gambut

Photo No. 044 — Sapper Grant getting matey with a wrecked jerry artillery piece field gun.

Photo No. 045 — ‘Shylock’ (Sky) in a characteristic pose waiting at Cowley Camp for a lift up the road.

Photo No. 046 — Jerry prisoners get off our Bombay

Photo No. 047 — Remains of the Gharry in which the two R.A.S.C. chaps were killed. A British tanker strafed on the way up.

Photo No. 048 — Graves by the road side on the way up of two drivers R.A.S.C. killed when their Gharry received a direct hit near El Adem

Photo No. 049 — Another ‘Bisley’ bit the dust. All that remained of a Bombay after jerry had laid a bomb right on it Kufra Oasis September 1942. Three Bombays ‘written off’ and three jerries brought down by small arms fire.

Photo No. 050 — ‘Fry Up’ time under the main-plane. Getting ready for a spot of grub Kit, Paddy & Bromey, Village

Photo No. 051 — Group of Syrian Arabs gathered round British aircraft. Typical Bedouin types.

Photo No. 052 — George Jock Hannah, Bill Fransis, Harry Mather & Charlie Girdler on a tail unit repair at L.G. GO October 1942 Tailplane change at Amiria

Photo No. 053 — Bidwell getting ready for a bath on the beach at Tobruk.

Photo No. 054 — Prisoners landed by our ‘Bombay’ at Heliopolis

Photo No. 055 — Just a little desert scene. Typical rough desert ground Gambut and Tobruk area.

Photo No. 056 — A bouncing baby left stranded. Italian bomb lying in state at Marble Arch.

Photo No. 057 — ‘Bombay’ takes aboard prisoners. Ambulances bring us casualties for dispatch to base hospitals.

Photo No. 058 — Junkers 17 ‘ Stuka’ left at El Adem.

Photo No. 059 — Beaumont by crashed ‘ Stuka’ left at El Adem.

Photo No. 060 — German graves at El Adem Tobruk area.

Photo No. 061 — ‘Some fell by the wayside’ Grave of ‘Tommy’ by the roadside.

Photo No. 062 — View from the air from our Bombay of Tobruk Bay

Photo No. 063 — Another view of German graves at El Adem. Jock Gouhan and little Jock Graham in the foreground

Photo No. 064 — Crashed and bombed Messerschmit El Adem, Western Desert.

Photo No. 065 — Once proud hangers of ‘Musso’ at El Adem, aerodrome showing some of the wrecked buildings after the bombing of the RAF and knocking about by the eighth army.

Photo No. 066 — Another shot of the hangers at El Adem

Photo No. 067 — German graves in the ‘blue’ Willi Schneider rests with friends

Photo No. 068 — Inside the cathedral at Benghazi

Photo No. 069 — ‘Musso’s’ famous Marble Arch gateway to Tripolitainia

Photo No. 070 — View of Benghazi with ship burning in the harbour.

Photo No. 071 — View of some of the buildings in Benghazi showing cathedral.

Photo No. 072 — Inside the cathedral at Benghazi

Photo No. 073 — Lemonade vendor Cairo

Photo No. 074 — ‘Bombay’ comes to grief after a main wheel burnt at landing ground just beyond Marble Arch February 1943.

Photo No. 075 — Casualties being transferred from a ‘Bombay’ at base to waiting ambulances to be dispatched to hospitals.

Photo No. 076 — Close up of some of the figures in the stonework of the Marble Arch

Photo No. 077 — The sea front at Benghazi.

Photo No. 078 — Control Tower Castel Benito Tripoli

Photo No. 079 — Changing of the guard outside Tripoli Castle situated near the harbour

Photo No. 080 — Fountain in one of the squares in Tripoli

Photo No. 081 — A merry group of mates Pete, Camp, Smudge, Ted, and Cliff in front of Jack Burgin’s tent on Christmas Day 1942.

Photo No. 082 — Our canteen Christmas 1943

Photo No. 083 — Group outside our tent roughly Christmas 1942

Photo No. 084 — Officers and Sergeants ‘Parade’ coming up to our mess to serve our Christmas dinner 1942

Photo No. 085 — Officers and Sergeants ‘Parade’ to serve our Christmas dinner 1942

Photo No. 086 — Jack Burgin being uncovered after storm February 1943. The morning during the big storm Tuesday, 23rd February 1943. One of the chaps just after he had been wakened up to tell him his tent was not as it should be.

Photo No. 087 — Group of ‘Wrecks’ the morning after the storm February 1943

Photo No. 088 — M Flight Football XI 1942-43

Photo No. 089 — The first Liberator (‘Lib’) to land at Heliopolis from the United States of America.

Photo No. 090 — Bombay being dispersed at Heliopolis

Photo No. 091 — Signpost at RAF Habbaniya, Iraq just a few thousand miles from London

Photo No. 092 — Old Timer Habbaniya, Iraq

Photo No. 093 — Verander of Peace time billets at Heliopolis

Photo No. 094 — Inside of billets at Heliopolis

Photo No. 095 — An old French crate that we used to meet now and again

Photo No. 096 — The Main Street of battered Tobruk

Photo No. 097 — ‘On the rocks’ at Tobruk

Photo No. 098 — The beach at Tobruk

Photo No. 099 — Palm lined street in Tripoli

Photo No. 100 — Opening up for his meal. Hippo takes his meal at Cairo Zoo, Egypt 1943

Photo No. 101 — Harry amidst the nice surroundings Cairo, Egypt 1943

Photo No. 102 — Flamingos at Cairo Zoo, Egypt 1943

Photo No. 103 — Football at Alemein Club, Cairo, Egypt. Football match between Cairo area services and Egyptian army.

Photo No. 104 — Wind beginning to whip up the sand. Sand storm rolling up at L.G.224 January 1943

Photo No. 105 — The wind gets worst, soon there will be no visibility. Sandstorm whistles through the camp.

Photo No. 106 — George in the cockpit of the ‘Bombay’ through the instrument panel.

Photo No. 107 — We thought a kite had gone in, but…

Photo No. 108 — When we got there it was a native tar boiler and barrels on fire

Photo No. 109 — Already for another days work on this ‘Major’. 09 an 240x at LG224 January 1943.

Photo No. 110 — Our ‘Major’ gang 1943-44. Smudge, Jimmy, Rew, Camp, Pete Ana. ‘Bombay’ 240x 5.6. March 1943

Photo No. 111 — Ted takes over in the cockpit

Photo No. 112 — A shot giving some idea of wingspan ‘Bombay’. 09 on 240x mainplanes.

Photo No. 113 — A crew of chaps on ‘Majors’. Smudge, Pete, Junior, George, Paddy Black, Ana, Camp, Jock Hannah and Jock Mackay ‘Bombay’ 240x 09 February 1943.

Photo No. 114 — 117 Squadron getting ready for their move to India. Line up of D.C.s for the ceremony when 117 Squadron went to India.

Photo No. 115 — ‘Packing Up’ time. A shot by one of the 240x hour inspections ‘Bombay’.

Photo No. 116 — Just before another trip. Where’s that kite!

Photo No. 117 — Another shot of our ‘Major’ crew. Smudge, Ana, Junior, Pete, Jock Mackay, Paddy Black, George Jock Hannah and Paddy Keenan ‘Bombay’ 240x 09. February 1943 Kilo 26.

Photo No. 118 — George, Jack Burgin, Dobbie, Ron and Jock (Shorty) taken just outside the tent September 1943.

Photo No. 119 — Our first view of a Handly Page ‘Halifax’ early 1944 used for supply dropping in the Middle East.

Photo No. 120 — Outdoor latrine
Roger Marsh believes that this photograph has lost its impact now that the HIT has been censored out of it.

Photo No. 121 — Pete decked up in his outfit.

Photo No. 122 — Vic at his toilet gets ready to tear them off

Photo No. 123 — Harry and Bill

Photo No. 124 — Danny Murrain going places in one of his queer outfits

Photo No. 125 — Freddy Dyer, George Hill, Jackie Twigg

Photo No. 126 — Smudge with ‘Benny’ our first Dakota

Photo No. 127 — Bath time for Pete and Ted

Photo No. 128 — Ted on his way with lots of warm clothing

Photo No. 129 — Sea Front Tel Aviv looking towards Jaffa. On leave in Palestine September 1943.

Photo No. 130 — Mograbi Opera House (Cinema) Tel Aviv. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 131 — Dyeiyoff a fine square in Tel Aviv. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 132 — George, Les and Jack Burgin on the beach at Tel Aviv. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 133 — Taken whilst horse riding near Tel Aviv. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 134 — Allelby Road Tel Aviv. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 135 — Boulevard Rothschild in Tel Aviv. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 136 — Ben Yehudin Road Tel Aviv (City of Spring). On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 137 — Tel Aviv beach looking on to Jaffa

Photo No. 138 — The waterfall on the Yarkon River

Photo No. 139 — The Garden of Gethsemane. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 140 — Rowing on the Yarkon River. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 141 — Time for melon refreshment. Stop for refreshment by the River Yarkon whilst rowing. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 142 — The bells of Bethlehem. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 143 — Looking from the door of the Church of All Nations onto Jerusalem old city wall with the Mosque of Omar visible. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 144 — The front of the Church of All Nations. On leave in Palestine September 1943

Photo No. 145 — The Church of all Nations from Jerusalem. On leave in Palestine September 1943

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