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In this episode, the James and Jane are joined by Dr. Dan Ellin to discuss the role of ground crew, ground personnel (there's a difference!) and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during World War II.

The conversation touches on the concept of the 'chop girl' and the superstitions surrounding dating aircrew. The hosts also explore the relationships between ground crew and aircrew, the risks and dangers faced by ground personnel, and the traumatic experiences they had to deal with, such as handling the remains of  deceased aircrew members.

The discussion also delves into the concept of gremlins and their significance to the RAF, as well as the belief in 'scarecrow' as a psychological weapon. 

Look out on our social media channels for photographs to accompany this episode.  You can find us on X/twitter at @RAFBomber_Pod and on Instagram at @NeverMindTheDambusters

Further reading:
You can read Dr Dan Ellin's PhD thesis here https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/73976/

To find out what James has been up to, click here ; Jane's website can be found at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/

If you'd like to know more about Jane's uncles (Jack -aircrew, Leo - groundcrew) their stories are told in Above Us The Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command - The Wireless Operator's Story

 
Thanks for listening! 

TRIGGER WARNING: This episodes contains references to death and injury which some listeners may find distressing. It also contains discussion of 1940s attitudes to women, gender and class. 

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!

Welcome to the first episode of Never Mind The Dambusters! In this episode James and Jane discuss the origins of their mutual interest in RAF Bomber Command, and talk about the evolution of Strategic Bombing Theory from the Great War to the late 1930s.
What did it take to build a strategic bomber force and why was it necessary?  How do you build a bomber base?
James waxes lyrical about the Bristol Blenheim, and the team answer your questions, on parachutes and training ops.
Buckle up!

For further reading on air power theory, we recommend:
Professor John Buckley's Air Power in the Age of Total War (quoted by Jane in this episode)
Tami Davis Biddle's Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare - The evolution of British and American Ideas About Strategic Bombing 1914-1945
Richard Overy's The Air War 1939-1945, and his The Bombing War. 
Thank you for listening! 

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!

Welcome to Never Mind The Dambusters, a brand new podcast dedicated to RAF Bomber Command's wartime history.  The Dams raids were perhaps amongst the most famous and daring of the Second World War, but there's so much more to Bomber Command's history.
Join historians Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies fortnightly for a deep dive into Bomber Command - strategy, policy, aircraft, bombing raids, aircrew and veteran stories, the role of the ground crews, the moral debate, and the experience of the civilians at the sharp end of the strategic bombing campaign.
We'll be joined by specials guests from around the world to debate these and other topics, and answering YOUR questions each week. Get in touch on twitter/X at @RAFBomber_Pod or on Instagram at Never Mind The Dambusters. 
We're always looking for guests, so if you'd like to come on the show to talk about your research/ family story/whatever, please reach out!
Thank you for listening. 

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here