Dan Ellin

@danellin.bsky.social

3252 Followers 1145 Following

Historian, Gremlinologist, musician, and father. IBCC Digital Archivist. All views my own. He/him.

Dan reading Ade Bean's W For Wimpy.
Vertical air to ground view of an airfield parking pan running top left to bottom right. Airfield buildings are also shown. Parked on the pan are Lancaster, B-29, C-57, Northrop P61, B-17 and Lockheed Constellation as well as other aircraft. There are shadows of a 12-aircraft formation of Lancasters flying towards top of image projected onto the ground over the pan. IBCC Digital Archive item #17471
A carved dragon at Lincoln Cathedral. X
Frank in 2017 at a fundraising book signing with IBCC Trust Administrator, Sue Taylor.
Three b/w photographs on an album page Photo 1 is a port side flying view of a Ju 188E heavy bomber. Photo 2 is port side view of a row of Ju 188D, the reconnaissance version. Photo 3 is a flying view taken from underneath of the Ju 188 prototype. IBCC Digital Archive item #23243
Short S.20 seaplane ( G-ADHJ "Mercury") on land with hanger in the background. Several men are working on the port inner engine. On the reverse a newspaper cutting with headline '"Mercury" leaves Southampton for Atlantic flight today'. Describes plan to fly Mayo composite to Ireland from where it would make its trans Atlantic flight. This identifies the scene as Imperial Airways’ base at Southampton on 19 July 1938, the day the Mayo Composite flew to Foynes in Ireland for the commencement of Don Bennett’s world record transatlantic flight on 20/21 July in ‘Mercury’. IBCC Digital Archive item #53502
Description An aerial vertical photograph of Lincoln, England. Annotated 9 Job 3423 F/5 5/7/44 Jones. Sparse cloud cover. North is towards the bottom of the picture. The centre of the city is to the left of the photograph, showing residential areas. To the top is an industrial area mostly comprising railways and Foss Dyke flows into the Brayford pool from the centre-right. The top right of the photograph shows a railway curving around storage buildings. To the bottom are agricultural spaces, with farmlands compromising the majority of the right side of the photograph. IBCC Digital Archive item #33408
The Flying Stress exhibition at Bentley Priory; the figure of an airman stands with his hands on his hips in front of a pillar with 'Flying Stress' on it. Graphic Panels and a filing cabinet in the background.
His entry for the Peneemunde operation. He has written 'attacked by enemy fighter at 01:00 hrs. I was seriously wounded. Enemy A/C shot down. Excellent behaviour of crew. Returned safely to base." IBCC Digital archive item #53701
Page from his log book showing the operation. IBCC Digital Archive item #53701
Sunday a.m Sept 12, 1944 My Dearest Love, Have you a moment to spare darling – a moment to share with me? Close your eyes and dream that I am there with you, where – ever you are, because I so want to be with you. Just for a few minutes – and then I’ll go. But now I want to touch you – most of all I want to run my fingers through your hair and muss it up – please let me-. Ever since I first realized I loved you- so long ago – I’ve wanted to do that. I want to look at you – see you smile that funny little smile of yours – watch you play with your tie as you used to do eternally and I’d sit there wishing you wouldn’t, but would kiss me instead. And darling remember the time you went to sleep with your head on my shoulder while we were sitting on our bench on front campus – put your head on my shoulder now and dream. I’m with you dear, always – let that be the dream forever in your heart and some day not too [page break]
A sketched self portrait of Dan copied from my profile pic, signed 'Dan' and with a cartoon face.
A full frame vertical aerial photograph of a Lancaster flying over a heavily bombed V-1 site. This is near the hamlet of Hameau de l’Hey, just south of Noordpeene village, 10 kilometres to the north-east of St. Omer. IBCC Digital Archive item #25151 On the reverse 'KB745 VR-V 419 Sqn Middleton St Geo attacking V1 site July 1944. Lost 5/10/44 crashed into high ground on Op to Norway'.
Dan sitting on the roots of a tree in some woods.
Dan wearing a never mind the DBs t-shirt and pointing at it...
View showing wreckage of rear fuselage and turret of a crashed Lancaster in a forest. A servicemen with rifle stands guard. IBCC Digital Archive item #61085
Aircrew and ground crew on and around an A frame step ladder by the side if the fuselage of a Halifax bomber.
Dan and G-sprog one in a garden with water guns.
Ethel Smith smiling at the camera. IBCC Digital Archive item #61589
First shows right side, small holes in the skin except a large hole in the roundel. The reverse has RAF Horsham St Faith photographers stamp, captioned '425G Damaged aircraft 23 Jun 1941'. IBCC DIgital Archive item 25510
Dan and a Blue Numeric Smart Car.
Dan in a Hawaiian shirt and a Canadian hat getting snugs from a Sprocker. House with ivy and two green men plaques in the background.
Aircrewman and an erk in front of the nose of a Lancaster, the words 'lest we forget', and a Lanc and a Spitfire flying overhead in an orange sunset/ sunrise sky.
Barnes Wallis, Leonard Cheshire and their wives. They are seated at a table set for dinner at the Thatcher’s Hotel in Leatherhead, Surrey 24 Sept 1977. Captioned ' Barnes Wallis Leonard Cheshire and wives'. IBCC Digital Archive item #7858
Football match in prisoner of war camp In the centre a football pitch with goal at the far end. On the field a number of men in shorts playing football. The pitch is surrounded by spectators. In the background several large huts. IBCC Digital Archive item #3828
PowerPoint slide. Text 'Penguins and Chop Girls: Remembering RAF Bomber Command ground personnel 1939 -1945' over a formal group photo of RAF ground personnel in three rows.
Pencil drawing of Dan.
Flyer for my talk, includes a mug shot of me and a b/w photo of three aircrew laying on the grass in front of a hangar.
Sausage roll and a bottle of Adnams Ghost Shop at the IBCC
An airman standing on a garden path. He is wearing a hard hat and gas mask. The image is mounted on a cardboard mount. IBCC Digital Archive item #22813
Dan on a library ladder in Toppings book shop York. He's holding a copy of Advance Britannia in the military history section.
Looking down on three Horsa gliders having landed at Pegasus Bridge. The rear section of one of the gliders is at an acute angle to the main fuselage. Captioned '4007 16/412: 6 Jun 44: 20'//K18'. IBCC Digital Archive item #52626
A man standing beside his ice cream selling bicycle, outside the Millson family shop 89 Pembury Road Tonbridge. IBCC Digital Archive item 51030
A row of snow/ice covered bicycles parked outside a building. IBCC Digital Archive item #47957
Portrait of Marie Meadows in No. 1 Home Dress uniform with service cap. Image shows her left side and she has turned to face the camera but is looking beyond it. On the reverse is written: "To Freda & Sonnie Lots of Love Marie. X Isle of Man May 1942 Marie Meadows". IBCC Digital Archive Item #61146
Edward's description of the operation to the railway centre, commenting on the thunderstorms encountered. Trappes. Marshalling Yards. 31/5/44 Airborne 2355 Landed 0505. Thunderstorms & lightning around base – tossed about and iced up Large fires seen burning in bend of the Seine. Target – Flak fairly intense. ME109 seen over target about 500 yards away on reciprocal course. Flak seen coming from Cherbourg & Channel Islands IBCC Digital Archive item #34253
Front port fuselage of Lancaster ED588 with G registration and bomb symbols designating 125 operational sorties. IBCC Digital Archive item #60942
Grass area in front of the uni's Isaac Newton Building. Groups of students sitting on the grass, but a family of geesein the foreground.
Nine aircraftsmen in and around a Lancaster aircraft. Wheeled maintenance platforms are in place to allow access to the open engines. A bicycle, mugs and items of clothing are on the ground to the front. IBCC Digital Archive item 60052
Bill Bailey as Manny in Black Books with a headband surrounded by battery powered fans.
Bill Lutwyche in pith helmet and khaki shorts standing outside a wooden building - possibly in Egypt. IBCC Digital Archive item ' 34871
From the ORB AIR-27-1657-23. they were on a test flight when they crashed. the aircraft burnt out.
The BBMF Dakota seen between bits of stone work.
'Back Stage.' Six actors waiting back stage. Three men are dressed as women. Part of a show's musical running order is written on the wall behind them. IBCC Digital Archive item #40524
Google Ngram for 'Bomber County' showing nothing until the late 1970s early 1980s.
Johnny Johnson in a chair holding a Dam Busters film mug. IBCC Digital Archive item #3437
Actors Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd playing Barnes Wallis and Guy Gibson having a discussion over a meal in the Mess. From the filming of The Dam Busters film. IBCC Digital Archive item #42875
The Marmorbad and Orangerie, flooded, at Kassel. On the reverse 'Karlswiesse – Duke Charles Field Kassel 18 May 1943. Small building Marmorbad Marble Baths (formerly the Duke's bath house) Larger building The Orangie - The Duke's Conservatory. Both burnt out in raid October 43. Fulda river (behind trees) normally 60 ft wide'. The small building is the Marmorbad Marble Baths IBCC Digital Archive item #53362
A photograph taken not long after the breaching of the Edersee dam. IBCC Digital Archive item #53359
The award of the NAAFI efficiency competition cup to Isabel Dixon and staff. Isabel Dixon being presented with a cup for winning the NAAFI efficiency competition. A Royal Air Force group captain is presenting the award while the staff of the institute look on. On the reverse "C.G.S. 22/5/43" and the reference: "709/G." IBCC Digital Archive item #59639
Ralph Ottey in blazer and tie taken in 2020
Night Fire by Richard Strachan is an emotional read set during the Second World War. It focusses on the crew of ‘The Old Dog’, a veteran Lancaster, as they struggle against the odds to complete their tour of 30 bombing operations. The history of Bomber Command is difficult heritage; in public memory it is often recalled through the lens of either the Dam Busters attack on the dams in the Ruhr valley in 1943, or the controversial Dresden firestorm in February 1945. However, Night Fire tells a more nuanced story. The novel explores the relationship between Stanley ‘Wakey’ Wake, the bomb aimer and Abby Sallow, employed at the local AVRO works salvaging materials from damaged and crashed aircraft. Both have traumatic pasts they are trying to deal with, and their reactions to stress include elements of the supernatural, superstition, and faith. Each chapter increases the tension for the protagonists and the reader, until the climax of Operation Gomorrah the devastating attacks on Hamburg in July – August 1943.Like Deighton’s Bomber, Night Fire contains a convincing mix of historical context and imagination. Lincoln’s streets and the works at Bracebridge Heath are described, and although Harry’s nameless squadron operates from the fictitious RAF Wickenthorpe, the depiction of life on a wartime bomber station rings true. For full disclosure, I’m the historian with the IBCC in Lincoln, and Strachan has acknowledged my research and the work of the IBCC. The book is well researched and I’m quite prepared to forgive the very few inconsequential historical inaccuracies I noticed. Strachan’s take on the RAF’s draconian policy of Lack of Moral Fibre is spot on! Night Fire is well written with complex, believable characters, an engaging plot, and a clever structure with returning motifs; there’s enough of a twist to keep you guessing until the last pages. Scenes in the book are currently doing circuits and bumps in my mind, and I would love to see this adapted for TV or film.
A bottle of Adnams Broadside in a Pint of Science glass.
Dan reading Night Fire with his feet up on a table on decking by a stream.
A sheep on the skyline of a grassy hill. It has a blue C marking on its fleece.
Norwegian officers in front of a building. A group of four officers, three wearing battledress and the other a tunic stand talking. A further officer wearing greatcoat and carrying peaked hat approaches from the left. The officer on left is Gunnar Halle. Second from the left is Kåre Stenwig. The officer second from right has pilot's brevet and medal ribbon. On the far right is Eirik Sandberg from Lillehammer, Norway. Stenwig was his navigator 1942-43. IBCC Digital Archive item #16818
A pigeon in a pond.
104-year-old navigator Eddie Hulmes (left), 103-year-old WAAF plotter Queenie “Robbie” Hall, and 101-year-old air gunner Bert Hammond at the IBCC. Captioned Together Combined age of 108.
The IBCC spire against a blue sky.
A man in a hat and trench coat waiting in the shade outside a building. photo taken from the third floor. The top of a tree in the foreground.