Letters Home : A 207 Squadron Lancaster Navigator at War

A navigator on the famous Lancaster Bomber with 207 Squadron, Les Newall was just one of the many tens of thousands of airmen who wrote to families or loved ones on a regular basis during the 1939-1945 World War.

The survival of over 300 letters, so eloquently written, paints a vivid picture of life in war, from eighteen months of training through active operations to post-war service as a trainer and navigator, ferrying essential relief supplies to and from the battered Reich. But, of course, that is only half the story that could be shared with loved ones…

Coupled with photographs, documents and logbook details, Letters Home places Les’s letters in context with the wider aerial conflict. It details the emotions, the tenderness and practicalities of a family separated by events outside their control, and the spirit of a family united to ‘do their duty’ in a world torn apart by war.