Bremner, Donald (Oral history)

British seaman served aboard armed yachts HMS Zarefah and HMS Sagitta based at Lowestoft, GB, 1914; served as officer with Royal Naval Air Service in GB, 1914-1915; served with No 2 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service on Imbros and Thasos, Greece, 1915-1916; served with Royal Naval Air Service in GB, 1916-1917; served with Armament Experimental Station, RAF at Orfordness, GB, 1918

REEL 1 Recollections of service as ordinary seaman aboard HMS Zarefah (Armed Yacht No 1) and HMS Sagitta (Minesweeper No 01) based at Lowestoft, 8/1914-9/1915: composition of crew; duties as Admiral Charlton's flagship for minesweeper squadron; story illustrating competence of crew; story illustrating destroyers' lack of seagoing consideration for yachts. Recollections of commission and flying training with Royal Naval Air Service at Chingford, 9/1915-10/1915: reasons; prior course at Navigation School, Portsmouth; dual training with Bristol Boxkites. REEL 2 Continues: dual and solo training on Bristol Boxkites; naval discipline; mess traditions; cross country flight; opinion of Maurice Farman Longhorn, Avro 504K, BE2 C and JN4 Curtiss; initial difficulty flying Bristol Scout due to 6ft 3" height; passing pilot's certificate; forced landing in Bleriot. REEL 3 Continues: period at Dover Station, c11/1915. Recollections of period as pilot with No 2 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service operating over Gallipoli, Turkey and based at Imbros, Greece, c12/1915-4/1915: journey out; difficulties in judging perspective on landing; forced landing due to engine failure; patrols over Dardanelles looking for Goeben; artillery spotting for monitors and air turbulence from shells; German air raids on base; story of fight with Fokker whilst spotting in Voisin and consequent forced landing at emergency airfield at Helles; refusal of permission to destroy aircraft due to ongoing evacuation, 8/1/1916. REEL 4 Continues: refusal of permission to destroy aircraft due to ongoing evacuation, 8/1/1916; ineffectiveness of Turkish shell fire during evacuation from W Beach, 8/1/1916; armaments carried on Nieuport and Bristol Scouts; flying characteristics and problems in landing Nieuport Scouts; fight with Fokker whilst flying Bristol Scout; monitor bombardments; adaptations to Bristol Scout to improve performance and consequent poor landing characteristics; packing case huts; centipedes; sheltering from air raids in unfilled grave. REEL 5 Continues: lifestyle. Recollections of period as officer with No 2 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service based at Thasos, Greece, 4/1916-10/1916: difficult first landing at airfield; relationship with French Air Force unit; petrol bombs used in raids to destroy Bulgarian crops; dangers of flying over mountains; bomb racks; difficulties in spotting for monitors; story of accidentally bombing Greek unit; extra bombs carried by Serbian pilot. REEL 6 Continues: story of Serbian pilot's crash landing; emergency take offs in attempt to counter air raids; fly problem; malaria and dysentery attacks and consequent return to GB. Question of conditions during period with suspected malaria in Haslar Hospital, Gosport, 1916-1917. Recollections of period as executive officer at Redcar Royal Naval Air Service Station, 1917-1918: role; disadvantages of including non-flying personnel in flight organisation; methods employed in making up shortages discovered in potato store. REEL 7 Continues: hut inspection competition to improve morale; relationship with Samson and criteria employed during duties as member of Royal Naval Air Service officers selection board meetings held in London; continued monitoring of suspected malaria. Period at Royal Flying Corps Hospital, Mount Vernon, 1918: successful experimental use of flavine injection; question of role of lice in causing trench fever; examples of shell shock cases. REEL 8 Recollections of period as officer with Armament Experimental Station, RAF at Orfordness, 1918: role and composition of unit; experiments in testing parachutes for longevity, effects of bullets, efficiency of different packing methods and use for landing pigeon crates; experiments to determine best explosives for use in anti-submarine bombs. REEL 9 Continues: experiments to determine best explosives for use in anti-submarine bombs experiments in night photography; test of aircraft armour against impact with balloon cables; experiments in night navigation; illustrations of mixed nature of scientific and RAF unit personnel; story of failed attempt on altitude record.