Wardrop, William E D (Oral history)

British NCO served as observer at Air Gunnery School, Royal Naval Air Service, Eastchurch, GB, 1916-1917; served with 7th Sqdn Royal Naval Air Service and 207 Sqdn RAF on Western Front, 1917-1918

REEL 1 Background to recruitment to Royal Naval Air Service at Whitehall, London, 5/8/1915: prior attempts to join army; question of physical suitability. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Naval Air Service at Felixstowe, 8/1915-8/1916: prior drill instruction without uniforms at Sheerness; lectures on venereal disease (VD); reaction to absence of flying opportunities; disciplinary punishments; opinion of Commander John Porte; duties launching seaplanes and flying boats with wading party; question of use of motor launches in rescue of ditched crews; rum ration; first flight. REEL 2 Aspects of period as pupil and instructor at Air Gunnery School, Eastchurch, 9/1916-8/1917: reception; naval gunnery course at Whale Island; importance of team work; ruse to secure weekend leave in London and subsequent punishment fatigues; pride in unit; method of practising and assessing bomb dropping skills; Lewis gun practise and stoppage clearing. REEL 3 Continues: bomb dropping tests and question of visibility; use of Maurice Farmans; method of using bomb sight in Handley Pages; grass runways; unit morale. Recollections of period as sergeant observer flying in Handley Pages with 7 Sqdn Royal Naval Air Service based at Coudekerke, France 8/1917-4/1918: re-organisation as 207 Sqdn RAF, 1/4/1918; posting as observer to Flight Commander H Brackley; opinion of Brackley; prior journey out to Calais; initial period of ground work; opinion of Handley Page; story of forced landing in No Mans Land in Nieuport area following raid on Bruges, 16/6/1918, and subsequent reprimand over failure to salvage Lewis guns. REEL 4 Continues: crew of Handley Page and role of observer in dropping bombs; familiarisation flight; aircraft and gun maintenance; visibility at night; navigation and use of coast line; question of infringing Netherlands air space and their anti-aircraft fire; question of lighting in aircraft; pre-mission briefing; story if interrogation as possible Germans on being rescued by Belgian troops following forced landing in Nieuport area; story of squadron tender coming under shell fire and reaction of driver; instructions to avoid civilian targets; question of ruses to get German aerodromes to display their landing lights. REEL 5 Continues: German air raid on Coudekerke and consequent temporary airfield at Mardec Sands; use of landmarks to locate targets; differing bomb sizes and question of effect on bomb sight; story of being concussed by dropping 1,660lb bomb from 2,000 feet; method of carrying and releasing bombs; verification of effects of bombs by agents and aerial photographs; inconclusive clash with German fighter; evasive action and side-slipping to avoid searchlights; roving commissions and attacks on trains; question of ditching in sea; entrance and exit to Handley Page. REEL 6 Continues: efforts to keep warm and case of frostbite; medical inspections, question of personal morale and necessity of leave; GB leave; success of bombing raid on railway bridge at Namur, 29/9/1917-30/9/1917; failure of attempt to reach Cologne, Germany, 20/10/1917; crash landing on beach, 7/6/1918; story of forced landing in No Mans Land in Nieuport area following raid on Bruges, 16/6/1918; diversionary role to attract searchlights during naval raid on Zeebrugge; failed attempts to bomb dock gates at Zeebrugge; last raid of war, 10/11/1918. Demobilisation, 1/1919.