Thomson, Thomas Brown (Oral history)

British seaman served as wireless telegraphist served aboard HMS Temeraire in GB coastal waters, 1913-1914; served with Royal Naval Air Service Station Kingsnorth, 1/1914-6/1914; served with Royal Naval Air Service Station Great Yarmouth, GB, 6/1914-4/1915; served with No 1 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service in France, 4/1915-8/1917; petty officer served as wireless operator/observer with Royal Naval Air Service Station Great Yarmouth, GB, 8/1917-4/1918; officer wireless operator/gunner with 217 Sqdn, RAF in France, 5/1918-11/1918

REEL 1 Aspects of period as wireless telegraphist aboard HMS Temeraire in GB coastal waters, 1913-1914: how having a specialist status meant being excused coaling ship duties; reasons for transfer to Royal Naval Air Service, 1/1914; background to enlistment in Royal Navy, 1911. Aspects of period as wireless operator at Royal Naval Air Service Station Kingsnorth, GB, 1/1914-6/1914: reaction to flying in airship; reasons for missing balloon course. Recollections of period as wireless operator with Royal Naval Air Service Station Great Yarmouth, GB, 6/1914-4/1915: situation; question of effectiveness of defensive measures during bombardment by German battlecruisers, 11/1914; opinion of officers. REEL 2 Continues: minimal duties as wireless telegraphist; picking up British submarine's coded messages during German bombardment of Great Yarmouth, 11/1914; use of transposition code. Aspects of period as wireless operator at Royal Naval Air Service Station Dunkirk, France, 1915: use of Maurice Farman MF.11 seaplanes with Rouzet TSF Wireless Set; story of climbing onto float to free aerial whilst flying; small arms armament during coastal patrols and avoiding contact with German aircraft; failed attempt to receive radio gunnery corrections from aircraft whilst aboard armed yacht. Recollections of period as wireless telegraphist with No 1 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service at Royal Naval Air Service Station Saint-Pol-sur-mer, France, 1915-1917: duties; temporary detachment with portable Marconi Spark Wireless Set to report fall of shot of 12 Inch naval siege guns at Nieuport, Belgium; use of induction coil to jam signals; opinion of award of Victoria Cross to Reginald Warneford; prevalence of illegal cameras and appearing in photograph reproduced in Daily Mirror newspaper; souvenirs taken by mechanics from Reginald Warneford's Moraine-Saulnier Type L; background to securing transfer to Royal Naval Air Service Station Great Yarmouth, GB, 8/1917; maintenance of Sterling Wireless Set and various receivers; transmission range. REEL 3 Continues: German long range shelling of Dunkirk; uniform; story of abortive special trip to Dover, GB; ease of securing transfer to Royal Naval Air Service Station Great Yarmouth in GB, 8/1917. Recollections of period as wireless operator/observer with Royal Naval Air Service at Royal Naval Air Service Station Great Yarmouth, GB, 8/1917-3/1918: difficult landing conditions; use of Marconi Spark Wireless Set and accident in Short seaplane cockpit; transfer to flying boats in response to rumour as to safety of folding Shorts manufactured by Robey & Co Ltd of Lincoln; flying adapted Curtiss H-12 Flying Boats including difficulty in taking off, crew, Lewis Gun armament and necessity of restricting angles of fire. REEL 4 Continues: question of recieving Lewis Gun training; unit morale and amusing story illustrating character of pilot; promotion to petty officer; flying boat missions to intercept Zeppelins near Texel Island and Terschelling Island, Netherlands including story illustrating lack of civilian awareness; comradeship in flying boat crews; in flight latrine arrangements; higher altitude ceiling of Zeppelins; story of inconclusive encounter with Zeppelin L.43 (LZ.92); account of period drifting in flying boat in North Sea following joint patrol with Airco DH.4 including prior inconclusive encounter with Zeppelin L.43 (LZ.92), damage to flying boat whilst landing to rescue Airco DH.4 crew who had ditched with engine failure, use of carrier pigeons to get help, failed attempt to taxi home, situation without food and water. REEL 5 Continues: account of period drifting in flying boat in North Sea following joint patrol with Airco DH.4 including state of morale, success of carrier pigeon, seasickness, bailing out, rescue and state of health; personal morale during subsequent aborted joint patrol with Airco DH.4; necessity of hand pumping to maintain pressure in Sunbeam-Coatalen Engine; story of combat with two German seaplanes near Texel Island, Netherlands and nature of damage suffered to flying boat; opinion of Robert Leckie. REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Commander Charles Samson; success in bombing and apparently destroying German submarine during bad weather off Yarmouth Roads, North Sea, 3/1918; reaction to formation of RAF, 1/4/1918; question of continued effective independence of Royal Naval Air Service squadrons; award of Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) and consequent status; background to commission as pilot officer on formation of Royal Air Force; derivation of term 'one-three-eighters' and question of discrimination against such officers. Recollections of period as wireless operator/gunner wiith 217 Sqdn, RAF at Bergues, France, 1918: lack of wireless role; necessity of dropping all bombs before landing. REEL 7 Continues: story of forced landing through propeller coming off Airco DH.4 and previous similar fatal accident in unit; celebration on Armistice Day, 11/11/1918; background to leaving Royal Air Force, 1919. Recollections of period of as signals officer with Royal Air Force in GB and Algeria, 1939-1945: pre-war period as civilian instructor at Royal Air Force College, Cranwell and question of continued use of wireless sets dating from 1918; reception and rapid promotion to squadron leader; contrasting American and British attitudes to aircraft maintenance; difficulties during Operation Torch as signals officer with No 326 Wing, RAF in French Algeria, 1943; prior recollection of activities with 217 Sqdn, RAF in Bruges area, Belgium, 1918-1919.