Description
Object description
British officer trained as pilot with No 5 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Sealand, GB, 1929-1930; served with 32 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Kenley, GB, 1930-1931; served with Flying Boat Training Sqdn, RAF at RAF Calshot, GB, 1931-1932; served with 203 Sqdn, RAF at Basra, Iraq, 1932-1934; attended Armaments Specialist Course at No 2 Air Armament School, RAF at RAF Eastchurch, GB, 1934-1935; served as staff officer with Wessex Bombing Area, RAF at RAF Andover, GB, 1935 and with No 3 (Bomber) Group at RAF Mildenhall, GB, 1936-1938; attached to Woolwich Arsenal in London, GB, 1938-1939
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, East Africa and United States of America, 1906-1929: family; life in GB during First World War, on father's farm in East Africa and in United States of America; interest in aviation and model aeroplanes. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1929: decision to take short service commission in Royal Air Force, 1929; reputation of Royal Air Force officers due to carelessness over financial matters; comparison of Royal Air Force College, Cranwell trained, short service commissioned and ex-Royal Flying Corps officers; behaviour in mess; Richard Atcherley's 'crazy flying'.
REEL 2 Continues: medical. Aspects of period of flying training at No 5 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Sealand, GB, 4/1929-2/1930: initial problems with nervous instructor; qualification for advanced training on fighter aircraft; opinion of Armstrong Whitworth Siskin; ground instruction; assessment. Recollections of period as pilot with 32 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Kenley, GB, 5/1930-6/1931: posting to squadron; comparison between Armstrong Whitworth Siskin and Gloster Gamecock; degree of freedom of pilots with later controls; lack of personalisation of aircraft; attitude of Cranwell trained pilots; standard of discipline; character of Bristol Bulldog which replaced Armstrong Whitworth Siskin; training programme; aircraft instrumentation.
REEL 3 Continues: navigation exercises; night flying; gunnery sighting and exercises; role of home fighter squadrons. Aspects of period training to fly flying boats at Flying Boat Training Sqdn, RAF at RAF Calshot, GB, 7/1931-1/1932: learning to handle flying boats on water; problems of landing on water; opinion of Supermarine Southampton; length of time needed to master handling flying boats; importance of navigation; status of flying boat aircrews. Recollections of period as pilot at 203 Sqdn, RAF at Basra, Iraq, 1932-1934: volunteering to join squadron; joining crew to fly new Short Rangoon from GB to Basra, 3/1932.
REEL 4 Continues: flight from GB to Basra, 3/1932-4/1932; impressions of Basra; effects of climate on relationships; role of squadron in Persian Gulf; living conditions in flying boats; character of Short Rangoon; obtaining permanent commission after turning down employment offer from Imperial Airways; need to specialise in an area on commission. Aspects of period attending Armaments Specialist Course at No 2 Air Armament School, RAF at RAF Eastchurch, GB, 1934-1935: background to specialising in armaments; problems of marrying before the age of thirty in Royal Air Force; pattern of course; bombing practise and nature of fuses and bombs.
REEL 5 Continues: origin of officers on course and their subsequent postings. Aspects of period as Staff Armaments Officer with Wessex Bombing Area, RAF at RAF Andover, GB, 1935: duties; nature of bombing area. Aspects of period as staff officer with No 3 (Bomber) Group at RAF Mildenhall, GB, 1936-1938: character of airfield; duties; reactions to Munich Crisis, 9/1938. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Air Force at Woolwich Arsenal, London, GB, 1938-1939: studying development and manufacture of armaments; opinion of threat of German bombing; reaction to not returning to flying duties on outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1940. Memories of working on rocket development, 1942-1945.
