Description
Object description
British officer served with Royal Naval Air Service in GB and aboard HMS Furious in North Sea, 1916-1918; served as test pilot with Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1921-1923; served as staff officer with Air Ministry, London, GB, 1924-1926; commanded A Flight, 56 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Biggin Hill, GB, 1926-1927; student at Royal Air Force Staff College, Andover, GB, 1927-1929; served as staff officer with 1 Indian Wing, RAF and with Headquarters, India Command, RAF, New Dehli, India, 1929-1934; commanded 25 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Hawkinge, GB, 1935-1936; served on directing staff at Royal Air Force Staff College, Andover, GB, 1936-1938; attended Imperial Defence College in London, GB, 1939; served with Joint Planning Committee in Cabinet War Rooms in London, GB, 1939
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Northwood, GB, 1898-1916: family; education; reasons for pursuing naval and flying career; memories of John Slessor at Haileybury School. Aspects of period as pilot with Royal Naval Air Service in GB, 1916-1918: background to enlistment; flying training; joining HMS Furious on anti-Zeppelin operations, 6/1917; introduction of deck landings; duties supervising establishment of aircraft on battleship turrets; reaction to formation of Royal Air Force, 4/1918. Aspects of period as test pilot with Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, GB, 1921-1924: naval aviation duties after acceptance of permanent commission, 1919-1921; test pilot duties.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude to service with Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. Aspects of period as staff officer with Air Ministry in London, GB, 1924-1926: role as personal assistant to Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Air Commodore Sir John Steel; small scale and composition of staff; duties; characters of Lord Trenchard, Air Commodore John Steel and Charles Portal; Lord Trenchard's attitude towards staff officers; effect on service outlook of staff duties. Recollections of period as pilot with 56 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Biggin Hill, GB, 1926-1927: posting to squadron as commander of A Flight, 7/1926; tactical training and explanation of converging bombing.
REEL 3 Continues: reputation of squadron; communications and navigation; story of flying in fog; introduction of Armstrong Whitworth Siskin; relations between squadrons and aircraft manufacturers; relationships between regular, short service and airmen pilots; Royal Air Force's attitude to marriage; character of social activities and mess life; introduction to voluntary parachute training; death of free fall parachute specialist Corporal Arthur East, 9/3/1927; confidence given to pilots on introduction of parachutes. Aspects of period as student with Royal Air Force Staff College, Andover, GB, 1927-1929: reaction to obtaining entrance to course; length of course.
REEL 4 Continues: benefits of staff college course. Aspects of period as staff officer with 1 Indian Wing, RAF at RAF Kohat, India, 1929-1930: posting to wing at Kohat, 1929; administering air control on North West Frontier; flying experiences; relations with Indian Army; memories of T E Lawrence at Miramshah. Recollections of period as staff officer on Air Staff at Headquarters, India Command, RAF and as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Air Vice Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, New Dehli, India, 1930-1934: posting to headquarters, 1930; interests in development of air control and air routes involving airfield construction; story of flight via Siam to Singapore, Malaya.
REEL 5 Continues: opinion of Air Vice Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond; return to GB, 1934. Aspects of period commanding 25 (Fighter) Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1935-1936: flying courses and brief period as staff officer with Western Area, RAF at Andover prior to posting; role of squadron and preparations for air defence of GB; reputations of squadrons and competition between squadrons; participation in Hendon Air Display. Aspects of period on directing staff at Royal Air Force Staff College, Andover, GB, 1936-1938: posting to directing staff, 1936; syllabus and teaching methods employed; relevance of courses with growing German threat; Royal Navy's attitude towards air power.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as student with Imperial Defence College in London, GB, 1939: value and scope of course. Aspects of period as member of Joint Planning Committee in Cabinet War Rooms in London, GB, 1939: selection to join committee; duties in charge of Royal Air Force maps; reactions to false alarm of German Air Force raids, 3/9/1939; state of preparations for war.
