Description
Object description
British officer served as navigator with 12 Sqdn, No 1 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 1941-1942; prisoner of war in Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel, Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenburg, Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde, Germany, 2/1942-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1940-1941: background to call-up to Royal Air Force, 1940; character of navigators' training; behaviour of instructors; opinion of operating in Vickers Wellington. Recollections of operations as navigator with 12 Sqdn, No 1 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 1941-1942: joining squadron, 8/1941; character of Merlin engined Vickers Wellington B.Mk II; wartime history of squadron; initial raid on Boulogne, France; navigation problems during raid on Hamburg, Germany; anti-aircraft damage over island of Sylt, Germany, 2/1942; bailing out over Denmark, 2/1942. Aspects of capture and interrogation at Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel, Germany, 2/1942: handing over to Germans by Danish Police; question of missing opportunity to escape; removal to Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre; German attempts to gain information.
REEL 2 Continues: question of negligible effects of bombing on Germany. Aspects of period as prisoner of war at Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenburg, Germany, 2/1942-5/1942: prisoner of war morale; relations between new Royal Air Force prisoners of war and long standing British army prisoners of war; character of camp in castle; escape attempts; relations with French prisoners of war. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany, 5/1942-1/1945: appearance of camp; German precautions against escape from huts; accommodation in huts; ablution facilities; layout of camp; confining aircrew to camps; news of war's progress; corruption of German guards; punishment of German civilian contractor after contact with prisoners of war; organisation and discovery of Great Escape, 24/3/1944-25/3/1944.
REEL 3 Continues: reaction of prisoners to execution of fifty Great Escapers; German attitude towards prisoners of war behaviour; effect of execution of Great Escapers on escape attempts; selection of those to be executed; Royal Air Force investigations of executions; baiting of German over Nazi salute; incident of stealing of German officer's pass; camp organisation; character of Foodacco scheme; disposal of camp money; efficient working of Foodacco scheme; lack of conflict between prisoners of war.
REEL 4 Continues: question of discipline; prisoner of war gambling; lack of sexual problems; prisoner of war activities; female roles in plays; acquisition of theatre equipment; personal studying and effect on his later career; contact with home; use of Royal Air Force code to send intelligence; receiving escape materials from GB; German photography; his comfortable prisoner of war room; German treatment of Soviet prisoners of war; attitude towards approach of Soviet Army.
REEL 5 Continues: evacuation of camp, 27/1/1945; journey from Sagan to Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde including problems with prolapse. Aspects of period as prisoner of war at Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde, Germany, 2/1945-5/1945: appearance and character of prisoners of war; favoured treatment of officer prisoners of war; liberation by Soviet Army, 5/1945; impressions of Soviet Army troops; fight to take control of former German officers' camp; food supply problems; problems between Americans and Russians over repatriation; promotion during period as prisoner of war; attitude towards German guards; effect of imprisonment on his attitudes; cases of psychological breakdown.