Description
Object description
British petty officer served as pilot with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Repulse in Atlantic and Far East 5/1940-12/1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941; served as pilot with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Exeter in Far East, 1/1942-3/1942; served with 788 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Bambara, Royal Naval Air Station China Bay, Ceylon, 3/1942-4/1942; served with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Warspite, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 4/1942-8/1942
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Gillingham, GB, 1915-1930: family; education. Aspects of period as boy bugler and marine with Royal Marines with Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1931-1938: enlistment as boy bugler in Royal Marines, 1930; service as boy bugler and marine; story of selection for pilot training with Fleet Air Arm, 1938. Aspects of operations as pilot with 772 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 9/1939-5/1940: drafting to squadron at Portland Dockyard; anti-submarine patrols. Aspects of operations as pilot with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Repulse in North Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 6/1940-12/1941: drafting to cruiser with Home Fleet, 5/1940; flying Fairey Swordfish on convoy duties; converting to Supermarine Walrus on River Clyde, GB; convoy to South Africa. Recollections of operations as pilot with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Repulse, Force Z, Eastern Fleet in Far East, 11/1941-12/1941: voyage to Colombo, Ceylon and joining HMS Prince of Wales to form Force Z, 11/1941; arrival in Singapore, Malaya, 2/12/1941; convoy duties and anti-submarine patrols; opinion of Supermarine Walrus and comparison to Fairey Swordfish; use of Air-to-Surface Vessel (ASV) Radar in Supermarine Walrus; reaction to joining Eastern Fleet and role of ship; sailing for Australia and reasons for recall to Singapore, Malaya, 7/12/1941; first Japanese air raids on Singapore, Malaya; opinion of reception on arrival; shore leave; opinion of Singapore, Malaya and defences including provision of anti-aircraft fire by HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales, lack of blackout and further details of Japanese air attacks; sailing from Singapore, Malaya, 8/12/1941. Recollections of operations as pilot with 705 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Repulse with Force Z, Eastern Fleet in Far East, 8/12/1941-10/12/1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941: role of force in intercepting Japanese landing barges; ship's altering course after being identified by Japanese reconnaissance aircraft; briefing; flying off ship to report on Japanese landings and submarine activity, 10/12/1941; maintained radio silence; return to ship using Aldisl Lamp; sight of ship coming under aerial attack; diving aircraft to sea level and being fired on by own ships.
REEL 2 Continues: climbing to 1000 feet; sight of bombs dropping on ship; story of other Fleet Air Arm pilot aboard ship ditching aircraft; flight to Singapore; description of Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Mitsubishi G4M torpedo bombers attacking HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales; running out of fuel and making forced landing in sea; unsuccessful attempt to use parachute as sail and dropping sea anchor; breaking radio silence and sending Mayday message; flying boat's dropping of water canisters; use of Aldis Lamp to signal position; rescue by destroyer HMS Stronghold and towing back to Singapore; reason for not abandoning aircraft; joining ship's survivors at RAF Seletar, Singapore, Malaya; reason for radar on board Supermarine Walrus not detecting Japanese aircraft; reaction to speed of Japanese advance; accommodation with Australian and British troops at RAF Seletar, Singapore, Malaya. Aspects of operations as pilot with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Exeter in Far East, 1/1942-3/1942: drafting to cruiser in Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942; escorting evacuation convoys, anti-submarine patrols and delivering navigational messages; story of aircraft being damaged and repairs at Batavia, Java, Dutch East Indies; voyage with aircraft aboard Chinese merchant vessel to Colombo, Ceylon, 3/1942; opinion of conditions and morale on board ship. Aspects of operations as pilot with 788 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Bambara, Royal Naval Air Station China Bay, Ceylon, 3/1942-4/1942: operating Fairey Swordfish as dive bomber.
REEL 3 Continues: story of all six squadron Fairey Swordfish being shot down, Easter Day, 5/4/1942; Japanese air attacks on oil installations; role searching for survivors from HMS Hermes, 9/4/1942. Aspects of operations as pilot with 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Warspite in Indian Ocean, 4/1942-8/1942: flying patrols in Supermarine Walrus from base on Seychelles; story of survivors from HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales returning to GB; drafting to 751 Naval Air Sqdn at HMS Condor II at Royal Naval Air Station Dundee, GB, 12/1942. Recollections of operations as pilot with 705 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Repulse in Far East, 12/1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941: duties on airfield patrols at RAF Seletar, Singapore, Malaya after sinking; crew morale; opinion of Captain William Tennant; description of ship and armaments and comparison to HMS Prince of Wales; story of later commissioning in GB and serving with Fleet Air Arm until 1958; opinion of ship changing course to monitor Japanese landings; reaction to Japanese surprise attack and question of air cover for ships; problem of absence of aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable; opinion of Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service pilots and aircraft; reaction to loss of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse and effect on morale.