Beamont, Roland Prosper (Oral history)

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Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British officer served as pilot with 87 Sqdn, No 60 Wing, Air Component British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 11/1939-5/1940; served with 87 Sqdn, No 10 Group, Fighter Command in GB during Battle of Britain, 7/1940-10/1940

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of flying training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1939: pattern of training; flying Hawker Hurricane. Recollections of operations as pilot with 87 Sqdn, No 60 Wing, Air Component British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 11/1939- 5/1940: posting to squadron, 11/1939; interception of German aircraft over northern France, 1940; patrol activities; German Air Force attack on Senon Airfield, 10/5/1940; story of aerial combat near Brussels, Belgium, 12/5/1940; degree of intelligence of German aircraft; Royal Air Force approach to morale; abortive attack on Messerschmitt Bf 109 near Valenciennes, France; assessing performance of squadron; Royal Air Force area of operations. REEL 2 Continues: operations over Dunkirk, France; degree of French Air Force activity; contact with French civilians and refugees; air-to-ground attacks; German Air Force attacks on refugees; question of shooting at descending pilots in parachutes; return to GB. Recollections of operations as pilot with 87 Sqdn, No 10 Group, Fighter Command, RAF during Battle of Britain, 7/1940-10/1940: reforming squadron at RAF Church Fenton, 6/1940; transfer to RAF Exeter, 5/7/1940; interception of German raid on Portland, 15/8/1940; shooting down of Messerschmitt Bf 109 during interception of German Air Force formation over Isle of Purbeck, 28/8/1940. REEL 3 Continues: shooting down of Junkers Ju 88 with Robert Stanford Tuck near Barnstaple, 24/8/1940; opinion of German Air Force tactics and quality of their aircraft; Royal Air Force fighter squadron morale during Battle of Britain; memories of Wing Commander John Dewar and how he was shot down, 12/9/1940; awareness of importance of battle; advice and combat practice for inexperienced pilots; importance of knowing aircraft; isolation from civilian population; opinion of films made about battle; attitude towards Germans; reasons why British won the battle. REEL 4 Continues: importance of radar; role of Lord Hugh Dowding; respective roles of Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire during battle; attitude of pilots towards aircraft.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Beamont, Roland Prosper (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1988-02-24
Dimensions: whole: Duration 110, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 10128

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Beamont, Roland Prosper (Oral history)

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