Foxley-Norris, Christopher Neil (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 13 Sqdn, Air Component British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 1940; served with No 5 Operational Training Unit, RAF Aston Down in GB, 7/1940-8/1940; served with 3 Sqdn, No 13 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB during Battle of Britain, 9/1940-10/1940; served with 615 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 11/1940-6/1941; served with 143 Sqdn and 252 Sqdn and commanded 603 Sqdn, RAF in GB and Mediterranean, 6/1943-5/1945

REEL 1 Recollections of operations as pilot with 13 Sqdn, Air Component British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 1940: army co-operation tactics; opinion of Westland Lysander; Flying Officer Edgar 'Cobber' Kain's underestimation of German Air Force; composition of squadron; attitude of French towards RAF; reaction to German attack, 10/5/1940; air to ground communication; opinion of Messerschmitt Me 109; squadron morale; opinion of French Air Force; German Air Force attacks on refugees; evacuation from Cherbourg, 6/6/1940; duties on return to GB. Aspects of period as pilot with No 5 Operational Training Unit at RAF Aston Down, GB, 7/1940-8/1940: conversion to Hawker Hurricane; characteristics of Hawker Hurricane. Recollections of operations as pilot with 3 Sqdn, No 13 Group, Fighter Command RAF during Battle of Britain, 9/1940-10/1940: posting to squadron at RAF Turnhouse, 27/9/1940; numbers of aircraft shot down during battle. REEL 2 Continues: German Air Force tactics; importance of radar; opinion of Air Marshal Hugh Dowding and Air Vice Marshal Keith Park; opinion of RAF tactics employed in battle; media representation of battle; attitude of public towards fighter pilots; number of sergeant pilots during battle; attitude of pilots towards Germans; story of being shot down whilst serving with 615 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF over Ashridge, 26/2/1941; question of official dates of battle; transfer to south of England; losses of inexperienced pilots. Aspects of operations as pilot with 143 and 252 Sqdns and comanding 603 Sqdn, RAF in GB and Mediterranean, 1943-1945: nature of operations; impossibility of avoiding action. REEL 3 Continues: incident off Norwegian coast at end of the war, 5/1945. Question of shooting down by Germans of parachuting pilots. Qualities bought out of people by war.