Devitt, Peter Kenneth (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 600 Sqdn, Royal Auxiliary Air Force in GB, 1932-1939; served as sector controller at RAF Tangmere in GB, 9/1939-2/1940; commanded 152 Sqdn, No 10 Group, Fighter Command in GB, 2/1940-12/1940 including Battle of Britain; served as staff officer with No 267 Wing, No 221 Group, RAF in Burma, 12/1941-5/1942; commanded No 189 Wing, No 221 Group, RAF in India and Burma, 1/1944-9/1944; commanded 615 Sqdn, Royal Auxiliary Air Force in GB, 1948-1950

REEL 1 Aspects of period as pilot with 600 (City of London) Sqdn, Royal Auxiliary Air Force in GB, 1932-1939: background to learning to fly in Kenya, 1929 and joining Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1931; attitude towards membership of Royal Auxiliary Air Force; types of aircraft flown prior to Second World War; weekly routine. Aspects of period as sector controller at RAF Tangmere in GB, 9/1939-2/1940: reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; memories of Battle of Barking Creek, 6/9/1939; work of sector controller. Recollections of operations as commanding officer of 152 Sqdn, No 10 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 2/1940-12/1940 including Battle of Britain: taking command squadron at RAF Acklington; opinion of Supermarine Spitfire Mk I and Hawker Fury; damage to his Supermarine Spitfire and forced landing near RAF Frome, 25/9/1940; role of squadron commanding officer in action. REEL 2 Continues: German Air Force tactic of circling; relative performance of Supermarine Spitfire Mk I and Messerschmitt Me 109; opinion of German pilots; his method of training inexperienced pilots; handling of tired pilots at RAF Warmwell; personal morale during Battle of Britain; threat of German invasion; opinion of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; Polish and French pilots in his squadron; degree of warning of German attacks; RAF tactics and deployment; efficiency of Supermarine Spitfire armament; story of intercepting German bombers who jettisoned their bombs on a store containing his furniture at Sevenoaks; rivalry between Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane pilots; his preference for Supermarine Spitfire. Recollections of operations as staff officer with No 267 Wing, No 221 Group, RAF in Burma, 12/1941-5/1942: background to posting; flight from GB to Burma via Cairo, Egypt; evacuation from Rangoon. REEL 3 Continues: quotes from General William Slim's book about evacuation of Rangoon; joining 'Burwing'. Aspects of commanding No 189 Wing, No 221 Group, RAF at RAF Silchar in India, 1/1944-9/1944: involvement in Second Chindit Expedition; loss of Major General Orde Wingate; opinion of Major General Orde Wingate. Aspects of period as commander of 615 (County of Surrey) Sqdn, Royal Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Biggin Hill in GB, 1948-1950: background to taking command and subsequent meetings with Winston Churchill; leading fly past before George VI at Farnborough, 1950.