Nissen, Jack Maurice (Oral history)

British NCO served with RAF working on radar in GB and during Dieppe Raid, 1936-1944

REEL 1 Recollections of period as NCO with RAF working with radar in GB 1936-1942: early interest in radio and employment with EMI in GB during 1930s recruitment into RAF to work on setting up radio direction finding station at RAF Bawdsey; lax security at RAF Bawdsey; personnel and atmosphere at RAF Bawdsey; memories of Robbie Watson-Watt; nature of part time work at RAF Bawdsey; maintaining civilian television work; full enlistment into RAF on outbreak of war 9/1939; plan to set up RDF stations along Scottish east coast; RDF repair and maintenance duties 1940; role of chain home and chain home low stations; German lack of counter measures against British radar during Battle of Britain; system of plotting German aircraft using RDF; his method of giving unofficial advance warning of German raids to pilots in Scotland and his consequent arrest as spy; his construction of ground control interception (GCI) RDF station at Bolt Head, 1941; success of night fighter work; how RDF interception worked. REEL 2 Continues: role of ground controllers; operation of ground control interception for night time flying 1941; German raid on Coventry 11/1940; improvement in precision of German radar 1942 and their consequent success; speculations about German Freya radar. Recollections of operations as NCO with RAF during Dieppe Raid, 8/1944: his proposal for raid on German radar at Cap de la Hague; formulation of Dieppe raid plans and liaising with Canadians; secrecy of raid and security precautions. REEL 3 Continues: conditions on which agreement secured for his inclusion on Dieppe raid; escape 'kit'; preparations for raid in 7/1942; setting up RDF on Princess Beatrix; visit of Mountbatten to ship and narrow escape at being pulled out of raid; postponment of raid 7/1942; mutinous state of South Saskatchewan troops aboard Invicta at delays in launching raid; sailing from Southampton 18/8/1942; reaching French coast, long journey ashore and early encounter with Germans 19/8/1942; keeness of Canadians to get into action; landing on Green beach close to German billets; heavy casualties; well camouflaged German defences; reaching RDF station and sight of German precision radar in action following Allied aircraft in sky; heavy unit losses; description of cutting radar station masts. REEL 4 Continues: getting reinforcements to break into radar station; loss of reinforcement troops; sight of aerial battle over Dieppe; accuracy of Canadian fire; scene at Pourville; casualties amongst Canadians and decision to attack again; use of Boyes anti-tank rifle to counter German gun post preventing troops escaping from beach; gunfire support from destroyer HMS Albrighton; dramatic escape from beach under German fire; swimming out to sea, reaching landing craft and reception aboard; rescue of friend Roy Hawkins from sea; cannon attack by Messerschmitts on landing craft; embarkation on HMS Albrighton; anti-aircraft fight with German aircraft. REEL 5 Continues: aerial combat over and attack on HMS Albrighton escaping form Dieppe 19/8/1942; rescue of shot down Supermarine Spitfire pilot from English Channel; reception by Military Police on arrival in GB, suspicion that he was a spy and his harsh interrogation; security problems travelling to London and his dishevelled appearance; reporting to Air Ministry in London; consequences of information gleaned at Dieppe and production of Mandrill counter jammers. Aspects of period as NCO with RAF working on radar in GB, 1942-1944: use of Mandrill radar jammer on D-Day, 6/6/1944; US failure to use Mandrill jammers and consequent disaster at Omaha beach; assessment of value of Bruneval raid 27/2/1942; opinion that Dieppe was the turning point of the war.