Goodson, James Alexander (Oral history)

American civilian survived sinking of Athenia in Atlantic, 3/9/1939; trained with Empire Training Scheme in Canada, 1940; officer served as pilot with 43, 416 and 133 Sqdns, RAF in GB, 1940-1942; served with 4th Fighter Group, US Army Air Force in GB, 1942-1944; POW in Germany, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Memories of sinking of Athenia, 3/9/1939. Enlistment and training with RAF in GB and Canada, 1939-1940: enquiries about enlisting in RAF, 1939; opinion of Empire Training Scheme in Canada, 1940; keenness to get into combat. Recollections of operations as pilot with 43, 416 and 133 Sqdns, RAF in GB, 1940-1942 including Battle of Britain: posting to 43 Sqdn at RAF Tangmere, 9/1940; reasons for lack of combat experience; initial experience of combat; vulnerability of 'tail end Charlie'; squadron morale and camaraderie; attitude towards German Air Force; chivalry of German pilots; question of Allied pilots' chivalry towards Germans; question of quality of German pilots and aircraft; contrast between RAF and German Air Force formatting tactics, belief that German wouldn't invade GB. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of and characteristics of Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire; Canadian character of 416 Sqdn 1942; lack of xenophobia demonstrated to non-British personnel in Fighter Command; fighter sweep duties of 416 Sqdn over Pas de Calais, France 1942; formation of Eagle squadrons by Charles Sweeny; sense of frustration with fighter sweeps over Pas de Calais, 1942. Recollections of operations as pilot with 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, US Army Air Force in GB, 1942-1944: role escorting bomber raids with Republic P47 Thunderbolts; effect of introduction of North American P51 Mustangs; prior recollection of participating in Dieppe Raid, 8/1942; personnel and leadership of 133 Sqdn; attitude towards bomber escort work; amusing story of grateful US bomber crew; sight of American tail gunner firing at German fighters in doomed bomber; behavior of US bomber crews; importance of raids on Berlin. REEL 3 Continues: experiences as POW during heavy raid on Berlin, 6/1944; question of morality of bombing and story of Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris post war attitude to it; importance of strafing German Air Force on the ground; necessity for low flying on strafing missions; his shooting down during strafing mission to Neubrandenburg, 6/1944. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 1944-1945: capture after evading for two weeks; treatment by Gestapo in Neubrandenburg, 7/1944; escape from German captivity, spring 1945; contact with German resisters in Munich area, spring 1945; entry into Dachau Concentration Camp with US forces, 1945. REEL 4 Continues: question of inmates' revenge on guards at Dachau spring 1945; physical and mental condition of inmates. Reflections on flying experiences in USA, GB and Germany since 1945: story of flying replacement leg to Douglas Bader when he was a POW; story of Bader's behaviour at post war meeting of German and Allied pilots at Hoffbrauhaus, Munich during 1970s; Adolf Galland's speech about role of pilots; meeting Orville Wright 1945; story of Wright brothers solving torque problem; Wright brothers' practical attitude to aerodynamics; Orville Wright's attitude towards invention of aircraft and lack of vision about its potential; amusing story of Orville Wright travelling aboard a jet airliner; Orville Wright's reaction to sitting in cockpit of jet aircraft.