Description
Object description
British officer served as flying instructor with Central Flying School, RAF at RAF Upavon, RAF in GB, 1940-1942; served as pilot with 86 Sqdn, No 19 Group, Coastal Command in GB, 5/1942-6/1942; served with 39 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt and Malta, 7/1942-3/1943; served as flying instructor advisor with Headquarters Coastal Command, RAF at Northwood, GB, 3/1943-3/1943; served as flying instructor with No 132 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, RAF at RAF East Fortune, GB, 9/1943-9/1944; served as chief flying instructor with Training Command, RAF in GB, 9/1944-11/1945; aerodrome manager and chief test pilot with Marshall of Cambridge Ltd, Cambridge, GB, 11/1946-6/1947; served as chief flying instructor with No 22 Reserve Flying School, RAF and test pilot, airfield manager and Director of Flight Operations with Marshall of Cambridge Ltd, Cambridge, GB, 1947-1988
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1917-1935: family; education; employment; application to join Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 1935; interview and selection; flying training with London School of Flying, Hatfield. Aspects of period as instructor at Marshall of Cambridge Flying School, Cambridge, GB, 1936-1939: description of flying training; obtaining commercial pilot's license and instructor's license; nature of duties as flying instructor; problem with engine in De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth; role with Army Co-operation flying scheme; role in training pilots for Civil Air Guard, 1938; description of aerodrome; role as flying instructor at No 22 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School, RAF, Cambridge, 2/1938-9/1939; question of civil and military flying instruction.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude of Royal Air Force to Elementary and Reserve Flying Training Schools; amusing story of motorised glider; story relating to Fairey Battle Mk I; outbreak of Second World War and mobilisation in Cambridge, 3/9/1939; issue of uniform and small arms. Aspect of training as flying instructor with Training Command, RAF in GB, 1939-1940: posting to No 1 Initial Training Wing, Cambridge, 12/1939; move to Central Flying School, RAF at RAF Upavon, 1/1940; training as flying instructor and examination; sporting activities; commissioning as pilot officer. Aspects of period as staff flying instructor at Central Flying School, RAF at RAF Upavon, 1940-1942: role as flying instructor; question of volunteering for operational service; opinion of Airspeed Oxford; problem starting engine of Avro Tutor. Aspects of training as pilot with No 5 Operational Training Unit, RAF at RAF Chivenor, 1/1942; opinion of flying Bristol Beaufort; torpedo training in Scotland, 4/1942.
REEL 3 Continues: amusing story of dummy torpedo. Aspects of operations with 86 Sqdn, No 19 Group, Coastal Command, RAF in GB, 5/1942-6/1942: posting to squadron, 5/1942; operational sweeps off coast of Norway, 5/1942. Aspects of period as pilot with No 3 Ferry Training Flight, RAF at RAF Lyneham, GB, 6/1942-7/1942: joining flight at RAF Lyneham, 6/1942; description of Bristol Beaufort Mk II; delivery flight from GB to Egypt, 7/1942.. Aspects of operations with 39 Sqdn in Egypt and Malta, 7/1942-3/1943: flight to Egypt via Malta; story of fatal accident; initial basing of squadron at RAF Heliopolis, Egypt; description of torpedo attacks on shipping and ground targets; award of Distinguished Flying Cross; living conditions on Malta; opinion of rations; Axis air raid on Malta; social life; attitude to periods on standby; living conditions in Egypt; opening artillery barrage during Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942.
REEL 4 Continues: anti-mining operations; problem of St Elmo's Fire; use of radar; story of attack on destroyer and damage to aircraft from shell; posted back to GB, 3/1943. Aspects of period as flying instructor advisor with Headquarters, Coastal Command, Northwood, GB, 3/1943-9/1943: role as flying instructor on Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter; tactics and manouevering; amusing story relating to HMS King George V. Aspects of period as flying instructor with No 132 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, RAF at RAF East Fortune, GB, 9/1943-9/1944: duties as instructor on Bristol Beaufort and torpedo training; story of attempt to return to Marshall of Cambridge Ltd. Aspects of period as chief flying instructor with Training Command, RAF in GB, 9/1944-5/1945: selection of students as trainee pilots; problems with North American Harvard; demobilisation, 11/1945; story of returning to Marshall of Cambridge Ltd Flying School as chief test pilot and aerodrome manager.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as chief test pilot and aerodrome manager at Marshall of Cambridge Ltd Flying School, Cambridge, GB, 11/1946-6/1947: problem of ban on civil flying and question of pilot's licenses; post-war demand for flying tuition; story of trip to Prague, Czechoslovakia; formation of Association of British Aero Clubs; role in standardising tuition in civilian flying schools and writing instructional handbooks for various aircraft. Recollections of period as chief flying instructor with No 22 Reserve Flying School, RAF and test pilot, airfield manager and Director of Flight with Marshall of Cambridge Ltd of Cambridge at Cambridge, GB, 1947-1988: types of aircraft flown; role of Marshall of Cambridge Ltd's in servicing and repairing military aircraft; test flying De Havilland DH.100 Vampire; question of hard runways; test flight carried out by Gordon Hubbard on De Havilland DH.112 Venom.
REEL 6 Continues: problem of ejecting from De Havilland DH.112 Venom; test flying De Havilland DH.112 Venom and problem with excess fuel in engines; delivery and test flying various aircraft; role in experiments with air resistance on wings; modifications to Auster aircraft including addition of jet engine; test flights in modified Auster aircraft; problem of controlling aircraft; stalling speed; efficiency of spoilers; seating of pilot and observer; death of test pilot Denis Ross and investigation into crash; test flights with Apache and Aztec twin-engine aircraft; story of engine failure on Beechcraft Queen Air over North Atlantic; modifications made to Vickers Valiant to improve take-off speed; amusing story of five minute warning demonstration.
REEL 7 Continues: increasing length and width of concrete runway for Vickers Valiant; role in modifications to Vickers Viscount; story of providing training for Air Traffic Control cadets; Marshall of Cambridge Ltd tender for maintenance of Lockheed Aircraft Company aircraft; description of attending training course for Lockheed C-130 Hercules crews at Sewart Air Force Base in United States of America during Vietnam War; how Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft were flown over to GB for modifications and test flying; problem of stalling and airworthiness of Lockheed C-130 Hercules; retirement as test pilot; duties as airfield manager.
REEL 8 Continues: role of Marshall of Cambridge Ltd during Falklands War, 1982; hangars; amusing story of Lockheed TriStar.