Griffith, Adolf John (Oral history)

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
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Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British officer served as observer with 825 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Furious in GB coastal waters, 10/1940-3/1941; served with 810 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Ark Royal in North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 4/1941-7/1941; served with 830 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm on Malta, 7/1941-11/1941; prisoner of war in Campo PG 75, Bari, Italy, 12/1941-3/1943; commanded 849 Naval Air Sqdn, 1st Carrier Air Group, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Victorious, 11th Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 6/1945-10/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1919-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. Aspects of period as observer with 825 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Furious in GB coastal waters, 10/1940-4/1941: joining squadron, 10/1940; character of commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde; use of radar; patrols from aircraft carrier; characteristics of Fairey Swordfish. Recollections of operations as observer with 810 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Ark Royal in North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 4/1941-7/1941: joining squadron, 4/4//1941; attempts to get Hawker Hurricanes to Malta; opinion of Italian Air Force; effects of accidental attack on HMS Sheffield during hunt for German battleship Bismarck in North Atlantic, 5/1941. REEL 2 Continues: reasons for not conducting further attacks on German battleship Bismarck. Recollections of operations as observer with 830 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm on Malta, 7/1941-11/1941: character of flight to HMS Falcon, Hal Far, 7/1941; arrival in Malta; conditions during siege; character of airfield at HMS Falcon, Hal Far; memories of his pilot Lieutenant Edgar Bibby; operations carried out and use of torpedoes; attack on Axis convoy in which his aircraft was shot down, 22/11/1941. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Campo 75, Bari, Italy, 12/1941-3/1943: escape from aircraft and rescue by Italian destroyer Emanuele Pessagno; treatment by Italian Navy; opinion of Italian Navy; interrogation. REEL 3 Continues: encounter with Admiral Sir Walter Cowan at Campo PG 75, Bari; his repatriation in prisoner of war exchange, 14/3/1943. Recollections of operations commanding 849 Naval Air Sqdn, 1st Carrier Air Group, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Victorious, 11th Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 6/1945-10/1945: background to appointment; contrast in character of HMS Victorious and HMS Ark Royal; composition of British Pacific Fleet; characteristics of Grumman Avenger; attack on Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Kaiyo with fragmentation cluster bombs in Inland Sea, Japan, 24/7/1945; attack on submarine base at Habu, Japan; types of targets attacked. REEL 4 Continues: use of Vought Corsairs to attack small targets in Japan; attitude towards Japanese; arrangements for rescue of shot down aircrew; expectations of treatment if captured by Japanese; level of squadron losses; responsibilities as squadron commanding officer; problems landing aircraft on non-angled deck carrier; use of medical officer to monitor morale.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Griffith, Adolf John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1992-10-20
Dimensions: whole: Duration 120, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 12806

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Griffith, Adolf John (Oral history)

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