Description
Object description
British officer served as pilot with 607 Squadron, Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 1/1940-5/1940; served with 145 Sqdn, Nos 11 and 13 Groups, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 5/1940-9/1940 including Battle of Britain, 7/1940-9/1940; served with 605 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 9/1940-12/1940 including Battle of Britain, 9/1940-10/1940; served with 501 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 6/1943-7/1943; served with 111 Squadron, No 324 Wing, Desert Air Force, RAF in Italy, 8/1943-10/1943; commanded 43 Sqdn, No 324 Wing, Desert Air Force in Italy, 10/1943-3/1944 and 72 Sqdn, No 324 Wing, Desert Air Force in Italy, 11/1944-2/1945; served as Wing Commander (Flying) at RAF Nicosia, Cyprus, 1958-1960
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Haddenham, GB, 1920-1938: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training with RAF in GB, 6/1938-1/1940: enlistment on short service commission, 6/1938; transfer to RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, 3/9/1939; conversion to Hawker Hurricane Mk I at RAF St Athan, 12/1939-1/1940. Recollections of operations as pilot with 607 Sqdn, Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 1/1940-5/1940: move to Vitry-en-Artois Airfield, France, 29/1/1940; location of first billet; reception received from squadron officers; successive flight commanders; circumstances of photograph being taken for Royal Air Force recruitment poster; opinion of Gloster Gladiator; failure to intercept German Air Force reconnaissance aircraft; re-equipping with Hawker Hurricane Mk I, 8/4/1940; German air raid on Vitry-en-Artois, 10/5/1940; shooting down of German Heinkel He III, 11/5/1940; encounter with German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters, 12/5/1940; receiving message about loss of brother, Flying Officer Thomas Parrott, 12/5/1940.
REEL 2 Continues: story of loss of brother Flying Officer Thomas Parrott piloting Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V (N 1366) on an operation to Mönchengladbach, Germany, 11/5/1940-12/5/1940; leave in GB, 16/5/1940. Aspects of operations as pilot with 145 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 5/1940-6/1940: joining squadron, 19/5/1940; clash with German Messerschmitt Bf 110s over Lille, France; in action over Dunkirk, France, 25/5/1940; encounter with German Heinkel He III near Dunkirk, France, 26/5/1940; crossing English coast at Deal with shot up radiator, 26/5/1940; crash landing in Hawker Hurricane Mk I (N 2589) at Great Mongeham near Deal, 26/5/1940; sight of burning oil tanks at Dunkirk, France; height at which Royal Air Force operated over Dunkirk, France. Aspects of operations as pilot with 607 Sqdn, Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 1/1940-5/1940: question of accuracy claims by pilots; description of attack on German Dornier Do 17 and lack of success, 16/5/1940; use of B Mark VI incendiary ammunition; squadron esprit de corp.
REEL 3 Continues: news of German advance, 15/5/1940; story of loss of commanding officer Squadron Leader George Fider, 19/5/1940; possible reason for his loss of memory of his 'kills' with squadron. Recollections of operations as pilot with 145 Sqdn, Nos 11 and 13 Groups, Fighter Command, RAF during Battle of Britain, 7/1940-9/1940: effects of shortage of aircraft; question of status of German Air Force air-sea rescue aircraft; shooting down of Junkers Ju 88 over English Channel, 12/7/1940; defence of Convoy P 7 (Peewhit), 8/8/1940; defence of Beachy Head/Selsey Bill area against Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks; his success against Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, 8/8/1940; German Air Force losses against Convoy P7 (Peewhit); defence of Portland and Portsmouth, 11/8/1940-12/8/1940; depletion of squadron's pilots, 8/1940; transfer to RAF Drem, 8/1940; arrival of Canadian built Hawker Hurricanes and Belgian pilots in squadron at RAF Drem; squadron role defending Scotland and move to RAF Dyce, 8/1940-9/1940; failure to catch German reconnaissance aircraft; incident of mistaking meteorological balloon for Avro Anson.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as pilot with 605 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 9/1940-12/1940 including Battle of Britain, GB, 9/1940-10/1940: background to volunteering to join squadron at RAF Croydon, 27/9/1940; leadership of squadron; situation at RAF Croydon; degree of confidence in eventual outcome of battle, 9/1940; problem coping with high flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters, 11/1940; attacks on and state of RAF Croydon; occasion when he led squadron in fruitless search for Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Folkestone, 11/1940; bailing out of Hawker Hurricane (Z 2323) after being attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 109, 1/12/1940; landing at East Hoathly and injuries sustained, 1/12/1940; reception by local civilians and military; medical treatment and effects on injuries on flying. Aspects of operations as pilot with 501 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 1/6/1943-7/7/1943: squadron duties at RAF Hawkinge; sweeps over Pas-de-Calais, France, 6/1943-7/1943.
REEL 5 Continues: reconnaissance of German shipping in French Channel Ports; voyage from GB to Malta to join 72 Sqdn, RAF on Sicily, Italy, 16/7/1943-1/8/1943. Aspects of operations as pilot with 111 Sqdn, No 324 Wing, Desert Air Force, RAF in Italy, 8/1943-10/1943: joining squadron at Pachino, Sicily; clash with mixed German and Italian Air Force over Straits of Messina including pursuing Italian Macci Mc 202 fighter around rim of volcano crater, 4/9/1943; patrols over Salerno beach-head using drop tanks; pursuit of German Dornier Do 217 over Salerno; role of Royal Air Force over Salerno beach-head. Aspects of operations commanding 43 Sqdn, No 324 Wing, Desert Air Force, RAF in Italy, 10/1943-3/1944: taking command of squadron at Capodichino, Naples, 13/10/1943; attitude to role as commanding officer; patrols over Anzio, 1/1944; damaging parked aircraft on abortive mission on Christmas Day, 25/12/1943; success against Messerschmitt Bf 109 over Monte Cassino, 17/2/1944. Aspects of operations commanding 72 Sqdn, No 324 Wing, Desert Air Force, RAF in Italy, 11/1944-2/1945: taking command of squadron at Rimini, 11/11/1944; use of 500lbs bombs for close support operations and problems identifying ground targets.
REEL 6 Continues: nature of close support work for army; story of how he was promoted to Wing Commander and posted to Headquarters, Desert Air Force, 15/2/1945. Recollections of period as Wing Commander (Flying) at RAF Nicosia, Cyprus, 1958-1960: large number of British and American aircraft and personnel stationed on airfield during Jordan Crisis and landings in Lebanon, 1958; attempts by National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) to attack airfield; occasion when a Greek civilian airfield employee put bomb in airman's bag; orders to carry revolvers whilst on duty in Nicosia; degree of danger to British personnel in Nicosia, 1958-1960; crash of Avro Super Trader IV (G-AGRH) carrying guided missiles to Woomera, Australia on Mount Suphan, Turkey, 23/4/1959; subsequent search and rescue mission.
