Blair-Oliphant, David Nigel Kington (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 142 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt, 1935-1936; served as flight deck officer aboard HMS Glorious in Mediterranean, 1938-1939; served as armament officer with Headquarters, Royal Air Force Middle East and Air Headquarters Egypt in Cairo, Egypt, 1939-1941; served as staff officer with Rhodesia Air Training Group, Empire Air Training Scheme in Southern Rhodesia, 1941-1943; served with Headquarters, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1911-1932: family; education; learning to fly with Cambridge University Air Squadron at RAF Duxford, 1929-1932. Aspects of period as pilot with 142 Sqdn in Egypt, 1935-1936: background to joining Royal Air Force, 1934; rapid move to Mersa Matruh, 1935; use of air filter in desert; specialisation in armament after return from Egypt, 1937. Aspects of period as flight deck officer aboard HMS Glorious in Mediterranean, 1938-1939: start of international political tensions; Royal Navy efficiency and methods; good relations between Royal Air Force and Royal Navy personnel; discontent of Royal Air Force other ranks over living conditions. Aspects of period as armament officer with Headquarters, Royal Air Force Middle East and Air Headquarters Egypt, RAF in Cairo, Egypt, 1939-1941: declaration of war by Italians, 10/6/1940; work on army co-operation; reaction to order to send Bristol Blenheims to Turkey, 1939. REEL 2 Continues: work regime and life in Cairo. Aspects of period as staff officer with Rhodesian Air Training Group, Empire Air Training Scheme in Southern Rhodesia, 1941-1943: posting to South Rhodesia; organisation of scheme. Recollections of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945: reasons for delay in Royal Air Force aircraft equipping with cannon; increasing mobility; characters at headquarters; Lord Cherwell's sticky bomb; Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham's handling of men; contrast of period in Normandy, France to Uxbridge in GB; move of headquarters to Brussels, Belgium; relations with Belgian civilians; character of Headquarters, No 83 Group in Eindhoven, Netherlands, 11/1944-12/1944; move to Germany; finding officers mess near Hanover. REEL 3 Continues: working on non-fraternisation rule; nature of German civilians' work, 1945; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; establishing bombing range in Danish waters; contact with Danish resisters in Copenhagen, Denmark after 8/5/1945; removal of vestiges of German occupation in Copenhagen, Denmark, 5/1945; building golf course. Aspects of period at Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell, GB, 1945-1948: Group Captain James 'Willie' Tait's clash with Royal Naval speaker over battleships. Aspects of German Air Force attacks on London, GB, 1941: story relating to how formal class barriers broke down; lack of fear of bombing; prior recollection of witnessing early demonstration of napalm in GB, 1943.