Barson, Henry Clifford (Oral history)

British NCO served with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in GB, 1936-1939; officer served as flying instructor with Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, GB, 1939-1941; served as glider pilot instructor in GB, 1942; served as chief instructor with 5 Glider Training School and Glider Instructors' School at Shobden, GB, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Anerley, 1913-1936: family education; employment. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in GB, 1936-1939: reasons for joining Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 1936; background to becoming a flying instructor at Gatwick Airfield, 1939; aircraft types flown; importance of flying according to book and self discipline; emergency landing in Hawker Hart at Horsham, 1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; discarding of RAF boots for shoes on outbreak of war, 9/1939. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of period as officer flying instructor with Royal Airforce College Cranwell, 1939-1941: induction course at RAF Upavon prior to posting to Royal Air Force College, Cranwell; opinion of standards of equipment and cadets at Cranwell; question of effect of prospect of invasion on atmosphere of college; orders for flying instructors to stand by bombed up Hawker Audaxes to bomb invasion barges; familiarisation flight in Hawker Audax; degree of information in Second World War; question of possible German Air Force attacks on Cranwell; German night intruder attack on fellow instructor during night flight; move of college outstation to RAF Church Lawford, 6/1941. REEL 3 Continues: testing Standard Beam Approach blind landing system at Central Flying School, Upavon, 10/1941; job re-writing RAF flying instructional manual, 10/1941. Recollections of period as glider instructor in GB, 1942: formation of glider training organisation; transfer to glider training; difference between sailplane and military gliders; difference between instructing on powered aircraft and gliders; exacting nature of landing gliders; importance of maintaining flight discipline amongst glider pilots; opinion of glider pilots and Hotspur gliders; role of furniture companies in making gliders. Recollections of period as chief instructor at 5 Glider Training School and Glider Instructor's School, Shobden, 1943-1945: training duties. REEL 4 Continues: problems retrieving gliders after landing and communication between tug and gliders; degree of knowledge of operations his glider pilot trainees; degree of damage to Hotspurs on landing; incident of tow aircraft and glider in flight struck by lightning.