Bisdee, John (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 609 and 601 Sqdns RAF in GB, 1939-1942, including Battle of Britain, 1940; served with 601 Sqdn RAF, North West African Coastal Air Force and French Air Force in Malta and North Africa, 1943-1943; served as staff officer and commanded 323 Wing RAF in Italy, 1943-1945

REEL 1: Background in Somerset and Cornwall, 1915-1939: family; education; employment as trainee with Unilever; description of flying training with RAF Volunteer Reserve; commissioned and posted to 609 Sqdn RAF, 12/1939. Aspects of operations as pilot with 609 Squadron RAF in GB, 1939-1942: role in air defence of GB; description of role covering retreat from Dunkirk, 1940; casualties; opinion of CO: role of Squadron as escort for Winston Churchill and French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud; opinion of CO George Darley; description of role in operations during Battle of Britain, 1940; memories of Polish and American pilots; story of Sqdn coat of arms; posted to Biggin Hill; nature of operations flying sweeps over northern France; memory of Wing Commander 'Sailor' Malan; opinion of Belgian pilots; opinion of Mk V Spitfire; posted to Operational Training Unit as flight commander, 9/1941; posted as tactical instructor to Operational Training Unit 81 Group RAF; posted to 601 Sqdn RAF, 2/1942. Aspects of operations in command of 601 Sqdn RAF in GB, 1942: opinion of Airacobra fighter; night flying; posted to Malta, 1942. Aspects of operations with 601 Sqdn RAF in Malta and North Africa, 1942-1943: three-month tour of operations over Malta from US carrier USS Wasp; posted to North Africa; story of flight to Mersa Matruh and problem of fuel; aircraft camouflaged; posted as instructor to RAF Middle East HQ, Cairo; promoted Wing Commander and role with North West African Coastal Air Force, 3-6/1943; story of writing fighter cover plan for invasion of Sicily; role as governor on former Italian island of Lampedusa and installing radar stations; description of seeing invasion of Sicily; posted back to North Africa and commanded wing of French Air Force, Algeria; organisation of wing and aircraft; role in training pilots; opinion of French squadron leaders. Aspects of operations with RAF in Italy, 1943-1945: staff officer at Caserta; posted to command 323 Wing RAF, Foggia, 6/1944; promoted Group Captain; posted to Mediterranean Coastal Air Force HQ, Naples; station commander at RAF base, Lucca, 1945-1946; returned to GB and demobilised. Further aspects of operations as pilot with RAF in GB, Malta, North Africa and Italy, 1939-1945: story of Flying Officer George Proudman ('Cannon' George); question of effectiveness of cannon-armed aircraft; story of combat over Grand Harbour, Malta; problem of stoppages with cannon; opinion of Hispano cannon and question of maintenance; comparison of rates of fire between machine guns and cannons; description of firing machine guns on Spitfire during Battle of Britain; harmonisation of guns; opinion of effectiveness of machine guns; use of de Wilde armour piercing ammunition; question of armour plating for pilots; role in advising on improvements in tactics; opinion of Typhoon and Hurricane; repair of aircraft during Battle of Britain; story of John Dundas and German ace Helmut Wick. REEL 2 Continues: end of story; reason for joining RAF; description of pre-war training with RAF Volunteer Reserve; lectures; flying training; rates of pay; memory of outbreak of war, 9/1939; opinion of lectures and training with RAF Volunteer Reserve; question of adequate flying training; description of flying training on Harvard; memory of first solo flight in Spitfire; relations between Auxiliary Air Force and Volunteer Reserve; rates of pay and uniform; organisation of Auxiliary Air Force and Volunteer Reserve; description of combat exercises with 601 Sqdn RAF, Drem, Scotland; role in protecting convoys; further memories of George Darley; description of first combat engagement in Spitfire against German aircraft during Battle of Britain, 1940; problem of lack of speed of Spitfire L1082; story of photographing German formation; question of John Dundas being killed after official end of Battle of Britain; memory of pilot Archie McKellar; question of inexperience of pilots and casualties; use of rear-view mirror; memories of Lord Trenchard; question of danger after disengagement from combat; story of death of Pilot Officer Sidney Hill; problem of lack of training; formation flying; story of shooting down ME 110; importance of role of ground control. REEL 3 Continues: comparison of British and German tactics during Battle of Britain; German bombing of airfields; story of shooting down JU87s attacking convoy; opinion of ground crew; story of being shot down and bailing out over Malta; comparison of Spitfire and Me 109; problem of oxygen supply at high altitude; description of operations in Malta; dispersal of aircraft and problem of German bombing raids; bomb shelters on airfield; memory of Heinkel 111 being shot down; story of being posted to Algeria; opinion of flying P38 Mustang; amusing story of Italian admiral; role in training squadron of French Air Force; description of duties in command of 323 Wing, Foggia, Italy; role in air-sea rescue