Sanders, John Alfred (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 49 and 617 Sqdns, RAF in GB, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Birmingham, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; employment. Aspects of period as civilian in Birmingham, GB, 1939-1942: German Air Force raids on Birmingham; work with rescue squad and decision to enlist in RAF; German booby trapping of incendiary bombs; public morale. Aspect of flying training with Arnold Scheme in US and GB, 1942-1943: training under honour scheme; American attitude; opinion of Avro Lancaster; keenness to get onto operations; crewing up for operations. Recollections of operations as pilot with 49 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1943-1944: morale of squadron; rarity of lack of moral fibre cases; first operation as second pilot to Berlin, Germany, 29/12/1943; reaction to waiting for operations; the 'Lancaster smell'; night fighter attack on his aircraft during raid on Augsburg, Germany, 25/2/1944-26/2/1944. REEL 2 Continues: story of return flight in damaged Avro Lancaster at Augsburg raid for which he was awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, 26/2/1944; raid on Nuremberg, Germany, 30/3/1944. Recollections of operations as pilot with 617 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1944-1945: posting to squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa, 4/1944; attitude to precision raids on French targets; deception operations in English Channel on D-Day, 6/6/1944; attack on railway tunnel at Samur, France, 8/6/1944-9/6/1944; raid on Tirpitz at Tromso, Norway, 12/11/1944; raids on Tirpitz in Norway, 15/9/1944 and 28/10/1944. REEL 3 Continues: use of 'Porpoise' mines during raid on Tirpitz; use of airfield near Archangel prior to raid on Tirpitz; use of Russian aviation spirit to fly back to GB; attack on Kembs Dam on River Rhine, Germany, 7/10/1944; broadcast he made on BBC about attack on Kembs Dam, 8/10/1944; raid on Dortmund-Ems Canal, 23/9/1944-24/9/1944; technique for dropping Tallboy bombs; psychological aspects of bombing raids; reason for gaggle approach to bombing; flying through anti-aircraft fire. REEL 4 Continues: story of receiving with broken back during training at RAF Syerston, 1945.