Amor, Geoffrey (Oral history)

British NCO served as pilot with 616 Sqdn, No 10 Fighter Group, Air Defence of Great Britain, RAF in GB, 7/1944-1/1945; served with 616 Sqdn, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in North West Europe, 2/1945-8/1945; officer served with 263 Sqdn, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in Germany, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Droxford, GB, 1922-1938: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training as airframe fitter with RAF in GB, 1938-1941: reason for enlistment in RAF, 1938; training as airframe fitter at No 1 School of Technical Training, RAF at RAF Halton; daily routine; basic training; posting to RAF Gosport, 6/1940; duties servicing various types of aircraft; German Air Force attacks. Aspects of training as NCO with RAF in GB, 1941-1942: application to become air crew and induction at No 1 Air Crew Reception Centre at St John's Wood, London; move to No 4 Initial Training Wing, RAF at Paignton; basic training; sporting activities; elementary flying training with De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; first solo flight; posting to Air Crew Dispersel Centre, (ACDC), RAF at RAF Heaton Park. Aspects of flying training with No 4 British Flying Training School, Mesa, US, 1942-1943: training on North American Harvard; social life and recreational activities; rationing. Recollections of operations as pilot with 616 Sqdn, No 10 Fighter Group, Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), RAF in GB, 7/1944-1/1945: flying Supermarine Spitfire Mk VII at RAF Culmhead; question of signing Official Secrets Act prior to flying Gloster Meteor Mk I; further comments on flying Supermarine Spitfire Mk VII. REEL 2 Continues: move to RAF Manston, 7/1944; description of airfield; story relating to Messerschmitt Bf 109s; conversion to Gloster Meteor Mk I, 7/1944; question of secrecy about Gloster Meteor Mk I; flying Gloster Meteor Mk I including problems of acceleration, climbing and high fuel consumption at low-level, zoom climbing, speed, problem with nose wheel; accidents, recovering crashed aircraft, problem of engines blowing up, air brakes and use of dummy propellers to hide jet engines; V1 Flying Bomb patrols; move to RAF Colerne, 1/1945; problem with compressor. Aspects of operations as NCO with 616 Sqdn, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in North West Europe, 2/1945-8/1945: move to Advanced Landing Ground, B-58, Melsbroek, Belgium, 2/1945; nature of duties including locating German jet aircraft; question of being restricted to rear of lines due to secrecy of Gloster Meteor Mk I; problem of being mistaken for German jet aircraft; sergeants' mess; difference in rations for air and ground crew; pay; commissioning, 5/1945; how squadron reformed as 263 Sqdn, RAF at Lübeck, Germany, 29/8/1945; story of post-war command of 75 Sqdn, Royal New Zealand Air Force in New Zealand, 1956. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot with 263 Sqdn, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in Germany, 1945-1946: daily life and living conditions; flying captured German Air Force aircraft; question of fraternisation with Germans and Soviets; nature of flying and ceremonial duties; problem of fuel shortages; further comments on flying Gloster Meteor Mk I.