Jackson, Patrick Bernard (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 825 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Victorious in Atlantic, 1940-1941; commanded 13th Carrier Air Group off Korea, 1950

REEL 1 Period with Artist's Rifles, 28th Bn London Regt in GB, 1936-1938. Joining Royal Navy, 1938. Period of training aboard training ship, HMS Frobisher at Portsmouth, 1939. Period of Fleet Air Arm Training in GB and France, 1939-1940: torpedo training at Gosport; how he broke his ankle in accident in Toulon, 1940; return to Torpedo School, Gosport; duties as instructor at Abbotsinch, 1940. Recollections of operations with 825 Squadron flying from HMS Furious, 1940-1941: anti-shipping patrols of Norwegian coast; attack on Norwegian ship working for Germans, 7/9/1940; anti submarine patrols; attachment to HMS Argus for Atlantic convoy defence from Gibraltar, 12/1940; threat of Hipper class cruiser to Atlantic convoy, 12/12/1950; recapitulation of 1940 operations with extra detail provided by log book; army co-operation work at Abbotsinch c2/1941; flying RAF pilots aboard HMS Furious. Recollections of Bismarck pursuit with 825 Sqdn, 5/1941: sight of HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales racing from Scotland to intercept Bismarck; operating from HMS Victorious; his Swordfish attack on Bismarck, 24/5/1941- 25/5/1941. REEL 2 Continues: search for Bismarck after HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk had lost her on radar, 25/5/1941; failure to find HMS Victorious and ditching into sea next to lifeboat. Period in lifeboat in North Atlantic, 5/1941-6/1941: provisions aboard lifeboat; question of whether to head east or west; sailing through debris of U- boat attack on convoy; what had been salvaged from Swordfish; encounter with Scandinavians in small boat heading for Greenland; air gunner's agony with his legs; rescue by Icelandic ship SS Lagerfoss on 3/6/1941 or 4/6/1941 after nine and half days in lifeboat; how his Catholic religion sustained hope of survival; question of rationing provisions in lifeboat; hallucinations aboard lifeboat. Re-capitulation of aspects of his attack on Bismarck, 25/5/1941. REEL 3 Continues: Recovery from lifeboat ordeal, 1941. Lack of operational work, 1941-1945. Recollections of operations commanding 13 Carrier Air Group aboard HMS Triumph, 1950: role as commander of group; outbreak of war; attacks on North Korean ground forces; problems of lack of accurate maps; air spotting for US forces during Inchon landings; problems with Seafires; attacks on shipping in Pyongyang river.