Sandeman Allen, James Alan (Oral history)

British NCO served as pilot with 232 Sqdn, Headquarters Air Force Far East Command, RAF in GB, Singapore, Malaya and Dutch East Indies, 1/1941-2/1942; served with 77 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Australia, 4/1942-2/1943; served with 56 Sqdn, No 12 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 5/1943; served with 182 Sqdn, No 124 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB, 6/1943

REEL 1 Background in Bromley, GB, 1919-1938: family; education; reasons for taking short service commission in Royal Air Force, 1938. Aspects of training with RAF in GB, 1938-1940: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; quality of flying instruction; reasons for wanting to fly fighter aircraft rather than bomber aircraft. Recollections of operations as pilot with 232 Sqdn, RAF in GB and Far East, 1941-1942: joining squadron at RAF Elgin, GB, 1/1941; flying Hawker Hurricane; brief period of squadron ferrying aircraft in GB, 5/1941-7/1941; reasons for wanting overseas posting; delivering aircraft across Africa; flight from HMS Indomitable to Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, then onto Singapore, Malaya, 27/1/1942; question of air defence of Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942-2/1942; tactics employed against Imperial Japanese Air Force; his successes against Japanese aircraft over Malaya and Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 1/1942-2/1942; attempts by Japanese pilots to ram Royal Air Force aircraft; problems of attacking Japanese dive-bombers; method of attacking Japanese bomber formations; point of aiming when attacking Japanese bomber aircraft; question of shooting at men in parachutes. REEL 2 Continues: attitude of Royal Air Force pilots towards Japanese; squadron losses, 1/1942-2/1942; sense of impending disaster in Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942-2/1942; attacks on Japanese during landings in Sumatra and defence of Java, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942; wounding during attack by two Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zeros; escape by Lockheed Hudson to Australia, 2/1942. Aspects of operations as pilot with 77 Sqdn Royal Australian Air Force in Australia, 4/1942-2/1943: move to Port Hedland to counter rumoured Japanese invasion, 4/1942; reasons for move to Adelaide. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Nestor from Australia to GB, 3/1943: German submarine attacks on convoy in Bay of Biscay; manning Oerlikon Gun on bridge and firing at submarine periscope; sight of ships being lost in convoy; reasons why he was given control of Oerlikon Gun. Aspects of period as pilot with 56 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 5/1943: opinion of flying Hawker Typhoon Mk IB; firing rockets from Hawker Typhoon Mk IB. Recollections of operations as pilot with 182 Sqdn, No 124 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB, 6/1943: joining squadron at RAF Appledram, near Chichester, 6/1943; flying against targets in North West Europe; wounding by cannon fire during attack on German anti-aircraft train at railway junction, Yvetot, Normandy, France, 30/6/1943. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of hospitalisation for wounds in GB, 1943-1944: treatment received; problems on brief return to squadron, 2/1944; non-operational RAF jobs in GB, 1944; plastic surgery work on his legs carried out by Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead; formation of Guinea Pig Club; question of national unity in Second World War; comments on General Election in GB, 7/1945.