Lamb, Peter Melville (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 808 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Battler in Mediterranean, 1943; served with 807 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Hunter in Mediterranean, 1943-1944; served with 800 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Indian Ocean, 1945; served with 800 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Triumph off Malaya and off Korea, 1949-1950; commanded 810 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Bulwark during Operation Musketeer at Suez, Egypt, 10/1956-11/1956

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1923-1941: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War 3/9/1939; German Air Force attacks in Arkley and Radlett areas, 1940-1941. Recollections of training as pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB and United States of America, 1942-1943: nature of training in GB; pilot training at Naval Air Stations Grosse Ile and Pensacola, United States of America; opinion of Brewster F2A Buffalo; discipline of United States Navy; relations with American civilians; conversion onto Supermarine Seafire and Hawker Sea Hurricane No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1943 including nature of training and problems of getting used to flying in blackout. Recollections of operations as pilot with 808 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Air aboard HMS Battler in Mediterranean, 1943: convoy escort duties; problems posed for Supermarine Seafires of low wind speed during landings at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943; flying Combat Air Patrols (CAPs) over beachhead at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943; establishment of landing strips ashore at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943; nature of targets and lack of German air opposition. Recollections of operations as pilot with 807 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Hunter in GB and Mediterranean, 1943-1944: conversion to Supermarine Seafire armed with cannon and rockets in Northern Ireland; attitude to being armed with rockets and cannons; Fleet Air Arm strength during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, 8/1944; reasons why Operation Dragoon was easier for Fleet Air Arm than landings at Salerno, Italy. REEL 2 Continues: attack on bridges at Avignon, France, 8/1944; shooting down of Lieutenant Tony Shaw; anti-aircraft fire over Avignon, France; ashore in Nice, France, 8/1944; attacks against German forces evacuating from Aegean, 10/1944; sinking of Siebel ferry off Kos Island, Greece, 10/1944. Recollections of operations as pilot with 800 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Emperor in Indian Ocean 1945: appointment as Deck Landing Officer (DLO); persuading commanding officer to let him fly operations; VE Day in Trincomalee Harbour, Ceylon, 8/5/1945; swimming ashore under influence of alcohol; operations against Japanese targets, 1945; VJ Day in Trincomalee, Ceylon, 15/8/1944; arriving on first ship into Singapore, Malaya; Japanese prisoner of war work; reception of British in Singapore, Malaya, 8/1945; question of VJ Day being an anti-climax for Royal Navy officers. Aspects of operations as pilot with 800 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm during Malayan Emergency, 1949: strikes against insurgents in jungle flying from Royal Naval Air Station Sembawang; carrying coils of rope in aircraft for jungle emergencies; move to Japan, 6/1950. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as pilot with 800 Naval Air Sqdn aboard HMS Triumph off Korea, 6/1950-9/1950: receiving news of outbreak of Korean War, 6/1950; strikes against ground targets; incident when deck crew received burns from his damaged aircraft during emergency landing; degree of success Supermarine Seafires had against North Korean armour; cover given during landings at Inchon, North Korea, 9/1950; question of Admiralty's complacency about capabilities of Hawker Sea Fury after one shot down a Chinese MiG 15. Recollections of operations as commanding 810 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Bulwark during Operation Musketeer, the landings at Suez, Egypt, 10/1956-11/1956: strikes against Egyptian Air Force aircraft parked on Cairo West Airfield; opinion of operating Hawker Sea Hawk in contrast to Supermarine Seafire; operating from HMS Bulwark; United States Navy aircraft attempts to disrupt operations; attitude to calling off of operation, 11/1956; nature of other combat sorties; incident of Lieutenant Commander William 'Smokey' Cowling being shot down over Sinai Desert, Egypt; prior recollection of incident of United States Air Force Boeing B-29 Superfortress shooting down a Fleet Air Arm aircraft during Korean War.