Green, Samuel Rene (Oral history)

British officer served as navigator with 156, 78 and 35 Sqdns, RAF in GB, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Croydon, GB, 1920-1938: family; education. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn London Irish in GB, 1938-1941: question of inadequacy of pre-war training; reaction to declaration of Second World War; digging trenches in London, autumn, 1939. Recollections of enlistment and training as navigator with RAF in GB and South Africa, 1941- 1942: transfer to RAF, 1941; opinion of RAF training; character of navigational training in South Africa; assaults on RAF cadets by Afrikaaners in Oudtshoorn and Port Alfred areas; question of degree of knowledge of operations gleaned from training; crewing up at RAF Chipping Norton, 1942; composition of his crew. REEL 2 Continues: variation in qualities of aircrews. Aspects of operations as navigator with 156 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1942: joining squadron, 9/1942; raid on Saarbrucken, 9/1942; squadron morale. Recollections of operations as navigator with 78 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1942-1943: joining squadron at RAF Linton-on-Ouse; opinion of squadron leadership; effect on morale of taking out mid-upper turret from Handley Page Halifax; memories of Leonard Cheshire and Willie Tait; prior recollection of raid on Saarbrucken, Germany with 156 Sqdn, RAF, 9/1942; disruption to his navigation by inaccurate weather forecast during raid on Turin, Italy, 11/1942; lessons learnt from operation to Turin; boredom of night time bomber raids; opinion of Germans under the bombing; sight of activity on the ground in burning towns. REEL 3 Continues: effect on him of being part of powerfully destructive bomber force; degree of success of Bomber Command during Second World War; motivation of aircrew in Bomber Command; criticism of aircrew of Bomber Command and attitude towards criticism from outside world; question of sense of what was happening to Germans in bombed cities. Recollections of operations as navigator with 35 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1943: joining Pathfinders Force at RAF Graveley, 1/1943; raising of efficiency of Bomber Command by introduction of Pathfinders Force; his introduction to H2S; over-estimation of accuracy of H2S by scientists; problems using H2S in conjunction with other equipment; awareness of rivalries within the pathfinding field as navigation officer with squadron; question of criticism of H2S operators by scientific advisors. REEL 4 Continues: problems of using H2S over Germany; dispersal of his crew after last raid on Peenemunde, 17/8/1943. Aspects of period on ground duties in navigation office with 35 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Graveley, GB, 1943-1945: duties in navigation office; problems identifying H2S targets; problems using maps on Mercator projection; factors effecting accuracy of bombing; dynamism of Air Vice Marshal Donald Bennett; differences in character between Donald Bennett and Leonard Cheshire; changes in navigators job by 1945. Aspects of operations as navigator with 35 Sqdn, RAF, 1943: Peenemunde raid, 17/8/1943. REEL 5 Continues: aftermath of Peenemunde raid; reasons why Hamburg presented a good target for H2S equipped aircraft; reaction to bombing Hamburg; raid on Wuppertal, Germany. Reflections on German Air Force and V weapon attacks on GB, 1940-1945: effect of engagement in relief work in Coventry, 11/1940; V weapon attacks in Croydon area; effect on public morale of V weapon attacks.