Interview with Imre Leonard Schwaiger

British officer served as pilot with 208 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt and Persian Gulf, 1952-1953; served with 77 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Korea 1953; various postings with Royal Air Force in GB, West Germany and Far East, 1953-1968

REEL 1 Background in Leamington Spa, GB, 1930-1949: family; education; evacuation to Cotswolds during Second World War. Aspects of training as officer with Royal Air Force in GB, 1949-1951: ambition to be pilot with Royal Air Force; attending officer training course at Royal Air Force College Cranwell; graduation; flying Gloster Meteor F.2 at No 205 Advanced Flying School, RAF at RAF Middleton St George; air combat training at RAF Stradishall. Aspects of period as pilot with 208 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt and Persian Gulf, 1952-1953: posting to RAF Abu Sueir to fly Gloster Meteor FR.9; reconnaissance operations carried out on Egyptian Army; Egyptian harassment of British military personnel; exercise at RAF Habbaniya, Iraq; photograph reconnaissance operation on coast of Crete, Greece, 1952; anti-slavery operations in Persian Gulf, 4/1953; role watching over Saudi intentions towards Buraimi Oasis. Recollection of operations as pilot with 77 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in South Korea, 1953: secondment to serve with Royal Australian Air Force; rocket firing conversion course at Iwakuni, Japan, 5/1953; arrival at Kimpo Airfield, near Seoul, 5/1953; types of rockets used including ones filled with napalm; method of conducting ground attacks; reversion to vigilance patrols after signing of ceasefire, 7/1953. REEL 2 Continues: visit by Richard Nixon, autumn 1953; visit to 'freedom village' to meet released prisoners of war. Recollections of various postings with Royal Air Force in GB, West Germany and Far East, 1953-1968: period as Aide-de-Camp to Air Vice-Marshal Harry Satterly commanding No 205 Group, RAF in GB; posting to night fighter work with 153 Sqdn at RAF West Malling, GB, 1955; confidence in success of night fighter interception work should Soviet Air Force attack; techniques used to intercept targets; role with Fighter Command, RAF when decision was made that air attacks were to be met by missiles rather than aircraft, 1956; posting to 59 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Geilenkirchen, West Germany, 1957; role of squadron operating English Electric Canberra B(I).8 including nuclear; flying English Electric Canberra B(I).8; posting to 9 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Coningsby, 1957; work for Air Ministry,1961-1964 including overseeing technical development of BAC TSR-2 aircraft from 7/1961; work on P.1127; contacts in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); work on predecessor of Hawker Siddeley Harrier; impact of election of Labour Government on air policy 10/1964; period as student Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell, 1965-1966: REEL 3 Continues: story of exercise imagining how German Air Force in Second World War would achieve air superiority over GB; role as air plans officer at RAF Changi, Singapore, 1967; use of network analysis; impact of defence reviews on work; prior recollection of visit to air strips during Indonesian Confrontation; question of disillusionment with Royal Air Force because of lack of fight to save aircraft projects; leaving Royal Air Force, 6/1968; opinion of BAC TSR-2. Recollections of operations with 77 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in South Korea, 1953: question of anti-British feeling in squadron; low-level of Communist air opposition during operations; damage to aircraft in operations; attacks on Kimpo Airfield by Chinese manned Polikarpov Po-2 aircraft; ground and air defences employed against Polikarpov Po-2 aircraft; superiority of MiG 15s to North American Mustang and Gloster Meteor; 'barter packs' carried by pilots; United States Air Force presence at Kimpo Airfield; contact with United States Air Force pilots; rescue of shot down pilots; nature of 'bomb-line'.