Interview with Arthur McCartney

British officer served as bomb aimer with 101, No 1 Group, RAF in GB, 8/1943-2/1944; served with 166 Sqdn, No 1 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 11/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Blackburn, GB, 1919-1939: family; education. Recollections of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB and South Africa, 1941-1943: volunteering for aircrew, 1940; selection interview at RAF Cardington, 1941; amusing incident during medical inspection at No 1 Aircrew Reception Centre, St John's Wood, London; move to No 1 Initial Training Wing, Babbacombe; failing navigation course at No 1 Elementary Navigation School, RAF at Eastbourne; voyage from GB to South Africa, 1942; training as bomb aimer at No 41 Air School, East London, South Africa; occasional anti-British feelings on part of Boer training personnel in South Africa; voyage to GB from South Africa via United States of America, 1/1943; crewing up procedure at RAF Wymeswold; composition of air crew. Recollections of operations as bomb aimer with 101 Sqdn, No 1 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 8/1943-2/1944: joining squadron at RAF Ludford Magna, 8/1943; superstition about Hut 13; raid on Leverkusen, Germany, 22/8/1943; raid on Berlin, Germany, 23/8/1943; airborne cigar operations to disrupt control of German Air Force fighters; advantages of introduction of Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO), 27/9/1943; German Air Force intruder attack over RAF Ludford Magna after raid on Hanover, Germany; loss of German speaking airborne disrupter Pilot Officer Eddie Schultz, 28/4/1944; dangerous procedure of dog legging; collision with Avro Lancaster during raid on Düsseldorf, Germany, 3/11/1943; raid on Schweinfurt, Germany, 11/1943; heavy squadron losses during raid on Leipzig, Germany; degree of risk to aircraft on German bombing raids; comradeship in his aircrew. REEL 2 Continues: quality of aircrew; raid on railway marshalling yards, Modane, France, 10/11/1943; dropping of leaflets; question of personal morale; cordite smell in aircraft from anti-aircraft shells; training duties with No 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF after end of tour, 1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 166 Sqdn, No 1 Group, Bomber Command, GB, 11/1944-5/1945: question of treatment in being posted to RAF Kirmington, 11/1944; presence of Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel who had lost husbands and boy friends on operations; post-war comradeship among aircrews; role of ground crews in Second World War; attitude to role in air offensive against Germany; post-war career as policeman; duties as squadron bombing leader; tendency to drop bombs before aiming point; role as squadron bombing leader; preference for service with 166 Sqdn in contrast to 101 Sqdn. REEL 3 Continues: nature of operations in 1945; question of cases of Low Morale Fibre (LMF) among aircrew; question of special nature of raid on Dresden, Germany, 2/1945; superstitions among aircrew.