Wills, Arthur James (Oral history)

British NCO served as airframe fitter with RAF in GB and Gold Coast, 1936-1943; served with 2nd Tactical Air Force in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Gillingham, Dorset and Ilchester, Somerset, GB, 1917-1936: family and education. Decision to join services, 1936. Enlistment in RAF, 12/1936. Period of training with RAF in GB, 1936-1939: issue of service number RAF West Drayton; swearing in; issue of kit and nature of kit inspections; role as stickman; move to RAF Uxbridge; frequency of sixpenny haircuts; enforced washing of dirty recruits; posting for general duties to RAF Old Sarum, 1937; training as fitter's mate RAF Manston and RAF Henlow, 1938. Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. Recollections of period as RAF fitter in GB, 1939-1940: weather conditions, RAF Hednesford, winter 1939-1940; work as airframe fitter, Royal visit to RAF Cosford, 5/1940; confining airmen to camp for a week for bad manners during Royal visit, RAF Cosford; discipline in RAF; move to flying school, RAF Little Rissington; lack of impact of Battle of Britain; marriage, 8/1940; preparations for foreign service. Voyage from GB to Gold Coast aboard Warwick Castle, 1940. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of period as airframe fitter in Takoradi, Gold Coast, 1940-1942: work assembling aircraft under poor working conditions; assembling Glenmartin Marylands; destination of assembled aircraft; problems working in heat and confined spaces; contracting malaria. Return to GB aboard Batory, 2/1942. Question of medical problems as result of service in Gold Coast. Degree of contact with Gold Coast civilians. Period as NCO with 174 Squadron, RAF Manston, 1942-1943: work repairing Hawker Hurricane bombers; German Air Force night attacks, 1942; attitude to work; reasons for lack of familiarity between aircrews and ground crews; posting to 121 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943. Recollections of period with 121 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force in North West Europe, 1944-1945: flight to Normandy in Dakota after D-Day; Dakota crash on airstrip under German fire; damage to Hawker Typhoons from carborundum dust; tail plane problems with Hawker Typhoon. REEL 3 Continues: working on Typhoons; opinion of Hawker Typhoon; reasons for heavy losses amongst pilots and aircraft; manpower shortages; lack of contact with French civilians; living conditions in tents; move into Belgium; composition of 121 Wing; work on airstrip outside Brussels, autumn 1944; issue of rum ration in cold weather, Voelkel, Netherlands, winter 1944-1945; leave in GB, 1/1945. Period in Kastrup, Denmark after VE Day, 1945. Danish Red Cross food parcel sent to his home, 1947. Opinion of period as NCO in charge of night flying, RAF Tern Hill, 1945-1946. Attitude to having served in RAF in Second World War.