Interview with Peter Bowes Willoughby

British NCO trained as bomb aimer with Royal Air Force in GB and Canada, 9/1942-1/1945; officer served with 298 Sqdn, No 38 Group RAF and Air Command, South East Asia, RAF in GB and India, 2/1945-8/1945; served with 52 Sqdn, Air Command, South East Asia, RAF in India and Burma, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Northallerton, GB, 1922-1939: family; education; employment. Aspects of period as civilian in Northallerton, GB, 1939-1942: work preparing for evacuees to Northallerton, 3/9/1939 including sight of evacuees arriving in town; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; role with Air Raid Precautions, 1940-1942; father's reaction to German Air Force raid on town; German Air Force attacks in Northallerton area. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1942-1943: initial volunteering for service with Royal Air Force, 9/1941; call-up for service with Royal Air Force, 9/1942; period at No 1 Aircrew Reception Centre, RAF at St John's Wood, London; construction duties at holding camp, RAF Bridgnorth; move to No 12 Initial Training Wing, St Andrews; posting to No 11 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Scone; move to Aircrew Dispersal Centre, RAF at RAF Heaton Park; voyage aboard HMS Empress of Scotland from GB to United States of America. Aspects of training with Empire Air Flying Training Scheme, RAF in Canada, 1943-1944: arrival in RCAF Moncton, 7/1943; flying training with No 13 Elementary Training School, RCAF at RCAF St Eugene, summer 1943; meeting future wife; flying training on Fleet Finch. REEL 2 Continues: discipline at RCAF St Eugene; lack of rationing, posting to No 5 Service Flying Training School, RCAF at RCAF Brantford; discovery of eye problem that prevented his landing aircraft properly; remustering on air bombers' course at No 6 Initial Training School, RCAF at Toronto; posting to No 31 Bombing and Gunnery School, RCAF at RCAF Picton, relations with civilians in Picton; posting to No 1 Central Navigation School, RCAF at RCAF Rivers; commissioning and receiving of wings. Aspects of training as bomb aimer with Royal Air Force in GB, 6/1944-1/1945: return to GB, 6/1944; move to No 6 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Staverton; crewing up at RAF Ashbourne; witnessing effects of accidental explosion at No 21 Maintenance Unit's bomb storage dump at RAF Fauld, 27/11/1944; learning he was destined for No 38 Group, RAF concerned with glider towing and Special Operations Executive operations; conversion to Handley Page Halifax with No 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Tilstock; opinion of Handley Page Halifax; sight of experimental Vickers Wellington with jet engine in tail; posting to RAF Matching. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 298 Sqdn, No 38 Group RAF and Air Command, South East Asia, RAF in GB and India, 2/1945-8/1945: posting to unit at RAF Tarrant Rushton, GB, 2/1945; training on container dropping and glider towing; problems encountered glider towing and container dropping; role in dropping containers to Dutch Resistance in Netherlands; role taking occupation troops Norway, 5/1945; move to Raipur, India, 7/1945; calling off of Operation Zipper, 8/1945. Aspects of period as officer with 52 Sqdn, Air Command, South East Asia, RAF in India and Burma, 8/1945-9/1946: posting to squadron at RAF Dum Dum, India, 8/1945; problems organising air supply drops to villagers in north Burma; search for lost aircrews from 10 Sqdn, RAF Burma, early 1946. REEL 4 Continues: problems receiving rations and supplies via Royal Indian Army Service Corps at Myitkyina, Burma, 1946; move from RAF Digri to Baroda; problems of getting pay at RAF Digri; return to GB for demobilisation, 9/1946; awareness of civilian disturbances in India, 1946; attitude to delay in demobilisation, 1945-1946; attitude to having served in Royal Air Force