Dick, Eric (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British officer served as navigator with 49, No 5 Group and 83 Sqdn, No 8 (Pathfinders Force) Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 1943; served as Oboe controller with RAF in GB and North West Europe, 1942-1945; served with Ground Control Approach, RAF in GB and at RAF Wunstorf in Germany during the Berlin Airlift, 1946-1949; various postings with Royal Air Force in GB, Denmark and Singapore, 1949-1972

Content description

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1920-1942: childhood medical problems; employment as turner with engineering company, 1939. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1942-1943: volunteering for Royal Air Force; training at No 10 Initial Training Wing at Scarborough; reaction to first flight; training as navigator in Scotland. Aspects of operations as navigator with 49 Sqdn, No 5 Group and 83 Sqdn, No 8 (Pathfinder Force), Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 1943: operations with 49 Sqdn from RAF Fiskerton; posting to 83 Sqdn, No 8 (Pathfinders Force), RAF at RAF Wyton; grounding after three trips due to airsickness; opinion of H2S Radar. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as Oboe Controller with Royal Air Force in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945: posting to Worth Matravers, 12/1943; description of how Oboe worked; skill of aircrew from No 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group, RAF; working with mobile Oboe units in North West Europe, 1944. Aspects of period with Ground Control Approach, Royal Air Force in GB, 1946-1947: transfer to Ground Control Approach, 1946; training; description of how Ground Control Approach worked; training first Ground Control Approach crews at Heathrow Airport, 1947. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period with Ground Control Approach at RAF Wunstorf, Germany, 1947-1949: posting to BAFO; fighter squadrons based at RAF Wunstorf; description of RAF Gatow; social life at RAF Wunstorf; chaos caused by arrival of three squadrons of Douglas Dakota aircraft at RAF Wunstorf, 6/1948; overcrowding at RAF Wunstorf with aircraft, supplies and personnel; problems created by poor weather; easing of situation when Transport Command, RAF took charge; posting to RAF Gatow in Berlin, 7/1948; organising air traffic control at RAF Gatow; maximising flow of aircraft in and out of RAF Gatow; use of German civilians to unload aircraft; description of guiding three aircraft into RAF Gatow simultaneously; problems with Soviet Air Force fighters 'buzzing' aircraft; powerful radar supplied by Americans. REEL 4 Continues: ability to cover Western zones of Berlin with new radar; construction of Tegel Airfield; escape of crew from crashed Avro Lancastrian; murder of pilot by mystery lorry driver; number of aircraft movements per day; American and British casualties; description of 'three watch' system worked; social life off duty; giving cigarettes to German life guard that saved his life in swimming pool; visiting the opera; description of Soviet Zone of Occupation; Soviet neglect of Soviet Zone of Occupation; buying bananas and oranges in Berlin; opinion of Europeans and European lifestyle, 1944/1945; sympathy for German civilians; attitude towards collecting 'loot'; description of American 'K' rations. REEL 5 Continues: return to GB from Berlin, 10/1949. Recollections of various postings with Royal Air Force in GB and Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1949-1972: period as Royal Air Force controller, RAF West Malling; attending refresher course in flying, RAF Lindholme; period as air traffic controller at RAF Tangmere from 1952: duties of air traffic controller; involvement in air speed record flights and Coronation fly past; organising Battle of Britain display; marriage to opera singer Gladys Ripley, 1954; posting to Royal Danish Air Force as Ground Control Approach instructor in Jutland, Denmark. REEL 6 Continues: life in Denmark; reasons for returning to RAF Tangmere; death of wife from cancer, 21/12/1955; period with Air Ministry in London, GB, 1956-1957; role as Senior Air Traffic Control Officer at RAF Upwood: visiting brother in South Rhodesia; air traffic control for English Electric Canberra Squadron; posting to Singapore, Malaysia, 1960-1962; attitude towards Royal Auxiliary Air Force; conducting study of 'near misses' in GB; leaving Royal Air Force, 1972.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Giesler, Rodney William Aldous (Recorder)
Dick, Eric (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1999-06-02
Dimensions: whole: Duration 180, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 18756

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