Interview with Reginald Gordon Thackeray

British NCO served as pilot with 40 Sqdn, No 205 Group, RAF in North Africa and Malta, 9/1942-1/1943

REEL 1 Background in Brighouse, GB, 1921-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1940-1942: joining Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at Huddersfield; pattern of training in GB; learning to fly at RAF North Luffenham, summer 1941; flying Airspeed Oxford at RAF Spitalgate; request for posting to twin-engined aircraft; posting to No 13 Operational Training Unit, RAF at RAF Bicester; recreational activities in Bicester and Banbury. Aspects of period on draft in West Africa and Middle East, 1942: voyage from GB to Freetown, Sierra Leone; system of transporting aircraft from Takoradi, Gold Coast to Egypt; arrival in Egypt to find Bristol Blenheim had been phased out of service; blood collection during German offensive in North Africa, 1942; officers only rule at Groppi's Café, Cairo, Egypt; night flying training with No 2 Middle East Training School, RAF at RAF Aqir in Palestine; attitude towards night flying and flying the Vickers Wellington; composition of Vickers Wellington crew; visits to Tel Aviv, Palestine. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with 40 Sqdn, No 205 Group, RAF in North Africa, 9/1942-11/1942: posting to squadron at RAF Kabrit; first operation as second pilot to Squadron Leader John Morton, 7/10/1942; nature of operations against Tobruk Harbour, Libya, 10/1942; role as second pilot in supplying fuel to aircraft; opinion of Axis air defences in Libya; operations during Battle of El Alamein, 11/1942; attacks on German Air Force advance landing grounds; problems of Handley Page Halifax aircraft bombing through Vickers Wellington formations; impressions of senior officers Arthur Tedder, Hugh Trenchard and Keith Park. REEL 3 Continues: attempts to make unit mobile; promotion to aircraft captain; attack on Crete, Greece, 23/11/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with 40 Sqdn, No 205 Group, RAF on Malta, 11/1942-1/1943: move to Malta, 26/11/1942; living conditions in Malta; character of operations against Tunis; German Air Force raid on RAF Luqa, 18/12/1942; incidents when he needed to return with bomb load; delivery of Sunday papers by Royal Air Force De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito, 23/12/1942; description of escape boots; abortive operation to Tunis and Sousse, Tunisia, 25/12/1942; Farsons Brewery in Malta; relations amongst crew. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of operations as NCO with 40 Sqdn, No 205 Group, RAF in Egypt, 1/1943: reasons for return to Egypt, 1/1943; arrival of new Australian navigator; rain in desert; move to desert airstrip at Gardabia; raid on Trapani, Sicily, Italy, 20/1/1943; end of his operational tour. Aspects of period as instructor with Royal Air Force in GB, 1943-1945: return to GB, 1943; condition he was in on arrival home; incident during instructing at RAF Upper Heyford; obtaining commission; role as instructor; engine handling; attitude to having served in Royal Air Force during Second World War; illness contracted in West Africa.