Description
Object description
British officer served as pilot with 616 and 610 Sqdns RAF in GB, 1940-1943; commanded 127, 144 and 125 Wings RAF in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1916-1939: family background and education in Leicester; employment; reasons for wanting to join RAF and reaction of father; story of first flight with Alan Cobham in Melton Mowbray; description of flying training in Tiger Moth; attitude to Munich Crisis, 1938; story of being turned down for Auxiliary Sqdn and joining Leicestershire Yeomanry, 1939; first impressions of Spitfire. Aspects of training with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in GB, 5/1939-8/1940: commissioned, 8/1940; description of flying training on Tiger Moth and Miles Master; gunnery training; conversion course on Spitfire, 1940; first experience of flying Spitfire; problem of lack of flying hours; qualities needed for successful fighter pilot; reaction to outbreak of war; mobilized and posted to 616 Sqdn at RAF Kenley, 21/Aug/1940. Aspects of operations with 616 Sqdn RAF in GB, 8/1940-7/1942: problem of shoulder injury preventing flying; re-joined Sqdn, 12/1940; role in operations during Battle of Britain; command structure; opinion of Dowding; attitude to loss of pilots; comparison of ME 109 and Spitfire; posted to RAF Tangmere, 2/1941; role of Sqdn escorting bombers to France; problem of not having long range fighters.
REEL 2 Continues: social life and recreational activities; relations between sergeant pilots and officers in Sqdn; opinion of ground crew; promoted squadron leader and posted to command 610 Sqdn RAF, 7/1942. Aspects of operations with 610 Sqdn RAF in GB, 7/1942-12/1943: opinion of Polish and Czech pilots; role of 610 Sqdn including participation in Dieppe Raid; opinion of Focke-Wulf 190; posted to RAF Castletown, Scotland, winter 1942-1943; role of Sqdn guarding Home Fleet; posted back to RAF Tangmere; opinion of Spitfire Mk V; role in operations of over Channel; story of development of Spitfire Mk IX and comparison to Focke-Wulf 190; opinion of Spitfire Mk X1V and opinion of Hawker Typhoon; promoted wing commander and posted to RAF Kenley. Aspects of operations as CO, 127, 144 and 125 Wings RAF in GB and North West Europe, 12/1943-5/1945: relations with US pilots; problem of not having long range fighter; opinion of Mustang; role in operations prior to and during Normandy landings, including attacks on V1 sites, 4-6/1944; attitude to Spitfire being armed with bombs; opinion of ME 262; role in establishing aerodrome in Normandy; description of low level attacks on German Army.
REEL 3 Continues: various memories of liberation of Paris and Brussels; role in operations during Operation Market Garden, Arnhem, Netherlands, 9/1944; promoted group captain; final tally of aircraft shot down; description of crossing the Rhine, 3/1945; story of visit to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Post-war life in GB: reflections on Spitfire; post-war career with RAF; comparison of jet and piston engine aircraft; opinion of Sabre; retired from RAF as Air Vice-Marshal, 1966.