Stewart, George Lowe (Oral history)

British NCO trained as pilot at Elementary Flying School, RAF Ansty, GB, 1941; trained as pilot and navigator with Arnold Flying Training Scheme in US and Canada, 1941-1942; served with 50 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 3/1943-6/1943; POW in Germany, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Dundee and Stonehaven, 1912-1940: family and education; employment; joining 5/7 Bn Gordon Highlanders; reasons for joining Territorial Army; preference for RAF rather than army; reaction to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Period of enlistment and training with RAF GB, 1940-1941: recruitment, 8/1940; selection board for aircrew training, Blackpool, 3/1941; reaction to ground defence duties, RAF Aston Down, 5/1941; training, Initial Training Wing, Straford upon Avon, autumn, 1941; move to Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Ansty, Warwickshire; reaction to experience of seeing remains of trainee pilot in crashed aircraft, enrolment in Arnold Training Scheme. Voyage from GB to Canada onboard Louis Pasteur, 12/1941. Period on Arnold Training Scheme, US and Canada, 1941-1942: move to US; US Army Air Corps drill, Maxwell Field, Alabama, 12/1941; attitude towards racial segregation in Alabama; threat to send letter to Churchill because confined to camp over Christmas period, 1941; move to Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida in Everglades area; flying training on Stearman trainers; contrast between British and US training methods. REEL 2 Continues: relations with US civilians; training Cochran Field, Macon, Georgia, 3/1942; reaction to unfair treatment on test flight and elimination from pilot's course; how age counted against him for getting second chance for pilot's training; re-mustering as navigator, Canada; switch to bomb-aimers course, 31 Bombing and Gunnery School, Picton, Ontario; intensity of feeling among trainees who had failed to become pilots. Voyage from Canada to GB onboard Queen Elizabeth, late 1942. Period of flying training, GB, winter, 1942-1943: Operational Training Unit, Kinloss 1942-1943; crewing up; composition of his aircrew. Recollection of period as bomb aimer in Lancasters with 50 Sqdn, Skellingthorpe, Linc, 3/1943-6/1943: position of bomb aimer; role of bomb aimer during raid. REEL 3 Continues: attack on warships in Gulf of Genoa; failed attack on Skoda factory and attack by German fighters; attack on Wappertal and return to GB; raid on Bochum, 12/6/1943-13/6/1943 including 'jinxed' nature of flight; Lancaster exploding and parachute descent. Recollection of period as POW, Germany, 1943-1945: nature of injuries; capture by German anti-aircraft unit; German civilian women spitting Stewart's face; period in hospitalisation with French forced workers injured in raid; treatment for wounds. REEL 4 Continues: relations with French patients; bombing of hospital area by RAF aircraft; reaction to bombing by own aircraft; view of US airforce raid on hospital, 8/1943; meeting with wounded US aircrew in hospital; escape plan; escape plan thwarted by French collaborator; sight of devastated buildings in Ruhr; interrogation, Dulag Luft, 1943; careless talk of US POWs awaiting interrogation; techniques used by Germans to extract information.