Description
Object description
British NCO served as wireless operator/air gunner with 30 Sqdn, RAF in Middle East, Greece and Crete, 1940-1941; served with 55 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt, 1941
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Winchester, 1918-1935: family; education; employment. Enlistment and training with RAF in GB, 1935: enlistment in RAF at RAF Uxbridge, 8/1935; selection process; attitude to serving with RAF. Aspects of period as wireless operator/air gunner with 30 Sqdn, RAF in GB and Middle East, 1936-1940: joining unit; dislike of Boulton Paul Defiant cockpit; duties; move to RAF Ikingi Marriott, Egypt; coping with limited water in desert; reasons for move to Haifa; contact with French Air Force at Haifa; move to Nicosia to thwart Axis reconnaissance flights. Recollections of operations as NCO wireless operator/air gunner with A Flight, 30 Sqdn, RAF in Greece, 1941: move to Eleusis; bombing attack on Italian destroyer at Sarande; quality of intelligence; sings song about attacks on Valona; attack on Argirokastron and Tepolini.
REEL 2 Continues: damage from flak during Valona attack; conditions as Eleusis; discovery of spy watching operations; story of how RAF plank caused diplomatic incident; method of dealing with eavesdroppers; visits to Kit Kat Club; how Greek civilians drove Italians from Paramathia; attacks on Italians in wood; destruction of Italian gun emplacement; effect of arrival of Germans; performance of Greek PZL fighters; degree to which he had to fire his gun; death of John Merrifield; reasons why Royal Navy would open fire on aircraft; story of problems escaping from cloud in Corinth area and loss of 'Twiggy' Branch's aircraft; use of Lewis and Vickers K machine guns; living conditions under canvas at Paramathia.
REEL 3 Continues: acquiring alcohol at police station; rations and attitude towards Maconochies. Recollections of operations as NCO wireless operator/air gunner with A Flight, 30 Sqdn, RAF on Crete, 1941: move to Maleme airfield; loss of his pistol ammunition; state of squadron's remaining four aircraft; repair to his aircraft under-fire; boxes loaded onto his aircraft; reception on arrival in mess at RAF Abu Sweir, Egypt, debriefing and social contacts in Cairo; arrival in Crete; use of German weapons; hostility of Cretan civilians towards Germans; operations in support of Royal Navy; story of narrow escape from arming bombs at Paramathia in Greece.
REEL 4 Continues: lack of German Air Force opposition; story of comrade who died in fighting at Maleme; second hand story of General Kurt Student's visit to Maleme; destruction of Hawker Hurricane by friendly fire at Maleme; story of captured writing- case returned to owner by German paratrooper after Second World War; story of Maori haka which scared off Germans at Maleme; German losses on Crete. Aspects of period as NCO wireless operator/air gunner with 55 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt, 1941: joining unit at Wadi Natrun; insight of club girl at Roxy Nightclub in Alexandria; meeting with Johnnie London; equipping with Bristol Blenheim Mark IV; plans for anti- shipping strikes. Recollections of return to GB from Middle East, 1941: method of obtaining return passage to GB.
REEL 5 Continues: privileges he received on troopship; ashore in South Africa including shark fishing in Cape Town; visiting Green Parrot Café in Halifax; crossing Atlantic; arrival in Greenock; reception on arrival in GB; downgrading from a A1 to a C3 medical grade on return to GB. Dangers of being a rear gunner in a Bristol Blenheim.
REEL 6 Continues: Story illustrating cold in aircraft over Greek mountains.