Description
Object description
British NCO served as bomber navigator and pilot flying Hampdens with 106 Sqdn, Bomber Command, RAF at Coningsby, 4/1941-12/1941; served as flying instructor at No 12 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF in GB, 1942; served with 150 Sqdn, RAF in GB and North Africa, 1942-1943; served as flying instructor at 105 Operational Training Unit, RAF in GB, 1943-1944; served with 246 Sqdn, Transport Command, RAF in GB, 1945; served with 511 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1945-1946; served with 435 Sqdn, RCAF in Canada, 1946-1947; served with 426 Sqdn, RCAF in Canada; 1947-1948; served with Transport Air Staff, Headquarters, RCAF, Canada, 1948-1949; served as staff officer with Transport Command, Air Ministry, GB, 1949; served on Short Service Commission Selection Board, Air Ministry, GB, 1949-1952; served as administrative officer with Headquarters, No 18 Group, Coastal Command, in GB, 1952-1953; served in command of 224 Sqdn, Coastal Command at Gibraltar, 10/1953-5/1955; served as staff officer at Maritime Operations, Air Ministry, GB, 5/1955-3/1956; served as staff officer with 'Operation Grapple' organising nuclear tests at Malden Island based in GB and Christmas Island, 1957; served in command of 220 and 201 Sqdns, Coastal Command at St Mawgen, 1958-1959; served as staff officer with Air Plans, Fighter Operations, Air Ministry, GB, 1959-1960
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Liverpool and London, GB, 1921-1939: social circumstances; education; work as clerk with Customs and Excise in London docks, 1936-1939; awareness of approach of war; background to enlistment into RAF Volunteer Reserve, 2/1939; medical and question of colour blindness; return to Liverpool; learning to fly and first solo flight in Tiger Moth at Barton airfield; reporting as sergeant to Manchester following outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Period at No 1 Initial Training W ing, RAF, Cambridge, 5/1940-8/1940: basic training; psychological tests; status as volunteer sergeants. Period learning to fly Tiger Moth at No 7 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, Desford, 6/1940-8/1940: flying on instruments; air acrobatics; relationship with recruits and instructors; opinion of Tiger Moth. Period at RAF College, Cranwell, 8/1940-10/1940: learning to fly Oxford; night flying including story of checking station blackout and landing during German incendiary raid; cross country flights; failure to be commissioned; award of wings; question of desire to become fighter pilot.
REEL 2 Continues: Period at No 2 Navigation School, RAF, Cranege, 11/1940-1/1941: conditions of service; reasons for training as pilot navigator; navigational methods and flights in Anson. Period with No 14, Operational Training Unit, RAF, Cottesmere, 1/1941-4/1941: conversion course onto Hampden; Link trainer; nature of Hampden; bomb aiming exercises; fatal Hampden crash, 14/4/1940. Recollections of period as bomber navigator and pilot flying Hampdens with 106 Sqdn, Bomber Command, RAF at Coningsby, 4/1941-12/1941: joining crew; story of being hit by German anti-aircraft fire during bombing mission over Kiel, Germany; low-level mining operations; relationship with crew; refresher flying course at Cottesmere; return to unit and formation of crew as 1st pilot; nature of bombing raids including briefing, flying independently to target, German searchlights and anti-aircraft fire, absence of German nightfighters, dropping bombs and flying into thunderstorms.
REEL 3 Continues: nature of bombing raids including question of bombing accuracy, flight home, risk from British barrage balloons and debriefing; low level attack on searchlights in Netherlands; personal morale; drinking habits; sergeants mess; story of near aerial collision whilst landing using Lorenz radio beam for guidance. Period on course at No 1 Flying Instruction School, RAF, Church Longford, 12/1941-2/1942: relationship with instructors; question of award of Dishtinguised Flying Medal. Period as flying instructor at No 12 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF, Grantham, 2/1942-9/1942: role of unit; commission, 9/1942; officers' mess; story of court martial for low flying; teaching blind flying. Period as pilot with 150 Sqdn, RAF, 11/1942-5/1943: reactions to posting back to Bomber Command; prior abortive posting to 199 Sqd, RAF; joining unit at Kirmington; opinion of Wellington; engine problems during flight to Gibraltar; flight to Blida, Algeria; nature of bombing operations against Bizerta.
REEL 4 Continues: control stick problems during food supply mission; story of engine problems whilst taking General Jimmy Doolittle on raid; recreational visit to Algeria; promotion; award of DFC; flights in Hurricane; role escorting Field Marshal Messe during flight back to GB. Period as flying instructor at 105 Operational Training Unit, RAF at Bramcote and Nuneaton, 6/1943-11/1944: flights in Wellington X and Dakota; background to failing advanced flying course; administrative duties and course; story of Spitfire crash; visit to Spitfire factory. Period at No 1332, Heavy Conversion Unit, Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, 11/1944-2/1945. Period with 246 Sqdn, Transport Command, RAF at Holmsley South, 2/1945-7/1945: role flying York and carrying freight; VE Day, 8/5/1945.
REEL 5 Continues: Period with 511 Sqdn, RAF at Lynehorn, 7/1945-5/1946: scheduled flights to Ceylon; staging posts; stories of incidents during flights; background to application for permanent commission. Period with Transport Command Development Unit at Brize Norton, 5/1946-12/1946: work on parachute drops of heavy equipment and supplies; story of testing spitfire. Period with 435 Sqdn, RCAF at Edmonton, Canada, 12/1946-2/1947: journey out and reception; scheduled nature of flights to Yukon; story of landing on lake and sea ice during 'Operation Beetle' in Arctic Circle; problems with compass and severe cold and 'whiteout' diminished visibility in snow storms; story of undercarriage and engine problems during flight. Period with 426 Sqdn, RCAF at Dorval, Montreal, 2/1948-11/1948: scheduled nature of flights using Northstar; lightning strikes; trans-Atlantic test flight.
REEL 6 Continues: Period with Transport Air Staff, Headquarters, RCAF, Ottawa, 11/1948-2/1949: role writing paper on resupply of Arctic bases; changed perspective of role of RAF. Period as staff officer responsible for obtaining diplomatic clearances with Transport Command, Air Ministry, Whitehall, London, 4/1949-8/1949. Period on Short Service Commission Selection Board, Air Ministry, Kingsway, London, 9/1949-1/1952: prior interview training course; process of interviewing boards; types of applicants; promotion to squadron leader; background to application to join Coastal Command. Period as administrative officer with Headquarters, No 18 Group, Coastal Command, Pitreavis Castle, Dunfermline, 1/1952-5/1953: responsibility for works services to bases; question of medal entitlement; problems during flight to Iceland. Attending course at School of Maritime Reconnaissance, St Mawgen, 5/1953-7/1953. Period on Shackleton course at No 236 Operational Conversion Unit, Kinloss, 8/1953-10/1953. Period in command of 224 Sqdn, Coastal Command at Gibraltar, 10/1953-5/1955: nature of airfield; scope of command; question of status of airman and creation of special flight; use of squadron badge on aircraft; detachment to Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 11/1953; detachment to Malta; anti-submarine exercises and question of liaison with RAF; nature of flights; royal inspection and fly past; story of unofficial flag carried during flight with Admiral of Fleet.
REEL 7 Continues: award of trophy; introduction of COs sticks; minimal role in army exercise. Period as staff officer at Maritime Operations, Air Ministry, Whitehall, London, 5/1955-3/1956: background to posting; monitoring new navigational devices. Period as staff officer with Headquarters of 'Operation Grapple' organising nuclear tests at Malden Island based at Air Ministry, Whitehall, London and Christmas Island, 2/1957-8/1957: high priority in selection of personnel; organising use of Shackleton showing warning lights and dropping leaflets in target area; question of secrecy and deliberate leak of information in newspapers organised by Chapman Pincher; awareness of Suez planning group; flight out to Christmas Island, 2/1957; prior reconnaissance of area by Coastal Command; urgent nature of urgent improvements to airfield; composition of force; role giving overall briefings; meteorological flights; procedure during hydrogen bomb tests; question of radiation precautions; necessity of repeating tests; weather problems; visit to Malden Island.
REEL 8 Continues: repeat tests organised with new staff. Period on staff course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 9/1957-2/1958: composition and nature of course; officers' mess functions; debates. Period in command of 220 and 201 Sqdns, Coastal Command at St Mawgen, 5/1958-8/1959: opinion of Shackleton Mark III and initial problem with locked nose wheels; renumbering as 201 Sqdn; attack of pneumonia; badging aircraft; reorganisation of unit and creation of special airmen flight; royal escort flight; account of 'Globetrotter' round world Avro promotional flight in Shackleton III.
REEL 9 Continues: ceremony on renumbering as 201 Sqdn; formal officers' mess dinners. Period as staff officer with Air Plans, Fighter Operations, Air Ministry, Whitehall London, 8/1959-7/1960: background to posting; knee operation; role planning for fighter operations and dispositions; background to voluntary retirement, 7/1960.
