Jarvis, Stan (Oral history)

British NCO trained as pilot in RAF in GB and US, 1942-1944 and with Glider Pilot Regt in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Walthamstow and Plaistow, London, GB, 1925-1939: death of mother, 1927; periods in foster homes, 1927-1933; return to live with father at Plaistow, 1933; education; work for engineering firm, 1939; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; Anderson shelter; blackout; gas masks. Period living at Cindeford, 9/1939-7/1940: dispersal of family and consequent evacuation to live with family friends; work as labourer in iron foundry. Period living in Plaistow and Ilford, 7/1940-4/1942: work as apprentice moulder at shipbuilders; effects of German air raids on dockyard area, 7/9/1940; fie watching parties and methods of dealing with incendiary bombs; story of bomb damage to home and subsequently digging survivors and corpses out of Anderson shelter, c3/1941; relocation to Ilford, 4/1941. Recollections of service with Air Training Corps at Ilford and East Ham, 2/1941-4/1943: nightly attendance; drill. REEL 2 Continues: uniform; training in navigation, meteorology, wireless, Morse code and aircraft recognition; visit to RAF stations and first flight; promotion to flight sergeant; volunteering for air crew training, 4/1942; medical, educational and aptitude tests prior to acceptance for air crew training, 4/1942; call up, 4/1943. Aspects of reception at Air Crew Reception Centre, St Johns Wood, London, 4/1943: kitting out; vaccinations; minimal training. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period at Initial Training Wing, Scarborough, 5/1943-8/1943: hotel billets; food rations; advantage of ATC training; importance of hygiene; PT; weapons training; assessment; question of kit inspections; relationship with recruits and instructors. Recollections of attending Grading School, RAF Braunstone, 8/1943: dual flying training in Tiger Moth. REEL 3 Continues: dual flying instruction; first solo flight and method of landing; instrument flying practice; passing for pilot training; leave. Period at Overseas Dispersal Centre, Heaton Park, Manchester, 9/1943-11/1943: awaiting overseas training posting; grading results. Voyage aboard Queen Mary to New York, US, 11/1943: conditions; anti-submarine watch; seasickness; story of ship slowing for medical operation; first impressions of New York. Kitting out with flying kit at RAF Monkton, Canada, 12/1943. Recollections of period at No 4 British Flying Training School, Phoenix, US, 1/1944-6/1944: train journey; reception; relationship with US cadets; organisation of courses; flying Steerman PT17A; aerobatics including slow roll. REEL 4 Continues: aerobatics including loops, spinning and half rolls and safety precautions; ban on outside loops; instrument flying practice; cross country flights; night flying; flying Harvard Fighter Trainers including use of flaps and training wheel; fighter tactics and pursuit flying exercises; gunnery training and deflection shooting; formation flying; cadet failure rate; ground training in astro-navigation, wireless and bombing; question of qualification as sergeant pilot; instructor's interest in London Blitz and consequent visit to vast meteor crater; local leave and US hospitality in Hollywood. REEL 5 Continues: conditions of service; Mexican servants; accommodation supplied by British War Relief Assoc during visits tot Phoenix; question of criteria in selection of officers. Period at RAF Monkton, 6/1944-7/1944. Voyage aboard Empress of Scotland to GB, 7/1944. Period based at Overseas Aircrew Receiving Centre, Harrogate, 7/1944-9/1944: GB acclimatisation flying course on Tiger Moth; commando course; assessment interview prior to posting for single engine ground attack training; effects of loss of glider pilots during Arnham operations, 9/1944; necessity for glider pilots for Rhine crossing operations, 1945; reaction to selection for training as glider pilot. Reception and issue of army uniform on transfer to Glider Pilot Regt, RAF Bridgnorth, 10/1944. Recollections of training as glider pilot at RAF Shobden, learning to fly Hotspur glider towed by Masters; method of releasing tow and free flight glider control. REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of period with Heavy Glider Conversion Unit, RAF Brize Norton, 10/1944-11/1944: characteristics of Horsa and Hadrian gliders; night flights and accidents; relationship with Co-Pilot Sergeant Peter Geddes. Recollections of period with E Sqdn, Glider Pilot Regt at RAF Down Empney, 11/1944-3/1945: reception and status as RAF pilots in army unit; unit organisation and personnel; opinion of Squadron Leader Peter Jackson; infantry training; absence of troops aboard gliders during practice flights; night flights and landings. Account of Operation Varsity taking off from RAF Birch and landing at Hamminkeln, Germany, 24/3/1945: background situation; prior briefing; ferrying in Horsa gliders to RAF Birch; secrecy; personal morale; final briefing; weapons carried; meeting and boarding 25 Platoon, 2nd Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; take off procedure and delay caused by broken tow rope; clearing runway; contact with towing Dakota flown by Squadron Leader Alex Blyth of 235 Sqdn, RAF; take off. REEL 7 Continues: question of place in flying stream to reach target; Blyth's decision to fly independent course to rejoin flying stream; effect of German anti-aircraft fire on approaching River Rhine; problem with dense smoke restricting view of ground; view of gliders hit by German anti-aircraft fire; role of Sergeant Peter Geddes in avoiding aircraft and locating ground landmarks; location of target; effect of anti-aircraft hit on wing; landing close to Hamminkeln railway station, 10.10; disembarkation of troops and capture of station; clash with German troops and light tank; presence of US reporter; advance of troops towards River Issel; move to farmhouse rendezvous; role collecting and guarding German POWs; stories of searching German POWs; role as guards on moving German POWs to Hammingkeln village; view of crashed gliders; question of landing time. REEL 8 Continues: digging sit trenches facing River Issel; situation; personal morale; British covering bombardment; German attack and destruction of bridge; view of aerial dogfight; attack by Tiger tanks thwarted by Typhoon attack; move to positions in rear area, 26/3/1945; attack by German aircraft; relief and evacuation; flight back in Squadron Leader Alex Blyth's Dakota to GB. Service with various RAF units, 1945-1947: return to RAF; cancellation of Far East posting following VJ Day, 8/1945; flying experience; demobilisation, 4/1947. Post-war career: securing work as clerk with Port of London Authority; review of career with PLA, 1947-1973. REEL 9 Continues: Period as docks manager of West India and Millwall Docks, 1973-1979: responsibilities; historical role of enclosed docks; question of decline of docks; impact of mechanisation, containerisation and increasing size of ships; ship owners' requirement of speedy unloading of ships in docks; nature of piece work and casual system of dock labour; problems with unofficial dock labour committee including strikes and nature of negotiations, disputes over unloading of containers and unnecessary nature of disputes; role of Communist trade unionists; relationship with Transport and General Workers Union and Stevedore and Dockers Union; relationship between official and unofficial union organisations; lack of responsibility of dock labour for closure of docks; question of stealing and role of PLA police; state of dock facilities and equipment; shadow wartime scheme to distribute dockyard equipment around south coast ports; berthing naval vessels; background to early retirement, 1978. Period as pilot and flying instructor with RAF Hornchurch, 1947-1953: background to volunteering; flying Tiger Moth and Chipmunk. REEL 10 Continues: weekend training flights and annual camps; flight in Meteor; training and qualification as flying instructor on Chipmunk; suspension of service, 1953. Voluntary activities with Soldiers, Sailors and Airmens' Family Association, 2000-2004: role of SAFA; illustration of role as caseworker and method of securing financial assistance; fund raising activities.