Roberts, Fred (Oral history)

British NCO served as armourer with 19 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1939-1940 including Battle of Britain, 1940

REEL 1 Enlistment and training with RAF in GB, 1938- 1939: reasons for enlistment in RAF; choice of armourer as trade; role of armourers. Recollections of period as armourer with 19 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1939-1940 including Battle of Britain: posting to RAF Duxford, 7/1939; opinion of Supermarine Spitfire; sighting guns on Supermarine Spitfire; expectation of coming war; reasons for placing patches on leading edge of wing over the guns; preparing aircraft for operations; time taken to rearm Supermarine Spitfire; relations with pilot George Unwin; reaction to loss of pilots; basing of A and B Flights at RAF Fowlmere; hours of duty; German Air Force attacks on RAF Fowlmere; relations with officer and NCO pilots; opinion of George Unwin; introduction of cannon equipped Supermarine Spitfires and reasons for initial problems firing the cannon; replacement of cannon equipped aircraft with older types used for training; quality of pre-war machine guns; opinion of Winston Churchill. REEL 2 Continues: awareness of significance of battle; posting to 151 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Digby, 10/1940; sight of German aircrew at RAF Duxford; impressions of Douglas Bader; degree of contact with George Unwin; lack of contact with senior RAF officers; attitude to participation in Battle of Britain; pattern of RAF career after Battle of Britain; question of lack of recognition for ground crew who served in Battle of Britain; use of inexperienced pilots; number of rounds carried by aircraft machine guns and cannons; contrast in rearming and maintaining Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricanes.