Cassie, Alex (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot on Whitley V with 77 Sqdn based at RAF Leeming and Chivenor, GB and operating over Germany and Italy, 1942; shot down by U Boat, 2/9/1942; POW in Germany, 1942-1945.

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Queenstown, South Africa, 1916-1932: social circumstances; education. Recollections of attending Aberdeen University and Theological College, 1933-1939: accommodation; studying Classic and Psychology; question of academic progress; interest in art; decision to drop out of Theological College, 1939. Work in time and motion in canning factory at Petershead, 1939: bomb damage during German air raid; background to immunity from conscription due to birth in SA and decision to volunteer for RAF, 1941. Period at RAF Reception Centre, Padgate, 1940: reception. REEL 2 Continues: prior interview; medical; initial interest in training as navigator and acceptance for pilot training; swearing in as aircraftman 2nd class. Recollections of basic training at Saughall Marry Camp, 1940: hut accommodation; origins of recruits; drill; value of artistic skills; German air raids. Recollections of period on ground defence duties at RAF Kenley, Croydon, ca 12/1940-1/1941: relationship with ORs; volunteering for guard duties on control tower. Period at Air Crew Reception Centre, Stratford upon Avon, 1/1943. Recollections of period at Initial Training School, RAF, Grand Hotel, Scarborough, 1/1941-5/1941: reception; origins of recruits; story of painting aircraft silhouettes in training room. REEL 3 Continues: navigation, Morse code and aircraft recognition training. Recollections of period learning to fly Tiger Moth at No 13 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, Peterborough and No 21 EFTS at Booker, 5/1941-6/1941: status as cadets and organisation into flights; first air experience flight in Tiger Moth; opinion of instructor Flying officer A P Fane; effect of flying controls and simple turns; Link Trainer exercises; flying instruments. REEL 4 Continues: stalling and spinning; taking off and landing; first solo flight; emergency landings; story illustrating relationship with instructor Flight Lieutenant A P Fane; side-slipping; low flying. Recollections of flying Oxford at 15 Special Flying Training School, RAF, Kidlington, 7/1941-9/1941: desire to fly night fighters; nature of Oxford and difficulties encountered in judging take off and landing; opinion of instructors; navigation test. REEL 5 Continues: night flying and story of German night fighter attack assessment tests; story of subsequently meeting instructor when POW in Germany; question of assessment; commission as pilot officer; sheared rooms with Leading Aircraftman Coventry. Recollections of period with No 19 Operational Training Unit, RAF, Kinloss, 10/1041-12/1941: role of unit; familiarity with Kinloss area; nature of Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley; relationship with instructors; air gunner firing tests; photographic reconnaissance flights and creation of over-lapping crests. REEL 6 Continues: formation of training crews; bombing training flights and assisting with navigation; state of morale in officers' mess; story of dispute over wind direction on landing and intervention of Flight Lieutenant Wilfred Surtees. Posting to 35 Sqdn, RAF at Linton-on-Ouze, 12/1941-1/1942: arrival during preparations for first daylight operation directed against Scharnorst and Gneisenau; reception from Group Captain Leonard Chshire and story illustrating his character; question of being too short to fly Halifax. Period flying Whitley V with 77 Sqdn, RAF at Leeming, 1/1942-5/1942: reception from Squadron Leader Donald Bennett and his test to determine adequacy of height to fly Whitley; opinion of Bennett. REEL 7 Continues: roles of pilot, 2nd pilot, navigator, wireless operator gunner and rear gunner; air tests; first operation over Cherbourg, France, 5/1/1942; nature of mission over Emden, Germany, 15/1/1942, including notification, briefing, low ceiling of Whitley, geese superstition, personal morale, pre-flight tests, take off, flying uniform, individual flight path to target rendezvous, German anti-aircraft defences and evasive action. REEL 8 Continues: nature of mission over Emden, Germany, 15/1/1942, including evasive action, German searchlights, question of German night fighters, approach to target, dropping bombs, photographs, flight back to GB, debriefing and post-flight meal; training and routine flights; failed raid on Norwegian heavy water plant, 28/2/1942; question of engine problems and jettisoning bombs during raid on Geneva, Italy, 12/4/1942; qualification as 1st pilot; role as operations officer; composition of crew including Rear Gunner Bobby Chapman, W/Ops Sergeant John Dunseth, Navigator Flying Officer Nick Laidlaw and Canadian 2nd pilot officer. REEL 9 Continues: relationship with air crew; recreational visits to Harrogate including drinking habits and question of out of bounds areas; nature of officers' mess including presence of old master paintings and food rations; ultra-violet treatment. Recollections of period at RAF Chivenor, 5/1942-9/1942: bombing and depth charge practice in Morte Bay; nature of anti-submarine patrols in Bay of Biscay including search patterns, submarine sighting reports and cases of ditched and shot down aircraft; attending blind approach training course on Oxford aircraft at RAF Leuchars, 8/1942. REEL 10 Continues: Account of being shot down whilst attacking U Boat, 2/9/1942: briefing for mission to attack German armed merchantman off La Rochelle area; use of unreliable spare Whitley; composition of crew including Sergeants Bobby Chapman <Rear Gunner>, MacMahon <W/OP>, Johnson <2nd Pilot> and Percy Everett <Navigator>; briefing; difficulties flying over water at night; dawn; failure to locate target; sighting U Boat; low level bombing run; engine damage from U Boat gun; procedure on ditching near French trawler; accidental inflation of dinghy inside aircraft; puncturing dinghy to release crew; story of getting into difficulties swimming to get help from French trawler. REEL 11 Continues: rescue by French trawler Aldebaran; treatment during voyage to Comcarneau, France; German monitoring of French trawlers; handing over to German officer. Recollections of initial period as POW at Comacarneau, 9/1942: issue of Polish uniform; fatigue; drawing caricatures. Recollections of train journey via Paris to Dulag Luft, 9/1942: refusal to give parole; background to selection of Sergeant Everett as travelling companion; question of escape. REEL 12 Continues: reception from German children. Period at Dulag Luft Transit Camp, 9/1942: solitary confinement in cell; prior briefing from escaped POWs; nature of interrogation; communicating with Lieutenant Sherwood in neighbouring cell; reading books; release from solitary. Train journey to Sagan, 9/1942: US prisoner; fear of RAF raids on railway targets. Recollections of conditions, lifestyle and daily routine in East Compound, Stalag Luft III, Sagan, 9/1942-1943: reception from and opinion of Sergeant Major Glemnitz and Camp Adjutant Bill Jennings; assignment to hut and camp layout. REEL 13 Continues: meeting various friends on entry to camp; nature of hut accommodation and wash house; origins of and relationship with POWs; cooking arrangements; food supplied by Germans; issue and contents of Red Cross parcels; distilling alcohol from dried fruit. REEL 14 Continues: food and question of hunger; use of KLIM tins; question of personal cleanliness and shaving; lice problem and delousing procedure; roll calls and use of dummy to confuse count; contact with Lieutenant Peter Butterworth and roll painting theatre scenery; pencil drawing; role of NCO orderlies; role of Educational Officer and educational classes organised; walking perimeter circuit; opinion of Senior British Officer Group Captain H M Massey. REEL 15 Continues: opinion of SBO Group Captain H M Massey, Adjutant Bill Jennings and Wing Commander Harry Day; initial absence of escape committee; role of hut block adjutants; initial lack of control of escape attempts and confusion in tunnels; opinion of Flight Lieutenant Desmond Plunkett; map making and method of 'jelly' press duplication; opinion of Flight lieutenant Tim Walenn and his role in charge of production of forged documents; background to prior acquisition of signature forgery skills. REEL 16 Continues: background to prior acquisition of typescript copying skills; ruse to secure transfer from map to forgery section; question of source of pens and paper; process of befriending and subverting German guards and workers; method of sending coded messages back to GB and despatch from GB of concealed typewriter in parcel; working area in hut for document forgery section; story of attempt by Flight Lieutenant Ken Toft to escape over wire; imminence of move to North Compound and working parties clearing tree trunks; construction of theatre; move into North Compound, 1943. REEL 17 Continues: Recollections of conditions, lifestyle and daily routine in North Compound, Stalag Luft III, Sagan, ???/1943-1/1945: nature of accommodation in Hut 101; prior avoidance of move out of camp through intervention of Flight Lieutenant Peter Butterworth; relationship with room mates in Hut 101 including Pilot Officer Ron Birch, Flight Lieutenants 'Masie' Morgan, Henri Pickard. Roger de Weaver, Bobby Lomans and Bobby Williams; reputation of Squadron Leader Roger Bushell; formation of 'X' Organisation and Escape Committee; story of failed escape attempt by Flight Lieutenants Walter Morrison and 'Long' Welsh disguised as German 'ferret' during delousing procedure; work of tailoring section. REEL 18 Continues: aspects of afternoon working sessions by forgery section in education room including reduced afternoon activity of German 'ferrets' and guards; role presenting cover lecture; organisation of lookouts and role of Security Officer Paul Brickell; forging of gate pass including forging typeface layout, role of wife of anti-Nazi German guard in typing up passes, role of pickpocket to secure and replace pass for copying; specialisation in German script; story illustrating specialisation of Flight Lieutenant Gordon Brutell in Sans Serif script and his production of documents for escape of Flight Lieutenant Bob van der Stack, 3/1944; source of materials; method of manufacture of official stamps from rubber heels by Wing Commander Victor Wood. REEL 19 Continues: method of making leave passes for escapees not intending to use railways and passing themselves off as foreign workers; method of making travel permits for escapees including questions of eyestrain and forgers' specialisations; method of forging stamp for Squadron Leader Roger Bushell's documents; use of camera obtained from German guard; memory of Flight Lieutenant Frank Knight. REEL 20 Continues: memory of Flight Lieutenants Bob Buchanan and Frank Knight; Red Cross POW books; question of secrecy over tunnel; assignment of escape number 45; escape documentation; story of descent into 'Harry' Tunnel in Hut 104including entrance from stove, security problems; wooden props, claustrophobic reaction and background to decision not to join escape; accelerated pace of forgery work; story of German block search during roll call and Plunkett's realisation he had left escape plans book on bed; role of Squadron Leader Roger Bushell. REEL 21 Continues: question of tension between Wing Commander Harry Day and Squadron Leader Roger Bushell; building makeshift skating rink, learning to skate and playing ice hockey; account of Great Escape, 23/3/1944-24/3/1943, including inclusion of room mates in escape, method of concentrating escapers in Block 104, last meal with room mates, reactions to being left behind, arrival of prisoners from Hut 104, Allied air raid, German discovery of tunnel, German evacuation of Hut 104, news of escape and reaction of Commandant von Linedenharr; return of recaptured escapers; news of evacuation of 50 escapers at meeting in theatre. REEL 22 Continues: reactions to death of room mates; interviews with escape committee to discuss cataloguing personal property of executed prisoners; opinion of room mate Flight Lieutenant Bill McTurk; appointment of Wing Commander Ellis to lead Escape Committee; taking over organisation of document forgery section; suspension of escape activity; involvement in theatrical productions and stories of comic acrobatic troop 'Royal Raviolis'; recreations; opinion of Lager Officer Hans Pibier and his night hut searches; opinion of Feldwebel Glenmitz and 'Rubber neck'. REEL 23 Continues: signs of approach of Soviet forces; preparations for evacuation of camp including rucksacks and decision not to make sledge. Recollections of march to Hamburg area, 1/1945-2/1945: last minute issue of Red Cross parcels; use of abandoned sledge; uniform; view of German troops heading east; overnight billets; German refugees; bartering for food; attitude of German guards; thaw and consequently abandoning sledge; overnight billets; story of encounter with Waffen SS; case of panic amongst group of prisoners; overnight stop at glass factory; train journey to Marlag Milag. REEL 24 Continues: train journey to Tarmstaedt including dysentery outbreak and fear of air attack in marshalling yards. Period at Marlag Milag POW Camp, Tarmstaedt, 2/1945-4/1945: fainting on arrival; sick bay and enema treatment; state of hut accommodation wrecked by previous prisoners; state of morale; view of Allied air activity; Red Cross parcels; failed escape attempt; parties collecting turnips and question of escape; approach of British forces and decision by Senior British Officer to delay setting out on second march. Recollections of march to Lubeck area, 4/1945: paring up with Flight Lieutenant John Williams to share blankets; ruses restricting pace of march; night beside River Elbe; relationship with German civilians. REEL 25 Continues: relationship with German civilians; period at farm billet at Wulwenaul; relationship with neighbouring Russian POWs; delivery of Red Cross parcels and bartering for food; noise of fighting; story of contact with wounded German soldiers during walk outside billets; view of retreating German troops; preparing warning notices; story of liberation by British tank, reaction to freedom and celebration party with Russian prisoners. Flight back to GB, 5/1945: prior party; meeting former flying instructor; delousing; reception from civilians. REEL 26 Continues: Period at reception centre in West Midlands, 5/1945: presence of Wing Commander G. C. Massey; medical; kitting out. Leave in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, 5/1945-7/1945: question of qualification as industrial psychologist and transfer to army. Period as psychologist with Personnel Department, RAF, London, 1945-1946: prior interview; status as ex-pilot; inspecting operation of vocational advice service; role monitoring selection board. Demobilisation, 1946. Post-war career: career as civilian psychologist with RAF, 1947-1961; role as senior psychologist to army, 1961-1966; question of effects of POW experiences; opinion of film 'Great Escape'.