Interview with Sidney Garber

British officer trained as pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB and Canada, 1942-1943; pilot served with HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down, GB, 1943-1944; served as ferry pilot with Aircraft Maintenance Depot, HMS Blackcap, Royal Naval Air Station Stretton, GB, 1944-1946

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1922-1941: family; education; employment; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; membership of 8th County of London ((Hackney) Bn Home Guard; use of family air raid shelter during German Air Force attacks, 1940-1941. Recollections of enlistment and flying training with Fleet Air Arm in GB and Canada, 1942-1943: reasons for volunteering for Fleet Air Arm; attending selection board, 10/1941; move to HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent, 7/1942; presence of New Zealand recruits; pattern of training at HMS St Vincent, Gosport; start of flying training at No 14 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Elmdon; night flying; flying instructors and death of his instructor Flying Officer Sydney Trout in flying accident at Desford, 14/11/1942; communication in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; soloing in aircraft; attitude to flying; low-level flying; technique for getting out of spin. REEL 2 Continues: initial impressions of Canada; looping the North American Harvard; fate of failed recruits; contrast between flying De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth and North American Harvard; navigation exercises and instrument flying; reaction to commissioning; return to GB; opinion of Fairey Swordfish; technique for dropping torpedoes; effects of weather on training; practice deck landings at HMS Jackdaw, Royal Naval Air Station Crail; accident during night take off. Aspects of period as pilot at HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down in GB, 1943-1944: types of aircraft flown; flying Curtiss Seamew and Westland Lysander; character of station. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as ferry pilot with Air Maintenance Depot, HMS Blackcap, Royal Naval Air Station Stretton, GB, 1944-1946: posting to depot after familiarisation with American aircraft types; character of Vought F4U Corsair; role as ferry pilot with unit; use of other aircraft to fly back to station; types of aircraft flown; forced landing in Grumman Wildcat Mk V near RAF Cosford; reaction to forced landing; attitude to flying over Irish Sea; demobilisation, 1946; attitude to serving in Fleet Air Arm during Second World War.