Description
Object description
British officer served as pilot with 44, 50, 100 and 299 Sqdns RAF in GB, 1941-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Eastbourne and Surrey, GB, 1921-1939: family; education; joined ATC at Radley College; sporting activities; memory of seeing Amy Johnson, 1931; reasons for joining ATC. Aspects of training with RAF in GB, 1939-1941: enlisted 1939; description of training at Initial Training Wing, Hastings and No 5 Elementary Flying School, 5-8/1940; selection process for pilot training; posted to No 6 SFTS and description of training on Ensigns; posted to No 2 Navigation School, Manchester, 11/1940; description of training as navigator on Hampden bomber including night flying; posted to 16 Operational Training Unit, 1/1941 for further training as navigator and pilot on Handley Page Hampden; story of crash landing; problem of rudder stall on Handley Page Hampden. Recollections of operations as pilot with 44, 50, 100 and 299 Sqdns RAF in GB, 1941-1945: posted to 44 Sqdn RAF and description of first operational trip to Hamburg, 4/1941; problem of parachutes and escape from Hampden; posted to 50 Sqdn RAF, 5/1941 and memory of commanding officer.
REEL 2 Continues: further opinion of Hampden including problem with engines; losses and opinion of German defences; type of navigational aids and inaccuracy of bombing; number of operations and hours; description of gardening operations; problem of finding airfield at night and explanation of term 'darky'; selection of targets including operations over Norway; question of morale and memories of fellow crewmen; interest in classical music; religious beliefs and attitude to marriage.
REEL 3 Continues: 3/1942: posted to 16 Operational Training Unit as instructor; opinion of Vickers Wellington 1C; attitude to being instructor; role in '1000 bomber' raids on Cologne and Essen, 5/1942; question of bombing height; posted as instructor to 30 Operational Training Unit, 8/1942 and nature of duties; memory of meeting William Glock; posted to 100 Sdqn RAF, 11/1943; description of daily routine and nature of operations over Germany; use of 'corkscrew' to avoid searchlights; opinion of German defences over Berlin and Ruhr.
REEL 4 Continues: memory of collision with Lancaster over Leipzig; assessment of different navigational aids and radar including Fishpond, H2S and Monica; memory of collision of bombers on airfield and deaths of crews; composition of crews and problem of novice crews; story of operation to Stuttgart and damage caused to Lancaster by German fighters; problem of wind on Berlin raid, 3/1944 and memory of last gardening operation, 4/1944.
REEL 5 Continues: question of completing tours and medal awards; method of weaving aircraft and use of auto-pilot; posted to 620 Sqdn, 10/1944; role in drops of arms and supplies over Europe; opinion of Stirling bomber; posted to 299 Sqdn, 2/1945-1/1946; description of role in Operation Varsity towing gliders during Rhine Crossing, 3/1944; duties bringing back POWs and supply drops over Europe; memory of visiting Berlin at end of war. Aspects of post-war period with RAF and demobilization, 9/1947. Aspects of post-war employment as civil airline pilot.
REEL 6 Continues: further comments on navigational aids and career as civil airline pilot.
